Troy Smith Posted January 11, 2022 Share Posted January 11, 2022 Courtesy of Mid Sussex IPMS Xmas raffle. ........ I think I actually 'won' this one, as opposed to the M7 Priest which was an unwanted prize.... 50620121 by losethekibble, on Flickr 50620123 by losethekibble, on Flickr one that's been sat in someone's stash for a while. One I never built 'back then' Gave the bits a wash, and now need to tidy up some space to work. A further deeper dig should turn up the box with some built Matchbox armour dating from around 1980.... and a Skyhawk, which has been a stash resident since 1978.... 10 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JOCKNEY Posted January 12, 2022 Share Posted January 12, 2022 Delighted to see you bringing this one to the GB. I'm really enjoying seeing all these Armoured kits in the GB. Best of luck with this one cheers Pat 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rabbit Leader Posted January 12, 2022 Share Posted January 12, 2022 Great WIP thread opener Troy, its always nice seeing these original Matchbox boxes and those sprues look all crisp and colourful. The more AFV's we can muster up the better so its great to have another one of these Half Tracks being built. Cheers, welcome aboard and best of luck.. Dave 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Troy Smith Posted January 17, 2022 Author Share Posted January 17, 2022 well, I finally cleared some desk space, which was putting me off, and made a start 50620124 by losethekibble, on Flickr I deviated from the instructions, and did the body, and then added the rear track mounts, which unlike most of the kits, is a bit vague, so a bit of tube glue, after a little softening with TET, and added the front wheel with blu tack to get it all level and straight. I did assemble the turret, and the split it again as the seat wouldn't move. I also drilled out the gun barrels.... I also glued the diorama base, with tube glue, 50620125 by losethekibble, on Flickr and then cleaned up and added various bits. Overall I'm impressed with the detail, and the overall fit. Some fiddly cleaning up though. I think they were easier with smaller fingers and better eyesight... Been having a look at various Olive Drabs, and pondering on the base.... I have some loose US and German Airfix Infantry figures, so may think of incorporating either of those, as i was thinking about the US figures the thought of an abandoned half track being inspected maybe an idea.... Nothing very exiting, but given a distinct lack of actual building mojo over the past couple of months, for a variety of reasons, while fiddly, this is good for just concentrating on the basics and not getting bogged down in modifications. Thanks for reading Cheers T 15 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TimJ Posted January 18, 2022 Share Posted January 18, 2022 Off to a good start. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bigbadbadge Posted January 18, 2022 Share Posted January 18, 2022 Going together well Troy and quick too. I hope this can help restore your Mojo levels too. Chris 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rabbit Leader Posted January 19, 2022 Share Posted January 19, 2022 Glad to hear this Matchbox kit may have become a Mojo Reviver. Don't worry Troy, we all get it but it does come back, usually bigger than ever! Cheers and nice progress.. Dave Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TEMPESTMK5 Posted January 19, 2022 Share Posted January 19, 2022 Good morning Troy Very good start .. May I recommend you the Tamiya Head Magnifier I find it perfect when the sight "drops" because of the age .. https://www.amazon.com/Tamiya-TMYTAM74092-Magnifying-Visor/dp/B002P67ASW Best Regards Patrice 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Troy Smith Posted January 19, 2022 Author Share Posted January 19, 2022 15 hours ago, TEMPESTMK5 said: May I recommend you the Tamiya Head Magnifier I find it perfect when the sight "drops" because of the age .. I have an optivisor of sorts, which is useful sometimes. I have been slightly short sighted since my teens, but with really good close vision. Not so good now, but cheap reading glasses work for me most of the time, along with bright light, as it makes the pupil contract which helps a lot as well. Still not decided on what OD I'm going to use either. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Troy Smith Posted January 24, 2022 Author Share Posted January 24, 2022 After a bit to much 'armchair modelling' I tried something I'd been cogitating on, regarding the base, which on it's own just well, looked plastic an it wasn't going to scrub with just paint. A while back I revarnished a parquet floor, and ended up with a load of very fine hardwood dust from the good sanding it needed, and that I thought might be handy for something (makes good wood filler mixed with PVA for example) So, today, after a few test on the base, I used TET to 'wet' small areas, then sprinkled on the dust, working in little sections. After that, I then added brushfulls of TET, which wicks through the dust by capillary action, and let it set. I also used it to fill the gap between the track bed and sides. the upper section has been treated, the lower has not. 50620127 by losethekibble, on Flickr A bit later I though I'd add some grey to the track bed, for the stones. I just went by what I see at the train station, I have no idea what 1940 European railway used. Anyway, I used some Vallejo model air Sea Gray. Bit thick, added my usual 95% water/5% flow improver mix, thinner, but not doing what I wanted, added a squirt of IPA, and the paint binder broke down, and suddenly I had the mottled light grey/black stuff, which I happily sloshed one.... and let dry off. I then added the sanding dust to the other side, and then I had a play, added some colour to the sleepers, and did the tracks in dark rust, and added some light rust wash before totally dry, and a skim of oily steel/silver on rail top. It's a bit shiny as still wet in places. 50620128 by losethekibble, on Flickr I'm quite pleased with how the broken pigment mix looks now, I think it does a reasonable job of track bed gravel. Remember this is just the one coat of paint. I have done some more assembly, and think I've settled on a OD mix as well. Thanks for reading. 7 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rabbit Leader Posted January 27, 2022 Share Posted January 27, 2022 That's looking great Troy and the overall diorama will look so much better with these small improvements being made. Cheers.. Dave 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
John Posted January 29, 2022 Share Posted January 29, 2022 Inspired stuff. I've just noticed there's an M16 hammering away in the background of the Revell Comet artwork too. John 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Troy Smith Posted January 30, 2022 Author Share Posted January 30, 2022 well, little steps... This is a take in some afternoon daylight 50620130 by losethekibble, on Flickr Dug out some of the reviled Humbrol starter pots, a mix of 29 'dark earth 'and 30 'dark green' got me the base colour for the sides, a browny grey and then did the internal sides in 26, light khaki, in a mottle. To this I added my homemade scatter, which is the hardwood sanding dust, mixed with some bright green Vallejo, too bright, so more dust added. Let dry Anyway, this was sprinkle/crumbled onto wet paint, and excess knocked off. Close up it doesn't look much like grass, but otherwise it's OK for some kind of mixed vegetation. I used some dark green sawdust, again, sawdust mixed with paint, along the sides of the 'gravel' , I used W&N matt varnish as the adhesive for this. For a bit of variety, I painted some unravelled sisal string with Humbrol 80 green, and cut little ragged sections, and with tweezers and varnish added some small clumps of longer grass. I did the shell hole in 26, and then sprinkled on unpainted dust, the unpainted colour can be seen in the image below, done under the desk lights. This was to try to represent scattered soil from the blast. I'm sure there would be a load more really. The hole had some thinned mix of some Vallejo I used to touch in some sleepers, I think with lot of water which has a dash of flow improver, and let the capillary action soak through the sanding dust. I also added s mix of black and grey Vallejo Game Wash round the sides of the track, again watered down and using the capillary action. 50620132 by losethekibble, on Flickr Sound complex, but really it's quite a lazy way of doing this, hardly the painstaking work of @Badder, which is why I'm describing it, as I'm quite pleased with the result. Needs a few more tweaks. The M16 has had more OD paint, and some more minor assembly, and should come together next session, but wasn't really worth a photo at this point. Today I even had an image searhc for the M16, which helped with the odd detail. Thanks for reading cheers T 10 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Troy Smith Posted February 8, 2022 Author Share Posted February 8, 2022 Really making a meal of this one. Slow steps again, and just the one pic 50620133 by losethekibble, on Flickr Gunner got some flesh paint, done a bit after the pic. Added all the rest of the body parts, except the doors Chassis assembled, and wheels painted and on, tracks glued, they have gaps which I have tried to fill with some PVA, also sploged on a bit of Tamiya Rubber Black, I'll do the lot later on, probably after body painting etc And, did the turret. I did drill the barrel ends out, and while most of the kit fits really well, the gun were a bit sloppy, for this I first brushed a little TET onto mating surfaces, it's a pugs and slot, and then added a tiny drop of tube glue to the slot, the TET softened up the plastic a bit and let it get a really good bite, then added the inner guns, eyeballed them into alignment, as these mix gives a bit of wiggle time, but they also stay put once wiggled. Let set, and did the same with the outer pair. Then added the ammo cans. And they even move up and down Painted them with black, only noticed that I used gloss black, the a coat of Tamiya Nato Black, it a very dark grey with a greenish hue, as the guns have a parkerised finish... well, a lot of WW2 guns do, I didn't actually check these, when dry, a quick rub over with a 5B pencil, which gives a dull metallic finish. So, next, more paint, washes, dry brush, decals, and a bit of weathering. Wonder how long that will take me! Thanks for reading cheers T 11 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rabbit Leader Posted February 10, 2022 Share Posted February 10, 2022 No build goes along without the odd bump here or there Troy, so just push through. We all make slight compromises as we go. Looks good from what I can see mate. Cheers.. Dave Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Troy Smith Posted February 10, 2022 Author Share Posted February 10, 2022 13 minutes ago, Rabbit Leader said: No build goes along without the odd bump here or there actually, apart from taking the turret apart, and scraping it out, only as I wanted the guns to move up and down, and dropping a headlight on the floor (which amazingly I found) it's all gone very well. By 'making a meal' I mean i have been being slow and careful, cleaning things up and test fitting, aiming to do a neat and tidy build, good for just general basic modelling, as opposed to getting bogged down in more advanced projects. Though, like a Morris C8 set, i have been overall impressed with the kit. I did today get a Revell rebox of the A-34 Comet, £7 posted, and I thought I doubt I'll get one much cheaper. This is one I did back in my youth, and still survives. The tracks are still awful, but I always like the tank and... well, wait for the build for the full story, it will amuse. Thanks for the encouragement as well. cheers T 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Troy Smith Posted February 16, 2022 Author Share Posted February 16, 2022 Quick update. 50620135 by losethekibble, on Flickr Did more OD, (Vallejo OD 3 parts to 1 part Brown Violet OD, I'll edit in numbers later) and then dry brushed with a slightly lightened OD, made by adding some Russian Uniform green to the mix. It's quite subtle, but does make it a bit more 3-d, and there are oil washes to do later. You can see the drilled out gun barrels in this pic as well. It's just dry fitted at the mo for the pic, body, chassis and turret are still separate. I think I'll decal the body, and then assemble the parts, as it seems easier to handle this way, and all the decals are on the body only. I need to paint the seat pads and jerry can straps as well.... thanks for reading 9 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GREG DESTEC Posted February 16, 2022 Share Posted February 16, 2022 Looking good Troy 👍 I like the enhancements to the base. Cheers Greg 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PeterB Posted February 16, 2022 Share Posted February 16, 2022 Looking good Troy - your hands must be steadier than mine if you managed to drill out the barrels! Pete 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stevej60 Posted February 16, 2022 Share Posted February 16, 2022 Great job Troy,the kits themselves are a joy but tinkering with the bases doubles the fun. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bigbadbadge Posted February 16, 2022 Share Posted February 16, 2022 Looking absolutely fantastic Troy, great work on this. Chris 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rabbit Leader Posted February 17, 2022 Share Posted February 17, 2022 Just echoing the others Troy, great work and very inspirational. I'm now wanting all Matchbox's AFV's plus their car kits... will I get there? probably not! Cheers.. Dave 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Troy Smith Posted February 19, 2022 Author Share Posted February 19, 2022 Still in bits, but decalled, which was a good move, as it was a lot easier to hold just the body with chassis and turret. 50620136 by losethekibble, on Flickr And gunner painted, basic paint, burnt umber oil wash made with lighter fuel , excess removed with brush damped in LF, and then some touch up and highlights. The decals behaved well, if a bit thick, noticeable close up, if you look closely at the serial below you can see an edge, and this is after a coat of matt. I didn't quite get the bonnet star centred though.... also did the tools, wood handles, dark grey metal, and painted the exhaust with XF-84 burnt iron. This got drilled out as well when i did the guns barrels. I also used a pencil on the front wire hawser, and the wicked on a drop of black oil paint diluted with LF. Just visible below. and dry assembled 50620137 by losethekibble, on Flickr one little detail shown in the box art, when the sides are folded down, which is how the kit is moulded, they part cover the stars, so I cut the stars round the flaps after application. This is one in Korea, but you can see the folded down flaps and the part covered star. And I might leave the door open. I found this handy for the placement of the rear flap, and glad I looked again, as handy for a bit of weathering on the tracks and wheels, which will also hide their lack of detail, to be fair they are fairly simple parts. Does how the barrels are a bit chunky though, but overall what a neat job Matchbox did overall in what was really a pocket money kit/toy. There a couple of little sinks marks I didn't deal with, and the left door is still off, as well as the gunner sight. Then an oil wash, varnish and some pastels I think. On 16/02/2022 at 16:22, PeterB said: your hands must be steadier than mine if you managed to drill out the barrels! my tip is I use a sewing needle in a pin vice as a centre point/pilot hole, much more control then trying to drill, and then which makes drilling quite easy. Also can be handy to start with a smaller bit to make a bigger pilot hole, and then use a bigger bit. The needle in a pin vice is one of my favourite tools, handy for all sorts if things, centrepoint, glue applicator, scriber/scorer. thanks for reading and the encouraging comments cheers T 10 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GREG DESTEC Posted February 19, 2022 Share Posted February 19, 2022 Lovely detail painting and decal work Troy. Your figure painting is impressive, it's s pity there aren't more with the kit. Looking good 👍 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rabbit Leader Posted February 19, 2022 Share Posted February 19, 2022 Nice post and progress Troy, with some handy modelling and factual Half Track tips thrown in. Great stuff and the current results are very impressive. Cheers.. Dave 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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