Tamiya 1/35 Comet! 😃

[Bullbasket]

12 hours ago, Jasper dog said:

Might have been after you gave up your role as chief marketing officer for Panda tracks! 

No, I haven't. I got promoted to CC&BW!

Second time around is a vast improvement Darryl. It looks really good.

 

John.

[Hamden]

 

Nice paintwork, this one is really coming together now!

 

     Stay safe             Roger

[Jasper dog]

15 hours ago, echen said:

Great progress. The worn look of the paint variation looks just right.

 

 

1 hour ago, Hamden said:

 

Nice paintwork, this one is really coming together now!

 

     Stay safe             Roger

 

3 hours ago, Bullbasket said:

No, I haven't. I got promoted to CC&BW!

Second time around is a vast improvement Darryl. It looks really good.

 

John.

Thanks chaps, it's more where it should be now. Next up,.....stickers!

And of course, paint the tracks.

 

Hope you're using Fairy John, keep those hands nice and soft! 

[FrancisGL]

Hi Darryl,

Excellent job with the AB, I think that after the pre-shading stage, you sprayed too much, so all that nice work practically disappeared. Although I see that later, on the second try, everything looks much better, as perhaps was your intention. Personally, I prefer to do modulation later, so as not to lose the previous work, since it is easy to overdo it with the AB...

Cheers

Francis.👍

[Bullbasket]

3 hours ago, Jasper dog said:

Hope you're using Fairy John, keep those hands nice and soft!

Ah, you recognised the title then.

 

John.

[Maddoxx77]

Looking good there. When i enlarge the photo i can see the colormodulation. This will get better with weathering. If the effect is too little you could enhance it by adding highlights in a lighter green. 

[Jasper dog]

On 03/09/2023 at 12:21, FrancisGL said:

Hi Darryl,

Excellent job with the AB, I think that after the pre-shading stage, you sprayed too much, so all that nice work practically disappeared. Although I see that later, on the second try, everything looks much better, as perhaps was your intention. Personally, I prefer to do modulation later, so as not to lose the previous work, since it is easy to overdo it with the AB...

Cheers

Francis.👍

Hi Francis you are quite correct. In the first attempt I was trying to see if a yellow/sand colour would give a more pleasing effect under the green....however, on this occasion, it just didn't look right. Very little of the pre-shading could be seen and the green looked far to bright. To remedy this I've gone over the green again in a more 'traditional' manor and just used the yellow/sand to lighten the green for the panel centres. I like a strong contrast at the stage and hopefully a slightly lighter finish as the subsequent process will invariably darken the model.

 

On 04/09/2023 at 10:45, Maddoxx77 said:

Looking good there. When i enlarge the photo i can see the colormodulation. This will get better with weathering. If the effect is too little you could enhance it by adding highlights in a lighter green. 

Thanks Maddox, I might possibly need to enhance some of the edges, highlights, etc once the general paintwork is complete depending upon the results...

I shall asses when next at the bench.

 

Cheers

Darryl 

[Jasper dog]

Very brief update.

Decals in situ, no humbrol tube glue was involved in this operation....(if you've read an admission in Maddoxs wonderful Stug thread you'll know).

I was concerned how the ID marking on the turret roof would work out (star with ring). However, thanks to Tamiyas consideration I need not have worried. 

 

All five sections went down perfectly even with the antenna mast in situ.

 

 

That'll be all on the Comet for at least a fortnight as a couple of weeks in Wales is upon us!

(I have optimistically taken a kit or two away with me so I might get chance to at least build something whilst watching the rain....)

 

Atb

Darryl 

[Stef N.]

That worked brilliantly.👍Have a great holiday.

[Bullbasket]

1 hour ago, Jasper dog said:

I have optimistically taken a kit or two away with me so I might get chance to at least build something whilst watching the rain....)

Dream on Darryl! It'll be "Shall we go for a little walk up Snowdon today?" or "Let's have a ramble through the Brecon Beacons".

Nice work with the allied star, and good on Tamiya for thinking that one out sensibly (other manufacturers please note).

 

John.

[Farmerboy]

You are the reason l May build one of these next!

[Milan Mynar]

It looks as an excellent work.

[APA]

Nice modulation on the paint work and stencils look excellent. Noce work Jasper

 

Andrew

[Keeff]

Nice work!  It looks great. 👌

 

Keith 😁

[FrancisGL]

Hi Darryl,

Very precise work with the top star, Tamiya really has very good ideas, together with someone with the ability to take advantage of them like you, the result becomes a delight.
It looks very good already

Happy holiday.

Francis.👍

[Longbow]

On 8/26/2023 at 12:35 PM, Jasper dog said:

Build complete!

Slip up on my part only realised just prior to priming....

I'd completely forgotten to fit the back plate of the engine deck

 

The part held with bluetac should have been fitted between the engine deck and Normandie cowl. 

 

Cut the bulk of the centre out and slip the outer ends in from each side. 

 

Build essentially complete prior to priming. 

 

 

 

And in it's sinister black! 

 

That's all, for now.

 

Thanks for looking

Darryl 

Just another Noob mistake !!

 

I really, really, need to build… something !! 

[edjbartos]

Paintwork looks great Darryl, well done...

 

Ed

[Jasper dog]

On 24/09/2023 at 10:02, Stef N. said:

That worked brilliantly.👍Have a great holiday.

Thanks Stef, for both!

 

On 24/09/2023 at 11:12, Bullbasket said:

Dream on Darryl! It'll be "Shall we go for a little walk up Snowdon today?" or "Let's have a ramble through the Brecon Beacons".

Nice work with the allied star, and good on Tamiya for thinking that one out sensibly (other manufacturers please note).

 

John.

Spend enough time in the rain as it is without going away to sample it too! That said, rain or shine the hound wants out....

 

Tamiya really nailed the multipart decal, works perfectly and I'd been initially quite reticent about it. 

 

On 24/09/2023 at 11:19, Farmerboy said:

You are the reason l May build one of these next!

Looking at your Hellcat I've no doubt you'll do a superb job of it!

On 24/09/2023 at 12:02, Milan Mynar said:

It looks as an excellent work.

Thanks MM, really appreciated. 

 

On 24/09/2023 at 17:39, APA said:

Nice modulation on the paint work and stencils look excellent. Noce work Jasper

 

Andrew

Thanks Andrew, very good of you to comment, appreciated. 

 

On 24/09/2023 at 18:22, Keeff said:

Nice work!  It looks great. 👌

 

Keith 😁

Thanks Keith, very kind!

 

On 24/09/2023 at 19:19, FrancisGL said:

Hi Darryl,

Very precise work with the top star, Tamiya really has very good ideas, together with someone with the ability to take advantage of them like you, the result becomes a delight.
It looks very good already

Happy holiday.

Francis.👍

Thanks Francis, if anyone can make things work Tamiya can!

Really appreciate your comments. 

 

On 24/09/2023 at 21:11, Longbow said:

Just another Noob mistake !!

 

I really, really, need to build… something !! 

Nailed it there Lee, just another Noob.....😂

 

You do, I found this kit perfect for just that. Would have been quicker without me fannying around with it!

 

On 24/09/2023 at 22:00, edjbartos said:

Paintwork looks great Darryl, well done...

 

Ed

Thanks Ed, looking forward to having time to get on with it, just need to remember what I should do and in what order....🤔 😅

 

Thanks again fellas

Always appreciated 

Darryl 

[Longbow]

18 hours ago, Jasper dog said:

Thanks Stef, for both!

 

Spend enough time in the rain as it is without going away to sample it too! That said, rain or shine the hound wants out....

 

Tamiya really nailed the multipart decal, works perfectly and I'd been initially quite reticent about it. 

 

Looking at your Hellcat I've no doubt you'll do a superb job of it!

Thanks MM, really appreciated. 

 

Thanks Andrew, very good of you to comment, appreciated. 

 

Thanks Keith, very kind!

 

Thanks Francis, if anyone can make things work Tamiya can!

Really appreciate your comments. 

 

Nailed it there Lee, just another Noob.....😂

 

You do, I found this kit perfect for just that. Would have been quicker without me fannying around with it!

 

Thanks Ed, looking forward to having time to get on with it, just need to remember what I should do and in what order....🤔 😅

 

Thanks again fellas

Always appreciated 

Darryl 

I do have one in the stash, which was brought in the same order as the Pz IV L70. 
I’m hoping to get both built at some point. 

[Jasper dog]

On 26/09/2023 at 17:19, Longbow said:

I do have one in the stash, which was brought in the same order as the Pz IV L70. 
I’m hoping to get both built at some point. 

I suspect "at some point" is doing a lot of the heavy lifting here! 

 

(That said I've no room to talk, haven't even unpacked the modelling 'stuff' I took away with me).

[mbthejester]

Looks awesome mate, this and the Firefly are my fav WW2 battle wagons 👍

[Jasper dog]

And it's back!!!!!! 

 

After a brief hiatus in the build a little more progress has been achieved!!

As I've been doing bits and bobs over the past week, 5-10 min here and there, I'll do a round up of what's been done, or perhaps what's been forgotten or accidentally over looked...

 

 

Mantlet cover painted, not as successfully as I'd like, yet. So far a light overspray of a Buff - SCC15 mix with the edges dry brushed in straight buff. A technique copied/stolen from @Farmerboy  unfortunately just not as well executed. 

 

 

Some initial detail paintwork done on tow cable, track tensioning lever, machine gun barrels and of course tracks.....

 

 

Wheels and tracks painted and fitted in a rush of enthusiasm!

Wheels; mask off prepainted wheel and spray the tyre in rubber black.

Tracks; paint in a mix of red brown colours trying to emulate the real metallic reddish brown colour.....Not quite successful but with a little work it might come good. The guide horns and areas in contact with the wheels had some graphite from a HB pencil worked into it to give a worn metallic sheen. 

 

Now in my haste i shoved the wheels on, with a resounding click in some cases,  and test fitted the tracks.....test fitting shouldn't include TET should it.🤔

In my enthusiasm for getting the tracks fitted, it took a little fiddling as Tamiya would have these fitted much earlier in construction, I glued everything in place and then had a thought.....(a suggestion for future would be to have the thought then decide upon glueing) I  really should have finished spraying the tracks, a little buff would have toned them down nicely for example. And maybe actually weathered the lower hull whilst I could get to it. 

Anyway we are where we are. I gave the tracks a couple of coats of track wash to tone the red down. A slight improvement then a further couple of coats, totally rendering the earlier track wash pointless,  of NATO rainmarks. Don't worry about the name it's a handy light buff coloured wash which brought us to the present position. 

 

 

This I think is heading us in the right direction, not there yet but getting towards it.

Whilst I had the Rainmarks out I decided to experiment with the splatter technique, totally out of sequence but we won't worry about that anymore. See the fenders /hull on the left hand side. This ideally would be done later in the weathering process but hey-ho. 

Just to compound the inaccessibility of the lower hull behind the tracks I've fitted the fender side plates, or the parts that will get fitted anyway.

 

As is evident in the photos a think critical mess has been achieved particularly as I'm now working over a box lid in my lap. I'll be back, once a little tidying has been completed. Almost forgot to mention, exciting news .....I work in the garage and this now has....

....background warmth, no more damp boxes in the stash!

 

Thanks for your patience in this lengthy diatribe. 

Darryl 

[echen]

Very inspiring. Really like your weathering on the running gear. Something to aim at for my Cromwells - actually all my tracked armour........

[Andy H]

Looking good! I keep meaning to pick one of these up 👍

[Farmerboy]

Well I think the paintwork looks superb, and with a bit of weathering that mantlet cover will be perfect, looking good!