_GOTOBOTTOM
Campaigns
Where Armorama group builds can be discussed, organized, and updates posted.
Hosted by Darren Baker, Richard S.
Braille Battlefield
firstcircle
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England - South East, United Kingdom
Joined: November 19, 2008
KitMaker: 2,249 posts
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Posted: Monday, May 16, 2011 - 10:28 AM UTC

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I am still watching this thread

I must admit I was hoping you weren't still fixing the roof; I hope all that is over for you.


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but have been busying myself with trying to organize all the pictures.

By coincidence you posted this while I was browsing your gallery, and I see you have already done plenty of renaming work so that they're all good and orderly. I have to say that there are many really nice photos (not to mention the models.) I have uploaded a replacement for firstcircle_3 (named 50.jpg) as I noticed that was still the version with the nasty stuck to the base.


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@naimbrain There is not too much one can do about the ejector pin mark on the radiator

Just a suggestion . . . sometimes I think these halftracks have a kind of simple angled armoured plate in front of the radiator, a bit like an open book, to act as a deflector. Then again, this is yet another of your super-harsh photos!

Erhan. The SU looks great, I'm guessing you went for the hairspray? That chipped look is actually an amazingly effective camouflage, the third photo, for example, it's quite hard to see the shape of the vehicle.


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With barely two weeks left we are getting down to the proverbial wire, people!
According to my notes there should be at least half a dozen or more that are extremely close to finishing.

Yes... me, extremely close. The Maultier is sitting in the cabinet with a 5oz brass weight on the driver's cab while the PVA bonds it to the base. I had a full-on modellilng weekend doing micro-gardening on the base, the first time I've used those grassy landscaping products - having been inspired by some of the participants in this campaign (Eremzet, Sabredog, Alexander, SpaceWolfdad to name several) as well as getting a bit more heavy on the weathering, lots of minor airbrushing, and making the width indicators. Just a few minor touch ups I think and it will be ready in time.
erhntly
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Izmir, Turkey / Türkçe
Joined: June 11, 2004
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Posted: Tuesday, May 17, 2011 - 10:25 AM UTC

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Erhan. The SU looks great, I'm guessing you went for the hairspray? That chipped look is actually an amazingly effective camouflage, the third photo, for example, it's quite hard to see the shape of the vehicle.


Hi Matthew, not hairspray, I used salt on the base, painted with spray paint, cleared salt with the brush...

spacewolfdad
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England - West Midlands, United Kingdom
Joined: May 23, 2010
KitMaker: 642 posts
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Posted: Wednesday, May 18, 2011 - 09:32 AM UTC
Hi Fellow Braillers,

I have been unable to get involved for the past few weeks due to domestic problems and ill health, back now, and the last time I looked we were on page 40!
Page 44, is that some sort of record? Anyway well done all, there is too much gone on for me to comment individually, but the standard is awesome.

I shall try to get the Opel Blitz finished that I posted at the beginning of the campaign, I shall post some photos as soon as I have done a bit more on it. Keep up the good work, right up to the end.

All the best,

Paul
GaryKato
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California, United States
Joined: December 06, 2004
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Posted: Thursday, May 19, 2011 - 10:13 AM UTC
Not sure where the model building urge came from but I may have to re-enlist in this campaign. I have started putting the base coat on the FT17 and am putting the last pieces on the Char B1bis. So far I'm going with hand painting. I didn't thin the paint down enough so it didn't flow like it should.

firstcircle
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England - South East, United Kingdom
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Posted: Thursday, May 19, 2011 - 11:26 AM UTC

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Not sure where the model building urge came from but I may have to re-enlist in this campaign.

Oh my, Gary... you couldn't have left it much later... I assume you like to pressure yourself!! It can be a great motivator. I'm sure you can make them in time.
eoinryan
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Cork, Ireland
Joined: April 30, 2010
KitMaker: 232 posts
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Posted: Thursday, May 19, 2011 - 11:56 AM UTC

Hi Erhan,

That salt effect looks great, especially on 1/72 scale. I recently bottled out of experimenting using salt to create chipping on another campaign, instead plumping for Humbrol Maskol- it's fine for large surfaces but which I found out simply doesnt work for chipping at any scale!

I must give the salt a go next time.

Eoin
GaryKato
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Posted: Thursday, May 19, 2011 - 12:38 PM UTC

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Not sure where the model building urge came from but I may have to re-enlist in this campaign.

Oh my, Gary... you couldn't have left it much later... I assume you like to pressure yourself!! It can be a great motivator. I'm sure you can make them in time.


As it so happens, I can't re-enlist unless I use my Super Powers. That's OK as the main point is to get them built. I will still race along to see if I can get them done before the campaign ends. I'm also working on a build for MSW's "Dry Docked" campaign which also ends this month! At this point it's all pretty much painting but that has always been the part I have put off.
r2d2
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England - South East, United Kingdom
Joined: April 13, 2006
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Posted: Thursday, May 19, 2011 - 12:55 PM UTC
Fantastic work guys! Now that we are on the home stretch I'm pressured to finish my second entry. Most of the WIP's of my M977 was posted several pages back. Been very busy with work and exhausted from my Challenger build but I will try to nail this before the dead line.

Progress.... I have detailed the crane further....but not done yet. I have to add few more hydraulic lines, cables and hook.





This is how it looks on the truck....



My load out.....Managed to scratchbuilt my own concrete barriers. Made several cast of it.





For previous WIP's photo and detail of this truck, just try to search it several pages back. You can see all the details and mods I did including some minor engine details. Hope I can finish this on time.
vonHengest
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Texas, United States
Joined: June 29, 2010
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Posted: Thursday, May 19, 2011 - 05:28 PM UTC

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Not sure where the model building urge came from but I may have to re-enlist in this campaign.

Oh my, Gary... you couldn't have left it much later... I assume you like to pressure yourself!! It can be a great motivator. I'm sure you can make them in time.


As it so happens, I can't re-enlist unless I use my Super Powers. That's OK as the main point is to get them built. I will still race along to see if I can get them done before the campaign ends. I'm also working on a build for MSW's "Dry Docked" campaign which also ends this month! At this point it's all pretty much painting but that has always been the part I have put off.


Painting is always a strong hold up for me. Sometimes cleanup can be bad, but painting is the consistent kink in the works for me.
naimbrain
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United Kingdom
Joined: March 15, 2010
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Posted: Thursday, May 19, 2011 - 09:07 PM UTC

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...At this point it's all pretty much painting but that has always been the part I have put off.

Painting is always a strong hold up for me. Sometimes cleanup can be bad, but painting is the consistent kink in the works for me.


Given that I've got ten year worth of kits waiting for paint, I can definitely relate to the problem! However, for me personally I think I've found a cure. I switched from enamels to acrylic about a year ago (my wife was getting headaches the enamel thinner fumes) and the faster drying times of acrylic are a real help. With Humbrol enamels, applying a second coat without allowing the first coat 24 hours to dry was a recipe for disaster, whereas I find with Revell acrylics that the second coat can be applied pretty much straight away. This really speeds up painting and means that it doesn't take a whole week to try new techniques (usually I baulked before starting... and then yet another kit got shelved). With faster turn round times and greater freedom to try new things my confidence is starting to grow, and I'm starting to lose the fear of "If I mess up the paint job all the work building it will be wasted."

This campaign has also really helped. A bit of supportive feedback and suggestions for improvement can make all the difference, so on behalf of half a dozen kits that are no longer naked 'thanks everyone'.

Cheers
John

PS. Good news: As of last night my M60A1 ERA is wearing decals (no I didn't find the decals, I bought a replacement kit from eBay).

PPS. Val, I see you've got the huge paint pot out again!! As always your attention to detail is incredible! RESPECT!!
firstcircle
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England - South East, United Kingdom
Joined: November 19, 2008
KitMaker: 2,249 posts
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Posted: Thursday, May 19, 2011 - 09:21 PM UTC
Well it went all quiet on here for a few days, glad to see there is life in the campaign yet, looks like we could end with a flurry of activity.

Val, can you let me in on what you used for the lever end knobs? I was looking for not dissimilar for my width indicator ends, and ended up (... I know...) by dipping in CA glue a few times until it built up, but it wasn't perfect; your knobs actually are spherical on the other hand, so is it a tiny bead?

Some of that sounds really weird I know... but anyway, I am interested to know.
tread_geek
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Ontario, Canada
Joined: March 23, 2008
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Posted: Friday, May 20, 2011 - 04:29 AM UTC

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As it so happens, I can't re-enlist unless I use my Super Powers. That's OK as the main point is to get them built. I will still race along to see if I can get them done before the campaign ends. I'm also working on a build for MSW's "Dry Docked" campaign which also ends this month! At this point it's all pretty much painting but that has always been the part I have put off.


Gary,

I am quite sure that you don't recall but in the last campaign I asked you to allow enlistment after that campaign ended so that a new member might have time to enlist (they were unaware of the formalities of campaigns). It is my opinion that with that move I set a precedent, at least for campaigns that I lead.

Therefore, it is my "ruling" that we can ask "the powers that be" to permit you to re-enlist. From an older version of the Master Chart you had completed the first campaign requirement with before pictures. The FT-17 progress with paint shot fulfils the second requirement. I urge you to take advantage of the situation and get those kits completed in time.

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@spacewolfdad - Paul, glad to have you back and I hope that the trials of life are now behind you.

@r2d2 - That is just great, Val! Another kit that I recently purchased that I am sure I'll never attempt to finish after what you are doing with yours. If you manage to finish it in time it will be part of the feature. As it currently stands, you have already met the minimal campaign requirements so anything further is an extra.

With only ten days to go we are definitely closing in on the end. SO, evryone put on their Kevlar gloves and respirators and get that hobby knife, glue and paint flying.

Cheers,
Jan
r2d2
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England - South East, United Kingdom
Joined: April 13, 2006
KitMaker: 424 posts
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Posted: Friday, May 20, 2011 - 06:31 AM UTC
John: Thanks mate! Well got it out again! LOL

Matthew: Thanks! I have also tried that CA-glue blob technique and it doesn't work for me. While searching for alternatives I accidentally opened the Brita water filter refill found at your local Boots store, not sure if you have it in Morrison, Tesco etc. but try your local Boots store and ask for that. You will find thousands of this very tiny round filters and you can use it to about anything down to rivets. If you also look at my Challenger 2 build you can see that I have used it for my width indicator. Just get a stretch sprue then dip the tip in the CA glue then "touch" one of these tiny filters and cut your desired lenght and you have your instant width indicator. Looks very good and in scale as compared to the CA-glue thing. Hope that helps.

Jan: Thanks a lot! Hope I can finish this to add to the campaign.
firstcircle
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England - South East, United Kingdom
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Posted: Friday, May 20, 2011 - 12:12 PM UTC

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Matthew: Thanks! I have also tried that CA-glue blob technique and it doesn't work for me.

Val, no me neither, but I'm not going back and changing them now... that's it for me for this model! I've been working on it since December
The water filter thing is a great tip. I'm sure I have a dead one of those in the garage somewhere. As it is for now, I am finished and I'm making do with slightly pointy width indicator ends... but then again, I seem to remember saying at the start of this build:

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I am having to keep in mind what I said about the early 1970s style of scratching, and trying not to get too hung up on the fact that my body work is actually a bit wonky when you view it from certain angles.

Not sure if you can see in any of the following pictures that one mudguard is about 6 scale inches higher than the other one, and one of those launcher rails has got such a kink in it that any rocket fired off it would go off in who knows what direction. Somehow that reminds me of a darkly "comic" episode from a Sven Hassell novel.

As for the track and sprocket being from a Universal carrier rather than a PzKpfwI, I found a Maultier in a museum that does have the Universal pattern tracks and sprocket, and it is claimed that the original half track Maultier was a field conversion carried out using Universal carrier parts (presumably one of the many left at Dunkirk that found its way east). I digress, here are some pics of the finished article:








I should dedicate this build to Chris Spain who did the original article that suggested it in Airfix Magazine in June 1973; I wonder if he's still around? Only this month, now that Roden have brought out the 15cm Panzerwerfer 42, has his conversion finally been superseded.
r2d2
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England - South East, United Kingdom
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Posted: Friday, May 20, 2011 - 12:58 PM UTC
Stunning finish Matthew! The ground work really brought your work to life! The paintjob is superb! Very good work on creating depth!

Cheers,
Val
r2d2
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England - South East, United Kingdom
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Posted: Friday, May 20, 2011 - 01:04 PM UTC
Updates on my M977.
Been fiddling with the crane the whole night. Work is slow because of the size and difficulty of detailing it.

Here is the completed crane's hook as compared to a toothpick.... note the braided cable.


Hook and cable attached to the crane.


Here you can see the added hydraulic lines for extra details.


The hook is in stowed position....



So far the crane's detailing is finished.
Braille
#135
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California, United States
Joined: August 05, 2007
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Posted: Friday, May 20, 2011 - 01:27 PM UTC
You let a few pages go by before commenting and then there's just way to many things you want to say to each participant and you just don't know where to begin? For now that's my way out of doing so and I'm sticking to it!

I've been keeping an eye on this campaign and have seen a number of truly outstanding and remarkable builds since the opening of this campaign. And it keeps getting better an better with each passing page. And with each passing page there's always so much to see here and learn.

I find it incredibly unimaginable to have this many braille builders with such a wide range of building skills from novice to 'Oh my goodness!', come together and participate. It takes a great deal of effort on the part of each participant to build, paint, photograph, write and post there build here and then return a reply whenever possible. It is that much more so for those hosting and supporting this and other campaigns. And then there is the 'life happens' that can and does interrupt or altogether stop ones project!

With so many inspirational builds here it would have been nice to have this campaign go on for a year and see just how many more braille builders would have enlisted and participated?

I'm currently painting my build and will post some pictures when it is completed, hopefully before the final deadline.

-Eddy
firstcircle
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Posted: Friday, May 20, 2011 - 01:34 PM UTC

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Been fiddling with the crane the whole night. Work is slow because of the size and difficulty of detailing it....So far the crane's detailing is finished.

It looks really really good, Val, I have to say - get the big bunch of cabling... and of course it will look even better when painted.

Thanks for the very kind words, some of the finishing came out well, other bits maybe not quite, but it was another learning session for sure. Interesting the advantages we now have over 40 years ago when very few modellers had an airbrush, and the only way you were going to get a scenic background was by propping up a photo behind - and look at the print quality in the magazine!!



The results of my fiddling around in PaintShopPro tonight:

weathering_one
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Ontario, Canada
Joined: April 04, 2009
KitMaker: 458 posts
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Posted: Saturday, May 21, 2011 - 05:48 AM UTC
Again I find myself falling behind and almost awed by the builds that I am seeing in this campaign. I'd like to comment individually but what could I say that others have not already. I am glad that some of these masterpieces didn't show up earlier or I might have been too intimidated to join.

I haven't had much time but most has been spent on the never ending struggle to attach the damaged wheels of the Pak to its suspension. With a combination of wire, drilled holes and crazy glue I think that I finally have the things attached. I am just starting the final painting and feel that I should be done the gun by the end.







Regards,
AJ
tread_geek
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Ontario, Canada
Joined: March 23, 2008
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Posted: Saturday, May 21, 2011 - 06:07 AM UTC
WOW!!! And there for a bit I thought that things had slowed down a tad.

@Matthew - The Maultier looks super and your image manipulation is equally impressive. I also mustsay that your base looks fantastic. This campaign has seen quite the eclectic mix of vehicles and some extremely unique ones at that.

@Val - And the results of your OCD continues! Fabulous detailing and more reasons to never start mine. I forgot about the Brita filter beads thing. I recall it being raised by someone scores of pages ago. As it just so happens, one of our filters of that type is just about due for changing. I have already informed my SWMBO of my plans for it.

@AJB - Congrats on conquering those pesky wheels. I have experienced that myself so I know how trying it can be. I don't exaggerate when I say that it's hard to tell what scale that PaK is. For such an old kit they did a great job when they made those moulds.

Cheers,
Jan
tread_geek
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Posted: Saturday, May 21, 2011 - 06:08 AM UTC

What is not to be impressed with about this campaign. Here we are at the turning of another page (45) and over another 1000 views!!! It never ceases to amaze me at the dedication of you people. Superlatives escape me to describe what has transpired over the duration of this campaign.

The chart has been more or less updated and we now have 28 people that have achieved completion of the campaign requirements. The only sad point is that that represents only 45.16% of our original 62 participants. We have had a few people withdraw due to real life issues and I am sad to have seen them leave. We are currently at 58 participants so that increases our completion ratio to 48.3%. Still not a match for the Matchbox campaign but better than average for the most part. Let's see if we can't get a few more finishers and push that ratio over 50%.

Speedy progress to all that are still trying to make the deadline.

Cheers,
Jan
dutchboyinohio
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Ohio, United States
Joined: August 05, 2007
KitMaker: 258 posts
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Posted: Sunday, May 22, 2011 - 03:24 PM UTC
Building's been slow lately and as always, this one will be a race to the finish. I've got most of the building done, and I think this one is ready for paint. A few odds and ends (MG, driver's hatch) are still to be added, but you get the idea. The PE was pretty easy on this one, except for a couple of cross-braces on the front fenders (good thing DML includes a few extras ). Apologies for the not-so-great pictures:







Gotta do some additional work on the bogies, as I saw some major seams that need to be filled (of course I realized this after painting them).

Still working on the Aber Sherman as well, but won't finish that one for this campaign. The PE on that thing is daunting, to say the least.....

BTW, some really great builds in this campaign. It never ceases to amaze me what can be done in braille scale.

@Radek: Beautiful camo job on your R-35.

@John: nice looking 88. I like how the chipping came out.

@Erhan: I like the winter camo on your SU76. Some muddying up of that rolling gear would make it look even better, I think.

@Val: the crane on that M977 is fantastic!! The rest of the truck isn't bad either. And of course your Challenger is top notch!!

@Matthew: awesome finish on that Panzerwerfer. The fact that you scratchbuilt the rocket launcher makes it even more impressive.

@AJB: nice PAK!!

And that's just the last three pages I scrolled through...

vonHengest
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Texas, United States
Joined: June 29, 2010
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Posted: Wednesday, May 25, 2011 - 07:37 AM UTC
Basic painting is almost done on my Elefant. Will try to get pictures up tonight.
Then I just need to add details, gloss, washes, decals, and flat.
tread_geek
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Ontario, Canada
Joined: March 23, 2008
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Posted: Wednesday, May 25, 2011 - 08:04 AM UTC
Well, by my calendar we have just about five days to go with this campaign. I note that it's been rather quiet here for almost three days. Is that a good sign that everyone has their noses to the grind stone!

@dutchboyinohio - It looks like you've done a good job with the PE set from your Sherman. My first build after returning to the hobby was the Dragon M4A3E8 and the PE scared me to no end. Never did use it. I can also relate to issues with the VVSS suspension units. They are perhaps the most troublesome part with all the Dragon Shermans that use that suspension. Anyway, just get the Dragon kit finished and you'll have completed the requirements.

@vonHengest - Good luck, Jeremy. I am sure that I'm not the only one interested in seeing your Braille scale build. Everyone thinks that because of the size that these kits fly together in a couple of hours. I did a casual survey of the Braille builders in our local club and they all felt that any modest small scale kit takes them an average of at least a week and a half (if everything goes right and other more pressing things don't arise).

TO everyone else, the clock is ticking!!! For those that feel overwhelmed, there night just be enough time left to throw an old Airfix offering together. I have a handful in my stash but have plans for them otherwise I'd set the pace to show that it is possible.

Cheers,
Jan ..tic...toc...tic...toc..
vonHengest
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Posted: Wednesday, May 25, 2011 - 07:30 PM UTC
Ok, here are some photos as promised. I was able to overcome most of the fit issues, but I lost one of the rear tow shackles.











Decals, wash, and more painting tomorrow.

Btw, I now have a file box full of braille armor thanks in no small part to this campaign
 _GOTOTOP