Marder, Tamiya, 1/35

[PaulTRose]

due to having to deal with the real world for quite some time ive not touched a kit since the start of november but i need to get back to it now things are settling down

model making has always been what i do to relax or destress and at the minute im very aware of my own mental health so ive made the effort to tidy up the bench so i can make a start on something

taken me a while to decide what.........its been so long i feel like im starting again!.......so nothing complicated, .........no plane with lots of masking,,,,,,,no car needing a shiny paint job,,,,,,,so a plain jane green afv is called for........and an old school tamiya to keep it simple

found this in the stash........part of what was once a project to do a lot of West German/Unified Germany vehicles.......never started the project even though theres a load of kits in the overhead stash storage facility (loft)







now theres 2 things i always do with 1/35 vehicles if i can

first is to use a bit of threaded rod and a couple of nuts......drill a suitable hole in the bottom and bond in a nut. with No Nails type stuff.......screw in the rod and it becomes a removable handle.....block of wood with a hole becomes a base







second thing i like to do is add some mass in the hull.........cos it makes the vehicle sit on the tracks better, also dosnt feel so 'toy like' when you handle it

somewhere i have a box full of all sorts of scrap bits of metal......giant nuts, blocks of steel, stuff like that, but i cant find it anywhere!....and just couldnt think of something else i could use that was cheap (free!)

so i thought a bit laterally............ive used a couple of new foil trays like a takeway ones......cut them up and made a couple of 'boxes' that fits just right in the hull. Bonded in with No Naily stuff

i mixed up some gloop.......50%/50% of wall filler and sand......had a bag of sand in the shed and thought it would be heavier than just the filler, filler acts as the binder to hold it together

going to leave it a day or so to harden off but i think its going to work

 

[Airborne01]

That's a novel approach! I sometimes do the equivalent but use a chunk of lead roof flashing (left over from younger,more adventurous days) held down with 'gator glue, If the roll of lead expires (prob not in my lifetime!) I'll certainly use that thanks!
Steve

 

[Jim R]

Hi Paul
I'm glad you have the time and inclination to return to the bench. A Tamiya kit should at least have no fit issues. I have also used the 'handle' idea but not thought of adding weight. That's definitely an idea to try.
Jim

 

[adt70hk]

Nice start Paul!!

 

[Tim Marlow]

Good tips there Paul, and good to see you back at the bench. I think I’ve seen you describe the nut and bolt idea before? I wish I’d remembered it when I started my KV-7 because spraying on a handle is far better than hand holding

 

[Jim R]

I sometimes do the equivalent but use a chunk of lead roof flashing (left over from younger,more adventurous days

The vicar wants his lead back as the carpet by the altar is getting ruined !
Jim

 

[stillp]

Good to see you back Paul.
Pete

 

[Airborne01]

The vicar wants his lead back as the carpet by the altar is getting ruined !
Jim

Wasn't me Guv - honest!

 

[Andy the Sheep]

Paul, I like the idea of adding weight to tank models and your way is definitely an original one. Moreover, that would allow me to recycle the foil trays we use for our neighbour's cat, a guest we host for breakfast nearly every morning ...
...and my liking it at first sight fosters the suspect I should have family roots in Genoa and some tartan or Wensleydale in my blood...
Andrea

 

[PaulTRose]

got the hull upper on this afternoon......took a bit of persuasion as it has a slight warp

 

[scottie3158]

Paul,
Good to see you back fella.

 

[PaulTRose]

ready for some paint tomorrow......hope the air brush works.....not used it since october!

 

[AlanG]

Bit late to this one Paul but, from a personal perspective it is fantastic to see you back posting again given your reasons.

Coming along nicely and hopefully gives you a little bit of peace when you are building

 

[PaulTRose]

kit was so old i had problems with some of the decals, the crosses and numbers self destructed when they came out the water, and i only managed to save the others.........so i had to get creative.......those crosses came from a sheet of decals for an Airfix Lynx in 1/72!......close enough in size to do

next step is get the tracks painted.....weather the hull and all the wheels (ive got a tub of MiG 'wash for green vehicles'....never tried it, so this might be its time)............then put it together and see what we got

 

[JR]

Looks a good start Paul , and nice to see you posting again .

 

[scottie3158]

Paul, yes good to see you again. The decals look like a good fit.

 

[PaulTRose]

current state of play....



the MiG wash i wanted to use was complete rubbish......wouldnt flow

so i made the old standby or black enamel and white spirit........that flowed a little too much and still didnt get the effect i was after.........so got to let the white spirit to finish evaporating then im going to have a go with an oil spot filter, see if that helps it

 

[Jim R]

Hi Paul
Looking good to me. Is the MiG wash acrylic based? I have had no luck at all with water based washes although I know many have.
Jim

 

[Tim Marlow]

Looking good Paul. Shame about the wash issues. Vallejo Game colour (not model colour) washes work well in my experience. They are water based and flow really well. I’ve used them quite a bit on my KV-7 group build subject for pin washing and adding depth to shadows. They settle well, drying without hard edges, and are easy to mix for custom colours as well. I found them to work best if I pre wetted the surface with a water and flow aid mix first. Before I used them I used to make my own with oil paint dissolved in Sansodor thinner, again with a pre wetted surface using Sansodor alone.