_GOTOBOTTOM
Constructive Feedback
For in-progress or completed build photos. Give and get contructive feedback!
Academy's M3A1 Stuart! Done!
Iron-Fist
Visit this Community
Idaho, United States
Joined: August 09, 2002
KitMaker: 101 posts
Armorama: 0 posts
Posted: Sunday, December 14, 2003 - 12:24 PM UTC
I just finished my 1/35th Stuart. It has the kit markings for a Operation Torch tank. I used the individual track links, I think they look really good. Any questions/comments welcome.
Thanks for looking.





tazz
Visit this Community
New York, United States
Joined: July 21, 2002
KitMaker: 1,462 posts
Armorama: 0 posts
Posted: Sunday, December 14, 2003 - 12:47 PM UTC
very nicely done.. its a nice clean build and the paint and tracks came out great.
keep up the good work
Plasticbattle
#003
Visit this Community
Donegal, Ireland
Joined: May 14, 2002
KitMaker: 9,763 posts
Armorama: 7,444 posts
Posted: Sunday, December 14, 2003 - 01:06 PM UTC

Quoted Text

very nicely done.. its a nice clean build and the paint and tracks came out great.


I was looking at these pictures when I was uploading pictures in the gallery. Really fine building and painting skills. the weathering is so fine that it looks weathered but still clean.
The only thing that doesnt look 100% is the decals. the "34" decal on the right wing and the stripe on the turret back as silvered a little. Dont know how to fix this really.
Looking at this kit, makes me want to buuy one. Nice molding and details!
Iron-Fist
Visit this Community
Idaho, United States
Joined: August 09, 2002
KitMaker: 101 posts
Armorama: 0 posts
Posted: Sunday, December 14, 2003 - 01:13 PM UTC
Thanks guys, keep up the responses! About that "34" decal, I gave that fender a good Future application, but I have never had good luck with Academy decals, and because of the extremely rough surface it just didn't stick down. I also think I didn't have the water hot enough to soften up the decal very much.
Plasticbattle
#003
Visit this Community
Donegal, Ireland
Joined: May 14, 2002
KitMaker: 9,763 posts
Armorama: 7,444 posts
Posted: Sunday, December 14, 2003 - 01:18 PM UTC
I not much better when it comes to decals. I have started using future now as well for them and it has improved. I recently bought some microsol and it it has improved the quality of my decaling immensley. There is also something called microset that you add first. Both of these used together and the decal is to supposed to look like it is painted on .... well thats what they say anyway!
I used the microsol recently and it is great. next time Im in town, Im gonna get some of the microset as well. Worth looking into??
generalzod
Visit this Community
United States
Joined: December 01, 2001
KitMaker: 3,172 posts
Armorama: 2,495 posts
Posted: Sunday, December 14, 2003 - 01:28 PM UTC
Great looking Stuart Iron-Fist I noticed on the tail lights where you painted the red that it was red on the raised portions You may want to try to gently drybrush the base color to get rid of it I know it's a pain tryin to get those tail light just right
csch
Visit this Community
Buenos Aires, Argentina
Joined: December 27, 2002
KitMaker: 1,941 posts
Armorama: 0 posts
Posted: Sunday, December 14, 2003 - 01:47 PM UTC
Very well done. Nice OD spec. Make me want o build one of them.
Iron-Fist
Visit this Community
Idaho, United States
Joined: August 09, 2002
KitMaker: 101 posts
Armorama: 0 posts
Posted: Sunday, December 14, 2003 - 01:56 PM UTC
Yep, micro sol and micro set, they work good. But I still like the power of a good bowl of hot water, that really helps with stiffer decal brands. This is a very nice Stuart kit, with a partial interior to boot! The individual tracks take forever to put together, but its really worth it. The rubber tracks are really nice too, I think Im going to put those on Tamiya's M5 Stuart.
Major_Goose
Visit this Community
Kikladhes, Greece / Ελλάδα
Joined: September 30, 2003
KitMaker: 6,871 posts
Armorama: 2,071 posts
Posted: Sunday, December 14, 2003 - 06:52 PM UTC
My friend this is a nice build , and nicely weathered. The decal stuff is usually a problem but ok . The model is very fine anyway !!!!!
sgtreef
Visit this Community
Oklahoma, United States
Joined: March 01, 2002
KitMaker: 6,043 posts
Armorama: 4,347 posts
Posted: Sunday, December 14, 2003 - 11:22 PM UTC
On the decal problem you could try to use hot water to remove them and get another set of decals or use archer dry Transfers apply the future or any gloss paint and try again.
Ditto what General zod said on the light!

But overall nice job.
Oh one more thing maybe a little rust around the outter track connectors! (++) (:-)
slodder
Visit this Community
North Carolina, United States
Joined: February 22, 2002
KitMaker: 11,718 posts
Armorama: 7,138 posts
Posted: Sunday, December 14, 2003 - 11:52 PM UTC
Shouldn't the shovel and pick be a combo of brown and steel? I've got a reference (not of that particular unit) that has them 'natural' in color.
Golikell
Visit this Community
Noord-Holland, Netherlands
Joined: October 25, 2002
KitMaker: 1,757 posts
Armorama: 914 posts
Posted: Monday, December 15, 2003 - 12:32 AM UTC
I have a slight suggetion too (no critisism), and that is to "metalize"the frequently used parts such as the step, hatch edges, etc.
jimbrae
Visit this Community
Provincia de Lugo, Spain / Espaņa
Joined: April 23, 2003
KitMaker: 12,927 posts
Armorama: 9,486 posts
Posted: Monday, December 15, 2003 - 12:58 AM UTC
Nice clean build... However, you really need to lay on a couple of light washes to bring out some of the bolt detail and 'kill' the decals a bit, the recesses in the running gear would pick up a lot more dirt as well...apart from that....Jim
Alpenflage
Visit this Community
Massachusetts, United States
Joined: May 21, 2003
KitMaker: 1,120 posts
Armorama: 1,002 posts
Posted: Monday, December 15, 2003 - 10:00 AM UTC
Nice clean work, and the OD paint job is excellent. Weathering looks good, but you may want to go over the top most areas with a layer of "dust". Pastels would do that trick fine.

I do see silvering on your decal, but that happens more often then not with waterslide decals. A lil Setting Solution maybe ? I do like the yellow stars and markings for Torch.

The overall kit looks reall good as far as detail goes. Academy got a field goal with that one !

Keep up the good work :-)

Cheers !!

Robert
kglack56
Visit this Community
Alabama, United States
Joined: October 31, 2003
KitMaker: 74 posts
Armorama: 0 posts
Posted: Monday, December 15, 2003 - 10:48 AM UTC
ditto with the others concerning the pioneer tool paint job and the decal problem thingy. The point i wanted to add was the lack of dents and dings on the armor that one would expect to see on a vehicle that has seen some action, like this one...still....nice job

wish my name was on this build...
jrnelson
Visit this Community
Iowa, United States
Joined: May 23, 2002
KitMaker: 719 posts
Armorama: 566 posts
Posted: Monday, December 15, 2003 - 11:04 AM UTC
Just a suggestion here...

I have also had the decal silvering issue happen to me, and a tip somebody shared with me has helped a great deal. The silvering is caused by trapped air beneath the decal. One way to get rid of this once it has happened is to gently "prick" the decal with a needle or pin over the colored portion next to the silvering. Then apply some micro sol or other appropriate setting solution. This stuff then seeps in an fills the tiny air pockets, and greatly reduced the silvering on the clear part of the decal. Just make sure to make the holes as tiny as possible and you should be able to get rid of some of the silvering>

Later-
Jeff
ZoomieE7
Visit this Community
Texas, United States
Joined: October 17, 2002
KitMaker: 145 posts
Armorama: 0 posts
Posted: Monday, December 15, 2003 - 11:39 AM UTC
Silvering really detracts from an othewise fine build (Dontcha just HATE it when the last step goes wrong??) Conventional Wisdom: Decals MUST be applied over a smooth surface to avoid silvering. Problem is, you want to keep the bumps ( "tooth" ) of the paint on an armor model to catch the weathering! Solution: Instead of soaking the decal In water, soak it in Future! I've heard the Aircraft guys have been doing this on "stubborn" aircraft decals. I think, that since Future is so thin, you could retain the underlying tooth while eliminating the trapped air. Suggest trying it on scrap first. Hth, Rob
ZoomieE7
Visit this Community
Texas, United States
Joined: October 17, 2002
KitMaker: 145 posts
Armorama: 0 posts
Posted: Monday, December 15, 2003 - 11:58 AM UTC
And while dry transfers are beautiful, they're usually a Royal B---h to apply to a model. Suggest rubbing them on to clear decal material, and applying as a "wet" decal. I've been doing this for years to get particular tail codes/serial numbers in odd styles/colors, and it's always worked like a charm. I've also found that Tamiya (especially older kits') decals are very thick, and resistant to setting solutions. I've had thinner Microscale decals even go on over Zimmerit and flat paint, without silvering, given enuf setting solution. I keep a bottle of Solvaset (very "hot") on my bench, along with Microset (under the decal) and Micrsol (over the decal). Glueck Auf, Rob
Iron-Fist
Visit this Community
Idaho, United States
Joined: August 09, 2002
KitMaker: 101 posts
Armorama: 0 posts
Posted: Monday, December 15, 2003 - 12:00 PM UTC
Jrnelson, thanks for the decal advice, those Academy decals are extra tough. I don't know what is up with my pictures but there is no misplaced red paint on the tail lights. There is a wash on all the surfaces, I just don't like heavy weathering. Golikell, thanks, I should add some pencil lead on those areas. US pioneer tools were more often than not OD.
 _GOTOTOP