Contrary to what i usualy do: post random pics of finished models. Il have my first blog for a very special project i've been waiting to build.

I'am only at the first few steps (a night of work), but more will come in the next few days.
First: My building room.

Second: the Famo!








None of the main assemblies are glued together( motor, wheels, cab) and will be painted before the final assembly.

More pics to come! stay on the lookout!

Thanks to Jeeprider for the insperation. Il be trying some of his techniques to paint the engine and transmission.
Frank

Hmm, well the quiteness around here alowed me to get some work done!
Got some assembalies comming along, hopefully il have time to go pick up some primer and start priming this baby... Il keep the top and lower hull seperate for paint and will only assemble them once the main paintjob is done.
Now the eye candy--




Now some little pin holes i had to fill...


And my beautiful Lab


Comments welcomed!

Frank

Looking good, Frank, you got a lot done in just a couple of sessions. Can't wait to see some paint on. Sweet yellow lab, has always been my favorite dog. Keep us posted.

Looking good so far, I love the Famo, built one and my only regret was I didn't get the trailer as well. Looks forward to reading your progress

Hi Frank,

I've been called a few things in my time, but an inspiration has never been one of them!

Your Famo is coming on nicely. I wish I had a permanent working area like yours, I live in a flat and have to do my modelling on the kitchen worktop. It all has to be packed away when we want to eat.

The dog looks good too!

Andy

Hi Frank

Can I have the dog, please?

Good job so far Francois, what color do you intend on painting it ?

Thanks for the kind comments guys, i really appreciate it and it only encourages me to keep posting up the pics (in other words, keep looking and you'll see some neaat stuff)

@ James: Labs are great, she's a retriver and lab mix. Very sweet, a little nervous with some digestive problems, but she obeyes very well and shes love atving with my family and I.

@Ian: I strongly recomend you get your hands on one of these. I paid, i believe, 90$ shippe dfor the kit from luckymodel, you might just be able to get it for cheaper! And in all honesty, this kit, eventhough its aged, is a superb piece of plastic engineering.

@Andy: I hope the things you were called were nice! Jokes asside, your Famo is looking great, and it really made me want to work on mine. Eventhough you don't have the oppertunity to have a permanent building room, you're still able to pull off something beautiful and I admire you for it. When i graduate from College and move in to my own house il have you over to get some modeling done

@Nils: Sorry, i doubt my father would agree....

@Doug: Not sure yet, havn't had the chance to get much research. I want to set it up in Russia with lickely a Stug on it. I guess it would be 43' or 44'.

Anyhow, keep looking at the thread, i should have more pics up in a few days depending on how busy it gets. I just recieved a new assignment to translate from my boss, and my girlfriend is comming back from Cuba Thursday!
Frank

Nicely done so far Frank. Thanks for the posting, looking forward to the updates!

Cheers!

Tim

Glad you like my work tim. The region i live in just recieved another foot and a half of snow, right after another major snow storm, and as a result, the roads are terrible so i try to stay away from them, but i need to go shoping for some supplies

My GF is getting back from Cuba tonight, so il be spending some time with her in the next few days.

Hopefully il get a few minutes to model and kee you folks informed. Looking forward to updating this thread with pics by monday.
Frank

Only picture my camera would take. I had more but they somehow weren't saved... my batteries are dead(probably why the other pics didnt save)

Anyhow, As you can see i got some work done on the trailler. Everything assembled is primed red oxide This will be usefull for when i make wear and tear on the loading deck etc, Not much primer will be shown, but at least some. I also purchased a Stug to fit on the deck, i bought the early smart kit from dragon; looks amazing, so when the famo is built i will beging assembly on the stug then when that is done, i will beging to paint everything.

as you can see, i tried to paint the lower part of the famo where the running gear is. Unfortunatly, this was my first attempt with vallejo and i wasn't succesful. The model air wouldn't stick, it seemed too diluted, but it was straight out of the bottle and i shaked it VERY well before using it and my airbrush was clean. I tried using thier thinner but that didn't help. Anyhow, i think il stick to tamiya acrylics for this until i get the hang of vallejo.

Anyhow, time for me to stop writting, i have work to finish for my boss and luggage to pack, iam catching the plane at 7:00 am tomorow(saturday) to go to Cuba so i need to be at the airport by 4am and its 10:30 (friday). Lots to get done, but il reply to any comments left before i leave, the others il answer when i get back the 18th.

Francois

Francois,

Sorry to hear about your Vallejo problems, but the paint looks ok to me. I always do a test spray onto paper and a sheet of plasticard before I try to put paint on a model. It will save you ruining a good kit, especially one as expensive as this Famo and Trailer set.

I hope to do some more work on mine this weekend as I now have the use of the kitchen worktop back.

Photos will follow.

Keep up the good work Francois.

Andy

Hey andy, good to hear from you. Looking forward to seeing that famo of yours built...

Luckily the paint wasnt thick, it just sorta "washed" on so no details are lost at all, the kit is fine. If you look carefull, you will not that the lower parts are tan, but everything above that is still primer... The paint looks transperant, but i gave it a rather heavy coat...

Anyhow, iam glad i built the lower part seperatly. I will try to find a way that will allow me to detach the top and bottom part of the famo so that the details under will not be lost...

Frank

Frank,

I've used Vallejo paints but only the Model Color range which I've thinned with Tamiya Acrylic Thinner. It works fine for me and I thinned it as I would Tamiya paint.

I've built mine with the chassis, wheels, tracks etc as one unit. The fenders, cab, seats and cargo area are being added separately.

Hope that helps.

Andy

Well andy, iam waiting to see more of your work now!

I've got her finished! the construction that is. I still havn't built the accesories that i will mount, but thats no biggie. I also need to glue the assemblie, but that will be done later, when the painting process is over.
NEXT: I start building the tank. I chose DML's Smart kit Stug IV.

Long story short, il let the pics talk for themselves. Sorry about the quality, i still don't have a photography set-up or a good cammera. When shes 100% done il take the photography outside.



and some of the stuff il be adding

And here are some pics of my trip to cuba.
View from the beach

Picture of my father, me, my sister, and my brother having a beer in downtown varadero...1peso for a beer!

One of the two pools



Enjoy,
Frank

Got some work done on the Stug. Shes almost complete!
Nothing's been painted yet since i've had to place an order on paint which will be in next monday. I also ordered a set of TWS wheels to replace the stock ones provided in the kit. The tires provided in the kit just didn't cut it since thier was a huge seem along the tire which i couldnt remove.

I hope to finish up the stug for next week so i can begin the painting.



And the famo which hasn't changed except for the primer

Frank

Looking good Frank - progress is coming along. Sorry about your Vallejo issues, haven't ever used that paint line, so no help, sorry.
Great pictures of your vacation, thanks for posting them.
Keep up your progress, thanks for sharing them!
Cheers!

Tim

Thanks for looking tim. I decided to ommit using valeijo for this project, instead il stick to hte regular Tamiya paints. Il be painting both at the same time since they require the same colors.

The Stug is now down, well almost. All thats left are the tracks. I will begin painting and weathering the interior this week.

Frank

Hi Frank,

I read somewhere that if you put the rubber tyres in a in a freezer bag in a freezer for a few days until they go solid, you can easily sand the seam off just as though it was a resin tyre. I don't know if it works as I haven't tried it. We don't own a freezer.

But if you are going to use the resin ones anyway, you have nothing to lose.

Thanks

Andy

looking all good man, the trip, the kit, the sister ,

nice work

Ditto what he said.↑

Thanks for the kind words about the sister... shes single by the way, hightest bidder takes all lol

Hey andy, thanks for the tip, il try it out and let you know how it works... next time reply faster, i sent the order in this morning If it works you might just have to convince your wife to make room for a freezer!
BTW, hows England this time of year? A High School professor of mine who i now assist in research is leaving saturday for a trip. He plans on visiting the Queen's Royal Archives and a few other neat places... Il be in Paris as of next year.

Frank

Hi everyone, shes taken shape! with the stug's interior done, i only have the left side tracks to finish up before i begin painting both of them. Reason why ive waited for both to be done is because both use the same colors pretty much.





Its my first time weathering the inside of an AFV so i used lots of artistic license lol and for the basis of this project didnt bother to much with accuracy so the inside is oob. Perhaps to much weathering, but shes beat up and being towed so...
Frank

GREAT! i've lost the cushions for the FAMO Tried to scratchbuild them using wire , plasticard, putty, and paper tissues. They look okay, but iam still a little mad.