1/35 M2A2 ODS Infantry Fighting Vehicle

[Rossco_builds]

Hello Everyone, 

 

This is my first work in process post i have done so i hope its format is correct.

 

Theres a lot to describe up to the point i am right now so ill try and be brief as much as i can.

 

Unfortunately i joined this community after i had done most of the initial build of the hull and turret and i don't have the pictures of it in its creation unfortunately.

 

So first up is the Hull. The initial build took around 3 days give or take 2 mins and probably could have been done a bit faster had it not been for work and homelife commitments and also i used Mr Surfacer 500 to "paint" the armour sections to add a different texture to them.

 

Once i had it built i primed it in Vallejo Mecha Primer - Grey Primer(73.641) and with an idea in mind to add chipping later on i painted the whole hull in Vallejo Model Air - US Olive Drab(71.043) and glossed with Vallejo Acrylic Varnish(28.517).

 

Leaving it to dry overnight i sprayed it with hairspray and moved onto spraying it in Vallejo - Iraqi Sand(70.819) i know that this may be deviating from the norm but i wanted it to be a darker sand colour than the stipulated Light Sand colour suggested by the box, ultimately ill be placing this IFV in a diorama with a Fallujah Street battle setting (Urban combat) with a rainstorm that had just passed. I wanted to go for that dirty look! (Big ambitions i know, and it'll probs will look a bit naff but im definitely going to give it a try!)

 

Using Ammo mig - Brown for Desert yellow filter(A.MIG-1504) i plastered this over the whole hull which darkened it down some more. With that dry i used Ammo mig - US Modern Vehicles wash(A.MIG-1007) for the panel lines and nooks and crannies and finished off with Ammo mig - US Modern Vehicles Streaking effects(A.MIG-1207) and feather it off with enamel thinner.

 

The rest was simply just hand painting all the tools and bits and bobs with a combination of Vallejo and Tamiya paints and AK Interactive - True Metals Wax. I still have the lights to do as well as decals before i place the weathering pigments but ill catch up with that as and when i can.

 

[You will see a difference between the colour of the viewports from this side and the front, the sides and rear were painted in Tamiya - Royal Blue(X-3) and the front viewports painted in Vallejo - Transparent Green(70.936) at this point in time, i cant decide what i want them to be.]

 

[On the aerial at the back i used AK Interactive - True Metals Brass wax for the base of the aerial and also the ones on the turret]

 

 

[The TOW System will get attached onto the turret near the end of the painting]

 

[I used Ammo mig - Gun Metal Modelling Pigment(A.MIG3009) and wiped this on, which i think gives a nice "Gun Looking" effect (Normally i would just use Tamiya - Gun Metal(X-10) but i decided on a change. The Laser designator is currently Masked whilst painting the turret.]

 

 

 

 

[Its hard to make out in this picture but 4 of the 8 Smoke dispensers have been drilled out, i am looking for that deployed look but i may have to lighten it in a sooty kind of colour to make it more obvious]

 

[Crew primed and shaded. hopefully itll make them more stand outish when i come to paint the faces and uniform....lol we will see...... im rubbish at painting uniforms!]

 

[Track and gear all painted and just waiting on me to finish faffing about with the hull, i used Tamiya- Rubber Black(XF-85) for the rubber part(I also cut bits out of the wheels to give it a used look, not clear in the picture) and also the track with additionalAk Interactive - Track Wash(AK083) to make it pop!

 

And thats the update of my work in progress, a bit long winded but, ive done a lot to it before joining, just a shame i didn't keep the pictures of the build up.

 

I look forward to answering any questions you have and also any suggestions(Like keep your posts down to at minimum word count! lol)

 

Rossco

[Stef N.]

Welcome aboard Rossco. Interesting build and look forward to seeing more. Liked your Merkava diorama too. 👍

[Rossco_builds]

3 hours ago, Stef N. said:

Welcome aboard Rossco. Interesting build and look forward to seeing more. Liked your Merkava diorama too. 👍

Thank you Stef, much appreciated🙌

[Rossco_builds]

Okay so I have finally done most of the weathering and ‘dirtying’ of the IFV and i am really happy with how its turning out! Though it took a long time to get all the smaller components together and then the decals were rather fiddly(trying to put them over bolts was pretty tough, even with Micro Sol) but most of all i am really with the figures. At the start i couldn't get the colours right of the uniform and the skin, so in the case of the uniform i went with a Buff colour with a little light sand and the skin was a mix of light skin with rose. Turned out okay i think.

 

All thats left now is to finish the tracks with weathering(sand,dirt ect.) then a spray of matt and finally remove the mask from the range finder.

 

then onto the diorama!.......should take me to April🙌