Greg,

I have tried twice to upload to the gallery but both times have been denied. I will try again tonight.

I really like this site but as for uploading pics there are much easier ways than all the hoops you have to jump through.

Yeah, it's been a real issue for a long time. That reminds me, though, I really should share my final build stages...I've been done with my warthog for a few weeks now!

Are you getting an error message or does it seem like everything went well but nothing shows up? If the latter, it usually means the photo is too large (there is a 2MB limit).

As far as I know, there should be nothing wrong with the gallery at this point.

Robby - don't hold back on the warthog man


Marc - yes the photo posting is the most voted thing to change on this site.

Here's the gallery link to upload to. YOU MUST be logged in. The photo must be smaller sized 800x600

https://gallery.kitmaker.net/showgallery.php/cat/27349

Glad you finished and enjoyed the campaign.

Photo posting is not as difficult as most folks make it out to be. Your error has to do with the size of your photo, as Gary said above. The photo gallery is working fine, as long as you pay attention to the rules on posting (file size is the #1 problem). Using simple photo software, resize your photo (usually to about 33% of the original) and save, then upload. Even the cheap point and shoot digital cameras will usually save the photos in large file size format. On two of my DSLRs, they are about 10MB each (8x10 full color format).

Just resize, save and upload.

Okay I posted my picture to the gallery, so I guess I'm done here, Greg!

Since I'm in a good mood, I'll go ahead and give you the final installment of my build. I had the base grey coat down before I left town for the summer, so when I came back, there wasn't much to do. My airbrush is still uncooperative, so I was relying on rattlers, and there isn't a lot of variation you can do with them (at least, not with my LHS's selection). Just decals, weathering, some paint touchups, and that was that!


The armament was supposed to be a little more colorful than what we see here...it was too difficult for me to paint stripes and such around them while still attached to their pylons, and I didn't have good luck when I tried to remove some of them, so I just stopped. I do not like having separate construction-painting phases...I'd rather paint as I build!


Most of the surface detailing on this kit was raised, making weathering kinda difficult. There were some recessed parts (pictured here, as well as along the tail/stabilizers, engines) that could be picked out with my Pro Modellers dirt wash.


You can see the yellowing along the decals...I should have expected it with a kit that's older than I am! But hey, look at that awesome pilot...thumbs up and ready to take off!


The pictures don't show it very well, but it does look dirtier than this.








Here's the final shot. A quick-n-easy build, and it's so much sweeter to know that I won this kit online in a contest


So there you go. My Warthog is (has been...) complete and on the shelf now. Everyone's builds are looking really strong...can't wait to see all your final products!

Robby

Man I built the original Monogram version of that kit back in the mid 1980s! Awesome job. I think I brush painted a horrible rendition of the European One camo scheme on it. I still have a very soft spot in my heart for the old Monogram kits. In my early model years, it was all I could afford from mowing yards and doing chores.

Bravo Zulu!

Oh, this was the Revell-Monogram rebox, mid to late 90's...so my mistake, the kit isn't older than I am! If you enjoy the Monograms, all the best to you. I really do not plan on building another one of these! Too much work, too little detail But truthfully, I can't say I didn't enjoy my time at the bench with this brute

Robby: nice work on the warthog.

Happy Modeling, -zon

Robby,

My soft spot is for the memories I had with them. I have three or four of the kits in my stash, and they will remain there. Forever.

Robby - great job and congrats. The figure is neat and I actually like the look of the decals. That is definitely a cool tank buster

A little late entry from me. I will be building the Rufe - a Zero float plane fighter. It will be a quick build. Maybe I can even finish it over the weekend.m

More to follow.

Thanks for the compliments, guys!

Jesper, I've always loved the look of floatplanes...looking forward to this build! How many pieces are in that kit? Are there any internal details or is it entirely closed up? If the construction really is that light, I might wanna pick that up to practice weathering.

Hi Robby. It is an extremely easy build. I made mine in 3 hours in front of the television including all cleaning up. The kit goes together very well with only a few gaps at the wing roots to fix.

As the sharp observer will notice there is no cockpit in my kit. That is because it is a cheap kit bought on eBay. The real tamiya kit has a cockpit. I bought this kit with the intention of making a diorama with it camouflaged in the surf of a island. Therefore the cockpit glazing among other things will be covered by tarps anyway, so no loss to me.

Since the pictures below were taken the base coat has gone on. More to follow shortly

The basic color is now on. The details painted and a gloss coat of varnish on. This must be the fastest build I have ever done. Of course it helps that the color scheme is only one color and a few extra colors for details.

More to follow

Update for Saturday night:

Paint is on, everything is installed. Future coat sprayed. Waiting for a bit until I decal, then Future, then some light weathering. Figures are done, but as much as I detest Tamiya's 1/35 figures, the 1/48th scale ones make me wretch. I almost want to grab an old Monogram pilot (the one in every kit giving the "thumbs up" sign) and sit him in the driver's seat out of spite. But I digress:











This one is posted just because after it's finished, you'll never see the paint job on the vehicle tools. Bah.

Jesper - I can't wait to see wait you do with that paintjob. A record fast build indeed. Your dio idea is interesting


Matt - great progress. I'm getting inspired to do a Bridge Too Far scene where the long column of armor is sitting on the narrow road, including this little UC. Looks good man

I've finished a flat coat on my Ersatz and hope to do some detail painting next, but my time is very scarce lately.

Greg,

I hear you about scarcity of time. I was up at 7AM this morning and didn't get to the bench until almost 9PM. I managed to get the decals on, and spray a sealing coat of Future. Hopefully I'll get a chance tomorrow to do some weathering and some detailing as well.

Thanks for the comment, Greg. I hear you on the scarcity of time. The wife and kids are gone for the weekend, so I have been able to finish three builds started earlier plus starting and probably finishing the Rufe build as well.

The decals are now on and the light weathering can begin. The fine lines on the tamiya kit makes it easy to show of the details.

More to follow soon.

Here is the finished Rufe aka Zero float plane. It is the Tamiya 1/48 kit. An absolute joy to build with no real problem issues.

It is probably my fastest build ever, done in about 48 hours.

I made the Rufe in markings from the Solomon Islands in 1942 before the color scheme was changed to include green top surfaces.
It is planned to include this kit in a diorama with it partially hidden in the surf at the coast line. This is why the cockpit and Hinomarus are covered.
I did not want to recreate any particular aircraft. However, I have shown a couple of the pictures I used as inspiration below. They are not both from the Solomons islands, but show some interesting details nonetheless.

Comments welcome

Excellent model, Jesper! I guess I'll have to pick one of those kits up myself, it looks like such a joy to build! I guess the Hinomarus are covered with cheesecloth? But I can't guess what you did for the canopy covering. I like it a lot though! All I can contribute is that you might want to add a few small oil-wash streaks along the airflow and some metallic pencil marks for chipping all along the aircraft, but especially on the cowling. It just seems too pristine, especially in contrast to the nice weathering you've done on the floats and the underside. Looking forward to the completed dio!

Well, a progress update. I really waffled on what paint scheme to use, but ultimately I chickened out of attempting an ambush scheme. Used silly putty to mask, with what I think are so-so results. Base coat dark yellow, and after initial masking and the second coat of red brown (which honestly does not seem red enough to me):



Starting to mask for the third coat.



Third coat applied.



Peeling off the silly putty.



You can see here part of the problem. The edges are really not very clean. Part of it is that the paint kind of crusts on the putty and I haven't completely gotten if off yet, but most edges even when completely cleaned are still raised a bit. Also, despite my best efforts the curves are not completely smooth. The next shows the vehicle after completely removing all putty.



Very gentle sanding takes care of most of the raised edges, but in a few spots this happened.



I can brush paint over it, but the colors from the tamiya spray and the bottle paints never quite match a hundred percent. I'm hoping some weathering will cover up the difference though, we'll see. Honestly I'm not quite sure how to avoid the raised edge problem, I've gotten the same thing before when I masked with tape. I'm guessing it is because I am using spray cans instead of an airbrush, and though I try to spray as lightly as I can in more than one coat, invariably to get the paint into some nook or other it goes on more thickly than I'd like in some places.

At any rate, I'll now begin work on adding the remaining odds and ends, tools, spare track, machine gun, etc. Hopefully I'll get this finished before the deadline!

miniflea

I use Silly Putty as well, but to be honest, on anything smaller than 1/35, I just try to freehand. From the picture of your third (green) coat, and seeing the paint thickness, I'd say part of the issue is the paint coat is too thick. If you're using the TS Tamiya Sprays, then I'd say you were probably too close, as a spray can isn't going to give you the control that an airbrush would get, and you'll throw down some wicked thick coats. I like the camo scheme, but I'd suggest using thinner rolls of Silly Putty (think like little strings) and then shoot the spray can from about 8"-10" away to give almost a mist coat. I like that little kit though!

Thanks for the tips. I'd say you are probably right on both counts. It is a nice little kit, and I'm thinking about picking up another one at some point to try again.

miniflea

No problem, I did the same thing years ago, spraying a Tamiya M20 with TS cans, in Virginia in the summer. Paint job ended up horrible, even though it was a single color. Ugh.

In other news, I think I'm calling the IBUC complete. The driver, unfortunately, needs to be added prior to installing the frontal armor. I even cut off his legs and tried to squeeze him in. The pointy guy (obviously an officer) is just in the photo for reference, as I was working on some figure painting techniques with acrylics and didn't want to waste a NWM or Verlinden figure. He's missing a flat coat, but the IBUC is complete. I didn't do much in the way of weathering, just some washes and a quick spray of Model Air Flat Earth for road dust.







I'll post the last in the campaign gallery.


Just for fun, here are some comparison shots between my 1/48 armor "army":







Greg it's always a pleasure building for one of your 48th Scale campaigns... I guess this makes me 2 for 2... hehe.