The Bag O' Dirt is synthetic dirt so you never have to worry about it possibly getting funny. I wish Hobby Lobby had more of it on clearance. I got two bags and they do contain quite a bit of dirt. I have used the same bag for some 1/72 builds and now for this and still have more than half of the first bag remaining. Believe it or not, Bass Pro Shops appears to carry it!

Hi,

I like your build.  It really turned out nice.  I'll have to look into that "dirt" stuff that you used.

On the topic of EMHAR kits, I agree with what Greysnake (and others) have said.  I think that they are nice kits, not too complex, and seem to build out into good looking buuilds.   And since EMHAR was making these WWI era kits before other did, tyhey kind of hold a special appeal to me.  I do have one or two WWI kists from other manufacturers and they are nice, but sometimes I'm left wondering if they didn't make the kit a little more complex than was really needed, when compared to an EMHAR kit.

Pat

I agree with the comments on the Emhar kits. The parts are thick and when I first opened the box, I thought "Thank God I didn't pay $50 for this!!" (I purchased it at 40% off from an LHS that was closing its doors after 40 years so the owners could enjoy retirement). I was pleasantly surprised at how it looks when completed and I found that the tracks were acceptable if they were cut up in spots and adjusted around the curved sections. I used the Vallejo Mud to hide any joins in the tracks - they were the only real problem because the connection wasn't clean. Looking at my own pics, I see one that I didn't cover well!

The figure is one of Tamiya's WWI British soldiers and the scattered Male parts are extras that were in the Emhar kit. I painted the red and white stripes just to add a little bit of a pop to the overall drab scene. The rock that the soldier is kneeling on was part of a set of four rocks that I found at a Hobby Lobby. Every HL has an aisle one over from the model kits that has diorama supplies - dirt, rocks, stones, resin water. Since I have several in my area, I can use that 40% off coupon frequently. I think the rocks ended up costing $3. Much easier than having to scour the area for just the right rock. Most of the ones I come across outside are too round.

What I felt assembling Emhar tank kits was that they were... UGLY!  In the box, the parts looked thick, the sprues were oddly shaped, the tracks resembled Hot Wheels track connectors, and the whole package looked kind of like a do it yourself vehicle for your plastic army men.

But once I got a lick of paint on  them, they started to look better.  They were lacking in certain details, but overall they looked OK.  For me, the only “must” was replacing the kit tracks.  Back in the day, there were not a lot of options, but today there are.

Emhar carried the WW I armor flag alone for decades (well there was also Tauro, but they didn’t to the British rhomboids), so they deserve respect for that.

Gamera - the crazy thing is that I keep reading comments like this about Emhar kits, but I really had no assembly problems at all!

Oh that looks fantastic!!! Love the tank, diorama, and the figures.

And Emhar made some darn good models even if they're a little more work to assemble. A skillful modeler like you can do a great job with them!

Nice build of an old and dodgy kit!  When weathering WW I tanks, I don't think it is possible to over do it, as period photos show levels of mud that would make the sales people at AK Interactive giddy!

Hutch, 

I found it on clearance at a local Hobby Lobby for $2.50. I figured it would be worth buying at that price, but wasn't sure if it would be usable, but since it's not real dirt, it's actually pretty awesome. And even better, it's not a uniform color so it really looks like dirt you'd find outdoors. I think you're in the UK so if you're interested, check Amazon. Hobby Lobby no longer has it here in the States.

Thanks, Dan - I have to say the "play dirt" concept is a new one on me!

Thanks Pat!

Hi,

That turned out great

Pat

Hutch,

Believe it or not, the ground is made up of play dirt called Bag O' Dirt plus Crayola modeling clay that was stretched and spread before being filled with Realistic Resin Water that was purchased at Hobby Lobby. I painted the clay with craft paints to give them a muddier color. The mud effects on the tank tracks are Vallejo Mud effects and the other marks on the tank are also Vallejo weathering items. This was my first attempt at weathering like this and I was pretty happy with the results. I tried very hard not to overdo it!!

Nice work Dan - really like the ground work.  Kit looks great as well.

Very nice, Dan, I can imagine the splash when it hits that puddle!  The weathering is subtle & not overdone, just right.  What did you use for the mud?

     Hutch.