Hmmm, not really sure how to post this one, but here we go…
A while back I bought a lot of Skif kits on sale with the intent to build them into shot up wrecks in a couple of OIF dioramas I have planned. Well, with no experience with Skif I decided to build a MT-LB just to see how they go together. The kit it self is actually quiet nice with a basic interior and some PE parts. I guess it will be a good choice if you never have worked with PE before.
However, this was going to be a test build, so the result was not that important to me (At least I thought so…) I guess it is with model building as with physical training – if you want to get better the training has to hurt or else it is just ordinary exercise. With this in mind I decided to try some new techniques. The build it self was pretty much straight forward. I skipped the interior since the MT-LB was going to be buttoned up and found some MT-LB pics on the net for a colour scheme. (No, I have no idea if the camo and markings are correct…). I scratched some new mud flaps as an experiment, and they look a bit better than those which came with the kit, but not much. There were a couple of fit issues but nothing major until the tracks were ready to be put on. They don’t fit… Luckily I had a pair of AM tracks, so I used them (Could use one or two more links on each side I guess). When this problem was sorted out I started the weathering. I decided to try dry mud for the first time. And as you can see from the pics I failed… I used the mud technique from Mig’s FAQ book but my mixture was to thin and the result was horrible. When I got a thicker mixture I managed to make it a little better, but not much. I have a couple of figgies to go with the track, and hopefully they will save some of the overall impression (But with my luck probably not…).
All in all the Skif kit is ok, but some details are soft and the PE is a bit hard to bend. I guess it will build into a pretty nice model with a bit more TLC than I showed it. However, I got them really cheap and the rest will serve well as Iraqi wrecks.

Feel free to comment this pile of junk.

Erik
(Who learnt a lot from this build)

And as if failing with this kit was not enough I got a hair in my camera which I am not able to remove. I guess it will be a nice bill for getting the camera cleaned...

--Yipee seen at last !!
Don't know why you were hiding it .....it looks great ---just throw some more mud round the tracks and wheels ...then it will be magic..worth the wait....Like the base as well

As for the "blip"on lense----Just like you..."HAIR to-day ---Gone tomorrow " :-) :-)
aye
BARV
(GOSMG)

HI Erik,

I actually think the mud looks good. I think often people tend to over do it with mud. Yours looks very realistic on the body. I would however add some more to the wheels and the tracks and maybe try to blend it all together with some dust. Overall, Id say it looks great though. Nice groundwork too!

You're being too hard on yourself. Mud isn't always thick--sometimes it's thin and goopy and goes on like lumpy paint. Your MTLB doesn't look as artsy as some diorama mud treatments, but life isn't always artsy either. I've seen training ground photos that look very much like your vehicle. Only odd thing is having mud that coats the upper hull but not the wheels and tracks. That will unify it. Give the running gear an even coating of it, then add a thin wash of the mud color a touch darker to re-create the shadows and bring out the details.
As for me, I'm a bit paranoid about dramatic weathering effects after I've painted and decaled a project, so I weather with artists watercolors. If I hate an effect, it washes off. Once I like something, a clear flat overspray makes it permanant.

Ditto what everyone else has said, your mud looks great. Just need to hit the road wheels and tracks... Would like to see progress shots on your other kits and the OIF dioramas when you get to them.