trying hard to keep patient and let the parts harden before going on to the next step. This turret floor ready ammo holder will be detailed with PE later, but the basic shape is hard to make.


view through the drivers hatch into the incomplete hull.


the turret floor awaiting detail

even in the 80's when I took this picture British vehicles were painted silver inside.


the floor ammo bin is taking shape, needs trimming so the ends are flush.

the first floor shell holder is taking shape.


while that dries, time for some suspension building

lots of parts to assemble


I like the suspension component of an AFV build, it's very mechanical and complex, if I take an interest rather than see it as a repetitive chore, the parts will always seem less vexing to assemble.

road wheels cut from the sprue frame and ready to be trimmed and joined together, need a cup of tea after this.


the bogies are left and right handed, so I made them up individually to avoid a costly mistake, easy to mix the parts up otherwise. Rear bogies fitted, nice fit too.

for all my moaning about Tamiya cutting corners with the crew figures, the suspension is going together rather well.


the parts just click together with precision.


top marks Tamiya, all sins forgiven. So far.

the lack of difference between Tamiya's link and length and their vinyl option is down to the big T's years of experience producing the latter.

the Matilda preserved at Bovington tank museum in Dorset.


the kit is coming along, now with the gun fitted and the turret trial fitted still. the tracks on the real one at Bovy are differnt to those on the kit, appart from the spare links on the track guard

comparison between the real thing and a model is always interesting.

base coat applied, when that's dried there are two other colours to apply, just as subdued, a slate grey and a a dull light blue grey.

Looking good.

One point though, there is NO blue at all in the Caunter scheme. "Silver Gray" is a light gray/green color. A good out of the bottle match is Tamiya XF-12, JN Gray.

G

yes your info is spot on, it's a very close tone to JN grey, once this is dry and hardened off it'll be time for the next colour layer.

well there's a long way to go on both these models but I wanted to have a tryout and dry test the diorama, the Funkwagen has crashed into a dried up river bed during the big retreat after Battleaxe, the Matilda crew will be taking an interest in some documents spilled from the crashed car. a partial mortar bomb crater under the matilda suggesting why the car went over the edge.

there needs to be a pile of sand under the car and the bank is far too straight, much more work needed with the tracks where the car has gone over...

Dave,
I love what you're doing here. I did an older tool Tamiya Matilda not long ago and I can see this kit is a big step up.

I'm not an expert on the Matilda (or any other vehicle, for that matter!), but it looks to me like your outboard armored vent covers are reversed. They should sit more snug against the hull and there are a couple of indents that should be on the outside downward facing edge.

good spot there Mark, from now on I'll call you Hawkeye. I'll remove them and turn them up the other way. Cheers Mate.

Very fond of Tamiya's Matilda. I think it was the first model I (successfully?) custom mixed paint* for. I still have it although it is a hulk used for testing things on.

I'll be watching.

*(First was Revell's 1/32 Bf 109F. It looked lovely in green tans and slate gray.)

Don't give me too much credit; I think I noticed only because I had to fiddle with mine so much to figure out which way they went on. Rather uncharacteristic of Tamiya shake-n-bake kits.

the Matilda's coming along slowly, so many things get in the way of model making time, like work and classic car maintenance, it makes getting to sit down and relax on your hobby that much more enjoyable.


mind you I'm also working on a retirement model for my colleague, the little dog looks just like her pet, making off with a rib, still to make here are the insect collection jars and boxes for Pupae and chrysalis, plus the police line do not cross tape.