Ermm Help?

[Leigh]

Well having built seven variations on the Spitfire theme and a Corsair and a Sea Fury this year I'm willing to take the advice of those with more experience than me (Nev) and have a go at one of those tracked thingies. So I picked up a nice 1/48 Tamiya Crusader and have started on it, please bear in mind that I've not built a tank since the days when I was using Tube glue, all models had to be finished in an afternoon, and there were only three channels on the telly (and one of those was mostly some silly cow playing noughts and crosses with a clown!).

Somewhat clueless, I have reasonable modelling skills but this is definately a different beast to my usual, but I'm always up to learn new techniques, and if this comes across a real basic "how to" stating the somewhat obvious , it really is 'cos I'm on a learning curve here, and advice and tips are more than welcome.

So here's wot I've started with, sprayed all the sprues red oxide primer as I thought that would be a good base colour, the instructions say it's supposed to be some Tamiya TS no. for Desert sand which turns out to be a spray can no. and I couldn't find the "proper" equivilant, so bugger it, this is supposed to be a bit of fun therapy just using wot's in my paint drawer which turns out to be, earth red, gulf armour light and french beige acrylics. Mixed up a dark sandy shade and sprayed some bits, then misted over with a lighter shade and I quite like it........

Pretty much just working on the wheels today. So I've got my wheels and painted the black rims with enamels, by letting some thinners run around the edge then adding a bit of paint (48 times), used a turpenoid and brownish artists oils wash, a first for me, then dry brushed the rims with grimy black and cleaned up the rim with a toothpick dipped in thinners to get a reasonably sharp line. Real pleased with how they turned out. Here's a before and after

Anyway It's a desert tank so I know it won't be overly caked in mud and stuff, but I'm lucky that I live in a desert and get to work with tractors and the like so I do get to see how they get weathered. Smidged a little putty on the outside of the hull behind the wheels to represent some caked on crap.

This is fun, weird doing weathering and finish type stuff at the start, also I'm assuming I've got to paint a fair amount before assembly.

So am I correct that the black rim on the road wheels would be rubber? And wear and tear would be some scuffing and maybe cracks and chunks missing?

Also wot's the best way to do the tracks, these are sectional styrene not one vinyl loop.

[thx6667]

I've done the same myself when painting wheel, using a thinner mix and letting capillary action take the paint around the rims.

For the tracks I'd work in sections and use a slower setting cement (like Humbrol) which gives you time to adjust the shape of the tracks.

[Nev]

Wow, not bad for a beginner Leigh. Bloody good in fact!

I tend to paint my rubber road wheels in a very dark grey like NATO Black or Panzer Grey, then wash them with black.

Like Pingu said, your base colour is a bit too dark. For the link and length tracks, paint 'em before they're on then use tube glue so you have the time to position them. I don't know if your model will have the sand shields on the side, but if not the tracks should lay on top of wheels 2, 3 and 4.

For weathering, there's lots of lovely rivets and ridges to wash and highlight. Then I really, really, really urge you to get hold of a set of MiG productions weathering pigments (the sand/beach set). They are soooooo simple to use, and instantly enhance any model they go on. I cannot recommend them highly enough. You can find a list of MiG importers in the USA here (inc one in LA).

Lastly, this months issue of MMI has a build article on this kit. It's a good magazine for beginners as it offers a wealth of tips on "how to" http://www.modelmilitary.com/frames/current.htm

You can also check out my recently finished Crusader here, IP thread is here

Keep up the good work, its looking great

[Leigh]

Thanks guys, man this is fun, and this little Tamiya kit is an absolute beauty. Really haven't spent more than a few hours on it, and I've almost got it built, the fit on this kit is outstanding with minimal clean up anywhere, could easily be built up and finished in a weekend. It's got a die cast hull, and the connecting screw locations are in such a place that you can pretty much build the whole tank and pull off the upper hull for painting and screw it on when done, nice touch.

Nev I have a few of the Mig pigments but mostly I use Doc O'Briens weathering powders which are even finer than the Migs and and dead easy to apply.

Yes it's gonna have skirts but I still wanted to have a go at caking some crud on the inside as practice for the hobby boss Sherman I've got.

I'm really liking the way it looks with the red primer on, and will have to remember this for some other build in the future I think it's already a pretty neat paint job

The running gear was definitely the hardest part and after a bit of a boo boo with my first few wheels I found it easier to put hull on its side to get them all aligned and square, also used a long straight length of the track to help with alignment. The pics don't show it too well but the rims are actually grey.

So what's the deal with the tracks? Should I paint them a metallic grey/steel colour and then wash in some dark and put on lighter highlights?

Paint em grey and drybrush steel?

[Leigh]

ooooheeeeerrrrrr the idea of Mr. Overspray trying to paint the tracks ON the tank was a little too scary for me, so I opted for this solution, built them into two pieces that slip on and off pretty easy and the last joints will be hidden, thre wash is drying on them right now.....

Added some dents and buckling in a few places, dead easy just scratched away with a knife, I've spent the best part of this week observing big rigs, trash trucks and school buses and it's amazing how dented even civilian stuff gets.

So it's pretty much painted and I've sprayed it with a coat of future/klear to help with the oil wash.

So next question, shouldn't this thing have a coupla whip antennae with pennants? And are these the right locations

Edited June 30, 2007 by Leigh

[Leigh]

Bit late, airbrushed 'em metallic grey last night, artists oil blackish wash, then drybrushed in some dark grey. Not bad for a first try next time I'll do the wash last and they still need to get all the sandy pigments put on for finish.

So I've now put an oil wash all over, after a few tries I've finally got this one figured out and I like the way it works, good for this purpose and probably cockpits and wheel wells but I wouldn't use it on a whole airframe.

First try was I bought Windsor and Newton water soluble oils , told the lady in the art store what I wanted them for and she assured me they would be fine, well they don't mix with turpenoid which is the suspension medium you need to use, all I got was a snow globe effect with black bits floating around in clear liquid.

Second try was some cheap oil paints and the pigments are a bit too grainy.

This time expensive oils and it makes all the difference, never been very good at washes but this way worked out great for me.

I was gonna try Flory's wonderful sludge washes but I forgot so I'll give that a go on the next tank.

So I'll let this sit overnight and the next step I think I'm gonna do is a very light misting of a very thin sand colour, dry brush some wear and tear, then weathering powders all over, dull cote and I'm close to done.

[Nev]

Bloody hell Leigh, that thing looks awesome. You are one seriously talented modeller dude. BTW, your method for painting the tracks is how it was done in the MMI article. This months Military Modelling also has an article on this kit by Steve Zaloga, as well as an article on the history of the Crusader, but yours will probly be complete by the time it gets to the USA.

[Leigh]

Thanks Nev, and thanks for suggesting I do a tank. Anyway she's done and what a blast it was, really fired up my enthusiasm for actually building rather bthan just thinking about it, just what the doctor ordered as a break from the Spitfires. My only complaint about the kit is that you have to build the side rails yourself, Tamiya give you the instructions on how and a template to cut the pieces, but it's still fiddly and very fragile, I think they could have included two extra parts.

He be the beast.