Antoine Posted January 19, 2020 Share Posted January 19, 2020 Hi there! As a lot of us, I've started 2020 with a full bag of good resolutions, and among thoses, trying to finish one (or more) build. After a quick glance at more than a dozen false starts from the last decade, I've decided to go for a fresh kit. My choice? The unexpected Komatsu G40 from Tamiya, released a few years ago, a very very nice little 1/48 kit, perfect for a little vignette together with an aircraft. And this is exactly what I plan to do, but let's concentrate on the bull only for the moment. Let me take you on a quick visit inside the box. Starting with the sprues. There are two, if I'm not wrong. Instruction sheet. Only one camo option. The decals. All those stencils... A handfull of metalic dry transferts. And... that's all!!! 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Antoine Posted January 19, 2020 Author Share Posted January 19, 2020 The build is really straightforward, and take about a single day. I've decided for three sub-assembly, that is the hull, the dozer blade and the tracks. Here's the hull, nearly finished. I'll spare the seat for the end, to ease the paint job. I've got small mods to do with the front lights, too. But I won't go into extensive modifications or detailling, as I'm poor on documentation. 4 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Antoine Posted January 19, 2020 Author Share Posted January 19, 2020 All the sub-assemblies are put together, and I've added one front light. So far, so good. Only little drawback are the sprues attachments to the tracks, they're a bit difficult to clean-up Ready for the paint! 5 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Vaastav Posted January 19, 2020 Share Posted January 19, 2020 Its coming together nicely. What is the fit and finish like? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Antoine Posted January 19, 2020 Author Share Posted January 19, 2020 I've added the missing front light, after a quick mod to figure a broken glass. I'll try to add some wires later. It's primer time, and I choose a rottbraun acrylic-polyurethane from Vallejo. Perfect to make a difference with the light gray of the sprues, and the final colour of Kure arsenal gray (kind of German grey), as indicated by Tamiya. And beside, I've one bottle in my primer collection! 4 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Antoine Posted January 19, 2020 Author Share Posted January 19, 2020 12 minutes ago, Vaastav said: Its coming together nicely. What is the fit and finish like? I can answer with one word: It's Tamiya! 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Vaastav Posted January 19, 2020 Share Posted January 19, 2020 7 minutes ago, Antoine said: I can answer with one word: It's Tamiya! Tamiya's models are simple yet elegant (atleast from my experiencec) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bullbasket Posted January 19, 2020 Share Posted January 19, 2020 Hi Antoine, good to see you back and building some heavy metal, and fast! I thought that my Sherman build in under four weeks was quick, but this has me beat hands down. It's a great looking little model. John. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Foxbat Posted January 19, 2020 Share Posted January 19, 2020 Lovely build. I noticed that the company name on the front grill and on the transfers is missing the S from Komatsu, but the period photographs I can find shows this is correct. I wonder why they did that? Andy Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Antoine Posted January 19, 2020 Author Share Posted January 19, 2020 2 hours ago, Bullbasket said: Hi Antoine, good to see you back and building some heavy metal, and fast! I thought that my Sherman build in under four weeks was quick, but this has me beat hands down. It's a great looking little model. John. Hi John, Nice to hear from you. Not so quick, as I started two weeks ago. 1 hour ago, Foxbat said: Lovely build. I noticed that the company name on the front grill and on the transfers is missing the S from Komatsu, but the period photographs I can find shows this is correct. I wonder why they did that? Andy Noticed that, yes, but... I've no answer so far. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Richard E Posted January 19, 2020 Share Posted January 19, 2020 1 hour ago, Foxbat said: Lovely build. I noticed that the company name on the front grill and on the transfers is missing the S from Komatsu, but the period photographs I can find shows this is correct. I wonder why they did that? 1 minute ago, Antoine said: Noticed that, yes, but... I've no answer so far. You will probably find it's a cunning way of avoiding any licencing or copyright issues in the same way that Tamiya's Opel Blitz is marketed as a "German 3 ton 4x2 Cargo Truck" and omits any manufacturer's badging. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Foxbat Posted January 19, 2020 Share Posted January 19, 2020 49 minutes ago, Richard E said: You will probably find it's a cunning way of avoiding any licencing or copyright issues in the same way that Tamiya's Opel Blitz is marketed as a "German 3 ton 4x2 Cargo Truck" and omits any manufacturer's badging. Not in this case. I found a couple of period photos and Tamiya have matched the original. A bit more digging revealed this excerpt from a previous discussion on Missing Lynx (the link is broken so I can't access the full post): "They have the difference in some character notation, and one of that is word "tsu / tu". ... Anyway, the spelling "Komatu" is correct considering historical fact." So there you go. I can rest easy now and just enjoy Antoine's build Andy Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Antoine Posted January 20, 2020 Author Share Posted January 20, 2020 Thanks, Andy, I wouldn't have guessed. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Antoine Posted January 20, 2020 Author Share Posted January 20, 2020 (edited) The primer being dry, we now move on to the paint properly. Tamiya indicate the main colour to be an IJN gray from Kure arsenal, available when the kit was released as a spray, ref. TS-66. But today, we've also the acrylic version, XF-75. IIRC, there's also a lacquer in Mr colour range, as part of an IJN set. My choice was the acrylic. The plan was to cover all the rottbraun with gray, but after my first very thin and diluted airbrush passage, I noticed a nice surprising effect, and decided to leave it as it was. For the moment! Edited January 20, 2020 by Antoine 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bullbasket Posted January 20, 2020 Share Posted January 20, 2020 Sorry Antoine. Can't see the pictures. John. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Antoine Posted January 20, 2020 Author Share Posted January 20, 2020 (edited) Then believe me: They're just beautiful! Sometime drag & drop just doesn't work... Should be ok now. Edited January 20, 2020 by Antoine 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Silenoz Posted January 21, 2020 Share Posted January 21, 2020 Nice work on this workhorse... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tiger Posted January 21, 2020 Share Posted January 21, 2020 Nice work on your bulldozer build. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Antoine Posted January 21, 2020 Author Share Posted January 21, 2020 Well, most of you lot will think that there's absolutely no change between this picture and the last one... But I swear, I've highlighted the top, and distributed some shadows here and there at the bottom. In reality, I must admit that those shadows are a bit too light, so I'll try some smoke tomorrow, or heavily diluted black paint. 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Antoine Posted May 13, 2023 Author Share Posted May 13, 2023 Three years later, back to this one, as I intend to build a small vignette that he'll share with an aircraft. Got to finish it before, it should not take too long. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bullbasket Posted May 13, 2023 Share Posted May 13, 2023 4 hours ago, Antoine said: Three years later, back to this one, as I intend to build a small vignette that he'll share with an aircraft. Got to finish it before, it should not take too long. Glad to see this one moving again Antoine. John. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Antoine Posted May 13, 2023 Author Share Posted May 13, 2023 Hi John, Nice to hear from you! The following pics were taken three years ago, but weren't added to the report. I did use my own sicret weapin for the blade, but still, it's not exactly parts like that that I'm used to rust, and I didn't know where to stop... IIRC, the set is from Neptun, I'd get it from a shop in Taipei more than ten years ago, but I just don't know if it is still available, and if so, where to get it... FIrst the primer: Then the spread: and last, the activator: I'll see for a bit more weathering when I've the vignette setup. 5 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Keeff Posted May 17, 2023 Share Posted May 17, 2023 What a nice build Antoine. The dozer will look right at home on a small vignette as you plan. Keith 😁 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bullbasket Posted May 17, 2023 Share Posted May 17, 2023 I'd say that you've got that dozer blade spot on. Nice work Antoine. John. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
echen Posted May 17, 2023 Share Posted May 17, 2023 32 minutes ago, Bullbasket said: I'd say that you've got that dozer blade spot on. Nice work Antoine. My thoughts exactly. Very good looking paintwork there - unless you shrank a real one, of course. That is cheating!😄 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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