1/35 Tamiya Panzer II Ausf. C

Modulation style from earlier in the blog and photoshopped.

 Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year to everyone.

Dragon Stug III G 1/35th scale. Another one of Dragon's excellent kits. 

Sprayed in a two tone camouflage and then over sprayed in light layers of white. I added a Legend stowage set to the engine deck. Really good detail and once the resin waste blocks are removed it only needs painting. it's a perfect fit.

Here is my Trumpeter 1/35 T-62 mod. 62. Built out of the box and painted in Tamiya acrylics using colour modulation. Weathered with oils and pigments. This model has been a great success for me as i have won a few trophies with it. Makes all the time i spent painting it worthwhile. It is one of my favourites. 

I've not managed any more work on the Schwimmwagen. Painting the spare room at the moment so the model room is cluttered with bits of disassembled bed and furniture. However here is a couple of pictures of one of my past efforts brilliantly brought to life by keith McNeill (see link on right hand side for more great photographs)

Schwimmwagen Part 4.

Where does the time go? it's been a while since i posted anything. However i had a nasty bought of flu (not the man strain but the real proper one!) and it's not been kind to me. Anyway back now and i am still beavering away on the Schwimmwagen. Not much to show picture wise but i have made progress. Currently trying to work out how to fabricate the canvas roof and more trickily the bars and associated lever frame work. Some pictures as soon as i have finished building it.

Schwimmwagen Part 3.

Some more work completed today. The inside panels were measured and drawn onto paper then used as templates to cut thin plasticard and these were then glued in place to the interior walls giving a much improved look to the inside walls, just a touch of filler required and that is job done.
I've started adding on the outside details, some of the parts are in need of a serious clean up but nothing too taxing here. I have upgraded the front lights with copper wire conduit. I left a small portion of the plastic sleeve on to act as a gromit attaching to the actual light fitting and i have cut up a couple of map pins and glued the ball inside the fitting to represent the light bulbs. Hopefully they will be seen once the clear plastic part representing the glass is fitted. if not i know they are there!

Plasticard interior wall added.

Opposite side.

Main headlights with wiring and blue gromit.

Lightbulb added.

Schwimmwagen Part 2.

Work progresses well. I've made up some sub assemblies and fitted in the engine bulkhead. I say fitted but it isn't a good fit at all. Terrible large gaps all around between the bottom hull and the bulkhead part. Glued the two halves together and fine adjusted the bulkhead to suit the best it could. I do not like filling and sanding, it is my least liked modelling task but i have made a start at filling in the gaps.

Not a lot to show for my efforts here. I am going to stop messing around with filler and cut plasticard templates to suit the insides of the vehicle and cover them over for a smoother look. I will spend just as long filling and sanding as i will cutting out exact parts to fit. This is why i don't do aircraft models, all those fuselage seams, aircraft modellers i salute you!

Here are a few pictures from the start of the Schwimmwagen build. The kit manufacturer is Eduard, more renowned for their brass sets and aircraft model kits. This particular model is 1/16th scale and caught my eye at a model show several years ago and as a bonus, was cheap!
I've refined a few parts and added a few from scratch as well to give a higher level of detail. Whilst at the War and Peace show, i've managed to photograph the real thing and i am poring over my pictures to help with the progress of this model and to try and be accurate at the same time.

Box art.

Original kit part.

New hinges for duck boards and cut out as on the real thing

The real thing.

As seen at the War and Peace show.

New hinges attached.

I've cut out the aperture for the lever and added a few missing bits to the gears.

I had a great time at the Glasgow show on Saturday. I won 2 golds and best armour model in show for my T-62 early version. Very pleased indeed!
I'm working on a 1/16th scale Schwimmwagon and i will be posting some progress shots sometime this week.

This week i will be selecting models to take to the Glasgow show on Saturday. I will be there with IPMS Edinburgh, so if you're there come along and say hello.

Straying away from the models for a moment but keeping with the theme of my spare time, i ran the Edinburgh 10k yesterday. Finishing time of 1 hour 4 minutes.

Just back from the engravers and so i thought i better take some pictures before i start handing them back.
Left to right they are IPMS Edinburgh shield 2012, Glasgow best armour in show 2011 and Scottish National Trophy for best armour model in show 2012.

Dragon Stug G 1/35

Tasca Luchs 1/35

Trumpeter T-62 1/35

Finally, I have completed the Sherman diorama. It's better than i could have thought. This tank has been sitting around on the 'to do' shelf for a few years. I painted the basic colours and then couldn't make my mind up how to finish it. Then i took up the challenge only for it to go back on the shelf after a difficult time with some individual track links, real pain. So here it is at last. Academy M4 with a Verlinden crew set. I saw these figures with their life vests on and thought it would add a quirky finish to it.
What's next? i have a few other 'to do' projects and it's back to the figure painting for more practice. i also need to practice depth of field on my photographs!

I've almost finished the Sherman diorama. Just a few finishing touches to do and then place the crew figures into their hatches. I'm very pleased with the outcome. This model has been on the shelf, unfinished for a very long time, glad to do it justice. I'll post pictures next week once it is finally complete.

I'm on a roll with the Sherman. I have now painted the water effect and i am very pleased with it. Figures are the next step and a few finishing touches to the tank and the tracks and it is complete. Hopefully with my new found enthusiasm for this project, it will be completed soon.