Here is an update on my Strv. 103B. I have added decals, painted the details, and several brown layers to the mud. Next some more weathering will follow.

Comments welcome

Here is my finished Strv. 103B. It was fun to participate in this campaign and I am looking forward to see more builds as the campaign progresses.

Comments welcome

Jesper you made a nice model of a horrible looking tank! I especially like your wet mud. Any tutorial?

I agree on that muddy tutorial..
Great job on that tank Jesper !

Did you have any problems with the kit ? fitting ? detailing ?

Thanks for the kind words, guys. I really appreciate it.

Tuomas, I agree this tank is an ungly one. However, it is so unique and ungly that I needed to have it in my collection. I was also surprised of the size of this tank is bigger than a Tiger I although only half the height.
The concept of aiming the gun by changing the elevation and direction of the hull is strange and unlogical for me, although it might fit the Swedish defence strategy in heavily forested areas very well.

For the mud I used Adam Wilder's article as inspiration, but kind of adapted it to my own way of working. SEE IT HERE

Compared to Adam I do not use a ton of pigments mixed with plaster for my mud. I use "structural paint" which is basically think paint with sand in it. One liter is around 10 Euros and then you have enough for a whole very dirty Panzer Division BTW, it also works well for diorama ground work.

After the first coat of mud has dried I paint it in a semi dry mud colour, then add another smaller layer with a darker colour to the places where the mud should still be wet. Finally the places where the very wet and damp mud would cloug up I add some extra dark and shiny mud colours.
Finally I add a thin brown wash to tie everything a little more together.

I am pretty satisfied with the result on this one, but I still want to improve it to get to the level of Andy Wilder.

John, the kit fits together very well - especially considering the price of the kit. I paid 12 Euros. The only two issues are:

- A lot of pin marks on the model. These are luckily placed so they are almost invisible. However, if you want to leave the sticks for the water wading screen (the long sticks on each side of the hull) of the model you will have to fill a lot of pin marks on the inside of the holders.

- The front drive sprockets are being pulled out of place by the tracks. It is not a lot, but it is visible. This is a big problem, unless you like me are weathering the suspension heavily anyway, which makes it very difficult to see. The only solutions I can think of is to insert a metal rod through the hull with a drive sprocket at each end to add strength or find replacement tracks which I do not think exists, but I am not sure.

Feel free to comment or ask more questions.

Hay all it's getting there.



Got a few bits and pieces to correct the mistakes in the kit so i will update you in a few days?

Hay all just thought i would show you the parts i will use to correct the hobby boss kit.



New support brackets for the discharge-rs to replace the rubish ones on the kit and the box to fit between the commanders cupola and the gunners sight.

When I signed up I admitted to no knowledge of Nordic vehicles. I wanted therefore to keep it simple and stick to the familiar, so I decided to try for an SISU XA180 APC.Originally I had ideas of converting the Revell FUCHS kit as on the face of it the given dimensions are roughly the same. That idea lasted until I got a set of decent SISU drawings and a Fuchs kit. They are largely different animals so that left plasticard.








I cannot remember why I decided to build it it two halves but it must have been a good idea at the time.
I intend to keep to my present theme as far as I can, so it will, I hope, become an Irish Army vehicle. If I can find plans or an 1/35th Creusot-Loire TL.2.1.80 ex M3 turret then a green version based at the Curragh if not an all white UNIFIL machine as shown in Karl Martin's book.
I know that there are some things that need tweeking but I do find these postings bring flaws to light rather quickly.

Thanks to Roy Kinsella for the plans and encouragement.

Paddy

Great job Paddy !
Some terrific scratch build

Thor will be happy ..

Ah Ta for the kudos bud!! I'm dead chuffed now cheers Mecanix!!

I have to say, this is really an amazing kit your scratchbuilding, you have certainly put my SISU on the work bench to shame already!

Keep up the great work and keep up with the photo journal, I may need it later!!

..cant wait to see this fella finished

Roy,
Glad your on, it looks likely that I will be doing UNIFIL 4370 the one in Martins book. It has the shamrock on the front underside plate and no tricolour on the number plate. However I seem to remember a shot of one with the shamrock on the left hand side just above the SISU Badge. Is this the same vehicle? and do you have any idea of the rear markings, if any.

John and Roy thank you but its a long way finished yet.

Great job so far, Mecanix. This looks like it is going to be another interesting project to follow. Still remember your armoured car project.

Looking forward to see more

..I'll do some digging and get back to you with the goods! ..glad its gonna be a paddy wagon

Small update on my swedish tank



Still working on the wheels too.

If you are doing a swedish strv 122 you need to remove the APU.
The instructions are incorrect, we don't have any APU in the rear right corner of the hull.
Check my images on Prime Portal for reference.
http://www.primeportal.net/tanks/thord_wedman/strv_122/

/Thord

A little more progress on the SISU. I have been focusing on the troop compartment and connecting it to the cab

This is rather an unusual project for me in that the cross-over ( using bits from other kits) is hardly happening. Everytime I expect to use a kit item it dosn't seem to work out, still it all adds to the fun.
I had expected to use the suspension from one of the truck kits in stock but none are suitable so...

I made my own and the axles.

Just tacked together to check out the measurements.





next is the power train and steering and after that the compartment roof which unless it is cut very accurately will be quite interesting to fit. I think thats why I have left it till last.

John I hope Thor is still happy.

Wow, it is amazing what you can build, Mecanix. If I had to work on that it would be triangular and with gaps all over

Keep sharing your impressive work.

Ball Lickin good bro, keep it up

Well thought i better update this i have fitted some of the upgreaded parts and corrected some of the mistakes in the hobby boss kit.

Nice details, Scott. Are the details AM parts or scratchbuild?

I notice the tracks are fitted in a non standard way. Are the tracks too short on this kit or are they left loose for painting?

Thanks jasper i did my best to corret the worst of the mistakes from the pic's you sent me.the parts are part of a pro art models set i found on E bay it has some updates for the dutch leo's aswell the tracks are still lose so i can paint and weather the them and weather the hull.

OK, I thought that was the case, but just wanted to hear if HobbyBoss messed up the tracks as I have not build one of their kits yet.

Looking forward to see more

how do you submit photos to the campaign albums? I have a kitmaker account, just cant figure out how to upload a picture to the campaign albums

Hay all just a wee update decals on and weathering started.

Some shots of the SISU so far





The figure is just a universal soldier there for scale.
I have to say that this is a much bigger beast than i expected.
regards