Tamiya (35274) Challenger 2 - Desertised

[Shermaniac]

CHALLENGER 2 MBT

2nd Gulf War, 2001

 

Had this for a few years and with my current British trend, this one won the vote for my next build.

(Apologies for the terrible picture quality here)

 

Usual Tamiya fayre, plenty of parts and their standard easy fit.

 

This build includes PE Set 35277 - PE Set for Challenger 2 comprising the Engine Grills and Name-Plate

 

Typical Tamiya with no Sponson fillers - come on Tamiya, when will you learn???
Sponson Filler dimensions are 196mm long, 21.5mm wide of 0.5mm Plastic Card.

The outside edge is shaped to fit just inside the outside of the upper hull.

I have applied 60thou rod as a support and shall fill the gaps once dry.

None of this will be seen in the final construction but I feel it helps to make the Hull a bit more rigid.

 

Side Armour is the simplest of builds at just 3 parts each for the sides and 5 parts for the front section.

 

Basics done on the rear hull and the Shrouded Exhausts installed.

The terrible Tamiya plug grab handles will all need replacing on the rear deck for any semblance of detail.

 

Next Time:

Rear Hull, Front Hull detail

Turret and Main Gun

Edited May 27, 2017 by Shermaniac

[At Sea]

Nice.

[Shermaniac]

Day 2 (Sunday)

Turret and Masking for Anti-Slip

 

Good old Maskol strikes again when I was reminded of doing some Anti-Slip finish.

I have masked all the access hatches and weld seams in readiness

 

The Red Tape is marking the area that will be covered by the Add-On Armour Pack

Basic assembly leaving the Turret Base unglued for internal fittings

 

More Maskol and Tape. I shall Gas myself on the fumes a bit later - once I've had my Tea!

I have also prepped the Commanders Hatch array for Ant-Slip

 

Next Time:

Anti-Slip from Mr Surfacer 500

Rear Hull Fittings

Additional Turret Fittings

[Shermaniac]

Day 3 (Monday)

Anti-Slip

Some Turret Fittings

 

Mr Surfacer 500 mixed and Thinned with Mr Color Thinner 50 then stippled on with a cut down No.2 brush

 

Masking and Tape removed - looks pretty good to me.

The Mantle and Gun are only push-fitted at this point

 

And repeat for the Hull - same process. The Masks/Tape etc have held up very well.

 

And again, Masks and Tape removed.

A quick brush over with a clean stipple brush to remove and flakes tidy's up the finish

 

Really starting to look the part.

At this rate it will be ready for painting in no time.

The Commanders sight also a push-fit and will be removed during painting

 

Next Time:

Rear Hull Fittings (I know, I said that last time)

Remaining Turret elements

[Col.]

This one is off to a great start. I've resisted buying the kit due to some criticism of its accuracy so will be watching with interest to see how you work through it.

[Shermaniac]

13 minutes ago, Col. said:

This one is off to a great start. I've resisted buying the kit due to some criticism of its accuracy so will be watching with interest to see how you work through it.

The running gear has been mentioned as inaccurate but as you can't see 95% of it I'm not too worried. I have no knowledge of any other 'issues' regarding this kit but will take a look on't t'internet.

 

Thus far I have this: http://www.armorama.com/modules.php?op=modload&name=Reviews&file=index&req=showcontent&id=438

Edited May 29, 2017 by Shermaniac

[Hewy]

Well this is serious, great work so far, are you in the build it all  and paint it after school,

Or will you be painting in stages before final assembly, I'm picking your brains here

Glynn

[Shermaniac]

44 minutes ago, Hewy said:

Well this is serious, great work so far, are you in the build it all  and paint it after school,

Or will you be painting in stages before final assembly, I'm picking your brains here

Glynn

I tend to build to sub-assemblies ensuring the smallest number of parts to paint. These are they:

1. Commanders Sight, Cupola, Loaders Hatch

2. Turret, including the Main Gun

3. Hull

4. Left & Right Side Armour, Front and Rear Mudguards

5. 24 Road Wheels, 2 Sprockets and 2 Idlers

6. 2 Tracks

7. Crew and Stowage

 

This can be a 1 day process as the base colours are of one tone with the Figures being painted independently whilst other elements are drying.

These can occur approx. 2-3 hours apart: Undercoat, Top Coat, Decals, Varnish, Weathering (All depending if I'm on a roll or not)

This could also be spread across a weekend if that is your choice. The benefit here is that there is no internal painting required and the use of other colours are small by comparison.

 

I shall be posting Before, During and After pictures.

 

My FV432 was stage painted due to the extensive Interior details

Edited May 30, 2017 by Shermaniac

[Shermaniac]

Day 4 (Wednesday)

Turret fittings incl Ariels

Rear Hull fittings & Fuel Tanks

 

All the frames attached to the Rear Hull.

The lower holes are for the Spare Track-Links which will be added later

 

Auxilliary Fuel Drums and Jerry Cans placed on the frames.

Glazings to be added once painted.

 

The Ariel mounts are 'Pants' and need some help.

I chopped them off and made new spigot mounts from Albion Alloys Slide-Fit brass tubing 0.4mm with a 0.6mm collar (Set SFT1)

 

Rear reflectors and indicators to be fitted then masked for painting tomorrow hopefully.

 

Next Time:

Road Wheel Arms

Vision Blocks (cut up clear sheet, no blocks supplied in kit)

PAINT! (Undercoat, Top Coat)

[Arniec]

Great work on the Challenger. I like the anti slip coating you have done. I think I will use  this method as well.

Maybee with some very fine sand (the stuff they use in birdcages) sprinkeling on it before it is dry.

 

I have got the two earlier Mk.1's. I am building at the moment the first one that came out from Tamiya (Challanger).

I have some new Friul Tracks for it and these are stalling at the moment the build.

So Maybee I will use the standard ones that are in the kit and safe the friuls for later?! I haven't decided jet.

 

Cheers,

[Shermaniac]

On 2017-6-1 at 7:31 AM, Arniec said:

Great work on the Challenger. I like the anti slip coating you have done. I think I will use  this method as well.

Maybee with some very fine sand (the stuff they use in birdcages) sprinkeling on it before it is dry.

The Mr Surfacer is mildly gritty anyway but if you're going to do the sand I highly recommend you do a test piece first.

 

I did use chinchilla dust on a previous build with a standard glue base and it was a disaster. I had to scrape it off as it was hideous, the grains were way too large for the scale (better suited to IDF vehicles).

 

British anti slip was regular sand mixed in with the paint so you almost need a powder for effect which is why I went the Mr Surfacer 500 route. Also, the patternation is irregular and not formal like modern US or German types.

Edited June 2, 2017 by Shermaniac

[Hewy]

Dont know if yove tried this but halfords do a textured paint in a spray can that i believe would just about replicate your anti slip coating , i have a tin but I'm yet to use it on a build but a test piece came out ok, no longer have this piece though, but can do again 

If your curious about it ,your anti slip does look good though 

Glynn

[Shermaniac]

4 hours ago, Hewy said:

Dont know if yove tried this but halfords do a textured paint in a spray can that i believe would just about replicate your anti slip coating , i have a tin but I'm yet to use it on a build but a test piece came out ok, no longer have this piece though, but can do again 

If your curious about it ,your anti slip does look good though 

Glynn

I'm aware of it and the Games Workshop version. Both are too uniform for British and IDF anti-slip as they have a very random appearance. Thanks for the input though, much appreciated.

Edited June 1, 2017 by Shermaniac

[Shermaniac]

Day 5 (Sunday)

It's PAINTING Time!

In the Tray (got 3 for £4 at ALDI) to go upstairs.

I have already brush painted black in the engine grills and also added the PE Grill set

 

And, about 20 minutes later we have this!
Undercoat is Stynylrez Green which is my new favourite paint (the colour varies) but the product is FAB, you just thin it with water.

The Stynylrez goes on a very pale green and dries more to a German Grey-Green.

 

Lower Hull: One pass of the airbrush and a follow-up with some HATAKA NATO Green from my new set HTK-AS77.

These stripey parts are along the weather edges which would get worn through abrasion.

 

More of the same on the Turret - Now, this doesn't mean that this build will get lots of chipping and scratches, far from it but just wait and see!

The Armour will have a section of plates in purely NATO Green in line with some images I have seen.

This was sprayed about 15 minutes after the Undercoat.

 

And the Side-Armour Shields: overspray with more NATO Green.

 

Next Time!

Top Coat of Paint

 

 

Edited June 4, 2017 by Shermaniac

[Hockeyboy76]

Looking very nice. 

[Hewy]

The anti slip looks really good under the paint, nice variation too

Glynn

[Shermaniac]

Day 6 (Monday) & Day 7 (Tuesday)

Top Coat of paint

Decals

 

A thinned BS Light Stone from HATAKA and an all-over spray, I had 'just' enough' to get by.
Decals On and sealed with Micro Set/Sol as usual.

 

I have now run out of HATAKA HTK-A237 so this is all the model gets.
Here's a taster of how things are at the moment.

 

Next Time:

Varnish in a bit

Road Wheel Rubber to paint in the meantime

 

 

 

 

[Hewy]

,looking good so far, I like the last picture. 

Glynn 

[Shermaniac]

51 minutes ago, Hewy said:

,looking good so far, I like the last picture. 

Glynn 

Yeah! That's how it looks after you run out of paint haha

[Hewy]

maybe running out of paint was a good thing?, i  don't like hataka paints, bad experience on my first go,you have made them work though , times like this ill leave it and have a look in the morning ,sometimes i like what i didn't the night before,   sometimes the complete opposite, still it looks like a great base,no doubt its in for a weathering

all the best 

glynn

[Hewy]

maybe running out of paint was a good thing?, i  don't like hataka paints, bad experience on my first go,you have made them work though , times like this ill leave it and have a look in the morning ,sometimes i like what i didn't the night before,   sometimes the complete opposite, still it looks like a great base,no doubt its in for a weathering

all the best 

glynn

[Shermaniac]

5 hours ago, Hewy said:

maybe running out of paint was a good thing?, i  don't like hataka paints, bad experience on my first go,you have made them work though , times like this ill leave it and have a look in the morning ,sometimes i like what i didn't the night before,   sometimes the complete opposite, still it looks like a great base,no doubt its in for a weathering

all the best 

glynn

This HATAKA is the new formula and provided you thin it by 20% it should work.

[Arniec]

That is a great looking model. I like how she looks now after the paintjob.

 

Cheers,

[Shermaniac]

Day 7 (Tuesday night) & Day 8 (Wednesday)

Washes & Filters

Tracks & Running Gear

 

As I'd run out of my Light Stone, and baring in mind that this is a canvas-like skirt (which would be a slightly different shade) I prepared a colour-wash.
All Vallejo: MA71.075 Sand(5) : MC70.882 Middlestone (1) : PzA314 Canvas (3) : MC70912 Tan Yellow (2)
all then mixed and thinned to double the volume. Added in 2-3 layers, allowing each to dry in turn.
I then added: MA71.023 Hemp (3) to darken the mix for highlights.
After that, I applied MiG Filter P400 Grey for Dark Yellow for the darker areas and fixings.

The whole thing took a couple of quiet hours and a hair dryer.

 

While the washes and filters were drying off I painted the tyres and readied the Road-Wheels.

I also glued up the track and found Part F1 (Doh! it was on the track sprue!!!).

Once dry, the track was installed to ensure a correct fit - it does!

 

Test fit if the side-armour and WooHoo! you can't see very much at all of the running gear.

Looks spooky dunnit?

 

Still nowhere near done yet but this is as much together as I can get it so far.

Hatches to detail and figures to pose yet as well as the Commanders MG and detail painting/decals.

 

Next Time:

Varnish (perhaps) - it will happen at some point

Figures - positioning at least

More Decals, Weathering, etc

[PlaStix]

Very impressive progress Shermaniac! That is looking excellent! 

Kind regards,

Stix