M3 Stuart in Caunter Scheme (Academy 1:35) ***Finished***

[SimonL]

Moving on to planning my next project while the paint drys on my A9, I picked this up as a semi-impulse buy recently:

 

 

I’ve been keen to build one since reading Robert Crisp’s amazing personal story of his experiences in the desert in WW II in his book Brazen Chariots.

 

 

I suspect many on this site will be familiar with his life story (which is altogether extraordinary - see for example https://www.badassoftheweek.com/crisp).

 

I am going to finish it in the other Caunter Scheme tank in the box (not Bellman!). I have Tamiya mixes for the silver-grey and slate from when I built the Tamiya 1:48 Matilda and Tilly a few years ago. I’m also going to use Vallejo ModelAir Portland Stone. As you can see I have the appropriate reading material to hand!

 

Edited October 10, 2022 by SimonL

[SimonL]

Made a start this weekend. The design is such you can work on the underside and running gear separately from the top of the hull and turret, which may make things easier when it’s time to paint the Caunter pattern.

 

The bottom part of the hull went together very quickly. Here it is after a few thin brushed on coats of Portland Stone. I’ve also painted the the parts for the running gear and the wheels on the sprue. 
 

 

With the top part of the hull, I’ve avoided so far the “little” bits that would get in the way of masking (so head-lights, various other little bits), I’ll add they after the main paint job. I need to do a bit of filling and sanding of some awkward injector marks on the exhausts.

 

 

I’ve yet to make a decision as to whether to add the brackets for the “lorry” decoy. I suspect if as I am using the Crusader markings I probably should.

[SimonL]

Took a little break from the Merkava to get the Caunter pattern painted. Took it in easy steps, and while a bit rough in places I think it will look ok under some weathering. Tried my best with the pattern, however I suspect it is “representative” at best. Looks very small next to the Merkava! And oops - realised I need to finish it on the cupola on the turret once I took the photos!

 

 

 

 

Edited September 22, 2022 by SimonL

[echen]

Coming on well. If applied in the field it probably wouldn't have been exact and, under weathering, will look just fine.

[AntPhillips]

Great start, I agree, field applied, the demarcations probably wouldn't have been perfect.

[Corsairfoxfouruncle]

Well that looks great, Caunter schemes are definitely in my future

[Maddoxx77]

That is looking good so far. I don't see anything wrong with the counterscheme. 

[RHWinter]

Thanks for posting your build-log here, Simon! The „Honey“ in Africa is one of my favourites since I built the Matchbox-kit when I was a boy, back in the 1970ies! (Remember the box-art? Fond mem'ries!) Now I am debating with myself whether to get Academy's or Airfix' version in 1/35…

[Corsairfoxfouruncle]

1 hour ago, RHWinter said:

Thanks for posting your build-log here, Simon! The „Honey“ in Africa is one of my favourites since I built the Matchbox-kit when I was a boy, back in the 1970ies! (Remember the box-art? Fond mem'ries!) Now I am debating with myself whether to get Academy's or Airfix' version in 1/35…

Not sure if you know this, they're the same kit so it falls to price whichever is cheaper ? 
 

https://www.scalemates.com/kits/airfix-a1358-m3-stuart-honey--1190144

[Stef N.]

When you see these colours it makes me wonder how Tamiya got theirs so wrong. (I have their Matilda on the shelf).

 

Anyway, very nice work Simon on your striking camo work.👍

[Bullbasket]

Luva Stuart in Caunter! It'll look really good with some dust and dirt on it. Nice work Simon.

 

John.

[SimonL]

Many thanks for the supportive comments! I am pretty happy with how it’s turned out.

 

5 hours ago, RHWinter said:

Thanks for posting your build-log here, Simon! The „Honey“ in Africa is one of my favourites since I built the Matchbox-kit when I was a boy, back in the 1970ies! (Remember the box-art? Fond mem'ries!) Now I am debating with myself whether to get Academy's or Airfix' version in 1/35…

Not quite old enough to remember the box art (honest!). As indicated by @Corsairfoxfouruncle the Airfix kit is a rebox of the Academy. At my local shop the prices seem to vary dramatically. I grabbed this as an impulse when the shop has a restock of Academy kits.

 

4 hours ago, Stef N. said:

When you see these colours it makes me wonder how Tamiya got theirs so wrong. (I have their Matilda on the shelf).

 

Anyway, very nice work Simon on your striking camo work.👍

 

thanks! I really don’t know why Tamiya got them wrong, I am sure there is some backstory as to why. I have a 1/35 Tamiya Matilda in the stash, but I think I am going to finish that as a UK based machine (Khaki Green 3 I believe is the correct colour - not the SCC2 camouflaged recommendation in the box).

 

2 hours ago, Bullbasket said:

Luva Stuart in Caunter! It'll look really good with some dust and dirt on it. Nice work Simon.

 

John.

 

thanks! That’s the plan John, perhaps a bit of chipping to show some OD underneath the desert colours?

 

[SimonL]

With the main paint job done, time to complete construction. First, need to deal with the rather gaping hole on the underside at the back. Using some plastic strip I added a little “ledge”.

 

 

I then trimmed to size some of the left over mesh from the Merkava build and glued that in place. I think that’s an improvement. May not be particularly visible from most angles, or accurate, but hides a bit of an eyesore.

 

 

I then added all of the “breakable” bits.

 

This piece appears as optional in the instructions. Anyone tell me what it is, should I be adding it to the front fender for a British tank, and what colour should I paint it?

 

Edited September 24, 2022 by SimonL

[Corsairfoxfouruncle]

Its a tripod for the .30 cal Browning guns in the M3. If the tank broke down the men could dismount and dig in around the tank or act as infantry until they get back to their base ? Colors would be gun metal or matched to camouflage. 

Edited September 24, 2022 by Corsairfoxfouruncle

[GMK]

28 minutes ago, SimonL said:

This piece appears as optional in the instructions. Anyone tell me what it is, should I be adding it to the front fender for a British tank, and what colour should I paint it?

 

 

Nice work, Simon. 
 

That looks a lot like a .30 cal machine gun tripod to be. Assuming (!) so change from its US origin, I’d go with WW2 US olive drab. 
 

Cheers. 

[Corsairfoxfouruncle]

Heres a photo from Wiki.

 

https://commons.m.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Browning_M1919a.png#mw-jump-to-license

[Milan Mynar]

Good looking camo and paintwork.

[SimonL]

Thanks - I’ll paint it up and add that part then 🙂

 

Finished the turret. I’ve decided not to add the smoke projectors as they don’t appear to have been fitted on Stuarts at the time of Crusader - at least not on the images I can find.

 

Edited September 24, 2022 by SimonL

[SimonL]

One thing that’s been bugging me, is that in the photos I’ve seen, there appears to be prominent rivets on the rear part of the tank, which is a smooth surface as presented by the kit. But then I noticed these on the sprue.

 

 

 

So I carefully shaved them off and with a dab of cement added them to the rear of the tank. They look a bit prominent, but should tone down well under a coat of paint.

 

 

I also added the cans on the rack as well, scratch building a frame around them with some plastic card.

 

 

Of course it hid most of the rivets I had just added 🤣.

 

Edited September 26, 2022 by SimonL

[Corsairfoxfouruncle]

50 minutes ago, SimonL said:

Of course it hid most of the rivets I had just added 🤣

Yes but you know they're there. 

[FrancisGL]

Hi Simon,

Nice progress, The rivets thing is a "bad move"... lol, my M3 although being U.S. service doesn't have that rack of cans, I don't remember if I used them, either because it wasn't necessary or because I was "lazy"... lol

Cheers and TC

Francis.👍

[SimonL]

After finishing off touching up the paintwork I added the decals. They ones on the skirts needed some convincing to go over the rivets. Some carefully brushed on Tamiya Acrylic Thinner X20 got them to confirm.  The pre painted tracks, which seemed to stick together well with some superglue, stretched nicely over the wheels.

 

 

 

Looks a bit toylike at the moment - weathering will sort that!

[SimonL]

Before sealing it up for the last time,  I added a couple of fishing weights to add some heft.

 

 

I also weathered the bottom part with a variety of Vallejo model washes - perhaps a bit too much? Still working them out, was perhaps a bit heavy handed?

 

 

[Bullbasket]

It's progressing well Simon. You might want to give the track teeth a bit of a metallic rub, where they rub against the sprocket teeth.

 

John.

[Model Mate]

I think the washes on the running gear look just right - the rest just needs to get a similar treatment. All in all, looking really nice