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Okay so now my sculpture project is done I am planning on doing another sculpture, but before that I just want to do a bit of "normal" modelling! IMG_20200511_112948 by Nick Frost, on Flickr I really like the Hi Mock, as soon as I saw it I really wanted one and after doing a build for a friend I took two of them and the weapon set as payment and they've been sat in my stash ever since. The plan for this custom build is to build it as a 1/35 mech; first time I saw one I thought it would be cool to leave off the dome head and have an exposed pilot figure, so thats what I'm going top do. And its been a very long time since I mucked about with rust effects, so this is going to be a very weathered rusty mech with worn paint and chips galore! First thing I did, just to get a feel for the mech and whats possible, was to snip it all from the sprue tidy up the nubs with a scalpel and sandpaper then snap it together. For a lot of the bits I know I'll probably be taking apart again I reamed out the connector holes so the dont go together too tight. IMG_20200511_112934 by Nick Frost, on Flickr IMG_20200511_115812 by Nick Frost, on Flickr IMG_20200511_120118 by Nick Frost, on Flickr IMG_20200511_120601 by Nick Frost, on Flickr IMG_20200511_122415 by Nick Frost, on Flickr IMG_20200511_122608 by Nick Frost, on Flickr IMG_20200511_172836 by Nick Frost, on Flickr IMG_20200511_195417 by Nick Frost, on Flickr IMG_20200511_205536 by Nick Frost, on Flickr IMG_20200512_140901 by Nick Frost, on Flickr IMG_20200512_141616 by Nick Frost, on Flickr Also as I said I have the weapon set, not 100% what ones I'm going to use (or how, might chope them up) so I got them together too, they are pretty crazy th giant hammer is pretty hilarious! IMG_20200513_102126 by Nick Frost, on Flickr IMG_20200511_205739 by Nick Frost, on Flickr IMG_20200512_160442 by Nick Frost, on Flickr IMG_20200512_143018 by Nick Frost, on Flickr IMG_20200512_143229 by Nick Frost, on Flickr But the main weapon Im definitely interested in is the mini gun IMG_20200513_101544 by Nick Frost, on Flickr IMG_20200513_101610 by Nick Frost, on Flickr Sooo my thoughts so far are that that I'm thinking the chain gun is a bit bulky so I'm going to lose a hand and have half the barrel sticking directly out of his wrist with one of the ammo drums on the side, and a shield for the other arm. For now though I want to sort out a pilot figure which I'll bash and sculpt, so next up I'll start cutting out a recess into his chest through the neck to make a cockpit. Thanks for looking, more soon

Engine & Metal Weathering Set (AK087) AK Interactive Simulating metal and grotty engines is a great technique for adding realism to your models, as almost no engine is free of oil and dirt, especially back in time before engines were fitted with décor panels with holes for oil, water and washer fluid. This set is a great aid in that task, and arrives in a long clear clamshell box containing five 35ml bottles with black screw-topped lids and a white twist off safety seal. Two bottles contain pigment, while the remaining three are full of enamel washes. In the box you have the following: AK-082 Engine Grime A dirty brown wash that allows the modeller to put dirt and oily grime into the corners of your vehicles, not just in the engines, as some vehicles seemed to be dirt magnets. AK-083 Track Wash A rust brown wash to give your track links definition and depth before adding dry dirt. AK-084 Engine Oil A slick wash that dries glossy to add those spills and dribbles to a finished vehicle. AK-085 Track Rust Pigment A brown fine-grained pigment for adding rust into the nooks of your tracks. AK-086 Dark Steel Pigment This metallic pigment contains no metal, but has a ready shine that you can increase by additional polishing thanks to the fine-grained pigment. This is another useful and convenient set from AK, which integrates all the items you will need to complete your engines and track as easily as possible, and without unnecessary hunting around for mislaid colours, unless you remove them from the box of course. The fineness of the pigment grind helps to get the results you need, and all the bottles have plenty in them for a number of projects. You can see the tracks wash in use here: Engine Grime & Oil here: Dark Steel is shown here: There isn’t a specific video for the use of the rust pigments, but a quick google should turn up something suitable. As with all of these things, it’s being cognisant of the likely locations for rust, oil and dirt accumulations, not just slapping it all over and hoping it looks good. Use your references to see where to use your set, and remember that you can reduce the effect and feather the edges with a little white spirit, so you don’t have to worry too much about over-applying. Of course, owning this sets won’t make you an instant-expert, so you will need to test and practice the technique unless you are already accustomed to the basic principals, in which case the testing phase shouldn’t be necessary. Looking at the video makes you realise that they're pretty simple techniques, so have at it! Conclusion Dirt and rust that is appropriate for the subject and in-scale for the model you’re depicting is a great boost for realism and even new vehicles have a tiny bit. Having all the necessary constituents in one handy pack is very useful too – just add white spirits to taste (don’t eat it!!!!). Highly recommended. Review sample courtesy of