1/35 Meng AUF 1

Post by **Lee** » Thu Sep 26, 2013 11:14 pm

That's looking REALLY nice Gav

Website · Post by **Gav0909** » Fri Sep 27, 2013 12:03 am

Tonight I got the main build all finished bar the tracks. Here is some pictophotomagraphs.

Sorry for the crap pics they were just quick ones taken in the bad living room light with the small led lamp from my knee board thing.

Next step is to get this primed. I have the Vallejo NATO Green primer, to save me one layer to paint!

Post by **Coen** » Fri Sep 27, 2013 12:44 am

That is such an odd looking machine. It barely looks real.
It's all big and small in the wrong places... but you can't stop looking at it.
I love that tiny little stowage rack on the rear of the turret.
So freaking fragile on the massive hunk that the turret is.

Very cool.

Post by **schweinhund227** » Fri Sep 27, 2013 2:19 am

Nice going! Keep up the good work!

Website · Post by **Gav0909** » Sat Sep 28, 2013 1:05 pm

Ok so we now have a primed model...mostly.

Hull is all primed

NATO Black was then applied to the underside (camo is only on the upper surfaces).

Turret primed bar the barrel where I was holding it, now the turret body is dry I can prime the barrel later

And all the wheels, MG and rear hatches are done as well.

Now the tricky part.....trying to paint the camo!

Post by **Coen** » Sat Sep 28, 2013 1:38 pm

Looks good so far buddy.
Good luck on the camo

Website · Post by **Gav0909** » Sat Sep 28, 2013 1:43 pm

I think I am going to try and use the white tack method. The idea of trying to get nice straight edges with masking tape over all the lumps and bumps on this makes me ill lol.

So going to rob some white tack from work and use that I think.

Post by **schweinhund227** » Sat Sep 28, 2013 1:50 pm

Ah! My friend! But you know it works
Proof is in the pudding .....

Good luck anyway!

Should look pretty Impressive...

Later bro!

Post by **Coen** » Sat Sep 28, 2013 2:38 pm

Dirty stealer!!!
Pilfering from work... shame shame. hahaha.

Website · Post by **Gav0909** » Sat Sep 28, 2013 11:44 pm

Haha, yeah the joys of working in a science lab. Free access to rubber gloves, pipettes, petri dishes (make good disposable paint pallettes), white tack etc lol.

Ok, sooo tonight I took the plunge and cracked out the NATO black and NATO brown. I was thinking of using white tack to mask, but I forgot to pick some up when I was at work earlier, so I just went freehand

But, a while later I opened my eyes and was pleasantly surprised by the results! Small touches of overspray here and there, but I daren't risk the paitn job trying to tidy that up, I always find that even if I hand paint touch ups, those bits never match the sprayed bits. I am thinking under a varnish, wash and final matt varnish, and perhaps some light dusting that it will come together...

So here are some pics.

First off I used the supplied PE mask to paint the insides of the wheels NATO Black.

And how the SPG itself turned out. Please bear in mind that the green, brown and black aren't all the same paint type, as in the black is very matt, the other two are slightly satin, this will all even out undervarnishes etc later on.

So next up is details. Tools, fire extinguishers, jerry cans, lights, MG, rear hatches etc.

Comments most welcome!

Post by **spruecutter** » Sat Sep 28, 2013 11:51 pm

Wow, nice work with that camo Gav, really brings it together.

Post by **BrummieModeller** » Sun Sep 29, 2013 1:05 am

Very nice me gav!

Post by **fly1ngdutchm4n** » Sun Sep 29, 2013 1:12 am

What a Awesome build!
Like the camo, great paint job!

Would love to build one myself now

Post by **schweinhund227** » Sun Sep 29, 2013 1:32 am

No Masks? Job well done!

Post by **Coen** » Sun Sep 29, 2013 1:38 am

You did that free hand!!!!

Holy lord liftin' mother of crap!
WOW Gav that turned out freaking awesome buddy.
You've really tuned that airbrush Dude. I never got it to do anything like that. haha.
Well done!!!

Post by **Paul** » Sun Sep 29, 2013 8:59 am

Great paintwork gav

Post by **garywintin** » Sun Sep 29, 2013 9:30 am

Nicely done Gav... May I ask which brown and black do you use? Just simple Tamiya Nato brown and NAto Black ??

Website · Post by **Gav0909** » Sun Sep 29, 2013 11:30 am

garywintin wrote:Nicely done Gav... May I ask which brown and black do you use? Just simple Tamiya Nato brown and NAto Black ??

You can indeed ask fine sir. I used Vallejo Model Air NATO Black and Brown and the green was Vallejo primer NATO Green. I think they work well, the black is a very matt paint, looks almost like blackboard paint.

To everyone else, cheers for the kind comments. And yes Norm, that was all freehand lol.

Website · Post by **Gav0909** » Sun Sep 29, 2013 11:58 pm

Another update. Hopefully the 2nd last one!

Since the last update I have put a light brown wash on the vehicle. I removed it from the green areas because it made the green to dark and brown. I have painted the insides of the side hatches, and the rear hatches and attached them. The MG has been drybrushed German Grey (the instructions call for it just to be black all over, nice and easy!). Hull details like tools, spare track etc have been painted as well.

So here are some pics

So next to do is a satin varnish, decals (there aren't many) then another satin varnish and voila, its done! Bar tracks of course, which will have to wait until I can afford some AM ones. But that's fine.

C&C welcome!

Post by **Coen** » Mon Sep 30, 2013 3:33 am

Looks freakin amazing Gav.
It'll be nice to see her with her shoes on... maybe she'll dance for us.
haha.

Website · Post by **Gav0909** » Mon Sep 30, 2013 10:46 am

I might give the tracks one more try, there is no sag, so in theory if I can even just get two short sections to remain flexible and together, the rest can be glued solid. I will persevere with them, as frankly I can't afford AM ones and it would be nice to see this fully finished.

Post by **alextheblue** » Mon Sep 30, 2013 11:13 am

Excellent job Gav, top drawer! I don't think the box-art does it full justice; maybe Meng could use one of your pics!

Fantastic job on the camo as well - freehand, WOW!!!

Post by **EasyEight96** » Mon Sep 30, 2013 11:52 am

Fantastic job on the camo gav

free hand on that is so impossible for me you are the man dude!!

Post by **Daishi12** » Mon Sep 30, 2013 12:25 pm

Awesome build mate

Post by **wappynutter** » Mon Sep 30, 2013 1:55 pm

Gav she looks "Bang-tidy" mate...
Well done ...

Website · Post by **Gav0909** » Mon Sep 30, 2013 2:34 pm

Cheers all for the comments. I am glad to see the camo received so well, as I was pretty worried about doing that if I am honest. But its good to see that it apparently turned out ok.

Website · Post by **Gav0909** » Wed Oct 02, 2013 10:43 am

Look, look! I managed to get one track to stay together in place, and even got it painted and put in place! I daren't touch the thing as the links want to pop apart, and where the track is joined in not a perfect join, but its not visible and the track is in place so I don't care!

So I will try with the other track now, and see if I can't get it to fit better, if not I know that with a bit of patience I can get them in place, and looking ok!

The tracks were primed with Vallejo black primer, and then using the PE mask in the kit, I painted the rubber pads NATO black (gives a slight faded, used look to the rubber pads). I have seen parade/display standard AUF1s with nice, clean black tracks so that's what I have gone for here, rather than a used dirty look.

Oh and the decals (all 6 of them) are done now as well, and save the 2nd track she is more or less done.
Cheers!

Post by **Coen** » Wed Oct 02, 2013 2:40 pm

Yeah!!!
Nice save Gav

Well done buddy!

Post by **ww2hispanomodels** » Wed Oct 02, 2013 10:18 pm

Amazing work! Full of details, this is what gives to the tank an incredible aspect

Post by **Paul** » Wed Oct 02, 2013 10:28 pm

Nice work gav

Post by **wappynutter** » Wed Oct 02, 2013 10:35 pm

Fantastic work matey...... LOVE IT.....

Website · Post by **Gav0909** » Thu Oct 03, 2013 12:53 pm

Cheers dude.

Well I have the house to myself later so going to go on a part clipping marathon and get all the track links clipped of their sprues and cleaned up for this last track on the AUF1. Might just stick a film on and get on with it while its on.

Post by **Coen** » Thu Oct 03, 2013 2:33 pm

Massive luck Gav.

Post by **Nige201980** » Sat Oct 05, 2013 8:44 am

Wow Gav great save on the tracks mate she is looking fantastic mate.

Website · Post by **Gav0909** » Sat Oct 05, 2013 2:24 pm

Well I have managed to build 80 links and get them to more or less stay together. The track is now being primed and then will paint in the track blocks and install on the vehicle.

I was going to go with a quite shiny look, but it just looks like its had a gloss coat and then left unfinished, so going to see if I have any matt varnish left (used the last of my Vallejo matt on my Chally 2). If I do it will get a coat, if not then it will stay satin for now.

Here is a quick pic of the last track as I was building it last night. Proof that I had (at the time) 41 links together, and were still flexible.

Cheers for all the comments. The next update will be a final lot of pics in the Land Gallery section and a YT video.

Cheers!

Post by **Coen** » Sat Oct 05, 2013 11:16 pm

Just saw the reveal vid Gav... top Drawer Dude.
If I didn't know any better I'd say you were an armour builder.
Now I'd say you're just a builder. All comers planes trains and automobiles eh?

Website · Post by **Gav0909** » Sun Oct 06, 2013 12:06 am

Got a ship coming from Glockster, that will be new territory for me!

Post by **Coen** » Sun Oct 06, 2013 12:36 am

That will be really cook to see you do.

Post by **HamilkarBarkas** » Mon Oct 07, 2013 5:02 pm

Its great to follow this project so closely, it looks fantastic

Website · Post by **Gav0909** » Mon Oct 07, 2013 5:17 pm

Cheers Michael. Its all finished now, and pics are in the Land Gallery section and on YT.