Search the Community

For my first ever GB I went big, Aussie M3 Lee with full interior. Last time I've attempted to do full interior kit was 20+ years ago with Tiger I from Academy, sadly got distracted and the only thing I was able to finish was the turret. This time I plan to go all the way. I don't have any connections with lands down under except having a couple of good mates from my bmx years, both Kiwi born and bread, one near Wanaka and one in Wellington. Anyway, I digress. The part count is bigger than I expected and it looks like there will be quite a lot of work involved. Sprues look really good with quite sharp details and a few PE parts. My plan is to have all doors open, so that it will show as much interior as possible.

Starting my next project - Takom's Bergepanther Ausf.A. It's gonna be Demag's one as the box says. Out of the Daimler-Benz, Henschel and Demag built Bergepanther Ausf.A's Demag is the only one to go with the winch and shovel. To add to the base kit I have Voyager Model's PE, MasterClub metal tracks and T-Rex's 3D-printed idler wheel. The beginning is obiously very similar to the Takom's Panther Ausf.D I built few years ago. Cheers! Kristjan

I have always liked German half track tractors. I completed it on vacation in October 2023. Please enjoy. Completed in October 2023

Hello, everybody! Starting with a new model(s)... well actually started with these a while ago, but due to a slow progress haven't yet published it here. The kit is ICM ANZAC Ford Model T 3in1 kit, of which I'm building two. I have a Microdesign PE sets for both of them, a GasPatch Models beautifully made Lewis gun set and one figure from D-Day Miniature Studio for now. There is a small diorama setting with those two vehicles and a few more figures in my mind. Here are all the goodies I have at hand. The mudguards and the frame are molded into one piece and have quite a few KO marks underneath that will not be visible really, but I filled these anyway. One thing I wanted to try is to make the front axle movable at least on one of the vehicles to make the setting more lively. It required some on-the-edge surgery, but turned out to be not as hard as one might expect, As both of the kits have double details for the axle and the steering parts it made it a lot easier to do. Underneath I added brake linkages and rods. Again - won't be much visible, but an the other hand, why not. To date I'm a bit more than on a halfway there with the engine compartment, that included some added wiring and replaced piping. Here is the thing with the details dry-fitted. And with another one that is disassembled. Cheers! Kristjan

Didn't feel like painting today, so decided to start a new project. This time I chose Cromwell MK. IV. It will be done out of the box with a side order of 3D printed tracks and it will have marks of 1st Polish Armoured Division. Here is the progress that I have made so far. Next stage will be to prime and paint the lower hull.

A bit of an old mold but worth it, it was surprisingly hard to find one, but once I got one the price was so good I couldn't say no. Model was primed with Mr Hobby 1000 Black, then pre-shaded with Tamiya white and the main colour is NATO brown by AK real colors. There was a c All in all the build was more challenging compared the usual very easy Tamiya 1:35 (still very easy compared to other manufacturers). I am on my way to build as many modern AFVs as I can since I really like their real life counterparts and I am an avid War Thunder player (it's what actually got me into the model making hobby). I hope it's good enough, please let me know what you think and if you have any criticisms.

The 1830 Northumbria is the next test model to arrive in my workshop. 3D printed scale 1:35 and the publisher is ‘World from Cardboard’ and this is what it looks like and we will see what comes out of it. By the way, I would like to ask if there are any materials, drawings of this locomotive? Maybe there are also plans of the wagons it could pull? I have something but there are considerable discrepancies in it, or any railway forum worthy of recommendation? Suggestions and suggestions not just for the publisher welcome. Many thanks in advance.

Hello folks. Not many Sextons around here, probably because the Dragon kit was AWOL for a few years. They came back recently with the "magic tracks" so I grabbed one and set to work. A number of issues became apparent. Firstly, a number of parts are provided in the kit but not referenced in the instructions, most notably the additional strengthening pieces placed around the inside face of the front armour shield that fill up 2 holes (but still require a lot of filling). The side armour plating retains the moulding dimple mentioned in other reviews of the kit. The build sequence is rather difficult to work with for painting purposes. I ended up leaving the front and sides off for as long as possible, slotting in parts rather than fixing them so they would be easier to move. The fit of the body to the hull tub is...variable, again something noted in other reviews. The kit is missing weld lines in various prominent locations, so I scribed in a panel line and am going to claim that any sloppiness near the front armour plate is representative of the welds I wanted to represent "Fee" because it has actual video footage at https://www.iwm.org.uk/collections/item/object/1060013190. However, the markings for "Fee" are incorrect and so is its regiment, which should be 90th Field Regiment RA. I ignored the paint scheme for the most part and went from the video where possible, or other images of Sextons at similar periods. I hoped to get the Star Decal set which has almost the correct markings for a 1944 Fee, but had to cobble it together from a different marking set, 35-C1260. There are still some additions to make if I revisit this kit in the future: covered headlights, camo netting, tools hanging from the side handles, Brens in the carrying slots, ammo boxes, and a rather prominent square that almost looks like a tacsign, but those shouldn't be present on artillery to my knowledge. There are also a few scribbles of white that are probably from D-Day transportation markings. I painted the kit with AK 3rd gen acrylics for the base camo, with Vallejo gunmetal for tracks and then various MIG and AK enamel washes, and Lifecolor acrylics for dust effects.

Here we go again. This PzKpfw II was meant to be a quick project for a couple of weekends, but of course it turned out a little bit more time consuming. Partly because I've had quite a busy time at work and partly because the rubber tracks that were included in the kit were too short, so I had to go shopping. Kit itself is well known and I suspect that many of you who do AFV in 1/35 scale had built one at some point in your modelling career. Apart from the 3D printed tracks from QuickTracks the kit is out of the box build with no PE parts. This little Panzer II was painted using Ammo atom paints and for weathering I've used Ammo acrylic wash and Ammo oilbrushers. I've messed up a couple of decals, but overall I'm quite happy with the result. Enough talking, here are the pictures. I would welcome any feedback, be honest, but gentle 😜as this is only my second tank and probably only the third or fourth model that I have painted with an airbrush.

Well, I've been having a quite productive days recently. I did small touch ups on my T-34 and instead of watching the paint dry I've decided to start a new project. This time however I wanted something that can be built and painted fairly quickly, so I went for I think one of the oldest kits still available today (I'm pretty sure it is older than me), classic Panzer II from Tamiya. My plan is to build it out of the box and without figures. It will be another practice run, like T-34, before I will start getting to the big ones in my stash. Also I will use figures to practice figure painting at later date. I think it took me about 2-3 hours to build it and it was quite refreshing to have a kit that can be made in one afternoon. What's in the box? Four simple sprues, hull, rubber tracks, instructions and decals. Not many parts and that's the beauty of this kit. Now I know that this kit is an old one and it is Tamiya, so I've expected an easy job. Surprisingly there was a lot of pin marks, especially on the bottom of the fenders, which I had to fix using Vallejo plastic putty. And a lot of seam lines. No issues with fitment though. Once I've sanded down the pin marks and dry fitted all parts together it was time to prime it with Ammo One Shot primer in grey. Oh, I forgot to mention that after dry fitting I decided to check the rubber tracks and I'm glad that I did because they are tight. Not like @Harry_the_Spider Panther tight, more like two links too short tight. Quick solution was found... a new set of tracks for my Panzer II from QuickTracks 😁 Don't know when will they arrive, but I have enough work to do anyway. And that's where I'm now.

Finally managed to do an upload to my Flickr account, so here it is. My first "work in progress" post. Last September I have started work on this T-34/75 by Tamiya, in addition to the standard kit I have some PE parts from Eduard, metal barrel from Aber and workable tracks by Quick Tracks. I'll be honest my experience building tanks is non existent, so this was my way of getting into it. Last weekend I've finally managed to paint it and do some basic shading using an airbrush for the first time ever and here are the results before I painted details and covered everything in a couple of thin coats of semi gloss varnish. Tracks were primed with Vallejo black surface primer and then gave a couple of light coats of paint, then used acrylic track wash and rubbed some gun metal pigment using rubber brush. After that again a couple of light semi gloss coats to seal it and I must say I'm quite pleased with how they look. Wheels also received some pigment treatment Next step would be to put decals on, but then I'm a bit lost, so would like to know from more experienced here. What would be the best way forward? Is there an order in which I should do the weathering?

Hi all, Moment of truth for me, I've finally managed to finish project started back in September '24. Apart from a couple of jeeps this is the first time I've been using airbrush and my first tank ever. I've made a few mistakes here and there, so this is probably not the most exciting to the eye, but I hope some of you will like it. Thanks for watching.

Allright, new project. The kit, Border Models, scale 1:35, real sjort review. Its not great, its not bad, if in fpr Tamiya feel so forget it, also the manual shows several errors numper parts, minor detaling, no IP decals, or clear parts for the Revi gunsight, instead plastic non transparent parts. But fun to build som far. Allright, let the pictures talk, adding details, then primer. Exhaust pipes weathered Ignitions wires, make em pop out.

Hi, This is a 1:35 model of the Sherman M4A1, an American medium tank. This is Italeri KIT no. 0225. I made it as a traditionally movable model, of course. The additional parts are - the Friulmodel tracks, couple of small accessories like towing cables, jerry cans, helmets, bags, supply and ammo boxes. The model wasn't very detailed but I tried to add some details by myself. I hope you see it and like it. The clip shows how does it ride Models finished in 2021/2022 - "Sturmgeschutz III ausf G (1:35 vintage Tamiya)", "Matilda MK II (1:35 vintage Tamiya)" I invite you to see the rest of works on my site "about me"

Hi all. Been some time since I posted a proper scale armor build in this subforum, so here we go. First completed 1/35 AFV since end of 2023. This is Italeri's T-34 in the Korean War boxing. In the US, the kit is priced similarly to the RFM T-34, which is generally considered to be the best on the market. So what do you get in the box? This is a reduced version of Italeri's full-interior T-34 kits. That was fine with me, as I don't really get the appeal of AFV kits with full interiors. But if you're buying this because you want to build each of the stations, and an engine, you'll find yourself disappointed. You get some basic bulkheads and some turret/gun details, but that is about it. You get SOME of what you might expect on a post-war T-34. There are separate roof vent domes, you get smoke pot canisters for the back, angled front fenders, and from just eye-balling it - a "fuller" turret bottom. But Italeri only gives you the solid wheels. Too bad, since many, though certainly not all, North Korean and Chinese T-34s were fitted with the spider style wheels. Italeri would have also expanded the range of options by adding the handful of parts needed to build a Chinese modified T-34 (Type 89 I think they called it?) with the raised loader's hatch and DshK mount. In terms of detail, this kit is okay, but not great. There are no weld lines on the hull and the welds on the turret are very basic. The turret cast texture is a little pedestrian looking, and there is no texture on the hull parts. You get A PE engine grill mesh that looks nice, but the four vent grills further forward are molded solid, which looks okay, but is another missed opportunity. The finer details are fine, but few. There are PE straps for the track grousers on the hull sides, but I left these off my tank, as I don't know if I've ever seen them on in a historic photo. The tracks are link and length and look nice. Italeri also give you rubber tracks, if you prefer. There are a few marking options for North Korean tanks, which all feature large white turret numbers. There is also one Chinese PLA option, which I chose. The decals are FANTASTIC! Thin, stretchy, strong, and with great adherence. All in all, not a terrible model, but somewhat basic. I give it a solid C, mostly because it was very much overpriced. The kit is probably on par with the Academy T-34s in terms of quality and detail, but is priced like an RFM kit. I understand that a lot of the price is set by Steven's International setting the import price, so maybe it is a better bargain elsewhere in the world. I painted the model in standard Mr. Surfacer black base-coat and then applied lightened shades of some sort of greens. The base painting happened a while ago. So I don't remember. But I applied lighter colors at the top surfaces and at high points as if a single light source was over the tank. I paint my armor after they are fully assembled. The lower hull and tracks were painted with a black/brown mix, and then some green was misted onto the wheel faces. Tyres were semi-dry-brushed with a dark gray. Weathering was kept simple and included a dark brown enamel pin wash, and acrylic filters of vallejo dark sandy and earth brown colored paints suspended in matte medium. Some steel was drybrushed on the track. Now, how about some pictures?

Hi everyone, hope you are all having a restful Christmas. My son gave me the Airfix boxing of the Academy M36/M36B2 and before I make a start I have a few questions I hope someone can answer. I intend to build the M36 “Pork Chop”, which is indicated to be 2nd Cavalry, US 3rd Army, winter of 1944/45. The painting instructions show the .50 cal being moved to the front of the turret, although the position is a bit vague. My first question is, would the “original” baseplate on the bustle have been eliminated, or just left? Secondly, I have failed to find an image of “Pork Chop” online, which leaves me at a quandary as to which sprocket/wheel/idler combination to use. Strangely the kit also provides just two solid dish road wheels (although I also have plenty left over from my Asuka Sherman builds). Any guidance would be greatly appreciated.

This is the test model of the 1830 ‘Northumrian’ locomotive in 1:35 scale made as a 3D printout and the publisher is the ‘World of Cardboard’ company. The construction went without any problems, the parts fit together and I can't but recommend the model and invite you to the gallery. I would like to thank the ‘Swiat z kartonu’ company for the model I received.

Hey, this one is done Here it is: Pz.Rgt. 35, 4th Pz.Div, 3rd Company. Operation "Barbarossa", 1941. Build log is here: Cheers! Kristjan

Starting with a new one - this time it is Panzer III by Dragon. The kit I'm using is artillery observer tank Panzerbeobachtungswagen III but I'll build it into a regular Panzer III Ausf.G, as all the bits are supposedly in there. The turret shell is the only exception, but it'll be not too hard to convert. I have Voyager PE set and fenders to add as well as Aber barrels for the main gun an for MG's and a set of MasterClub metal tracks. I like Dragon's Pz.III based kits for their accuracy and crisp details and this one is up to that too. It's going together really fast at this stage and no hardships to report thus far. Cheers! Kristjan

I will make one of the first German tanks. First I planned building of OOB. Checked the photos of the real tank I found errors in a model. I plan to correct these errors.

Time to finish building this armoured car came.

I have found this reference to an L5 105mm Pack Howitzer resin kit, supposedly by WIP3D, but can't find if the kit ever got produced. Anyone any information on this? It would make a great diorama piece for a Royal Artillery setup in Aden or Borneo in the 1960s. cheers, Mike

It my first building in this GB. I began a bit to cut a model. It was in 2013.

This is the test model of the Penydarren locomotive of 1804 in 1:35 scale made as a 3D printout and the publisher is the company ‘Świat z kartonu’. It can also be purchased there, minor corrections have been made. Soon this locomotive will also be on the workshop. And as far as I know they are already finishing work on the next of the pioneering locomotives.

I have been building the MiniArt Grant Mk I, which has a lot of small tool/stowage handles made of photo etch that is liable to break or get lost (lost 2, broke 1 so far). These kinds of handles are very common in my experience, so I was wondering if there were alternatives out there in 1:35 scale (or scratch building tips). Apologies if this has been answered and I just don't know the name of the thing properly...