Global Scale Modeller

All looking good and nice work

In truth it looks far more realistic like this. Hull numbers/insignia would have been re-applied in the field by hand and would look pretty much like that. Stencilled items would have been the preserve of workshops - field or base.
Well done on an excellent recovery!!

Nice save from an unfortunate event!

Great save on the turret decals mate they look good, these where often painted on by the crews, somethings by spray or hand painted with a brush. They certainly wouldn't have been that fused about perfect edges see here

Size and colour as a long as you could see it mattered more.

Thanks Guys.

The main thing was to get rid of the blasted carrier film.

I did the wash this morning. Ultimate's dark dirt. Lovel stuff.



I removed the wash then started on the tracks. I attached them using CA glue to create the sag so they sit right on the road wheels.



MASSIVE school boy error. The left side track is on back to front. I only realised when I uploaded the photos to my laptop. I'll flip them round at the next session



You can see just how much is visible if the skirts are left off.



Then I started on the weathering process. The tracks were sprayed with Vallejo Metal Coat Steel before I put them on the tank. I then applied AK dark rust with a brush making sure it went into the recessed sections of the tracks. The paint is incredibly thin so brush painting doesn't create any opacity, rather you get the tonal appearance of rust without turning the tracks orange.



Then Vallejo Dark Aluminium dry brushed on to the raised sections to simulate wear.







The final stage will be dry pigments at the end of the build once everything else has been done.

All put together.







The dark dirt wash hasn't knocked enough sheen off the gloss (I applied the gloss quite heavily, hence there was a lot of shine) so I will mist the kit with matt varnish when everything else is done.







Little bit more clean up under the headlight is needed.



Checklist of what's left. Switch the track, paint the crew figures, oil stains on the engine deck, matt varnish then finally pigments on the tracks. Nearly there!

I can see it's heading straight to the top shelf front and centre.

Love the wash, looking great and on the home stretch

This is the second time I've seen the Ultimate washes used since I joined the forum. I think I'm going to have to find some of these. They look nice when applied.

The tracks look amazing! I can't wait to see them with pigments added.

It's looking great!

digger303 wrote: Sun Jul 19, 2020 3:27 pm I can see it's heading straight to the top shelf front and centre.

Kevthemodeller wrote: Sun Jul 19, 2020 4:03 pm Love the wash, looking great and on the home stretch

BigWall wrote: Sun Jul 19, 2020 6:00 pm This is the second time I've seen the Ultimate washes used since I joined the forum. I think I'm going to have to find some of these. They look nice when applied.

The tracks look amazing! I can't wait to see them with pigments added.

It's looking great!

Thanks Guys. The ultimate washes are superb and last a long time too as they have so much pigment in them. When I first came back to the hobby I started using chalks for washes, grinding them into water with a bit of washing up liquid to mix. I thought the effect was amazing but the Ultimate washes are a quantum leap ahead of chalk / sludge washes.

Oh and I fixed the tracks last night. Bit of brute force got the track off, spun it round and back on with the CA. Now I can hold my head up among my peers again!

Top work going on here, well done that man

Fantastic job Stokesy, you're really getting rather good at this!

Paul

Couldn't leave the tracks all frack to bunt so I found myself with the industrial plyers and a pry bar removing the left side and doing a good old switcheroo

There was a fair bit of resistance but thankfully I didn't rip or stretch the trick. Couple of the wheels looked like they'd been properly scalped though!



My OCD can rest well now.

Looking great mate, the weathering on the front glacis plate is superb and those tracks look top

smashing work, good job swapping the track and the subtle chipping. The dull shine on the high points of the track look good.

digger303 wrote: Tue Jul 21, 2020 5:16 am smashing work, good job swapping the track and the subtle chipping. The dull shine on the high points of the track look good.

Thanks mate. I think I've finally found a step by step system for Jerry tracks. Just need to remember it for next time.

Base coat is steel from Vallejo (or it might have been Burnt Iron ). Rust from AK brushed into the recessed parts. Dark Aluminium dry brushed onto the raised areas. Dry pigments for dust (not yet done)

Stokesy44 wrote: Tue Jul 21, 2020 8:19 am

digger303 wrote: Tue Jul 21, 2020 5:16 am smashing work, good job swapping the track and the subtle chipping. The dull shine on the high points of the track look good.

Thanks mate. I think I've finally found a step by step system for Jerry tracks. Just need to remember it for next time.

Base coat is steel from Vallejo (or it might have been Burnt Iron ). Rust from AK brushed into the recessed parts. Dark Aluminium dry brushed onto the raised areas. Dry pigments for dust (not yet done)

Fantastic

Quax wrote: Mon Jul 20, 2020 9:55 am Fantastic job Stokesy, you're really getting rather good at this!

Paul

Kevthemodeller wrote: Mon Jul 20, 2020 5:57 pm Looking great mate, the weathering on the front glacis plate is superb and those tracks look top

Thanks Guys. Just need to get her over the finish line now. Matt varnish, dry pigments and painting the crew. Saturday cant come quick enough. Then I can have one of those blissful moments where I stand in front of the stash and say who's next?

All looking good and nice work Sir

Cracking job getting those tracks sorted mate - looking forward to seeing it all properly dirtied up now

The tank is finished, just the crew left now.

Matt varnish this morning to knock the shine off. AK Ultra Matt Varnish, does what it says on the bottle.











Then it was on to pigments. I figured with the kit being in a Kursk scheme and the battle happening mid summer I didn't want mud on the tracks, rather dust was the way to go. I used 1 shade of Vallejo pigments and applied it dry with a brush and a weathering stick from an old Tamiya set. I wanted it on the tracks but also on the wheels, especially the rims which always seem to have a dusty look in old and modern pictures.







Its taken the shine off the track dry brushing which looks ok to me, you can still see the metal and the variation but its all toned down now.



Front glacis plates





Skirts done.







Rear end



I didn't do much in the way of stains on the engine deck, mostly because I'm not sure where to put them re filler caps etc.



Ready for the crew figures now





They'll be done tomorrow and that's it

Superb result mate, you've really caught that worn been in action look

Very nice results! The pigments really brought it together. Did you use anything to fix them down or just dust them on?

Nicely done not over stated , but you can see it's had a experience or two.

Top result and very nice work

Thanks Gents.

All done now. Crewman painted, dry-brushed and washed with various acrylics.















And that's it. Great kit from Tamiya, well worth it. As always, thanks for looking in, all the banter and encouragement.

See you on the next build

Very nice wrap up! Great job!

Awesome job Stokesy!

Excellent build thread as always and those figures look great.

Superb result mate - really well turned out

What's up next??

great result, love the guy with the bino's hiding behind his mate.

digger303 wrote: Wed Jul 29, 2020 12:13 am great result, love the guy with the bino's hiding behind his mate.

Thanks mate. He's hiding because he's seen those laser firing Shermans from 'Fury'

BigWall wrote: Sun Jul 26, 2020 6:40 pm Very nice wrap up! Great job!

jchrisf wrote: Sun Jul 26, 2020 8:52 pm Awesome job Stokesy!

SMAddict66 wrote: Sun Jul 26, 2020 11:12 pm Excellent build thread as always and those figures look great.

Thanks guys. Much appreciated

Tomcat64 wrote: Tue Jul 28, 2020 3:50 pm Superb result mate - really well turned out

What's up next??

Thanks mate. Tamiya certainly make it easy! As for what's next? I've been asking myself the same thing. Answer is I don't have a clue yet!

Something from Tamiya with rubber band tracks or maybe an aircraft. Need to decide by the weekend as I want to get started on Saturday.

Then there's always that Brummbar!

Top result there and well done that man

Stokesy44 wrote: Wed Jul 29, 2020 8:19 am

Tomcat64 wrote: Tue Jul 28, 2020 3:50 pm Superb result mate - really well turned out

What's up next??

Thanks mate. Tamiya certainly make it easy! As for what's next? I've been asking myself the same thing. Answer is I don't have a clue yet!

Something from Tamiya with rubber band tracks or maybe an aircraft. Need to decide by the weekend as I want to get started on Saturday.

Then there's always that Brummbar!

Mix it up man....go British. You must have a Brit tank or armored car tucked away there somewhere.

digger303 wrote: Wed Jul 29, 2020 9:42 am
Mix it up man....go British. You must have a Brit tank or armored car tucked away there somewhere.

Tempting.

I do have some Brit stuff. Airborne jeep with towed howitzer and Paras, desert jeep and truck with SAS troopers. Also got a Chally 2 which looks a nice kit.

I fancy a bit of a challenge though so I just don't know!

Excellent final result !!!

But, without a doubt, what I like the most is the paint and aging work. It is very convincing and realistic and what adds personality to the model.

Stokesy44 wrote: Wed Jul 29, 2020 5:52 pm

digger303 wrote: Wed Jul 29, 2020 9:42 am
Mix it up man....go British. You must have a Brit tank or armored car tucked away there somewhere.

Tempting.

I do have some Brit stuff. Airborne jeep with towed howitzer and Paras, desert jeep and truck with SAS troopers. Also got a Chally 2 which looks a nice kit.

I fancy a bit of a challenge though so I just don't know!

Thought you might have a valentine tucked away.

Josebagasteiz wrote: Wed Jul 29, 2020 7:25 pm Excellent final result !!!

But, without a doubt, what I like the most is the paint and aging work. It is very convincing and realistic and what adds personality to the model.

Thanks Jose,

Its all about the painting and weathering for me. Its what turns a kit from a piece of plastic into something special.

digger303 wrote: Thu Jul 30, 2020 1:22 am
Thought you might have a valentine tucked away.

Nope, already built a little desert darling!



I still cant decide!

Stokesy44 wrote: Wed Jul 29, 2020 5:52 pm

digger303 wrote: Wed Jul 29, 2020 9:42 am
Mix it up man....go British. You must have a Brit tank or armored car tucked away there somewhere.

Tempting.

I do have some Brit stuff. Airborne jeep with towed howitzer and Paras, desert jeep and truck with SAS troopers. Also got a Chally 2 which looks a nice kit.

I fancy a bit of a challenge though so I just don't know!

Split the difference go Soviet T34, 54, 62, 72, 80 maybe

Kevthemodeller wrote: Thu Jul 30, 2020 9:12 am

Stokesy44 wrote: Wed Jul 29, 2020 5:52 pm

digger303 wrote: Wed Jul 29, 2020 9:42 am
Mix it up man....go British. You must have a Brit tank or armored car tucked away there somewhere.

Tempting.

I do have some Brit stuff. Airborne jeep with towed howitzer and Paras, desert jeep and truck with SAS troopers. Also got a Chally 2 which looks a nice kit.

I fancy a bit of a challenge though so I just don't know!

Split the difference go Soviet T34, 54, 62, 72, 80 maybe

Ok starting to challenge me now....hmmm....split the diff....go early Russian Vickers.