The Future...is now! Now applied, that is.

Not much to look at, but it is a major step on the way to finishing the metalwork.





@Jeff T. --nice work! Very realistic looking. If you took it outside in the sunlight and gave it a natural background I bet it could pass for the real thing.

@Pete--wholly crap! That zimm looks great! But how long did it take you using a screwdriver? Now that's dedication to the hobby.

Keith

Blake:Thanks Man,sorry I missed your comment,and I'm glad it inspired you to build one.It should be interesting to see it with a dozer blade.

Peter:With a screwdriver?Really?That's amazing Bub.It really makes the build.

Keith:I was wondering what happened to you.Ands I must say,(here we go again)The future looks bright Model on Boys,Jeff T.

Cheers guys. It took maybe 2 hours all in, a few fiddly bits I had to overcome, but not too hard to do. I have painted the model and it's looking okay. I need to break up the yellow, so going for a rusty brown camo, maybe add green but will see how it goes. Building the tracks today and it shouls all come together today or Sunday. Got a show tomorrow, so will be busy with that, was hoping to take her with me but figures not done yet either.
Heres the pics from yesterday.

















Keith: Liking the armour my friend.

Pete

Ohhhh Yeah,Pete.I forgot it was motorized.Do I detect a little pre or post shading action? Jef T.

@Jeff--Good one! It was a good thing I wasn't drinking my coffee when I read that--it would have been all over my keyboard.
I've been around. I made the foolhardy mistake of enlisting in no less than four campaigns, and I thought two of them ended in July so I had been concentrating on those builds. It turns out only one ends next month, so I can split my time amongst the other three evenly again.

@Pete--that is a lot of progress in a short time! Don't rush it just to get it done in time to enter in a show, this is the voice if experience talkin', no good can come of it. There is always the next show. But good luck on what you do enter!

Keith

No probs jeff , by the way what colour did u end up going in the interior of the cent? cheers Blake.

Keith:I've been in that place Myself,and didn't like it .So now I do one campaign at a time. Glad to see you're back Dude.It's a good thing.I thought (I'm sorry,I just can't help myself)Knight had fallen there for awhile.

Blake:When I was building it,I put that question out to the masses and got a couple of answers.The instructions say light grey,and some others said silver.I ended up using Tamiya Fine Light Grey Primer in the spray can.It goes on smooth,does not build all that much,drys fast and has a slight gloss.Plus it sticks like glue and is tuff as nails. I think it came out well,and I saved a painting step. Here are some pics.









And just for good measure,the engine


There you have it.The interior could have been a campaign all by itself,cause it seemed I spent most of the build doing that If you have any more questions,just ask. Jeff T.

No worries Keith not rushing it. I have a few to go in the show, my Chevy I did in the car build is my fav. Anyway the Jag.....it's nearly done, I have the equipment to paint and add, and the figures to paint. I don't think I will use the motor in it, but have left it in as I might sell it.....so will see. The paint job is okay but it needs weathering, will hope to have it done by end of next week, but you never know. Here is the pics from todays 5 hour mega session lol.


The tracks all done.



paint job.


And the zimm looks better with camo on it I think. Phew som day.

Pete

lol yuuuuup pre shading my friend.
Pete

@Pete-- 5 hour mega-session !?!? You must either be single or have a very understanding significant other. I'd love to have workbench time like that. Yes, I'm jealous, of which part I'll let you decide!

It's looking really good. And you've only been building for a few years!?!

Keith

Okay! I am ready to cut some styrene and build a tank! So which should I pull down?

Jeff has the Centurion so I thinking either my Tamiya Panther A or the Chieftain?

Neither has an interior, both are motorized so they should be a quick build.


Gonna go on a buildin' rampage this weekend as my future looks so much brighter!



~ Jeff

I had a weeks hols this week, hence much time on my hands.....however my wife is very understanding.
Jeff.....Cheiftian plz my friend.


Pete

YAAAAAA BUDDY,that's the spirit,Great to here Man,great to here I told ya things would be O.K.I've said it before and I'll say it again,and just to second Peter... DO THE CHIEFTIAN Jeff T.

Thanks heaps Jeff T, i ordered my cent last nite, mate im like a school kid i cant wait, and Monday ill order my Australian dozer conversion with L7 105mm gun, its gunna be fun. oh and dont worry buddy ill prob ask more than a few questions to lolo. and i third the boys other jeff lol build the cheiftian mate

Pete,
You should post a pic here of your Chevy, so the guys here can see it. Awesome!

Cheers Rob.

Okay then, the Panther A it is then!


Jest skiddin' it'll be the Chieftain. Now I bought this about 10 years ago and it doesn't have an elaborate decal sheet... basic vehicle ID numbers and such, but first I must dig it out!



Then I need to make some room from where I'll assemble it at:



Now, the box!



An inside look before I shower and start building:



It will be as big as Jeffs Centurion, just not as detailed.




Okay, now off to the shower and start opening bags!

Later!



~ Jeff

Cheftain YEAH love it love it. I wait with anticipation to see this build. I have a 1/35 (smaller brother) I am jealous brother.

Rob as requested

















I had it in the show today, alot of interest. One guy says it might be in one of next months mags.....he never told me which and I ain't buyin them all lol.

Good luck with the Cheif Jeff

Pete

Hey Keith my Chevy has Utah plates, you should check out the local countryside you just might see it......

Cheers Pete

Pete,
That is too funny. Excellent build! I can see why it garnered lots of attention at the show. You did a good job on the base. It looks like parts of the (US) western desert in northern Utah. Even the lone tree is not out of place. And our arid air would prolong an old vehicle from turning into a complete rust-bucket. (Depending on how far it was from the Great Salt Lake.)

On a seperate note--I was given a '57 Chevy kit, and not being a 'car guy' I am planning on a similar vignette only with the car being in more disrepair: no motor, wheels, or interior, and with lots of rust. A lofty goal which I'll start on one of these years.

Keith

Wow... what a car!


Well I didn't have the productive day of building I thought I was going to have. More on that later.

It was like opening a time capsule. Those that built models in the 70's will know what I am talking about, and what we experienced too.

Here's the blister pack with the gearbox, suspension parts and tracks. These are individual track links PLUS rubber inserts that must be glued to the tracks, but again... more on those later!



I am skipping assembling the battery compartment, the switch and wiring the motor because I will be assembling a static model and then maybe later on RCing it if I cannot get a hold of the RC versions of the Chieftain... one of them will be the donor for my Centurion kit.

So here is where I thought was a lower chassis ready to go with the drive axle and track tensioners installed.



But much to my demise, the lower chassis hasn't even started! I needed to construct 6 of these:



Four just like in the picture, and two dissimilar but very much the same. I will get to them later, then a break to get back on my Sgt. York for the Anti-Aircraft build.

It was a good thing I had all the built up anticipation to start building the Chieftain because these fiddly, ten piece suspension parts would have sent the kit packing!



~ Jeff

Jeff S.,every long journey starts with small steps.I can't tell you how many times I didn't get as far as I wanted with the Centurion.I'm just glad you're back building Jeff T.

Thanks Jeff for the encouragement, but I have been building.

Just not here and on the things I should be.


Yeah... the 'mechanical' things can be a bore but it will be all downhill after that.



~ Jeff

I guess Fathers Day got to Me.I was trying to be all wise and thoughtful and stuff. Model on,Jeff T.

Keith look forward to pics of your Chevy when done.
Jeff the Cheifs suspension does look a challenge, but go for it my friend, I am certain it will come good.

Pete

Hey Pete and Jeff!

Not much progress since it was Fathers Day and all but I did manage to build the dampers/shocks and the suspension covers!



Sorry I'm not as good at the camera as Jeff T is, but I manage. The next step will be assembling them on the hull so some painting will be next.

I wonder what color I should get? Any advice?



~ Jeff