ScanmanDan

I'm always happier flinging paint. 😀 Even if it is only primer. I have found a few muffs to fix but nothing too bad. I'm most please to have all the terrifyingly fragile 3D printed marking lights on. Now I just have to not smash them while painting. I need to play with the new AK Real Colour russian paints I just got before giving her a bit of colour. Thanks for all the encouraging comments.

Progress; That's the turret about finished. I'm not too sure about the tie downs as I don't have and location dimensions etc. I think they need to be made a touch smaller and thinner in gauge. I might just go with this because I want to start painting and not get bogged down. I really like this kit and hope to build a few more in the next year or so. Thanks for looking in. Dan

I'd like a dozer blade and some etched engine deck screens plus that exhaust ring and shield Some new turret hatches for later models would be nice too. Lots of little stuff to make some neat changes.

Nice bin there John. Lots of space now to add heaps of stowage and widgets Keep up the stellar work, I'm loving the additions.

Progress; That's the hull mostly done with only a few fiddly little bits like the front markers left to add. There is more that I could do but ya gotta stop some time. Besides I want to build a really beat up one with no front and rear fenders or fuel drums next . I've made a start on the turret but there is a lot i want to do to that as well so a fair bit more construction before we get to the paint. Thanks for looking in. Dan

Super sharp and inspirational too! loving' those tools and the exhaust ring. Keep up the excellent work. (How else can I pinch ideas ) Can't wait to see what you come up with next.

I want to do one with the dozer mountings shaved off and the fenders missing/damaged and no extra fuel drums. In desert colours as a change from this one that will be green. I do want to wait until some PE parts are available and some turned barrels. Lots of ideas for different types to build. I have to get those tiny lights on now and work out all those grab handles on the turret. I did like your tool storage and siren and need to do something like that for mine ( inspirational stuff). I am having a great time and waiting for some of that newish AK Real Colour paint to arrive.

Progress; She's up on her feet. I really like the way Tamiya do their link and length track. Just a little clean up and then assemble as per the instructions. I did glue the road wheels on with white glue so that I can take the whole track/roadwheel assembly off in one piece for ease of painting. Added the track slap guards under the fenders out of Evergreen channel but you cannot see them without looking real hard under the fender area. Some more details on the hull to do then onto the turret and then painting! I liked the Churchill from last year so much I built three of them and I think I like this one even more. ( Must build the Elephant too) Who knows how many of these I'll build. Thanks for looking in. Dan

I am going to use them John. I'm actually the ( Dan Cooper) that did the design for the basic lights on 3D48th but John Charvat has taken that design for the lights and done a great set of brackets for them. I'll be printing up a set of Johns' revision for this model. You can't really order from the Facebook page. It's more a group of folks sharing and modifying designs for parts. ( Nice bunch of folks and super helpful if you are getting into the whole 3D printing/designing thing. You need to have a 3D printer to make them at home. Not too hard or expensive but still a lot of time and effort to learn the machines and get useful parts. But you can do amazing stuff with those printers. Those lights are TINY. Still a ways off as I'm bashing the running gear right now.

Thanks Andy John - I just hope a simple PE set and turned barrel come out soon. Everything else is pretty straight forward. Meanwhile a bit of progress on the old 55 Just old bits and pieces but its a bit more 'busy' I'm glad I took some time to make a little jig to bend the two fender bars the same. Usually I'd just eyeball it and it never looks quite right. Much still to do but I'm still having fun. Need to work out all the dimensions for those U shaped turret tie downs next. Thanks for looking in. Dan

Looking super John. Those hard lines look great, I chickened out and used lead wire as I just got so angry it stopped being fun. My hats off to you 'cause they look neater. Enjoying your build very much. Dan

I've been excitedly awaiting this kit for some time. I just had to crack it open and make a start. While I generally love the new kit like many I though the rear engine deck could use a little love. So out came the drills, files and styrene. Not all that accurate but a bit better than what was there and I think once painted will look okay. I will start on adding handles and hold downs for the tool boxes and plumbing for the fuel tanks next. I do hope that some aftermarket photoetch becomes available soon as I don't want to do this kind of hacking again. That said it is a cracking kit. Tamiya really do have this scale sorted out. Dan

I'm just loving' what you are doing and that intake is super! I'm going to be cribing ideas for my build, so much goodness . I hope you are having fun because I'm enjoying the show. Dan

I just started to doodle about with some carved cobbles stones and ended up with this. The Cromwell looks a bit happier than when it was sitting in the case all by itself. Thant's another one done Just got the new T-55 and I'm itching to have a crack at it. Thanks for looking in. Dan

Very, very cool. I'm tagging along for sure. Neat prototype pictures, Thanks. John, If you go to the 3D48th Facebook page you'll find marker lights and headlight guards on offer so far. More goodies to come. Dan

Thanks John. Acrylics, mostly Vallejo with some very, very thin pin washes of Tamiya enamels here and there Still trying out new stuff/techniques all the time and mostly seeing what colours work best together.

My latest victims Considering their small size I think they came out okay. I'm still work on that whole 'subtle' thing. Now I just have to build the darn diorama. Thanks for looking in. Dan

This ones been knocking about on the shelf of doom for a bit on account of my messing up while trying the hair spray technique on the basic finish. As I'm just messing about in the workshop with nothing better to do I thought I'd splash some more paint on her, couldn't hurt. Results; Once I figure out something I'll do a little base for it. Thanks for looking in. Dan

Just my latest kit. Nice, easy build and I had a lot of fun making it. I hope you like it. If I get the urge I'll add some figures and a few more details but for now I'm off to tackle a few more in the stash. Thanks for looking in. Dan

Glad you like the little photo prop base John. Sometimes it's nice to just have something a bit more 'finished' to take your WIP pics on. I knocked together a little base last night. I will add some more details at a later stage but way too many other projects and kits to play with. I have added more pictures in a finished post in the ready for inspection section. Thanks for looking.

I'm stepping away from this before I wreck it. Still want to do a tiny base for it but we'll see. This is just one of my blank photo backdrop bases for now. Fun kit. Thanks for looking in. Dan

Thank you John and Kevin for your words of courage. Progress; With a little luck I'll finish by tomorrow night. One of my fastest builds yet. Dan

Progress, but I don't know if it helps any. I don't know if I like the 'checks' Maybe I can get it to look better in a bit. Dan

That sounds like a great selection of British types. I share your joy of these kits. They are just a lot of fun. Progress; Freehand camouflage always challenges me and, well this is the best I can do. Now some detail painting, some decals then the good stuff!!!

Finished up the Churchill AVRE on the weekend and jumped right in on another kit from the stash By the end of Monday I had her to here, basic assembly finished. Pretty much straight OOB with a replacement barrel. Added a little texture to the front plates and drilled the tracks. The tricky part for me was building the tracks all as one unit so they can be taken off and painted separately. For an older kit with the metal hull she went together smoothly and was a joy to build. Finished up some details and the sprayed some nice red primer tonight. That's where I'm at so far. Now all I have to do is figure out which of the zillion different camouflage patterns to try Thanks for looking in. Dan