Thanks! I'm finishing up the Leo2 and M60 that I had base-coated, then it's time to get on the other Challenger.

Looks great!

Looks great to me, nice show! 

And it's always good to see something stalled out get done. 

Thanks! It's got a spot front and center eye level in the big case now.

Gorgeous build RB!!! That came out superbly! 

Thanks G. I kept it pretty clean as I wanted copy the pics as closely as possible, and this tank is pretty clean in those pics. And now I'm done:

IMG_3515 by Russel Baer, on Flickr

IMG_3514 by Russel Baer, on Flickr

IMG_3510 by Russel Baer, on Flickr

IMG_3509 by Russel Baer, on Flickr

IMG_3506 by Russel Baer, on Flickr

For something I started well over a year ago, stalled, got back onto the bench, then stalled again, I'm happy.

I also need to build a bigger photo box.

She's lookin' good! Love the dust and grime. 

Here it is with the hull weathered, a good comparison with the turret still in clear. 

IMG_3505 by Russel Baer, on Flickr

A little more bench time and it's done. I never intended to go this far down the rabbit hole when I slapped the hull together a couple of years ago.

I was still happy with it this morning, so since I didn't have any appointments, it was decal time. I'm still modeling a specific tank, so I had to make up the registration number from the "loose" digits included on the decal sheet (Echelon, good stuff) and fudge a bit on the big call signs on the skirts. Oddly, I had to use Walther's Solva-Set to get the decals to really settle down. The last time I used Echelon decals, they snuggled right up with MicroSol. 

IMG_3501 by Russel Baer, on Flickr

IMG_3500 by Russel Baer, on Flickr

IMG_3499 by Russel Baer, on Flickr

No more excuses now that I finished the AMX10, so today I did the first coat of black. I'll do alight flat coat tomorrow and see if it even needs more black. I have a feeling it may not.

IMG_3496 by Russel Baer, on Flickr

IMG_3497 by Russel Baer, on Flickr

That's the Vallejo rattle can stuff, goes on dead flat (no help yet since I'll do a gloss before decals) but it does go on really well.

Ah, wasn't sure how correct the colour was but it looks nice and smooth. 

Oddly enough, I had a can of Tamiya TS-78 field gray in the paint rack. Hmmm....  so I did a very light coat on the upper surfaces, shirts and running gear,much better. And since my green was so dark, I almost have a pre-shade thing happening. I'm going to let this cure and then do the second color (off-black) over it. I also received the decals last week, so I'm in business.

IMG_3468 by Russel Baer, on Flickr

I'm told my green is too green, so I need to do some thinking here. Pics do show it as more gray/green, so maybe a quick swipe with a gray wash is called for.

Looks perfect to me! 

Green! Second color will be black, and I'll probably use Vallejo over the Rustoleum camo green that's on it now.

IMG_3234 by Russel Baer, on Flickr

Guys that know are telling me the black was both factory and field applied, hard and soft edged and different from tank to tank. Perfect!

Ready for paint!

IMG_3135 by Russel Baer, on Flickr

IMG_3134 by Russel Baer, on Flickr

IMG_3133 by Russel Baer, on Flickr

As soon as the sun comes out I'll prime it.

Thanks all!

I have to admit, I've always found British armor of WWII to be mediocre at best.  But, with the post-war years and decades, the Centurian, Chieftain, and Challenger have been great! Your Challenger is spectacular!

Bill

Looks great to me- you're doing a slam-bang job on her! 

I had to redo some of the front armor. Tamiya put two cutouts in the top piece, correct if the tank has a dozer. I had to remove both pieces, make a new upper, then remount the lower piece. Also done are the covers on the two rear turret bins, front in progress. I've added some other small bits here and there, getting real close now.

IMG_3072 by Russel Baer, on Flickr

IMG_3073 by Russel Baer, on Flickr

IMG_3071 by Russel Baer, on Flickr

IMG_3070 by Russel Baer, on Flickr

Ed Zachary! So, some more little bits today. First, how the tow cables look in their brackets:

IMG_3066 by Russel Baer, on Flickr

Below, added details (in white) on the nose armor bracket.

IMG_3065 by Russel Baer, on Flickr

And lastly, the electrical cabling the the commander's MG remote firing and elevation motor and the spotlight (hard to see in my lousy pic, but there's two cables there that weren't there Friday.

IMG_3064 by Russel Baer, on Flickr

I used annealed brass wire, not difficult but in a tight spot.

She'a beautiful! Building good models is part of the joys of being retired . . .

Bill

I'm at that stage now, a little bit every session. I should be going back to work soon, so I'm taking advantage of whatever time I have at the bench.

Looks great! Just a little bit each day, or at least I tell myself when I barely get anything done modeling-wise over last weekend...

That's how it goes, usually. I'm still waiting for an M60 slick that's better than Dragon's. Hello Takom?

Current state of the model, just more little bits, more to come.

IMG_3062 by Russel Baer, on Flickr

IMG_3063 by Russel Baer, on Flickr

Nuthin' but fun!

Gamera

And it's a rule- finish something like that and someone will come out with a new kit. One of the guys in our club finished a very rough resin Wasserschepper (however you spell that- I'm not looking it up) and had Trumpeter come out with the new kit about a week later.

 

Tell me about it. Long ago when Tamiya's original Panzer III M/N and Sturmgeschutz III G were the only 1/35 injection plastic games in town, I did scratch work on one of each to backdate them into earlier variants of the types. Of course once I finished those, Dragon started coming out with the whole family line of each type... 

Yeah, you're moving right along!

And it's a rule- finish something like that and someone will come out with a new kit. One of the guys in our club finished a very rough resin Wasserschepper (however you spell that- I'm not looking it up) and had Trumpeter come out with the new kit about a week later.

Thanks!