Simon Dyer

Laurie I know this has been a bit of a difficult one in more ways than one but you have absolutely nailed it again She looks an absolute beauty, well done my friend. I seem to remember saying "a piece of coal into a diamond" and I dont think I was wrong! Look forward to following the D.H. Dart Herald, including all the expletives🤣 Well done👍👌 Si

Hi Folks Just a wee update. As I mentioned before I ran out of paint so decided to fill the gap with a minute bit of scratch building, which didnt last very long at all. However, because of the lull it made me look at the jeep again more closely (for quite some time actually) and realised that perhaps Tamiya XF-59 Desert Yellow wasn't really the right colour, so switched to XF-57 Buff (that I did have), which I think now on reflection is a bit more appropriate. Still a long way to go but loving every minute. All LRDG vehicles carried a theodolite of some sort, they were masters of desert survey, to make maps etc. etc. Will probably use No.1 as its more recognisably a theodolite. Still a bit of highlighting/weathering to go and the addition of a plumb line. 😱😱😱😱 Well thats it for now folks but will be back soon with another Take care & safe Si

Hi Folks So my latest update Dooogh my apologies Model Mate for not replying sooner, even worse I thought I had sent this earlier this afternoon but obviously not. Thanks for the info, Ive also read that even at a very late stage you can use the Tamiya X-20A thinner which also works well apparently. About to send an update now. Apologies again Si

Regardless as to whether its finished or not it's a superb build my friend. When that seat and steering wheel is on it will as they say, be "the icing on the cake" Keep up the good work Paolo 👍👍👍👌 Take care Si

Looks really great Paolo. One thing I would like to ask though, bearing in mind I have no idea about Schwimmwagens at all apart from the normal stuff, but, the steering wheel!!! Snow and winter is something I definitely want to do at some stage. You have done a great job and it's a great inspiration for me to bring that idea of a snow build forward 👍👍👍👌 Si

Excellent, looks superb Paolo. When you said snow I automatically thought of snow camo on the vehicle.. What did you use? It looks amazing and I love the boot print Si

Hi Paolo Thank you, very much appreciated. I have run out of the desert sand and my local hobby store doesn't have any in stock😭. So my next post may be a bit dealayed. You stay safe too Si

Thanks Mr. S. much appreciated If I had any I could quite easily cope with more equipment🤣😂..............................as long as its not Jerry cans😱 Hairspray...will explain and hope not to bore you or anyone else. 1. Primer, 2. Dark grey (the colour I want to show through), 3. Hairspray, 4. Top colour. Within about 30 mins of the top colour being applied using different implements like cocktail sticks, cotton buds, a short stiff brush etc, soaked in water just poke and brush away until the dark grey shows through, the hairspray helps with this. I have from the past used the likes of Vallejo & MIG products specifically for this purpose but not had much luck and have stuck with hairspray (smells nicer as well😂). Its very effective as you will see when I do my next post. Si

Hi Folks Bit of an update. A lot of the equipment is going to be used in the final diorama with the LRDG Chevy, they will also be toned down a lot with pigments near the final stages. Quickly running out of weapons to fit to it as I broke two of the Vickers K's removing them from the sprue. Will try and fix them. Just deciding what to do with the condenser, leave as is or go with what seems on most I've seen to be the obligatory dent in it. Will be back soon with another update. Take care and safe Si

Thanks for the info folks much appreciated. I found this a bit spooky really. I very rarely watch TV but on the day I posted this that evening watched a Combat Dealer episode. You could have knocked me down with a feather. Bruce Cromton bought exactly the same thing for a GMC truck he had just purchased. See what I mean about spooky 😱 Thanks again for coming back to me Si

Thanks Laurie. Plenty to keep me busy painting them all😱😂

Hi Vaastav, I'm going to have a crack at it but if it does end up in the bin I have plenty of other options. Will need to do a bit more research but I understand they even used MG34 & MG42's. Basically any weapon they could beg, steal or borrow. Si

Hi Folks Im currently building an SAS Jeep to go with an LRDG Chevy that I have already made. I just have a couple of questions that Im hoping somebody may be able to shed a bit of light on. 1). I think read somewhere online (but cannot for the life of me find it now) that both LRDG & SAS units used captured German range finders, periscopes and binoculars because of their superior optics. Could anyone confirm if this is correct?? in particular the S.F.14 (Rabbit Ear) periscope and the EM34 range finder. I would like to if so add them to the final diorama 2). Has anyone have an idea what the below picture is of. I initially thought it was some sort of mine but quickly dispelled that idea. The only other thing I can think of its some sort of water bottle (leather collapsible possibly), have looked online but cannot seem to find anything. I should have done a size comparison photo but its a bit larger in diameter than a Vickers K drum magazine but not as deep. Its out of curiosity more than anything, but I like to know what it is I'm putting on a kit and what sort of colour it should be. Any help would be much appreciated Many thanks, stay safe Si

Hi Folks Next installment as promised Last pic, again typo letters in words that shouldn't be there, sorry. As I say not all of these parts are to go on the Jeep or come from that kit. Some are for the other vehicle and the final diorama. There are some 15-16 Jerry cans (there are three as one piece for the Jeep bonnet) and Ive just found another 3 😱 Well thats it, what you see here is where I am now and wont leave it for so long next time. If there is anyway that you folks think I can improve this work in progress like better pics, less or more waffle etc please let me know. Until next time Take care & safe Si

Thank you Trevor much appreciated 👍

Hi Folks Just a few update pics. Didn't realise I was so far behind on what Ive already sent. So hopefully I will send another post a bit later which will bring me up to date of where I am right at this moment Not been really happy with both front and rear bumpers, think the originals which are attached to the chassis and not separate parts look too thick, even after a bit of a beat up. Apologies for the appalling lack of attention on some o the words used in the pic below Not all of the above pic parts as you can see are from the kit but will be all part of the final diorama. Seems quite a lot but wait until you see the next installment 😱 Will hopefully be back with that installment a bit later. Take care Si

Hi Stuart Dont think you will be disappointed, it's a great little kit👍 I'm just preparing pics for an update on mine and will hopefully be posting them later. Si

Hi Folks I would like to start off and just say that I would not be doing this now (and would not be for quite some time in the future, for various reasons including the fact 'I didnt have one'). However, because of the kindness and generosity of Laurie Stewart (who's idea it was in the first place, to go alongside another recent build I have done for a diorama). Im now really stuck in and enjoying every second, thanks again Laurie, hope you like the end result. I think it is undeniable that Tamiya produce some of the best quality kits available and have done so for a long long time. Ive included the front page of the instructions as although their kits are superb the way they word things sometimes I find very amusing. If you have time to read I hope you find some of it as funny as I do 😂🤣. Next stage a bit of a clean up and then 😱😱 make it look like a well used vehicle, not like its just been unloaded off the ship straight from the factory. Thanks for looking and I will keep you updated Take care and safe Si

Hi Mark my apologies but can you PM me please so I can reply. My lack of knowledge of the site and little or no tech savvy I've been pulling my hair out. Many thanks Si

Thanks Mark much appreciated. Have a go at a vehicle, they are a complete blank canvas. There is so much scope to do whatever you want. Weathering, mud, whatever you want the world is your oyster. Nothing is set in stone, nobody can say 'that wrong' because there are a million and on variations. Perhaps try a small one to start like a Jeep or kublewagen. I'm really sure you won't be disappointed. Above all they are fun to build which is the whole point. All the best Si If its ok Mark can I PM you?

Thanks Chris. The Fury will be done at some stage. The pics you see are a bit of a second coat dust over on the Molotow, first coat I would say after a week was still not really ready for handling. Eventually sprayed with gloss clear, but this dampens down the chrome affect. Yes a very very nice gift from Lauri. Really looking forward to the build Si

Hi Folks Hope Im in the right place here for this next bit? Will get used to it one day 🤣 1/72 I have decided is definitely not the scale for me, this is the first kit I made at about the age of 8, at certain stages I think that was better than this one and I haven't even done the top wing fitting yet😱. I have a way to go yet though. Decided to do single pics from now on which I feel more comfortable with, hope they are OK? Only trouble is they show up all the really bad bits which actually you dont see on the model in the flesh so to speak (especially silver & chrome). Apologies for all the 'the looks better in the flesh, but it does'. Apologies but this will be the last post I do on this for a while for a few reasons. The first one is that anyone who has used Molotow would agree with me is firstly superb but secondly takes forever and a day to dry!! which also makes a great excuse for me. The other reason, I recently finished a 1/35 Tamiya Chevi LRDG which I posted on Britmod. Another member (who I have only known for a short while but has become a very dear friend, Laurie Stewart). He suggested it would look great along side an SAS jeep on a diorama. I totally agreed and said I will definitely do it in the future, but due to recent financial circumstances and constraints it would be a long time off. Last week I received a parcel in the post out of the blue, a 1/35 Tamiya SAS Jeep with a note from Laurie. So this is going to be my main build as of tonight. Thank you my friend, again much appreciated Thanks for looking folks and I will definitely be doing a build progress on this one and will keep in touch with the Fury as and when I get back to it. All the best & stay safe Si

Very nice Paolo very nice indeed 👍👍

Very interesting Laurie, local arabs and tea would make another great and interesting diorama. Modelling however seems to take up most time so reading about this sort of stuff is difficult time wise. Thanks for the info though👍

Thanks for the message RiotRolo. Fascinating, a very elite and little known group of very bold and brave men. As well as the SAS in their infancy. I would love to research my family wartime history but alas there are only a few hours in the day to do such things, modelling, paying bills, keeping the other half happy etc etc🤣🤣🤣 Respect to your girlfriends great uncle Charlie