This is why you take photos.... the interior above was still wet and too dark-even for the reddish Libyan dirt! This is more like it.

@Mike
Thanks for the comments Mike. Her's the method.

The chipping was done with the hairspray method. Two coats of hairspray 12 hours apart (but it could be much less..I just sprayed a coat in the morning and another at night when I came home from work)...just make sure each coat i very dry before adding the second. I try to follow Mike Rinaldi's method for this.


I left the covering paint coat about a day to dry. I'm using Mission model paints which I find to be spot on color-wise, spray, and chip wonderfully. For a brush I use a very short, stiff, bristle brush I got at Gamesworkshop but I think any clipped down #3 would do. I apply water to the spot I want to chip and wait a few minutes and then just very lightly scrub. I find this gives you the smallest chips.

The tonal variation on the shell was done as follows:

1. after primed and hairsrayed, first coat is the Light Stone..then I sprayed a coat of Light Stone +10% white. I tried adopting some of the modulation principles... lighter in areas facing directly into the sun.

2. Chipping

3. Then filters. I applied three different Wilder filters over a Vallejo Wash. First time I used the Vallejo Wash and tested in a hidden area before sing it on surfaces... once dry I then applied an Ochre, and Tan filter from Wilder and varied the amount over different areas.



Then it was on to working with pigments. Two from the old Mig line African earth and Gulf War sand.




And that's where are now... I will need to do the filter work on the shell next to blend it all in.

Robin, Ejection pins want be filled in. The equipment will cover the Eject Pins. Thats why I didnt fill them in.

JohnA

Good looking afv everyone!! Hopefully some one will build a junkers ju 87 (stuka). One of my favorite ww2 dive bomber. the other one is the douglas sdb dauntless dive-bomber.

Gaz, I'm going to use AK041 North Afrika Dust (pigment) on the Tires and road wheels. That should also make the rubber stand out.

I really like the white wash on your stug and thanks for the comment.


JohnA

Joe,
Thank you for sharing the process with us.

John,
Thank you. Now my goal is to try to simulate some of that wear on desert paint. Obviously the paint will have a lot less wear than the winter whitewash.

Gaz

Bf 109's cockpit is done, and I'll glue the fuselage halves together next.



I'm leaving exhausts and MG barrels off until I've painted the model. It looks like that end cap (into which propeller is attached) can be left off until later, which gives access to inside of the fuselage (there's no engine).

Pasi,
You've done a great job on the PE in that cockpit. Looks nice!

Gaz

Very nice Pasi! Looking forward to more of this build.

—mike

Thanks Gaz and Mike. I think quite large part of the result is by Eduard's clever designers.

Wow a lot done by people in a couple of days. All looking good though. Great to see so much interest here.

I agree, Pasi and Joe interiors are well detailed!


JohnA

I have a few questions for all of you.

What are the 3 objects that are circled in red? I have know idea.


I want to add some detail to the MG that mounts in the front of the grief. I read or seen a documentary about command AFVs and tanks have replicas for there main gun and MGs. Is griefs MG real or a replica? The desert fox did liked to be at the front of the lines. To get a better idea wants going on during the battles.


JohnA

Hi John,
That PE work around the MG will look seriously good. I can't imagine using a dummy gun for such a small weapon. Some of the command panzers had fake cannon, but they sure had real machine guns.

As for the three circled red items you'll have to wait for someone more informed than me.

Keep up the great work!

Gaz

Hi John.

They are the armoured glass blocks for the visors. They are removable and spares were kept for replacement. These are the mounts for them which are fixed to the hull, with the spare glass in the mount

Can't... resist... tractor beam.
Must... enter... campaign.


" BORDER="0">

Plan to build as platoon commander's vehicle with 37mm Pak.
Any help on the logical color schema for camouflage, if any, would be appreciated.

@ Peter – I never would have guessed. Thanks for sharing!

@ johhar – "Your biological and technological distinctiveness will be added to our own. Resistance is futile." —The Borg

Cheers!🍺
—mike

Resistance is futile......
Check back a few posts and details of the camo colours are listed there.

Hope you have fun joining in.

Couple of things, if your kit calls out to add a big cylinder between the front seats - don't. That is a water container which was only fitted to SdKfz 251/8 ambulances. The old Tamiya kit incorrectly has it too.

Don't fit the aiming guides to the front of your 251/10 like Dragon's pic indicates it might tell you to do. They are only for the rocket armed ones


Oh a bit more trivia (dribbling on my behalf) Dragon calls it a 251/2 if you fit the rockets. That is wrong too; it is a 251/1. The 251/2 has the 81mm mortar.

I guess it wouldn't be a proper kit if the instructions were 100% correct. I'll check for the camo.

Johhar,
Looking forward to seeing your commander's vehicle come to fruition.

Please don't forget to enlist here: Enlist

Gaz

I'm at a point with my other projects where I can get some time on this one.

I managed to get the lower hull/suspension done.


Looking ahead to the upper hull and side squirts, I have decided to use the rubber band style track option on the kit. They are very well molded and went together with Tamiya's extra thin cement.
I will also start painting the lower hull and tracks to make it easier once everything is assembled.

Robert,
Nice start on your Matilda. I agree with your choice. There's nit much point in buying AM tracks for a machine who has so much track covered.

Gaz

Gaz you have been hanging around the Kiwi's too much - you are picking up the accent


Wimped out on the link and length also included did you Robert.

I have to agree, the kit vinyl tracks are very good, only missing the hole through the guide 'horn' which is not easy to see anyway. You may want to drill out the spare links on the fenders though, as it will be visible there



I have this kit and will be watching your build with interest if you can give any tips along the way.

Okay, got some bench time this week. Apart from cleaning up road wheels, I got started on the chassis and major sub assemblies.

Modified the length of the steering arm by 2mm on each end to fix the well publicised issue with this and also remove the front tow pintel and repositioned it higher and modified the braces as well (see PMMS review
http://www.perthmilitarymodelling.com/reviews/vehicles/bronco/cb35038.html and
http://www.perthmilitarymodelling.com/reviews/vehicles/5ton_flak/5ton_flak_06.html)

Decided to live with the too narrow and wrong profile cab front and sides, although contemplated the TMD fix for it:
https://www.scalemates.com/kits/1118923-tiger-model-designs-35-5114-sd-kfz-6-corrected-cab-assembly

I don't really like about the styrene Bronco uses. It is soft and easy to pull out a section of the part if you clip right up to the part. You have to trim with a small amount remaining and slice that with the hobby blade.

Also the sprue attachments don't merge to the same colour when sanded, so it is hard to tell if the burr has been removed or not.

I am not strictly following the build instructions. This is to make sure everything lines up as required - i.e the rear cab wall is supposed to be glued to the cab sides and fitted as a unit, but it has locating pins on the back where it fits to the forward cargo area wall. As the cab sides are longer than the wall, I will attach them later for an assured fit

Enough blather.....



Not sure if the knock out marks on the inside of the frames will be seen yet. I may still have to fill them


Rear cab wall fits between the hollow rectangle and solid rectangle bits in this pic

The grill needed some flash removed, as did the side panels, but is quite well done. I will need to scratch a filler cap, whilst Bronco instructions show one fitted, they don't supply it. I presume it is on a sprue that in in their other SdkFz 6 kit.



This shows the extended steering arm. It also shows a boo boo..... got carried away sanding down the filler in the knock out marks under the fenders and didn't see the end of the sanding stick was sanding off the rear mud guard. The parts here are commendably thin - I will replace with card stock

Peter,
That is some inspiring work! The molds look great, and you take nice pictures. The mudguard aside... I think I've done that same mistake often.

Maybe we should get together some time over a couple of stubbies, fush, and chups and talk over some modelling?

Gaz

G’day gents!

@ Peter – nice progress. Good ol’ PMMS reviews, Evergreen, and skills to the rescue! And I know what you mean about soft styrene. I’m currently working between several different kit manufacturers, and find before cutting/grinding/sanding, I really need to remind myself of the variety in plastic compounds. ... Now which kit was I working on? 🤔 ...


Now I’m hungry! Lol!

Holiday cheers!🍺
—mike