First Model In 8 Years (could look worse right?)

DirtyDrummer · 30-05-2007

Well after an 8 year hiatus I decided to build another model. For the past week I have been putting together this little T34/76. I just painted it today. This was my first attempt at weathering and I'm not too sure I like the results. I might just spray it green again and start over without the snow effect.

http://farm1.static.flickr.com/191/5...f013c14d_b.jpg
http://farm1.static.flickr.com/234/5...8777b7de_b.jpg
http://farm1.static.flickr.com/253/5...3f899f51_b.jpg

Comments would be greatly appriciated.

**Bluewavestudios** · 30-05-2007

Looks fine from where I am looking, Just set it off in the right background on a nice diorama and she will look superb.

Welcome back to the modelling scene and of course to the Forums, Keep the Pics coming !!

Regards.....Mark

**GEEDUBBYA** · 30-05-2007

Howdy Drummer,

First, welcome to the forum and welcome back to modelling. The tank looks fine to me, I used to build alot of tanks years ago, but have gotten into mostly aircraft now. I have been looking at building accurate minatures 1:48th scale Yak 1 wwII fighter. as you can see from the boxart below, it is shown in snow with ski's for landing gear.
I have been thinking about what I might use for "snow" myself. Since the plane is all white, weathering it with snow is really not needed but, for a "Base" or diaroma, I have considered Polyesther fiber fill like you would find in most modern blankets or in some pillows. Of course I have thought about gluing this material to a round wooden plaque as a display base.
Another Idea I have been throwing around in my head was covering the wooden plaque with plaster of paris, shaping it into drifts and even maybe adding ski marks in the texture of the plaster.
But as of this moment I dont know what I will do. I just thought I would run those thoughts past you and maybe inspire you.
One other tip for you......antennas, I use "tie twists" from bread wrappers or garbage bags. I burn off the paper or plastic coating on the wire, measure up 1/4 inch and then wrap another 1/8th inch around a needle which gives me a "coil" like the spring on a whip antenna. I then heat the original 1/4" with a lighter and pierce the plastic with the hot wire, holding it there until it cools. Then I trim it to the right length and paint it black.....they make great whip antennas for tanks, jeeps etc.
Anyway, like I said, yours looks fine to me and I hope to see more of your work....so get to building lol. If you need help posting photos in the threads, just ask and I or someone will explain it to you, its not hard, it just takes abit of getting used to.

Here is a photo of the Yak 1 boxart by accurate minatures:

Have a good day,

Greg

DirtyDrummer · 30-05-2007

Well the more I looked at it the more I disliked it, so I painted the whole thing white. Tomorrow I’ll just put some green on there and maybe attempt a little rust, but I think I’m done with the snow for now.

I really need to get an airbrush for this sort of thing. I’ve been using the Tamiya spray cans, which work surprisingly well, but by now this thing has so many layers of paint on it I’m surprised you can still see the bolts and weld spots.

Funny you should mention the antennas because I’ve been wondering how I should go about making one for the past few days now. I’m definitely gonna give your idea a go.

backonthecase · 30-05-2007

Hey,

I did the same kit a while ago. I just airbrushed the brown and green, added some weathering by drybrushing humbrol 29 onto it and some paint chips etc. It's a really good kit, simple yet detailed!

I liked the snow effect on it, like BLUEWAVE says, in the right diorama, looks positively frigid!! Nice one!!

**GEEDUBBYA** · 30-05-2007

Howdy again Drummer,

Glad the antenna Idea could be of some help to you. I got to thinking lastnight after my posting, that on more than one occassion back when i was building tanks, I looked around the house and found some old plastic potted plants...the kind ya dont have to water and just collect dust lol. I used to cut small pieces of the stems (with leaves....the smaller ones) and glue them to the tank bodies to aid in the camo effect. I wish I still had all of those models, but they have long since left me. I was married at the time and working on a divorce and ended up selling most all of my completed models to a few local hobby shops and one walmart for them to use as displays.
Well, the hobby shops in my area have all vanished and you can imagine that wal mart wouldnt keep things like that very long.
If you dont have any small plastic plants, lichen works well and can be purchased at most any hobby or crafts store....heck you can even go out to the old tree in the front yard and pluck it from the trunk and hard ground in clumps. It can be glued to the body and used to add to the camo effect.
Bedrolls can be made from toilet tissued and airbrushed, netting can be made from a piece of your wifes "nylons". Camo netting can be achieved by taking the nylon material and inserting even smaller strips of the same material through the weave of the larger piece.
Anyway, I hope that I have given you some useful tips, if you need more ideas or have some of your own you would like to share, be sure and let us know.

Have a good day,

greg