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Republic Of Korea (ROK) Army (A.MIG-7173) Ammo by Mig Jiménez More paint from those prodigiously productive people at Ammo. This set includes four colours in 17ml bottles in the pack, each with a dropper top and yellow cap that is an indicator that there is a stainless steel "stirring ball" inside to assist with mixing the paint, which is also mentioned on the pack. This is a good thing, as AMMO acrylic paint does tend to separate out when left untended. By now it's common knowledge that AMMO paints are pretty good, and I have a used them and find they cover well with good adhesion. They go on easily, settle down and once fully dry after 24 hours they are robust enough to withstand careful handling. They dilute with AMMO thinners (A.MIG-2000) or water, and can be airbrushed or brush painted. The name of the set should give you a good idea of the colours involved, which are for South Korean Army Vehicles. The colours are as follows: A.MIG-050 Matt White A.MIG-046 Matt Black A.MIG-500 Khaki Green A.MIG-501 Khaki Brown You can of course mix the shades to give yourself even more variety, or use them on other projects. These will be ideal for such kits as the new Academy 1/35 K" Black Panther. Highly recommended. Review sample courtesy of

I shall be building the t-54 b 1/ 72nd scale kit by ammo, it looks a fairly decent kit, a bit of photo etch included , I'm enjoying building 72nd stuff lately so I'm looking forward to this ,also as a side build , i know the takom 1/72 scale maz 537g tank transporter doesn't fit the parameters of the gb but I'm tempted to build this kit too to sit the t-54 on when its on the shelf, i shall have to post that one else where though , pictures later when imgur is behaving its self cheers

I have combed the internet for a couple of days and can't find an answer... When applying MIG FILTERS to acrylics - to 'unify' the colours - do I varnish first - or apply to the raw acrylic... Help - Please Thanks in advance - Steve

I have a question that's proven a little confusing. For a long time I've had a bottle of Mig Productions Thinner for Washes, but this stuff seems to be nigh impossible to get anymore. Everywhere lists it out of stock, and Mig Productions itself doesn't seem to have a store anymore. All I can find is the Ammo Odourless Enamel Thinner, which I've no problem getting provided that it is similar to the Mig Productions Thinner in its softness and use with pigments (I use it fix them) and washes. Has anyone had any experience with both and is there any real difference between them? I'd really like to avoid harsh turps and stuff if I can. Gaz

Encyclopaedia of Figures Volume 0 (A.MIG-6220) AMMO of Mig Jiménez The mere mention of figure painting causes a great many modellers from other genres to break out in a cold sweat, because replicating a realistic human face, fabric and other details at small scale is a terrifying prospect to us. Figure painters obviously like a challenge, but I'm sure even those brave souls would appreciate some hints and tips to improve the finish on their models. This is a Quick Guide to figure painting, which is the precursor to the full series, and it may be all you need or want to enable you to raise your game in the figure department. It also coincides with the release by AMMO of a number of figure related products, such as paint sets, oilbrushers and other books. As already mentioned, this isn't meant to be a full, detailed instruction on how to paint figures from A to Z, which is only fair as it extends to 48 pages within its magazine binding, so much is covered, but not in massive detail. It's a great way to determine whether that's enough to get you going, or whether you want to hear more and would be interested in the full volumes when they arrive, and I suspect that is its goal. The pages are broken down as follows: 1.0 Original Concept and Sculpting 1.1 Legends of the Jade Sea 2.0 Workbench 2.1 Lighting and organising the workbench 2.2 Brushes 2.3 Mixing palette (Wet palette) 3.0 Assembly and Preparation 3.1 Cutting tools 3.2 Sanding and filing tools 3.3 Drilling tools 3.4 Fastening devices 3.5 Glues and cements 3.6 Putties 3.7 Final assembly 4.0 Primer 4.1 Cleaning 4.2 Priming 4.3 Preshading 4.4 Lighting 5.0 Painting with Acrylics 5.1 Acrylics 5.2 Techniques 5.3 Airbrush 5.4 Painting metals. Non-metallic metals technique 5.5 Textures 5.6 Varnishes Looking down that list of subjects, you might think that there's an element of "teaching your grandmother to suck eggs", which of course there is bound to be with any modelling book if you've already taken up the hobby. Where it differs from books on armour of aircraft however, is how these subjects apply specifically to figure painting, with the theme of a particularly handsome Orc used throughout to guide us. It doesn't matter if you're a WWII or mounted cavalry figure painter though, as the techniques can be applied to pretty much any figure, or anything organic, and even some things inorganic. I learned a few things whilst reading it, and most people probably will too, unless they only read books to confirm their already encyclopaedic knowledge! There is a fair quantity of text, interspersed with picture driven step-by-step "how-to" methods with copious captions, and the pictures are of exceptional quality as we've come to expect from AMMO publications. There's some pretty obvious product placement at times, but as it's an AMMO book, you can't really blame them, and everyone knows that "other brands are available" anyway, but it was nice to see "Swann Morton – England" on the pictures featuring scalpel blade as an Englishman, reminding us we still have a little industry left in our sceptred isle. There are also a number of instances where the author tells us that larger subjects such as airbrushing figures will be covered in greater detail in the full volumes, which is fair enough, and you couldn't really expect it all to be crushed down to singularity proportions to fit within these relatively few pages. Conclusion It's a great taster of what's to come in the series, or you could use it as a refresher to reignite your desire to paint figures, or even to improve your existing skillset a little without committing yourself to a long quest to become a master of the art… yet. An enjoyable read and a feast for the eyes and braincells that should appeal to anyone with an interest in figure painting, and is considering trying to "git gud". Review sample courtesy of

Streaking And Vertical Surfaces Brush Set (A.MIG-7604) & Dioramas & Scenic Brush Set (A.MIG-7601) AMMO of Mig Jiménez Brushes are an essential part of any modeller's toolkit, whether or not you use an airbrush for the majority of your paint application. Detail painting, touch-ups and weathering are all manual jobs that require some paint brushes, so with AMMO's goal of being able to provide specific tools and products to help us all achieve modelling nirvana, we now have a number of brushes available from them, which can be bought singly or in sets such as these. Each set comes in a long box, and contains four brushes that are individually wrapped, and protected further by a clear tube over the bristles and shiny metal ferrule. The handles are made of wood, and coated with a high-gloss AMMO yellow paint with the brand and size overprinted in black for maximum visibility and clarity, and the tip dipped in black too. The bristles are high quality synthetic, so no squirrels were harmed in their creation, and they are suitable for use with acrylic, enamel and oil paints with no worries about them melting! I have been using them for a little while to see how they perform, and have been pleasantly surprised at their quality. They hold their point (where appropriate) well, don't dry out too quickly in use, and when cleaned the paint leaves very little residue in the root of the bristles. Their light colour also makes it easy to see whether you have cleaned them properly, which is a bonus. Streaking & Vertical Surfaces Brush Set (A.MIG-7604) This set contains a long pin-striping (liner) brush in size 1 for individual streaking, two size 6 with a filbert (curved) and angled head, and a size 8 saw flat that has its bristles cropped to a castellated shape for multiple streaks in one swoop. That last one is a bit funky, and as long as you ensure that you don't create a line of uniform streaks, it works really well. The other brushes can of course be used for washes, oils and filters just as well as with ordinary paints. Dioramas & Scenic Brush Set (AMIG7601) This set has three round brushes in sizes 000 (written 3/0), 1 and 6, with another size 6 with a flat head for larger areas. The 3/0 is a nice brush for finer work, but its bristle seems larger than my other 000s, so bear than in mind. Conclusion If you're looking to stock up on brushes, this is a great way of doing so, and they're relatively inexpensive into the bargain, so you can get lots of different types and hone down to the ones you really enjoy using. There are a great many more brush sets than the two we've reviewed here, so have a mooch around while you're buying and pick some others out that might suit you too. Review sample courtesy of

Acrylic Concrete Texture for Dioramas (A.MIG-2108) AMMO by Mig Jiménez AMMO have a growing range of acrylic pastes for dioramas, some of which we've reviewed already, such as the excellent tarmac and beach sand we reviewed last year here. I tested the tarmac before I dispatched it, and it was awesome. This new one is concrete, and comes in the same 250ml tub as the others, with a screw-down lid and tub shape that makes it unlikely to tip over. Inside is a goopy paste in a cement grey colour, which has texture particles suspended within its matrix to quickly give the correct finish. I tested a patch by scooping an amount out with an artist's palette knife onto some styrene card that had been roughened beforehand to improve adhesion. It is quite wet to use, but once shaped it doesn't slump noticeably, so you can add texture to your initial layer for quite some time. I added an anti-slip tamp marking to part of my test patch with the edge of my knife, just to see how well it would hold it, and it has held its shape very well. Please bear in mind however that I'm hardly an expert diorama maker, and this is merely a quick test. The colour will change when the paste is dry, and lighten somewhat so you may want to adjust that with paint, washes or pigments, as concrete seldom stays just one colour after laying. If you are depicting new concrete however, you could quite easily leave it as-is because the colour is pretty much spot on. The dry paste is also very flexible, allowing me to flex the card so that the ends were parallel without any cracking or lifting of the concrete. Conclusion This is an excellent range of quick helpers to create dioramas for anyone from the novice to the expert, and they are easy to use, water-based acrylic so no noxious fumes, and it even smells pleasant and somewhat familiar. Very highly recommended. Review sample courtesy of

WWII German and Soviet Figures Paint Sets (A.MIG-7021 & A.MIG-7023) AMMO of Mig Jiménez Mig Jiménez's company AMMO has been producing acrylic paints now for some years, and they have a deservedly good reputation in the hobby. There are an ever-widening range of shades, available singly and in sets to bolster your collection and make painting specific themes easier. These two sets are under the Figures Sets banner, and are designed as a one-stop pack to permit you to paint uniforms with the addition of a brush and a little skill. Each set arrives in a blister pack with four 17ml dropper-type bottles that have a white cap, but still have the little metal mixing balls that you'll find in all the new paints from AMMO. The header card has a figure on the rear with the colour call-outs showing where they have been used in painting the examples, although you'll have to visit the AMMO website for a little more assistance with techniques, where you'll find lots of help in video and step-through form. Furthermore, a new set of encyclopaedia books for figure painting are underway, so if you're a little clueless on how to achieve the superb results you see online and at shows, prepare yourself to be enlightened. We'll bring you some reviews of these books and the other figure-related products that are being released to coincide with the books in the near future. German Field Grey uniforms (A.MIG-7021) AMMOF512 FIELD GREY FS-34159 AMMOF513 FIELD GREY HIGHLIGHT FS-34414 AMMOF514 FIELD GREY SHADOW FS-34086 AMMOF502 OUTLINING BLACK Soviet Uniforms WWII (A.MIG-7023) AMMOF503 DARK OLIVE GREEN FS-34130 AMMOF504 YELLOW GREEN FS-34259 AMMOF505 PALE YELLOW GREEN FS-33481 AMMOF506 MEDIUM RUSSIAN GREEN FS-34092 More sets will be along soon, so we'll expand this review as time goes by. Review sample courtesy of

Oil Brusher Paints AMMO of Mig Jiménez Using oils for weathering effects is hardly a new technique, but it has been occasionally hit-and-miss if you happen to buy the wrong oils with gritty pigment, or forget to let the oils "breathe" on a piece of card to wick away the excess oil that slows down drying and makes it harder to achieve certain effects. The lead foil tubes and their caps can also be an impediment, as they are prone to sticking in place if not used frequently, and we have all probably twisted a tube badly whilst trying to undo it at some point. Then there's finding a good brush to apply the paint, cleaning it afterward etc. etc. It can all be a bit of a faff. You know what's coming next, don't you? Let me introduce you to the new AMMO Oil Brusher system. Not the most exciting brand name, but very descriptive. These tubular pots of oil paint have been formulated not to need any oily residue wicking away, and the long black cap has a captive brush with a stiff set of bristles that works rather well. There is a scraper-lip inside the neck that removes the excess paint, and leaves the brush with just about the right amount of paint for the job in hand. The body of the bottle is clear so it's easy to see which bottle you have hold of, and there are 21 shades in the range at launch, with more on the way I'm sure. The screw cap coupled with the rigid body should prevent any clogging down the line, and if the lid does seize, there's plenty to get hold of to apply your massive forearm strength to. If that doesn't work, just run some hot water over the lid to soften any residue. Below are the available shades at launch: A.MIG.3500 Black A.MIG.3511 Red Primer A.MIG.3501 White A.MIG.3512 Dark Brown A.MIG.3502 Yellow A.MIG.3513 Starship Filth A.MIG.3503 Red A.MIG.3514 Earth A.MIG.3504 Dark Blue A.MIG.3515 Ochre A.MIG.3505 Olive Green A.MIG.3516 Dust A.MIG.3506 Field Green A.MIG.3517 Buff A.MIG.3507 Dark Green A.MIG.3518 Sunny Flesh A.MIG.3508 Dark Mud A.MIG.3519 Light Flesh A.MIG.3509 Medium Grey A.MIG.3520 Basic Flesh A.MIG.3510 Rust Following the initial releases, the intended subject matter has broadened with the colour range erring toward Sci-Fi, as evidenced by the Warhammer 40K and Gundam themed names of some of the more recent colours, which meshes with the (fairly) recent book and paint set releases that have firmly placed AMMO in the Sci-Fi miniature and modelling arena. This should attract a larger customer base from the widening of genre, although the Warhammer 40K guys are used to everything being available from their own shops, so that may be a tougher market to crack. To save you craning your neck due to the increased slant of the bottles in the picture, and risking injury, the colours are as follows: A.MIG.3523 Dusty Earth A.MIG.3531 Mecha Dark Green A.MIG.3525 Red Tile A.MIG.3532 Starship Bay Sludge A.MIG.3526 Space Purple A.MIG.3538 Silver A.MIG.3527 Marine Blue Streaking Brushers A new batch of Oil Brushers have arrived now, and these are intended as useful streaking colours, allowing you to apply an amount to an area, then later streak it in your preferred direction with a thinners dampened brush to mimic the effect of nature on rust, dirt and general grime. Very convenient! A.MIG-1250 Medium Brown A.MIG-1255 Winter Grime A.MIG-1252 Red Brown A.MIG-1258 Streaking Dust A.MIG-1254 Rust Clearly my test wasn't exhaustive, but was enough for me to get an idea of how the pigments would work. I experimented with streaking, shading, and "general grime", and considering the unsympathetic base colour white, the results were promising. Thanks as usual to my 1:72 He.111 wing for putting up with my experimentations. The thinners I used was some old stuff I had lying around but should give a fair representation. I've noticed during use that if you store your Oil Brushers upside down, or at least tilted so that the brush is exposed, that the bristles can dry out. This has prompted me to order the Oil Brusher Organizer, which you can find a link for below, as it's a good investment to keep your fine-tipped brush in good condition throughout the life of the product You will (as mentioned) need some high quality low odour thinners to blend the oils once applied, whether it is to shade an area, or to effect the oil-dot technique, but if you don't already have some on hand, AMMO have a 100ml bottle that is specifically designed for use with their products here. In use the pigment is dense, and finely ground so that gritty finishes aren't a concern, allowing you to streak, blend and paint without worry, whilst applying only as much as you wish to. Oddly, there is no fill level noted on either the bottle or the accompanying literature, but I found that they hold 10ML whilst rooting around their site. You can buy the full set or individually as you need them, but you may want to consider getting one of the new organisers that have been designed to fit the full 21, and has been laser cut from fine MDF with a white surface finish and the AMMO logo at the front. Highly recommended. Oil Brushers Streaking Brushers Organizer Enamel Thinners Review sample courtesy of

World War III The World in Crisis (A.MIG-6116) Ammo of Mig Jiménez I'd like to open by saying DON'T PANIC! You haven't missed anything on the news, and the world as we know it isn't going to come to an end…. Yet. Set in an alternative reality and only a few leaps of faith into the future, this book is a modelling book, but depicting some of the hardware that would be likely to be used if diplomacy came up against a brick wall, a Lesser-known character from "In The Night Garden" managed to get their missile systems to work, or someone's really really big brain accidentally lent on the big red button. That's as close to a political rant you'll get, and we'd really appreciate it if you'd keep politics out of the comments too. This perfect-bound book extends to 200 pages between stout card covers which fold-over to give the impression of a dust-jacket, printed in full colour on good quality glossy paper. It isn't a reference book, as the main thrust of the book is fabricate, with a focus on the techniques you can use to give modern "grey jets" a more weather-beaten in-service look as if they have been pressed into combat with no time for niceties such as a good wash and polish every time they return from a sortie. It opens with a build-up to conflict, and then moves through the hypothetical phases of conflict, demonstrating aircraft from all the major participants from the UK, US and Russia to North Korea and China. Introduction 1. Warnings 2. Trade War Shenyang J-15 Flying Shark 3. Outbreak Northrop Grumman B-2 Spirit Bell-Boeing V-22 Osprey 4. Total War: Pacific Front Sukhoi Su-35 Flanker E Chengdu J-20 Fire Dragon 5. Europe, A Second Front? Eurofighter Typhoon 6. Local Fronts: India Sukhoi Su-30 Flanker C General Atomics MQ-1 Predator 7. The Winds Are Changing Sukhoi Su-57 Foxcat Lockheed F-35C Lightning II Mikoyan Mig-29 Fulcrum McDonnell Douglas F-15K Slam Eagle Epilogue Each aircraft is shown during construction, adaptation and painting, with a heavy emphasis on wear-and-tear, plus some interesting colour schemes that can be seen in the accompanying page spreads, and each step is documented with photos and captions, with a preponderance of the products used being AMMO offerings, but it's their book, so why not? You could well argue that the weathering is "overdone and unrealistic", but as I often say, they are showing you the techniques in a manner that is easy to see, and you can copy them slavishly to get the same results, or tone them down to what your perception of an active war machine would be. There is also a higher than usual amount of text in between build articles, which is of course creative prose that will be of interest to many, but try not to get too wound up if you don't agree with the timeline – it's only make believe afterall. My only complaint is the overuse of mugshots of the major political leaders, as politicians turn my stomach at the best of times! Conclusion A harmless bit of escapism (hopefully!) that gives more than a nod to the What-If genre, whilst dishing out lots of tricks and tips to weather your models. As well as English, the book is also available in Spanish. Highly recommended. Review sample courtesy of

Depot Areas & Sludge Tracks Weathering set (A.MIG-7470) Ammo by Mig Jiménez More weathering products from those prodigiously productive people at Ammo. This set is six enamel washes and includes A.MIG-1002 TRACKS WASH, A.MIG-1004 LIGHT RUST WASH, A.MIG-1407 ENGINE GRIME, A.MIG-1408 FRESH ENGINE OIL, & A.MIG-3020 METAL SLAG (pigment). This set is designed to compliment the "Fast Method" set we reviewed here. You can of course mix these to create highly realistic vistas. Your artistry will of course play a part in whether you achieve such levels, but this is a good palette to start you railway diorama career or step up a level. Of course there are many other uses for these prducts outside of railway modelling. Review sample courtesy of

The Weathering Magazine - Special Iron Factory Ammo by Mig Jimenez We have now seen a few weathering magazines from Ammo this publication is longer at 114 pages and is in effect a book not a magazine. As the title would suggest this edition concentrates on painting & weathering techniques for tanks/AFVs. Different products are show , though as the title suggests Ammo products feature. This book deals with Soviet equipment in conflicts since WW2. The book features; 2S3 SPG from Afghanistan. BMP-2 from Donestsk. BTR-70 from Afghanistan. T-64B from Ukraine. T-80B from Chechnya. T-90A from Syria. Conclusion This looks to be a very useful publication, although in magazine format the print quality is that of book. Overall a high quality publication. Recommended. Review sample courtesy of

The Weathering Magazine - Die Cast From Toy to Model Ammo by Mig Jimenez We have now seen a few weathering magazines from Ammo and it is good to see they are keeping up the same high quality. There are 78 pages of glossy high quality paper in an A4 format, all in colour. As the title would suggest this edition concentrates on painting & weathering techniques to make your die cast models more lifelike, and less toy like. Even if you dont have any Die Casts the weathering techniques can be used elsewhere. This title features Excavators, trains, cars, trucks, figures & buses. Different products are show , though as the title suggests Ammo products feature. Conclusion This looks to be a very useful publication, although in magazine format the print quality is more like a book. Another good thing with Ammo publications is they are available in a wide range of languages if your first language is not English. Overall a high quality publication. Recommended. Review sample courtesy of

M1A2 SEP Abrams Main Battle Tank in Detail (A.MIG-5950) (ISBN: 8432074059509) Ammo by Mig Jiménez The M1 Abrams is America's current generation of Main Battle Tank used extensively in the Gulf Wars and beyond, with various upgrades to the original specification applied throughout its service life in answer to deficiencies in the original design, or new combat circumstance, such as the asymmetric combat that is inherent in the Middle East giving rise to the TUSK and TUSK II urban upgrade kits. The M1A2 SEP (System Enhancement Package) upgraded the armour to new and refurbished Abrams tanks to improve performance. This book is a new edition of their original book, which has been updated and expanded with additional information and pictures. It is perfect bound in a card cover and extends to 143 pages with a huge number of high quality photos of the Abrams, many of which are candid, and show the crew either in action or posing for the camera. It has just a few sections due to the nature of the book, which are as follows: The 144 page is an advert for their M2A3 Bradley, which is a two volume sister title to this one, as the Bradley and Abrams usually operate closely on the battlefield. The photographs are almost all high quality, with just a few slightly lower due to circumstances beyond the photographer's control, with tons of detail visible, as well as crew personalisations and crew appearing in a great many shots too. The has clearly been a high level of cooperation between the US Army and the photographers due to the nature of some of the shots both from in the field and at maintenance depots and bases. There are even some photos of the new Barracuda camouflage system that the Army is trialling to help reduce the visual and infrared signature of the Abrams and thwart the enemy. Some of the field and base maintenance photos will be of great use to anyone that wants to build a diorama, as it shows items such as the engine compartment without the gas-turbine in, tracks being added/removed and some of the tools in the background, as well as mechanics at work. Conclusion A worthy title for anyone considering building an Abrams, or just if you're interest in armour. The pictures are impressive, and the captions add an extra dimension to the story, which makes for interesting reading. Very highly recommended. Review sample courtesy of

Urban Diorama Acrylic Colours (A.MIG-7177) Ammo by Mig Jiménez More paint from those prodigiously productive people at Ammo. This set includes six colours in 17ml bottles in the pack, each with a dropper top and yellow cap that is an indicator that there is a stainless steel "stirring ball" inside to assist with mixing the paint, which is also mentioned on the pack. This is a good thing, as AMMO acrylic paint does tend to separate out when left untended. By now it's common knowledge that AMMO paints are pretty good, and I have a few friends that swear by them. They go on easily, settle down and once fully dry after 24 hours they are robust enough to withstand careful handling. They dilute with AMMO thinners (A.MIG-2000) or water, and can be airbrushed or brush painted. The name of the set should give you a good idea of the colours involved, which are muted browns, greys and reddish browns, typical for brick built structures, tiled and slate rooves, cobbled areas and so forth. The colours are as follows: A.MIG-041 Dark Rust A.MIG-059 Grey A.MIG-064 Earth Brown A.MIG-075 Stone Grey A.MIG-102 Ochre Brown A.MIG-921 Red Primer Light Base You can of course mix the shades to give yourself even more variety, as is demonstrated on the box front and back, which shows a few examples of the use of these (and other) colours to create highly realistic vistas. Your artistry will of course play a part in whether you achieve such levels, but this is a good palette to start you diorama career or step up a level. Review sample courtesy of

Modelling School – The Modelling Guide for Rust and Oxididation (A.MIG-6098) Ammo of Mig Jiménez AMMO have a sizeable library of books under their belts, ranging from magazines to reference guides, as well as technique masterclasses such as this one. This volume is focused tightly upon the decay of our technological marvels after they fall out of use, although the techniques expounded can also be used with more restraint in almost any weathering task by just dialling back the application of the various effects used. The author Jari Hermilä professes to have a liking for all things rusty, and enjoys modelling decaying vehicles more than most, all of which is evident through his enthusiasm for the subject. The book is perfect-bound in a thick card cover, with 175 pages inside, and a skill level marked in the top left corner of 3, indicating that it's suitable for your average modeller, but as long as you can read English and have paints, washes, brushes etc., there's nothing to stop even an absolute novice from diving in, as long as they take it easy and don't try to learn too much with one model. Having fallen into that trap myself many moons ago, it can become a bit over-facing. The pages are broken down into chapters, starting with the basics, going through step-by-step examples, and then incorporating those techniques into finished models, again showing the process in detail. The chapters are as follows: 0.0 Prologue 1.0 Introduction 2.0 Tools needed 2.1 Paintbrushes 2.2 Airbrush 2.3 Other Tools 3.0 Materials Needed 3.1 Paints 3.2 Washes 3.3. Pigments 3.4. Special Effect Fluids 3.5 Reactive Chemicals 4.0 Basic Techniques 4.1 Chipping 4.1.1 Paintbrush 4.1.2 Sponge 4.1.3 Chipping Fluid Technique 4.2 Washes 4.2.1 Pin Washes 4.2.2 General Washes 4.2.3 Streaks 4.3 Pigments 4.4 Reactive Chemicals 4.4.1 Burnishing Fluid for White Metal Tracks 4.4.2 Burnishing Fluid for Photo-Etch and Other Brass Parts 5.0 Rust Effects 5.1 Rusty Exhaust 5.2 Fresh Rust 5.3 Old Rust 5.4 Unpainted Steel 5.5 Bronze Rust 5.6 Oxidised Aluminium 5.7 Rusty Tracks on Abandoned Vehicles 5.8 Rusty Burned Vehicle 6.0 Special Effects Over the Rust Surfaces 6.1 Welded Joints 6.2 Dust and Mud 6.3 Water 6.4 Oil, Grease and Fuel 7.0 Example Models 7.1 Submarine Type XVIIB (Revell 1:144) 7.2 Il-2 (Tamiya 1:48) 7.3 Chieftain Mk.11 Range Target (Takom 1:35) 7.4 Panther scrap yard (Dragon 1:35) 7.5 Rusty Locomotive BR-42 (hobby Boss 1:72) 8.0 Gallery of Rust 9.0 Epilogue The techniques are simple to understand, and as long as you have the tools and supplies necessary, you are limited only by your imagination and artistic skill, as well as your ability to "see" realistic patterns and transfer them to your model in scale. Each of the models are discussed and pictured over several pages so that enough space can be devoted to the description of the techniques used, which is good to see, as people often learn better when they see things carried out in a practical manner. Also, don't lose sight of the fact that these models have been made to display what's possible, and it is then up to you to apply what you have learned, whether you choose to dial it back to a particular scene you wish to portray, or take it up to 11 to show off what you have learned. It's your hobby, so crack on with it as you see fit! Photography is first class, showing every step of the way in clear detail, with accompanying text and captions filling in any blanks. In between each section of the techniques there are a few photos of real examples of rust and oxidation, which is carried through to some of the models later on. You might wonder how an Il-2 could rust out, but as they carried heavy armour on their forward fuselage this rusted badly, as evidenced by pictures taken by Mig Jiménez himself. It's not a case of an aluminium tank covered in rust, or a wooden prop with metallic chipping marks! Of course there are a great many AMMO products on display here, as why wouldn't you use your book to advertise your own stuff? There are also other brands shown, and if you have pinned your colours to another brand of paints and washes, or that's simply what you have, it's not difficult to transpose your own stocks into the process in place of them. Conclusion If you have some of the other How To books from AMMO, there may be an element of cross-over in terms of general content, but having a "rust bible" in one place is definitely something worth having. There is a boat-load of content in the book, and if you have a hankering for decay and rust, you will keep coming back to it again and again, especially if your modelling is sporadic or memory poor like mine. Very highly recommended. Review sample courtesy of

Metallic Colours Acrylic Paint Set (A.MIG-7175) Ammo of Mig Jiménez AMMO's range of paints is expanding quickly and not just with the range of colours, but also the genres that it caters for. This set of metallic paints could quite easily be used in almost every genre from Sci-Fi through aircraft and onto vehicle modelling, so it should have a wide appeal. The fact that they are acrylic is a plus-point too, as no-matter how got a lacquer paint is, there is always a worry about the fumes and clean-up that requires noxious and highly flammable chemicals. While acrylics aren't totally free of odour and chemicals, they are much more conducive toward modelling within sight and smell of families. No, I'm not insinuating you or your family smell, but paints do. Acrylics just smell less! There are twelve 17ml bottles in the pack, each with a dropper top and yellow cap that is an indicator that there is a stainless steel "stirring ball" inside to assist with mixing the paint. This is a good thing, as AMMO paint does tend to separate out when left untended. By now it's common knowledge that AMMO paints are pretty good, and I have a few friends that swear by them. They go on easily, settle down and once fully dry after 24 hours they are robust enough to withstand careful handling. The pack contains two trays of six paints each, so we'll break down the review into two parts. I have roughly sprayed patches of each shade onto a half fuselage of an Eduard 190, and would first add the caveat that the test piece had already been sprayed a few times, and was prepared by adding a new coat of glossy black primer to accentuate the metallic sheen. Any fingerprints (there is at least one), or soft detail is a result of multiple layers of paint. I also sprayed the initial colour (Gun metal) a little bit thick, which is my fault. I also think that the Steel and Polished Metal colours could have done with their lables being swapped, as most companies have a steel that is a darker shade than polished metal. These are the shades from the first tray: The second tray contains another six colours, as follows: I feel that the brass and gold colours could have been thinned a little better (my fault again), but as I'm trying to show the colour, I elected not to strip the whole thing and start again. Thinning is done either with AMMO's own thinner (A.MIG-2000) or with water. I also find Ultimate Thinner to be good with these paints, and clean-up is easily accomplished with Ultimate Airbrush Cleaner, with some PremiAir foaming airbrush cleaner to get the more stubborn metallic particles out of the paint cup. I have seen a number of modellers online that have been brush-painting this paint and obtaining excellent results, especially as highlighting colours, or for dry-brushing. Coverage is also good with a brush, but as usual your mileage will vary depending on the quality of your brush and how well you agitate the paint. I use a "manly paint shaker" (a re-purposed and re-badged nail-varnish shaker) to ensure proper particle dispersion, and I noticed that initially the brass, gold and copper bottles were the most reluctant to let go of the stirring ball, so shake these ones until your arm is tired, just to be on the safe side. A general rule of thumb is that if the ball isn't moving right from the start, you need to shake it for much longer to break up any gummy residue in the bottom of the bottle and get everything mixed well enough for application. Conclusion It has been a goal of mine to find a replacement to my lacquer metallics for some time, and I have tried more than a few types during that period, with little success. These shades from AMMO should come in very handy next time I actually get round to doing some modelling! Review sample courtesy of

Railway "Fast Method" Acrylic Paint Set AMMO of Mig Jiménez This set of acrylic paints from AMMO is a quick method for painting up the tracks on your diorama or railway layout in a more realistic manner than leaving them bland and uninviting, but without spending hours on every last detail. There are six 17ml bottles in the pack, each with a dropper top and yellow cap that is an indicator that there is a stainless steel "stirring ball" inside to assist with mixing the paint. This is a good thing, as AMMO paint does tend to separate out when left untended, but soon mix in once agitated. The colours included are as follows: A.MIG-0034 Rust Tracks A.MIG-0040 Medium Rust A.MIG-0042 Old Rust A.MIG-0046 Matt Black A.MIG-0073 Earth A.MIG-0072 Dust They are intended to be used through your airbrush, but there's nothing to stop you from painting them by hand, however the layers will be thicker, and you won't be able to achieve blending effects easily like you can with an airbrush, so by all means try brush painting but with those facts in mind. The method is pretty straight forward - You start working with the three rust colours on the rails, using A.MIG-0034 RUST TRACKS as the base colour. Then you apply several very diluted layers of A.MIG-0042 OLD RUST and finally with A.MIG-0040 MEDIUM RUST to give the rails a more natural, random look. Once the rails are coated, the wood is painted in with A.MIG-0073 EARTH and with A.MIG-0072 DUST in varying amounts to imitate the dust and debris. Finally use A.MIG-0046 MATT BLACK to shade the central area of the railways to depict the oily deposits that are left over time by passing locomotives and rolling stock. You can also add tiny droplets of raw paint here and there to portray larger drops from standing or slow-moving trains, and you can add a little brown to the black to give different hues. When the paint is dry, apply a track rubber (an abrasive eraser that is used to clean rails) to remove the paint from the contact surfaces so that your rolling stock can still pick up the electricity that they need to run. This simple technique should permit you to prepare long lengths of track quickly and easily, whilst giving you a realistic look without spending a lifetime on the task. By now it's common knowledge that AMMO paints are pretty good, and I have a few friends that swear by them. They go on easily, settle down and once fully dry after 24 hours they are robust enough to withstand gentle handling. If you want to add a little extra strength to your work, you can apply a layer of matt varnish over the finished paint before you rub off the contact surface, but be aware that removing the paint from there will be just a little harder as a result. The method should be posted up on their website in due course in case you wanted something a bit more professional than my description Review sample courtesy of

Lucky Varnish, Gloss and Ultra Matt AMMO by Mig Jimenez When my colleague Mike reviewed the previous incarnations of these varnishes he found there was a problem with reaction to pain and bubbling. So we had high hopes that the formulation had been changed to prevent this. It would appear that AMMO, have indeed sorted out this problem, only I found another problem. On doing a trial spray at the recommended pressures etc, the gloss went on white and splotchy, whether this was due to the warm temperatures we are currently experiencing in the UK on not, I do not know. I also tried the matt varnish and while it went on better, but still reacted to the underlying paint., When dry it had lightened the paintwork to a dull white sheen. See attached photos, gloss on the left, matt on the right. Wet Dry Conclusion Now, I love AMMO products, I use their paints and scenics almost exclusively without any problems at all, and have always had superb results, so it’s a bit surprising they cannot get these varnishes right, in fact there is something very wrong with these products, as even I can’t get them this wrong. Review sample courtesy of

Acrylic Diorama Textures Mig AMMO Mig AMMO have released another pair of acrylic diorama textures, Sand and Asphalt. The materials come in quite large pots and are to be used as is, straight onto your dioramas. Both the sand and asphalt are textured by what feels like sand so may require some stirring to get the mix right. Having used AMMO’s acrylic mud, I have found that the material goes on very easily and can be spread about for some time before it sets. Coverage is good and it’s easy to apply without leaving brush marks. If you’re using a plain base the layers can be built up to give it that deeper look. Once set it is tough, durable and able to be handled without distorting or leaving fingerprints. From AMMO themselves:- The asphalt is ready to use and has an acrylic base, which makes it easy to use. It can be applied to small and large scenery surfaces using very different styles of tools and can also be mixed with other materials like pigments to create amazingly realistic effects. It’s the ideal texture for a range of scales from 1/16 to 1/48. If the effect is deemed to coarse, you can lightly sand the surface once the product has dried, easily creating the desired effect. I think it should even be good for runways and even carrier decks. As with the asphalt, the sand can be applied to small and large scenery surfaces using any style of tool and can also be mixed with other materials like pigments to create amazingly realistic effects. Ideal texture for a range of scales from 1/16 to 1/72. If the effect is deemed to coarse, you can lightly sand the surface once the product has dried, easily creating the desired effect. Conclusion These sets are a very welcome addition to the Mig AMMO product line and can be used by all genres of modellers. They are so easy to use and the best bit is that all the tools, including brushes can be washed and cleaned using water. For the price, which I think is quite reasonable, you get a lot of material to play with. Review sample courtesy of

Encyclopaedia of Armour Volumes 3, 4 & 5 AMMO of Mig Jiménez We reviewed the opening Volume of this series here, and followed it with Volume 2 here back in 2016, after which we somewhat lost track of the release schedule. We are now playing catch-up with the remaining three Volumes thanks to the good folks at AMMO, and bring you the final three in one easy-access review, plus the links above to go back and see the early parts. In case you haven't yet seen the earlier reviews or played catch-up by following those links, this is the AFV version of AMMO's popular series of books on Aircraft Modelling Techniques from 2015 that we reviewed here, and is a complete reference guide for modellers of all levels to improve their techniques, learn new ones, or like myself remind themselves of how to do things if it's been a while and you can't remember. What was I saying? Oh yes – The books are split between the stages of building, painting and completing an AFV model, with all the sub-steps and variations on techniques in between that the author feels may suit some of us better than others. They are laid out in a common-sense manner, with a heavy visual content that is captioned to clarify where necessary, and as these are books to teach the use of the techniques, they often use the extreme level that they can be taken to, in order to demonstrate the look at its most exaggerated, so that you can see it easily and then choose for yourself how far you want to go toward that extreme. They aren't telling you that THIS is the only way to build a model as some people think, simply demonstrating the ultimate end of said technique to give you the tools to go forward and interpret it yourself in the striving for realism or artistic expression. It's absolutely your choice, as it's your hobby. All books are printed in the same style both physically and in terms of layout, print style and format, with a stiff softback cover that has half-width fold-out sections on the inside. After a chapter listing it's straight on with the task at hand, which is education and entertainment. The tutorials are pictorially rich as mentioned above, with step numbers and captions on just about every page, going into extraordinary detail on how the techniques are achieved, even down to the best masking techniques and tools used. Volume 1 - Construction https://www.britmodeller.com/forums/index.php?/topic/235000159-encyclopaedia-of-armour Volume 2 – Interiors & Base Colour https://www.britmodeller.com/forums/index.php?/topic/235010718-encyclopaedia-of-armour-volume-2 Volume 3 - Camouflages 7.0 Camouflage Painting 7.1 Materials and References for Camouflage Painting 7.1.1 Tools and Materials 7.1.2 Camouflage Painting References 7.2 Multicolour Camouflage Schemes 7.2.1 Hard-Edge Camouflages 7.2.2 Semi Hard-Edged Camouflages 7.2.3 Soft-Edged Camouflages 7.2.4 Stripes and Mottling 7.3 Chipped Paint 7.3.1 Chipping Fluids: Features 7.3.2 Chipping Effects with Chipping Products 7.3.3 Other Chipping Techniques 7.3.4 Scratches and Pitting 7.4 Filters, Washes and Oils 7.4.1 Filters 7.4.2 Washes 7.4.3 Oils 7.5 Winter Camouflages 7.5.1 Chipped Whitewash 7.5.2 Washed-Out Whitewash 7.6 Desert Camouflages 7.6.1 Lightly Weathered Desert Camouflages 7.6.2 Chipped Desert Camouflages 7.6.3 Makeshift Desert Camouflages 7.7. Primer Colour and Bare Metal Finishes 7.7.1 Primer Colour 7.7.2 Bare Metal Surfaces 8.0 Advanced Painting Techniques 8.1 Light Techniques 8.1.1 Zenithal Light 8.1.2 Colour Modulation 8.1.3 Illumination by Panels 8.1.4 Spotlight Technique 8.2 Black and White Technique Volume 4 – Weathering 9.0 Weathering Effects 9.1 Weathering Materials and References 9.1.1 Tools and Materials 9.1.2 References for the Weathering Effects 9.1.3 Preparation Work for the Weathering Stage 9.2 Dirt Accumulations 9.2.1 Accumulated Dirt Stains 9.2.2 Rust Stains Accumulations 9.3 Streaking Grime 9.3.1 Streaking Grime Marks 9.3.2 Rain Marks 9.4 Streaking 9.4.1 Dirt Streaks 9.4.2 Rust Streaks 9.5 Dust and Earth 9.5.1 Scuffed Dust 9.5.2 Dust and Earth Stains 9.5.3 Dusting with Pigment 9.6 Mud Effects and Splashes 9.6.1 Dry Mud 9.6.2 Medium Mud 9.6.3 Fresh Mud 9.6.4 Mud Splashes 9.7 Oil, Fuel and Wet Stains 9.7.1 Oil and Grease Stains 9.7.2 Fuel Stains 9.7.3 Water and Wet Stains 9.8 Rust Effects 9.9 Winter Weathering 9.10 Desert Weathering Volume 5 – Final Touches 10.0 Final Steps 10.1 Materials and Graphic References 10.1.1 Materials and Tools 10.1.2 Graphic References 10.2 Tracks Assembly 10.2.1 Flexible Rubber Bands 10.2.2 Non-Workable Styrene Tracks 10.2.3 Workable Tracks 10.3 Painting and Weathering Tracks 10.3.1 Fairly Clean Tracks 10.3.2 Rusty Tracks 10.3.3 Tracks on Dry Soil 10.3.4 Tracks on Wet Soil 10.4 Painting Wheels 10.5 Exhaust Pipes 10.5.1 Painting Exhausts 10.5.2 Exhaust Soot Stains 10.6 Tools 10.7 Tow Cables 10.7.1 Replacing Tow Cables 10.7.2 Painting Tow Cables 10.8 Clear Parts 10.8.1 Periscopes 10.8.2 Headlights and Tail Lights 10.9 Armament 10.9.1 Machine Guns 10.9.2 Rifles and Other Guns 10.10 Antennas 10.11 Wood Parts 10.12 Metal Items 10.12.1 Bare Metal Items 10.12.2 Painted Metal Items 10.13 Fabric and Canvas Items 10.14 Natural Elements Gallery - 27 pages of photos of the models built for this book Conclusion This is a must-have collection of modelling assistance that will appeal to pretty much all AFV modellers, as a dip-in refresher, a good read or to glean some new techniques to try on your next model. There's a little repetition if you look at the series as a whole, but as a ready reference, these sections come into their own, not assuming you have any of the other Volumes to detail things such as your toolkit. Apply the techniques as restrained or as flamboyantly as you see fit, and as long as you're enjoying it, you're doing it right. Very highly recommended. Review sample courtesy of

PANTHER-G Colors For Interior & Exterior AMMO of Mig Jiménez AMMO continue issuing new paint sets at a rate of knots, and are garnering some fans with the quality of the paint. Here AMMO have teamed up with Rye Field Models to produce a paint set for their new Panther-G which brings you all the colours you need for the Interior and exterior of the kit, including the metallics for the ammo, and washable white camo if you wish to use it. Of course these can be used on any Panther kit, and other WWII German vehicles. All paints come in the standard Ammo bottle, the yellow cap signifying there is a paint mixing ball in the bottle. The colours in the box are as follows: A.MIG-002 OLIVGRÜN OPT.2 RAL 6003, A.MIG-003 RESEDAGRÜN RAL 6011, A.MIG-011 DUNKELGELB AUS´44 DGI- RAL 7028, A.MIG-012 DUNKELGELB AUS´44 DG III-RAL 7028, A.MIG-014 ROTBRAUN RAL 8012, A.MIG-015 SCHOKOBRAUN RAL 8017, A.MIG-017 CREMEWEISS RAL 9001, A.MIG-197 BRASS A.MIG-024 WASHABLE WHITE CAMO, A.MIG-062 BLUE GREY, A.MIG-218 RLM 66 SCHWARTZGRAU, A.MIG-910 GREY HIGH LIGHT This set should be a welcome addition for the Panther AFV modeller, and an addition to anyone's range of colours. Highly recommended. Review sample courtesy of

Modern U.S. ARMY (1950/2016) Acrylic paint set. AMMO of Mig Jiménez AMMO continue issuing new paint sets at a rate of knots, and are garnering some fans with the quality of the paint. The set arrives in the standard long cardboard box with a header to facilitate hanging on one of those merry-go-round display stands in shops. Inside is a clear tray that holds six dropper style paint pots neatly in the box, avoiding all the paints spilling out at once in a Donkey-Kong style. The bottles contain 17ml of paint, plus a stainless steel ball bearing for easy mixing of the paint by shaking. The yellow caps are indicative of the new BB equipped sets, which seem to be the norm these days from AMMO. The colours in the box are as follows: A.MIG-046 Matt Black, A.MIG-085 NATO Brown, A.MIG-025 FS33446 (modern desert colour), A.MIG-081 US Olive Drab, A.MIG-082 Interior Light Green, A.MIG-084 NATO Green. These sets should be a welcome addition for the Modern AFV modeller, and an addition to anyone's range of colours. Highly recommended. Review sample courtesy of

17ml Storage System – 60 Bottle Paint Rack AMMO of Mig Jiménez Once you've got a decent stock of any brand of paint, it becomes a bit of a pain keeping them neat and tidy, as they can take up quite a bit of shelf or drawer space, and looking at the tops of paint bottles that are all the same colour in a drawer isn't the easiest way to find a particular colour. A paint rack is a damn good investment once you've reached critical mass, and as a lot of manufacturers use those handy 17ml dropper bottles, one in that size could come in handy. AMMO have teamed up with HobbyZone from Poland, and created a stackable modular rack that will hold 60 of the aforementioned dropper-bottles, and although you didn't hear it from me I think you might be able to put other brands in there too. The rack comes flat-packed in a sturdy brown box that keeps shipping costs reasonable, but of course it will need a little assembly before use. There aren't any instructions in the box or on the website however, which might prove a bit discouraging at first, but after studying the photos it soon becomes evident how it goes together. The outer frame is made from four lengths of 6mm MDF, and has been cut with loose-fit dovetail joints at the corners, and has a series of diagonal grooves router-cut into the inner faces. The 3mm fibreboard/hardboard racks and other parts are similarly pre-cut and have a white painted upper surface, which accents the wooden finish, especially where the AMMO logo has been cut into the top hanger. The five rack parts have partial circular cut-outs in the leading edge, which are set diagonally from row-to-row to allow the bottles to be closer-packed, with the bottom row having a narrower "kick board" to hold the bottom row in place. A central stiffener runs vertically behind the racks, preventing them from bowing under the weight of the bottles, which is good news, as particle boards can sag as they age due to absorbing tiny amounts of moisture. How to build it? I'm not about to preach that my method is the perfect one, but in case you're undecided here's how I built mine. I first glued one joint with PVA, holding it square using two engineer's squares I have, letting it set overnight, after which I did the other long edge so I had a U-shaped frame to put all the racks in. With those joints set up I put set it on its side with the grooves for the rack upward. Then I glued the ends of the correct racks in place, taking care to offset them as I went. While the glue was still wet I then glued the opposite end on the corners and in each groove, using my engineer's squares to keep it down, and a couple of claps to ensure it stayed square. The top hanger sits on a set of tab and slot grooves for strength, and it has a small nib at each end that also supports the sides and helps to hold the rack square. That was also clamped to the frame while the glue set. There is a cut-out in the rear of the bottom frame so that if you have two or more racks you can place them atop each other, saving space by hiding the hanger behind the rack. You can place your rack on the desk against something sturdy, but they are designed to be wall-mounted, as evidenced by the two holes in the top of the hangers that will take a screw or any wall-fixture appropriate to your installation. As each bottle weighs around 36g the combined weight of the rack and paints will be approaching 3kg, so make sure you fix it securely or you'll be a bit sad when it drops off the wall. Conclusion It's a cool rack for a decent price, but I would have liked some instructions if I'm honest. The frame could stand to be a little more rigid by the addition of a few small webs in the corners, but unless you're unlucky and careen into it one day, it should stay intact with the liberal application of PVA (wood) glue of a decent brand and strength. Bear Hobbies have been kind enough to provide this rack for review, and I'd like to just take a moment to thank them for their support, and for Mark's enthusiasm for our hobby. You can find his shop in the Vendor Section, or follow the link from his logo below to his site. Highly recommended. Review sample courtesy of

I'm looking for something to use for radio aerials and biplane rigging in 1/72 scale besides my old invisible thread, and came across this elastic rigging line from Mig: http://www.migjimenez.com/en/accessories/608-rigging-fine-003-mm.html Anyone have experience with this stuff? It comes in 0.01, 0.02, and 0.03 mm thicknesses, which (if those measurements are correct) are all extremely fine, but it's kind of pricey at 4.50 euro for a 2m long piece. I'm open to other suggestions for 1/72 rigging line if there are better options out there as well. Thanks!