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***Finished **** Start of vacation quick build - Australian M3 Grant (Airfix 1:35 scale)


SimonL

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Picked this up last weekend for not very much:

 

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Excellent choice for a quick build to start the vacation. Going to build it straight from the box all closed up as the Australian example.

 

Here we go: 

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and here is where I am at lunchtime (a bit of a delay due to a swift trip to Bunnings - Australian members will understand). So far no major issues. Running gear was a bit fiddly, but went together OK. So far only lost one handle to the carpet monster. Easily replaced by a bit of wire.

 

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Edited by SimonL
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Absolutely! @Hamden

 

@robw_uk to be honest was not necessarily looking to do one - but Aussie markings always draws my attention.

 

Gradual progress while listening to the Test match from Adelaide. Here is where  I am at at 5 pm. That’s it for the today - off to the movies with the kids tonight. 
 

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@Geo1966 I’ll try to resist (although suspect it will all be over soon 😜)

 

Got a bit of early work in this morning. 
 

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Used a smidge of filler here and there. A dry fit to see how everything looks.

 

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That’s it for the morning - off into town for a bit. May get onto painting this afternoon.

 

 

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Construction complete and painting started. Had to build a second headlight from scrap as heaven knows where the original went to. Brush painted with Tamiya acrylics. XF62 Olive drab with a bit of XF49 Khaki mixed in. 
 

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Here is where I am at this evening. Probably needs another coat.


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So far the only (deliberate) deviations are to not fit the hull MGs (as I gather they were usually omitted from Grants in Australia). I’m also going to leave the “racks” down each side of the hull off as they don’t seem to be fitted on any images of Australian Grants I can find. That’s it for today.

 

Edited by SimonL
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That exciting (challenging?) step when the tracks go on. In the end reasonably straight forward. Used the hot screwdriver approach once I’d carefully threaded the preprinted tracks around the running gear. The tracks were painted with Tamiya XF69 NATO black, and then I picked out the edges with MIG Old Rust. It’s a bit stark at the moment, but from past experience will be less obvious after some weathering. Then on went the sides (sand shields?) and a coat of olive drab.

 

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Some touching up to go, and a few details to be sorted,but almost time for the decals.

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11 hours ago, SimonL said:

That exciting (challenging?) step when the tracks go on. In the end reasonably straight forward. Used the hot screwdriver approach once I’d carefully threaded the preprinted tracks around the running gear. The tracks were painted with Tamiya XF69 NATO black, and then I picked out the edges with MIG Old Rust. It’s a bit stark at the moment, but from past experience will be less obvious after some weathering. Then on went the sides (sand shields?) and a coat of olive drab.

 

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Some touching up to go, and a few details to be sorted,but almost time for the decals.

 

Were those tracks single pieces? Or was it the regular cut-glue-attach 'nightmare' :D

 

 

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@Flyingdutchman I should have said - they are vinyl single piece tracks. Not too tricky. 
 

Finished the main painting today. I drilled out the barrel of the turret MG, painted it black and then a light dry brush with metallic grey.

 

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A brushed on coat of floor polish and then on with the decals. That’s it for a few days. Have a great Christmas!

 

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It's looking pretty good Simon, now that it's got it's paint and decals on. I built this same kit, several year ago, when it was first released by Academy. It's basically accurate, with just  few missing bolt heads.

And seeing as you'll get there before most of us, Merry Christmas.

 

John.

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Thanks John! It was great. Hope you had a good one too. No progress today - little on the  warm side (gone 4 pm and currently hovering around 42 Celsius). 
 

However I think I know what my next project is - a gift from my lad:

 

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Well the heatwave has finally broken (sort of), so I was able to get back to work on this. Sorted out the pioneer tools, and faked up a cable using some string. Brushed on coat of my fast diminishing stock of Italeri clear flat. The next step will be some light weathering. Possibly will get that done by tomorrow, but I suspect this will be my first completion of 2022.

 

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Thanks Milan. Yes, it is fairly straightforward (but of course I didn’t do the interior). 
 

Over the last few days I have been adding some washes (Army Painter Dark and Soft Tone and mixtures thereof) and finishing today with washes of heavily diluted Italeri Acryl Dark Earth which I hope gives the appropriate dusty patina. I made the washes heavier (and less dilute) on the tracks and running gear.

 

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Just a final flat coat and the headlights and this one will be done!

 

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  • SimonL changed the title to ***Finished **** Start of vacation quick build - Australian M3 Grant (Airfix 1:35 scale)

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