S!
Nice work so far.
I'm building one myself too.
How or when do you will install the clear parts?
Best regards

I'll install the turret periscopes at the end of the build. I've already masked and painted them (using the Echelon set for the masks). The driver's periscopes are already installed, as I found I needed to put them in before joining the upper and lower hulls.

Looks like today I won't get to gloss-coating, but I'll try to do so later this week.

S!
Lucas, could you make a favor?
I'm little lost with P.E.. Trumpeter's guide dosen't help much. Could take a picture of the front lights, specially the back side of the left cover, where the photo etched frames must be glued in the hull.
Thanks

No problem, Samuel. Here are three pictures from several angles. I know how frustrating and bad the Trumpeter instructions for the PE are. It took me some puzzling over images from Primeportal to get things right. Let me know if these are what you need.







Incidentally, the first picture is the one that comes closest to showing the real-life color of my Centauro at this stage. I've added an overall raw umber filter, a burnt umber wash, and a black pinwash around the grilles and selected details, all with oil paints.

Very nice! Looking forward to seeing it weathered!

S!
Lucas, awesome pictures.

Trumpeter's guides sometimes are awful..

I have been remiss in updating this build log, but here's where my Centauro is at right now. I glosscoated, decaled, applied a pin wash, flat coated, applied filters, applied pigments, and now am in the process of adding the last few detail bits. Last night I installed the light lenses and PE light guards. I had a bit of trouble with the light guards, as they are too large. I had to trim a couple of them to fit. I've pretty much finished the hull, so here are the pics:








Overall, I'm going for a moderate amount of weathering (I'm aiming for the look it would have after being out for a couple of days in the field). In looking at it, I think I'll go back and add a bit more black pigments right below the exhaust, as too much of the paint is showing through. Let me know what you think and if there's anything more I could do to tweak it and make it better.

This week I'll finish installing the last few bits on the turret (the loader's MG, antennas, and CITV glass) and call this one done!

Rats, as I was looking at the pictures, I realized I forgot to add a wash to the tow cable!

I'll add that to the to-do list.

Well, I wrapped up the Centauro this weekend. I gave the tow cable and machine gun ammo can a black wash to accentuate detail, added guitar string antennas, and touched up a few errant glue spots with clear flat. This was my first build using Vallejo clear flat (I used the Model Air version for simplicity) and I am quite pleased with the results. If sprayed on until faintly milky, it dries completely clear and flat. Here are a few overall shots of the vehicle:











I used the Echelon reflectors for all of the lights, and I have to say I like the effect and ease of use a lot. Here's a shot of the rear lights.


In this picture you can see the mirrors I made out of silver reflective mylar (from a AAA sticker that came in with the junk mail).


In this shot you can see the the gun mantlet cover, which was a pain to thin down so it would sit properly (more or less). I painted the cover with a mix of Vallejo Model Color paints and used Vallejo's U.S. Uniform Green for the wire holding it in place. This was also my first time using Vallejo paints, and, aside from a major mishap that led to a gunmetal-colored carpet (don't ask, see my post on it if you want the grizzly details ), I was generally pleased with them. They mix easily, brush paint very well, and dry dead-flat.


In this pic you can better see the pigments I applied. I used several shades of MIG pigments to get a moderate dusty look, focusing on the lower hull and wheels.


Let me know what you think!

Great job, Lucas!!

I'm thinking about picking up the later version of this one myself!

Remember how long those antennae were right off the top of your head?

Thanks, Richard! As for the antennas, I couldn't find any info on the exact length of modern Italian antennas, so I cut them the same length as the ones I used on my Abrams--2 and 3/4" each.

Very nice job all round Lucas. I especially like the effect you've achieved on the wheels.

I've been ummm-ing and aaah-ing about getting a Centauro myself to add to the stash. Looking at yours has nudged me a little bit closer to opening my wallet (again).

- Steve

Thanks Lucas!

That's about what I was thinking! When in doubt that's how I do it too!

Thanks, Steve! I'd say go for it. The kit has its issues, but is accurate, detailed, and very good looking once you put it together. I'm thinking of getting a kit of the long version to do up as an Iraq vehicle.

S!
Nice looking Centauro, Lucas.
In the headlights assembly, what was the sequence you followed? The clear parts and the PE grids were installed after the hull painting?
Again Trumpeter's guide is very poor. The grid is installed over the clear part or over the headlight frame?
Thanks

Hi Lucas, i've been meaning to enter the world of modern armour from quite some time apart from being most of my model kits are wwii germans with 1 exceptional Hobbyboss V-150 Commando, your built had given me the push that the next purchase would be of modern armour. Overall a nice built from you & i enjoyed it very much from the start of this thread.

Faisal

Samuel--I left the clear part and the light grills off until after I had finished painting the hull. The light guards attach to the headlight frame, not to the clear part.

The below two links from Primeportal show it more clearly:

http://data3.primeportal.net/tanks/marco_folin/centauro/images/centauro_43_of_93.jpg

http://data3.primeportal.net/tanks/marco_folin/centauro/images/centauro_44_of_93.jpg

One thing to note, the PE grill doesn't fit well inside the light guards for the two lights that are by themselves (the ones pictured in the first link above). I had to trim down the top two feet that attach the grill to the light body to make them fit.

Hope this helps.

Faisal--thanks! I'm glad you liked it.

S!
Lucas, me again.
How do you assemble the PE's step boards. I'm very frustrated.
The pieces are so small and fragile. I'm facing problems putting the small divisions inside wich one ( the very small pices, 13 in total).
Do you made some sort of template in order to align all pieces.
It are very, very good.
Best regards.

Samuel--the small dividers for the steps are not wide enough to fit well. I lost one of them, so I ended up making replacements from strip styrene cut to the right size. I used a new Xacto to cut a serrated pattern on the top edge of the styrene replacements, then carefully superglued them in place. I didn't use a template, but one probably would have helped get them spaced a little more evenly.

Hey Lucas, great job buddy. I like the wheathering, dusty w/ big dirty feet( wheels)

Drool, drool! . Excellent job Lucas! I've got the Spanish version lined up next on my workbench.

Lucas, looks great! Been thinking about getting one of these. If mine turns out half as good, I'll be happy!

Hi,

nice work.

I have one question. The last axle of the Centauro is also steered or optional steered? In a video i saw a steered axle but in some pictures the last axle is not steered. Can somebody help me with it? I want to show my model with steered wheels.

Best Regards
Tad_Onami

Tad--the pictures I have only show the front two wheels turning, but the suspension set-up suggests the rear set of wheels also is steerable (see the first set of pictures in this thread). It may be that the rear wheels only steer in specific situations. Hope this helps.

very nice job on the build,great work.