Offline I also provided a mix for Light Mud and this vehicle is now Light Mud.

Matt, if the brushstrokes are not terribly visible, then a good weathering, including a bit of spattered mud, etc. should make them virtually invisible. If you model the set-up during the winter of 43-44, then the seas of mud on most Italian back roads will spray mud over just about everything. A smattering of liquitex medium with fibres in it (can't remember the exact name, I have it at home) will add all sorts of textures that will further hide any discontinuities. Add a scrim net & stowage and you won't see the black, much less any brush strokes in it.

Carry on, Sargeant!

:)

Paul

This is what Paul suggested for the Light Mud.
Mix: 4 pts XF55 + 2 pts XF49 + 1 pt XF66.
And Nato Black for the camo. I used close alternatives. Basically what I had at hand.

Paul I wasn't sure wether I should add stowage. I'll look around and see if I can come up with anything that looks like scrim net.
I was planning on getting this thing dusty. I'll consider some dry or wet mud as well. Have to mull it over a bit.

I still have quite a bit to do yet. Here is some pics of where I'm at. I've added valve stems, put the proper oil bath air filter back on it and have the interior pretty much done. I will make a cable for the winch before weathering the chassis. I'm also thinking about making hood latches as well as latches for the roof tarp.











Does anybody know what the idea is behind the drivers side headlight with it's little visor? And does the vehicle need the "Pass" sign on the front? What is that for exactly?

Thanks for looking.

Probably is a sort of "british Notek proiector"



Great work indeed congrat

Put simply the headlights were blacked out to lower chances of being seen from above or at a distance at night there was a top over cover and a small flap most vehicles at the front had the O/S head light disconected as only the kerb needed to be seen the PASS was a way of ensuring vehicles were on the right convoy route and had been inspected before setting out when the vehicle was at an active area they would have been removed.

Could be just me but in the picture showing the wash (?!?!) over the driver's side under the numbers, it looks like you may have missed a spot or something there doesn't look right. Or maybe just the picture ?!?! Also may be evident on the back quarter. Mind you, it may be just me. I'm old and eyes may be malfunctioning!!!

That nice engine........... does it show somewhere or is all that nice work covered up??

REGARDLESS........... I really like the work you've done. Very nice.

Thanks guys for the explanation on the funky light. So I'm thinking I should paint a glass lense under the visor? Problem is what is there for a lense is flat instead of a little rounded like the other side (like a typical headlight). Should it be glass

Tom, I used Future to set and cover the decals. It seems the Future discoloured the Light Mud. Or darkened it rather. Is that what you're talking about? I don't know if it will go away when I spray it with dullcote? I probably should paint over it to be sure. Good think I didn't spray the whole vehicle with Future like I was going to. I understand this is a typical step used by many to make a smooth surface for decal application and to do a wash. Does Future always darken light colours or is it just where I used a brush maybe

Ah okay. It makes sense now. It just confused me a bit as I am taking notes for my future build. Thanks for the replys.

Collins Its looking really good my friend. Seeing it with the decals really makes it come together. This build of yours has been really fun to keep track of. Thanks for sharing it with us.

Cheers

Jeff

P.S. The dullcote should take care of the colour shift from the future. It always has for me anyways.

Seeing pics,I don't think so
I believe that the lights are completely blackened and I think that under the left lid light probably there's a small half rounded loophole

This is a similar light mounted on a Morris C8 commercial tractor


I think the quad light is a little bit simplier. I think there's a loophole under the lip without the hinged flip

Cheers

Mauro, thanks for the picks. That makes it easy for me. Now I don't have to worry about trying to make the headlights look like glass.

Rockfall, I'm glad your enjoying this. It wouldn't be fun for me posting this build if someone else wasn't getting anything out of it.

Mauro
have you any more pics of the Morris its the same Mk as mine and do you have the W.D number or any details about it
Thanks
David

:) you're welcome... Beware that sometime on the right light there was a little hole.It depends on the exemplar that you're depicting





(Can you see in this pic the black dot on the right light? Well is not an huge australian fly...it's the hole..







David

You can find some interesting walkarounds

here(chevrolet cab 12 quad)

here ("your"Morris commercial c8)

and here (another c8)

Hope that'll be useful for both of you

Cheers

Two other walkarounds

http://www.fotovalkirumodelism.com/page.php?page=225 (c8 commercial mk III)

http://www.fotovalkirumodelism.com/page.php?page=209 (Chevy's qad)

Most pics which I found, I found it...in russian sites

Thanks very usful site

Please to help you

I have still been working on me Quad. Couldn't handle the kit tarp. I painted it up and it still looked like a chunk of plastic. So I went ahead and made one. I painted it black to go with the camo leaving a little beige coloured for interest. I'm not sure if I like the lighter colour and may paint it all black. Whadya think?



Did a bit more weathering to the chassis and wheel wells.



Here you can see the dirt I added to the wheels as well as some scratches to the body.



I made a tow cable as well.



I will finish the weathering after New Years if not before. I will add some over all dust, a bit of dry splattered mud and possibly wet mud. I'm not fully decided on that yet.

Question: does anybody have any good reference photos of stowage with net on a similar type vehicle? Not sure where they may have strapped stuff to on these.

Thanks again for looking.

Ehy collins

You did a very nice work here
I like a lot yor tarp and your painting

I looked for reference images but unfortunatly i didn't find it

Anyway congrats (and best wishes)

Thank you Mauro. I think it will all come together after the weathering is complete. I find these things usually look better in real life than in pictures. It still looks a little messy to me right now but like I say, I think the finishing touches will pull it together.

Matt,
The tarp should defnintely be all black, but, to retain some interest, the tarps almost never turned out exactly the same shade as the vehicle surface. I'd use a very dark grey for the tarp with more highlighing to indicate the fabric nature of the material. That will provide visual interest.

Stowage was frequently fastened to the spare tire rack or hooked to the edge of the hull openning under the tarp and then to the tire rack. Tarps & camo nets were draped over, in front of or around the tire & then secured, again, to the rack.

Stowage was also secured to the top of the limber, to the top of the gun trails and to either side of the gun shield. It all depended upon the unit commander as to what level of "gypsy caravan" he was prepared to allow in his unit. Gunners, their units generally more static in nature, had a habit of acquiring any and every possible convenience to make their lives more livable.

My Dad & brother were both gunners so I can speak with some authority on the matter...

Paul

I took Paul's advice on the tarp and painted it all dark grey. I felt something wasn't right with it. Being the same black as the vehicle and the spots of beige didn't sit well either. I did highlight it a bit but it still doesn't look convincingly like the the typical canvas material these tarps were made of. However, I do like the looks of it and feel it is a big improvment over the kit piece.

So I made some stowage, used a few kit pieces and painted a net which is actually what my garlic was wrapped in. The idea is that the net is tied and tucked under the spare tire. Rope is used to tie it down. Each piece of rope is presumedly tied to mysterious hooks under the vehicle which conveniently cannot be seen.



I also made latches for the hood. They are non functional so I just glued them to the hood. May look funny with the hood lifted but that is almost pointless as the engine itself is hard to see!



The rope may be a tad out of scale but who knows. I'm sure there were different gauges of rope hanging around. I keep telling myself it will all come together in the end.

I wonder if they were using a muzzle brake on the 25 PDR. later in 1943? I was reconsidering putting it on the gun.

Hi
The musel break was not used in North Africa ot untill the last year of the Italian campign and was quite rare in Europe until 45 so with a sand version stick with the one you have .
David

David,

I think you might be understimating the timescale a tad. Certainly the brakes were not seen in North Africa or Sicily, but I have a photo from Dec 16 of a 25 pdr in action fitted with a brake. It is in service with 166 Nfld Field Reg't.

Certainly, if the gun is in Light Stone, then there shouldn't be a brake. But, in Light Mud? It would be pretty likely that a 25 pdr in Italy in early 1944 would be fitted with the brake. According to the 166ths official history, the entire unit was taken out of the line in late 1943 and, when the guns were due to be retubed due to wear, they received the newer tubes, recalibrated, learned their new range tables (no great change) and went back in action before the 16th of Dec.

New guns may have showed up slower, but the existing guns were being retubed with the newer barrels earlier.

Paul

From IWM online collections

A 25pdr of 266 Battery, 67th Field Regiment in use as a mortar near San Clemente, 2 December 1944.

Paul, if you think the brake could have been used in early 44,Italy maybe I'll put it on.

I'm still thinking about my stowage. Not sure if I like it.

The stowage is just fine, but the rope is really to olarge, it needs to be something liek 3/8"-3/4" rope, like .010" to .030" in scale. You could add some "hessian tape" to the scrim net, but it is fine the way it is, too.

As for the brake in early 1944, absolutely it's possible, even likely.

Paul