Tomcat's 1/35 Bronco Humber Mk II

[BigWall]

For being such a pain, it's coming along nicely.

[Stokesy44]

Very nice work mate. I really like the colour on those hubs. Excellent under danglage all round!

[digger303]

great looking suspension .

[Kevthemodeller]

Just shows what some skill can do Neil

[smokeriderdon]

Looking good!

[Tomcat64]

For being such a pain, it's coming along nicely.

Very nice work mate. I really like the colour on those hubs. Excellent under danglage all round!

great looking suspension .

Just shows what some skill can do Neil

Looking good!

Thanks folks

[Tomcat64]

I was a little surprised when I realised that it'd been three weeks since I last posted an update for this, but then realised I'd uploaded photos to Flickr but hadn't posted the update to go with them so here's a bit of a double update...

Build Part IX

Hull

First the final parts of the hull involve adding the PE tool hooks


These were expectedly fiddly and I'll be amazed if I get through the rest of the build without damaging them but they're all there


The tools will be added a bit later once they're painted up


Then it was onto building up the mud guard assemblies - and there are a few arrows to deal with... The red arrow in section 33 is because after some searching the parts labelled as PE P37 are in fact styrene parts bb20 (nice touch Bronco), and the yellow arrowed lamp assembly just appears out of nowhere and actually it's built in section 41 Oh and the orange arrow in section 35 is because the part labelled PE P34 is in fact P37


The other thing to note on both sides is that sections 34 & 37 have three different options and you only need to choose one of those options for each side


I've left the flimsy cans off for now but went ahead and built up & attached the mud guards so it's starting to take shape


Down the back end of the left hand side there was also another assembly to install,


and you can also see the bb20 mounting brackets mentioned earlier (needed to drill out the locating holes for these)


And for completeness here's the reference to the headlight assembly, along with part E87 which I couldn't see in any of the reference photos or later in the instructions so I've left it off - especially as there are no locating holes for it either!


The front lifting brackets were installed, but I've left the mirrors off as they'd definitely be broken off if I installed them now

Turret

With that done the build moves onto the turret


This was a little fiddly but relatively straightforward with the only note here that part I7 in section 43 is actually I69; also I've installed the rear wall and part I57 from section 52 as well - make sure you double check & drill out the right hole for this one


I've added some of the outer parts but not the lamp assembly as I'll do that when I've painted up and assembled the interior


Next up was the gun breech assemblies - the warning about the elevation was a little confusing at this point but did become clear a little later and is to do with the cartridge ejector chutes which I'm assuming were canvas or leather on the original and therefore flexible




The only way I could figure out how to get I23, I55 & I56 aligned was to use the back of I7 as a jig to get the parts in place one at a time


I then skipped ahead from stage 46 to stage 50 to complete the gun assembly as this seemed to make more sense to me...


And here's how it looks all assembled - keep an eye out for the fact that this is intentionally asymmetric as the guns are offset in the turret


Back to section 47 to start building the seats up...


The angles look a little odd in the instruction diagram, but the thing to watch here is that the small nub on I18 faces directly forward when it's installed (arrowed below), and as you can see I assembled the seats off the frame


And then put it all together; one final note here is that I installed the rear box (Db17 & Db19) after adding the seats as I guessed that this could foul on the seat if installed first in the wrong place


Ok then skip forward again to section 49 to start building up the lower turret ring


The radios are dry fitted at this point and the PE parts are also still to be installed

While all this was going on I also packed the openings on the lower hull with foam and gave it a coat of Ultimate grey primer followed by Vallejo light stone


Which also allowed for a quick dry fit of some of the turret sections... one thing I noted from this is that if the PE guards for the radios are fitted as indicated in the instructions I think they'll foul the inside of the turret roof, so more checking to do there

So it's definitely starting to take shape now, and hopefully I'll get the interior primed and base coated this weekend and then start picking out the details and assembling the flimsies.

Thanks as always for looking & have a great weekend

[Donkeywalloper]

You really have excelled in this build and the ball is out of the park and lost in undergrowth.
Fantastic work.
DW

[Stokesy44]

Wow, impressive update. The hull detail looks great under paintwork and the turret looks nicely put together.

Its a proper funky looking thing too

[BigWall]

Agreed! Very funky. My favorite kind of build. It's looking great!

[digger303]

Lots of good work and research to get it right......I'd likely just plonk it on and hope for the best

[Stokesy44]

Lots of good work and research to get it right......I'd likely just plonk it on and hope for the best

That's the beauty of the hobby. All types of crazy are welcome!

[digger303]

Lots of good work and research to get it right......I'd likely just plonk it on and hope for the best

That's the beauty of the hobby. All types of crazy are welcome!

Well I'm definitely left of centre......I'm right at home

[Tomcat64]

You really have excelled in this build and the ball is out of the park and lost in undergrowth.
Fantastic work.
DW

Wow, impressive update. The hull detail looks great under paintwork and the turret looks nicely put together.

Its a proper funky looking thing too

Agreed! Very funky. My favorite kind of build. It's looking great!

Lots of good work and research to get it right......I'd likely just plonk it on and hope for the best

Thanks guys and yep it's a strange looking item at the moment... I think adding the wheels & barrels might help once they're on

Lots of good work and research to get it right......I'd likely just plonk it on and hope for the best

That's the beauty of the hobby. All types of crazy are welcome!

Guilty as charged yer honner!

[Tomcat64]

Build Part X

Just a quick update from the weekend which was mostly spent painting & distressing the interior of the turret assemblies...

Here's the lower turret & seats - the seats have been attached & knocked off twice so far so they're staying off until the rest of the turret is assembled & painted now! The PE brackets on the rear ammo bin were a little fiddly but otherwise nothing much to report in here


Here's the radio - a quick dry fit of the upper & lower turret shows that I should be able to install this afterwards which should help avoid any fouling on the interior fixtures in the upper turret


The gun breech assemblies next - the cartridge chutes were painted in a canvas colour


And finally here's the upper turret


Everything was put aside to dry properly and will be treated with an interior wash like the hull interior.

I've also painted up the doors & engine cover but that's not overly exciting in isolation so will hopefully show a photo of them once they're attached to the hull.

Thanks as always for looking

[Donkeywalloper]

Stunning Neil, absolutely stunning chap.
I'm in awe.
DW

[BigWall]

Very nice Neil!

[Stokesy44]

Cracking work on the interior mate. Looks beautifully distressed

[Kevthemodeller]

See what happens when my back is turned Some more amazing work there Neil, the interior detailing and weather is superb

[Quax]

you definitely have the same issue as Stokesy albeit on a slightly different scale, all this super detail is going to go missing

Paul

[Stokesy44]

you definitely have the same issue as Stokesy albeit on a slightly different scale, all this super detail is going to go missing

Paul

Now just you wait a minute there chum, whadya mean, missing? I'm warnin ya! You trying to steal our stuff or what?

[Tomcat64]

Stunning Neil, absolutely stunning chap.
I'm in awe.
DW

Very nice Neil!

Cracking work on the interior mate. Looks beautifully distressed

See what happens when my back is turned Some more amazing work there Neil, the interior detailing and weather is superb

Thanks chaps

you definitely have the same issue as Stokesy albeit on a slightly different scale, all this super detail is going to go missing

Paul

Thanks for stopping by Paul! I did look at seeing if I could leave the upper hull removable but a combination of attachment points and warped parts meant it wasn't possible, so this is definitely one of those "I know it's in there" builds.

you definitely have the same issue as Stokesy albeit on a slightly different scale, all this super detail is going to go missing

Paul

Now just you wait a minute there chum, whadya mean, missing? I'm warnin ya! You trying to steal our stuff or what?

[Tomcat64]

I've managed to get some time in at the bench in the evenings this week to make progress on the turret...

Build Part XI

First I joined the upper & lower turret halves; my guess that I could slot the radio in afterwards didn't pan out after some dry fitting so it was wedged in prior to joining the parts up - and here it is


The join did leave some minor gaps that will need attention from a swipe of filler


Then onto the shooty bits; the instructions seem to imply that the barrels need to slot into their respective housings...


But in this case after some dry fitting it turns out the housings could be attached to the mantlet first


And then the barrels could be dropped in afterwards - these are dry-fitted at the moment so they can be removed to make painting easier


I then attached the breech sections to the inside of the turret and connected that to the external mantlet before dropping it in place on the hull to make sure it all went together with the bits in place


One thing to note here is that there is a socket on the ejector bin that sits on the round mounting point in the lower hull - so it was a pleasant surprise when everything lined up


Hatch cover interiors were painted up and weathered a bit


And then dry fitted in the closed position for now; they'll be held in place with a blob of pva for painting purposes and then opened up later


Also visible in the previous photo was the raft of PE attachments on the outside of the turret from these instructions:






These were incredibly fiddly and not my tidiest work, but they're all there and more or less the right shape - hopefully they'll look a bit better once they're under paint

So with that all done I think that's the main build done! I still need to paint & attached the tools & cans, and add struts for the engine cover & driver's view port but it finally feels like we're on the final stretch.

Hopefully this weekend I can get the main painting done on the turret without knocking anything off & make a start on the other assorted greeblies.

Thanks as always for looking & have a great weekend

[Stokesy44]

Nice detail on the turret, should look good under paintwork with all the extras on it. The interior of the hatch looks pucker too, will be great displayed in the open position.

[Tomcat64]

Nice detail on the turret, should look good under paintwork with all the extras on it. The interior of the hatch looks pucker too, will be great displayed in the open position.

Cheers mate

[Tomcat64]

So a good weekend at the bench has moved this along really well

Build Part XII

After priming the turret in Ultimate grey it was given a coat of Model Air Light Stone to match the rest of the body - and I started adding the camo pattern with LifeColor Worn Black by brush - I could say this was to replicate the field-applied camo, but the reality was that I couldn't be bothered to mask it up and fire up the airbrush

So first thing up top to note was that the gunners hatch actually covered some of the upper plate so that was also fixed with a bit of brushing


The gun barrels were also painted up & attached, the barrels were picked out in gun metal appropriated, followed by a couple of black washes


And the lens added to the light - need to do a little tidying up here


The open drivers hatch was added to the hull - I did fail dismally to get the strut in place though so that's missing (actually a crumpled ball of PE & plastic in the bin!)


And with the wheels attached as well that's how things looked at the end of Saturday - unfortunately somewhere along the way the wheels have become slightly wonky so I'll need to stabilise it on the base by posing one of the wheels on a raised bit of rubble


Onto Sunday and the lower hull "shield" panels were fitted down the front - oops looks like I missed a coat of black here!


and down the back


With the exhaust also refitted while we had it upside down


Pioneer tools were painted up and attached


And the shovel the other side


Just a few decals which behaved beautifully - here's the front


And down the back these will be covered if the flimsy's are attached to their intended brackets


I also decided it was time to take the plunge and reattach the seat assembly - it's not too clear on this, but the seat frame also connects to the cartridge bin


I also attached the mirrors and the towing hooks & cable




With that all set aside to rest I switched to the base from Dio Dump and sanded the base of the column before attaching it - the individual column section is loose until I decide where it's going to end up


And posed the car to see how it'd look...

So with all that done I need to get the flimsy cans done (still), give the car a flat coat and then start weathering and make a start on decorating the base - all being well I should be in with a shout of getting this done in the next couple of weeks.

Thanks as always for looking

[digger303]

Some excellent progress being achieved. I have no doubt it will be all done and dusted in 2 weeks.

[Kevthemodeller]

Oh yes it's really coming alive now Neil

[Stokesy44]

Great paint job. The base looks very cool too. Just enough character to make something of it without being OTT

[Quax]

all come together nicely and the dio base is very cool!

Paul

[ForeverPlasticKits]

My favorite british armored car, such a nice kit and your build is fantastic!

[BigWall]

Absolutely beautiful.

Putting your tire on a rock is called flexing. It's a thing.

20160827_153122 by Big Wall, on Flickr

LOL!

[digger303]

Absolutely beautiful.

Putting your tire on a rock is called flexing. It's a thing.

20160827_153122 by Big Wall, on Flickr

LOL!

Looks like asking for trouble.

[Stokesy44]

Absolutely beautiful.

Putting your tire on a rock is called flexing. It's a thing.

20160827_153122 by Big Wall, on Flickr

LOL!

Looks like asking for trouble.

Just looks like bad parking to me. Need to reset the sensors.

[BigWall]

[Just looks like bad parking to me. Need to reset the sensors.

[Tomcat64]

Some excellent progress being achieved. I have no doubt it will be all done and dusted in 2 weeks.

Oh yes it's really coming alive now Neil

Great paint job. The base looks very cool too. Just enough character to make something of it without being OTT

all come together nicely and the dio base is very cool!

Paul

My favorite british armored car, such a nice kit and your build is fantastic!

Thanks chaps - feels like it's on the final run in now!

Absolutely beautiful.

Putting your tire on a rock is called flexing. It's a thing.

20160827_153122 by Big Wall, on Flickr

LOL!

Thanks Joe! But am I the only one that thinks that jeep looks like it's taking a pee up that rock???

[Tomcat64]

Just a quick update this week as it was Mrs Tomcat's birthday yesterday so bench time was necessarily limited this weekend but on the upside cake was involved!

Build Part XIII

Humber

During the evenings last week I finally got around to building up the flimsy cans; now each can consists of a styrene body & top which posed no problems - however each one should also include one each of three PE parts (P25, P32 & P30). Now, there are eight cans in total, and whilst we have eight P25s we're down to six each of P32 & P30 as we've been told to use them earlier sooooo reviewing the PE fret I used P20 to replace P32 and P14 to replace P30 as we had two each of those. They both needed trimming to size and my guess is that we should probably have used those earlier in the build where P32 & P30 were indicated.

Anyway with that bodging done the cans were painted grey for the fuel and white/grey for the water. The frames were then picked out in Light Stone by brush and Tamiya panel liner was run around the edges - it's a little messy in places but this will be worked into the weathering


And here they are in place in the cages


And down the back as expected they completely cover the markings


I also began experimenting with washes for the vehicle - so the rear wheel in this shot (to the right) has had a wash & wipe with AK interactive Afrika Korps wash

Base

Then I gave the base some attention - it was initially primed with Vallejo Desert Tan primer and then given top coats with Sand Yellow and Sand Brown


Next it was in with the pigments (Gulf War Sand & African Earth), followed by dry brushed highlights over the rocks with increasingly lighter shades of the original desert tan. Finally the ruins were given a wash & wipe with the aforementioned Afrika Korps wash before adding the grassy tufts that came with the base set

So all that's left to do is to weather up the car and maybe add a couple of figures - I've got a variety of appropriate chaps in different boxes, but not sure if I can make their poses work, so they'll be a last minute decision.

Thanks for looking as always

[digger303]

Really like your treatment of the base in particular....nicely done.

[smokeriderdon]

That's gonna look great

[BigWall]

The base came out very nicely!

[Stokesy44]

That's a fine looking base. The little bits of grass and the wash on the stone pieces looks very nice.

[Quax]

I agree with the chaps, the base has turned out very nicely and you're almost in the home straight!

Paul

[Tomcat64]

Really like your treatment of the base in particular....nicely done.

That's gonna look great

The base came out very nicely!

That's a fine looking base. The little bits of grass and the wash on the stone pieces looks very nice.

I agree with the chaps, the base has turned out very nicely and you're almost in the home straight!

Paul

Thanks chaps I was really pleased with the way the base turned out

[Tomcat64]

Here's a quick update from this week's shenanigans...

Build Part XIV

First I beat up the armoured car - this was done by chipping with camo black/brown followed by a wash/wipe with the Afrika Korps wash and then dusting applied with the same MIG pigments used on the base to try and tie it all together. I've also added aerials from 9 gauge guitar string.


I've decided to try and include a couple of figures from these sets


This one's pose doesn't quite work so I'm having to perform some surgery on his right arm


Anyhow here they are in place with the weathered car on the base

So for the weekend (and deadline) I need to get the two chaps finished & painted, finish the PE sand channels & finally pick out some of the details with a panel wash - fingers crossed I can get this all done

Thanks as always for looking

[digger303]

The armored car is looking suitably worn and had more than it's first service.

[Twokidsnosleep]

Fantastic
Loving the vehicle and the base display

[BigWall]

Amazing. The weathering looks awesome!

[Casper]

wow superb
your weathering on both vehicle and base is excellent, the Afrika Korps wash and pigments look perfect
mark

[Kevthemodeller]

Oh yes, superb weathering Neil the base is taking it to another level

[Stokesy44]

Excellent weathering mate, looks great all over but those tyres and hubs are next level.

Figures look good too. I'm really impressed with Masterbox, beautiful detail