It was months ago when this project was on my table. Taking a break from another project, I found some time to get on with it. Where I last left off I had some things undecided and the whole thing was stuck. It seems that sometimes it´s better to leave it be until it wants to be finished...
I found a tight base frame and the layout came clear. Here´s part of the Komsomoletsh´ crew having a break, enjoying a smoke and some music after meal. The guy on the left will be playing accordeon and there will be empty canteen cans around. If I have the energy, I´ll make a sprucetree in the right back corner.
Here´s the storyline, tell me what you think!




Toni

Still looking good there Envar! I was wondering how you've been doing with that ... You've been rather quiet lately...

Heh. Nothing personal, it´s just been a busy summer, first at work, then some traveling...
We´ve also had a very hot summer and that´s draining when you´re not used to that. Can´t get anything done. Now it looks better: A whole week of holidays left and they said it´s going to rain... There´s still hope to get something done this summer I guess...

Cheers,
Toni

looking good so far, how are you going to make the accordion?

Most likely I will use silk paper or tea bag paper for the folds.

I think in 1:35 scale I will have to paint most of the details. I also have to find a right kind of instrument for that period of time.



Toni

hi
I think it's a nice dio, when you 'll finish it put the photo on forum
Regards

That sounds like a great idea. Nice original idea. Can't wait to see the finished product!

Regards
HastyP

it looks cool till now. waiting to see the rest

Hey Envar. Just a thought. The picture you showed is what i would call an accordian. Very big and bulky and not suitable for carrying into war. But there is a smaller version called a concertina ... with the small hexagonal sides with buttons.. plainer and probably easier to model. Feels like it might be something a musically minded soldier might carry.
Click here for link to a concertina site! Check on google.com for more! What do you think? It would full the same roll but maybe more realistic???

Thanks for the comments!

Plasticbattle, that´s a good idea. Actually a concertina was the one I was aiming for, I just couldn´t come up with the name for that thing! I just have a feeling that it´s a French instrument? However, it´s also possible that the soldier acquired a big accordion somewhere, he´s not necessarily carrying it with him. Maybe it´s not his own instrument.
I agree with you it might be easier to model the concertina...
#:-) #:-) #:-)

Damn this summer. I´ve had so much to do that I´ve had hardly any modeling done. It will change when the autumn kicks in I hope. And check out this site more often when I get back to work on Monday...

HEY!!!
IT´S MY 1000. POST!!!
WOOOPEEEE!!!!
AND STILL AN ARTILLERY SERGEANT!!!!


(++) (++) (++) (++) (++)

Toni

Of course he could have! Anybody who could play one can play the other! It was just something that came into my head when I was reading the post!

Komso update!!

I have painted the base green over pre-shaded grey. Colour was LifeColor Dark Green. I found it too light and greyish, so I took some Humbrol No 86 green and applied a thin layer of it. Worked fine as I was looking for kind of Russian green.
After that I washed all rivets and details with dark oils and acrylics. Then I drybrushed with LifeColor Olive Drab and Grey RLM02. Added some pencil to the worn areas and edges.
Some dark pastels added depth to the shadows and faded the crude-looking rivets.

There is still detail painting, drybrushing and mudding to be done. I´m aware of the decal silvering, that´s because I haven´t added the clear cote yet and the serial number provided by the kit was terrible..

Enjoy the pics, any comments are welcome!










Toni

PS. Thanks to Jim for adding that great photo upload system!

Realy nice paint work, good shading and highlighting. It looks like the registration number on the front has some silvering or is it on a raised surface? The sort of swastika, isn't that the Finnish style in a 90 degree pattern and with the serifs pointed opposite the German style?
Re: concertina, I don't know that it's French in background but was a stapple of pirate movies and I think was used throughout Europe. I'd associate it with Italian scenes as well.

wow thats comeing a long really nice so far

nice model buz heardnt much about the t-20, was it a gun-tractor?

Thanks!
AJLaFleche, this vehicle is indeed in Finnish markings. Finland used this kind of short-armed swastika in vehicles and a blue swastika in white circle in aircraft. After the war Finland has used only the present national emblem, a blue ring inside white circle.
I have a feeling that Finnish swastikas were all clockwise, like nazis had. If somebody knows the difference between a clockwise and counter-clockwise swastika, please let me know!

Yeah, the silvering... I think I´ll scrape the number off and use some better decals...these AER ones are total BS.

MadMax, yes it´s a Russian gun tractor. It could carry six men plus driver and shooter. There was also a funny-looking canvas tent cover for winter conditions.

Cheers,
Toni

After a few busy hours I managed to add some details - only to cover it all with mud. The weathering is not final, I will tune it right when I have the base ready.
Lights were made of kitchen foil and a drop of clear cote.
Then I screwed up big time. I started applying matt cote with a brush. Little did I remember that I had "tried" some pastels on long before. So the matt cote took all pastels along and it dried instantly. Well, no more silvering decals. Just a black, dirty cabin side.
I tried to correct it with a new layer of green and the result was even more horrible.

I would like to make it look like part of the vehicle was perhaps repaired, then repainted. That would explain the different tone of green. The only problem is that how to make it look like it´s deliberate, not a screw-up...At least there should be some other parts clearly repainted as well.




The ugly side. It´s not so bad in the picture but it really hurts the eye and soul to look at it in real life.




Toni

Hey Toni!

Coming along very nicely!! Love the green, the leaf springs and the weathering! Been thinkin' about ya and how ya been doing with that. Certainly looks like you're making ggrreeaatt progress! I can't wait to see it completed, and thanks for keeping us posted!

Looks great !!

Oh, and let me know when yours is complete so I can throw mine away.

its looking good with the wash added aswell as the paint offcouse

i like this strange-looking vehicle, is it a tamiya kit?

MadMax, this is an AER kit. Unfortunately. The quality and accuracy is very bad, the plastic is soft etc. Decals are almost unuseable.
But I think it´s the only kit out there. Just be prepared to do some extensive scratchbuilding...

For some more pics of this build in my MSN gallery, click the sniper logo below!


Toni

Update again!

I moved on to the 45mm AT gun. The first pic is showing a real one in the museum, I got more shots of this if someone is interested.
Painting the gun was very straightforward, the only difficulty was the grey colour. I think I used five or six colours to mix this grey...The green is pretty close to the one in the tractor but not exactly the same.
Next I´ll move on to the base, then figures and final adjustments.





Cheers,

Toni

What can i say, that is excellent work and such a difficult kit, but you've overcome your problems really well and its been very interesting following the build. Well Done!!!

Again Toni.... Excellent!

Tires look a little too smooth tho... (or are my eyes giving out? #:-) )

Kevin,

yeah the tires are smooth. The kit had another pair with some texture but different centers.
I could do some carving work, but I have also seen smooth tires like these and it may look different when properly weathered. Maybe I put them under knife, thanks for pointing that out!
I´m not sure about the base yet.
On one hand I´d like it to be a quiet garrison area scene with barrels, camo nets and other "stuff" around, on the other hand it would be nice to build a proper firing position, like a shooting range...

Still wondering if that guy should read a letter or play a concertina.



Toni