No More Excuses GB....end date extended

Bufflehead -- superb Sherman, really, really good! You can be very proud of this one, it truly looks the part.

RBaer -- The Merk is coming along great! I've been at a similar stage for a looong time on the IDF GB, and I wanted to ask, did you mix the "Sinai Gray" shade? Testor have an Israeli camo shade in their range but I can't get it in this country, and Merks look different in every photo!

Cheers,

Mike/TB379

wyoroy wrote:

Welcome Joe.  I have added you to the roster #36

Really   there are 36 of us procrastinators?  Probably a lot more that aren't coming out of the closet too I bet! 

Ernst, that Sherman looks awesome.    I got a couple in the stash and I hope I can make them half as good as yours.

RBaer, the Merk looks fantastc too. 

Thanks, guys.

TBolt, the Merk is painted with Testor's MM rattle cans. I use SAC tan and SAC green, with tan being used on the lower surfaces and running gear. The green, then, is sprayed while the tan is still wet, leaving little or no demarcation. In fact, it blends pretty well. A raw umber wash (filter) ties it together. That's followed by dry-brushing in a tan/green/grey color. If MM would put the Sinai (Israeli) grey in a rattle can, I'd try it for sure. It's the same way I did the Megach for the IDF GB......

Now if I can just figure a way to get my hammy fingers to do the RPG chains.....

dupes wrote:

So what does it mean if you run late on the builds-I-ran-late-on GB...?

All that means is that you are better at coming up with excuses than the rest of us.

Sooo, I've been thinking of joining this group build for a while, but seem to keep putting it off.  Is it too late to join? 

I've got several kits that have been languishing for quite some time, and would like to use this group build as motivation to finish some stuff. 

These are the entries I'd like to start with. 

1/72 Dragon Su-100, started for the Hunters GB in Jan 08, needs some finish coats/weathering

1/72 Fujimi Stuka G-2, been sitting for many years with the blue underside painted, need to finish the camo and scratch build a part for one of the guns that got lost( I think this is why its been sitting so long).  My construction skills have improved since I built this, so it will be mostly practice for painting skills.

1/72 Eduard Sherman 76mm.  Needs photoetched headlight guards installed, and a scratch MG(the one in the kit was waaay too short), then ready for painting.

1/35 Tamiya M13/40 Italian tank.  Its been built for a couple of years, just waiting for some paint.

1/35 Bronco H-39 French tank.  Has a basecoat, just needs some weathering, and a new exhaust guard.

1/35 Trumpeter KV-1.  Has basecoat, needs weathering and track assembly. 

 There are more, but I think its a good idea to stop there and see if I can focus on these for now.

Jeff

LT Zogg, welcome! I've also got the Trump KV in this GB, maybe we'll have two going at once......

Roy, can I add something to my list? I have a Matchbox '32nd scale Lysander in the box, with maybe the cockpit area started, begun at least 10 years ago. It might be a fitting candidate for this GB, and I can make it dirty......

Thanks for the welcome guys.  I actually got all motivated and fired up the airbrush for the first time in about 8 months and put a coat of paint on the M13/40 last night.  Its the first time I've tried 'post-shading'.  Looks pretty cool so far.  I'll try to get some pics up soon.  RBaer, the Trump KVs are pretty nice, eh?  I'm just trying to muster up the courage to dirty it up a bit. 

I think that's one reason I'm such a procrastinator, I start a kit, then get to a point that I don't want to screw up, so I put it on the shelf for a while and end up forgetting it. 

More the better

I will try and get around to updating the roster Friday. 

Alright all, the roster is updated.  Lt. Zogg (Joe) is number 37 to sign up for this build

Bee working on some of my shelf queens.  The P-40N is done except for te nav lights, just can't seem to find the time/desire to finish them

Merk-werk happened this weekend. I think any Merk I do in the future will be a Mk1, as these balls are a pain. Here's 3 hours' worth:

That's about a dozen, and I need almost 60. I had to stop since I ran out of balls. Well, actually, there's enough to finish, but they're on the floor..... I also did a little more work on the chassis, and it's getting close to time to mount the side skirts and finish it up. I took the "tire" off one road wheel, as this seems to be a common occurance on in-service Merks. The rocks out there are rough on rubber...... Then I can get on with the turret and stowage, which I'll probably just rough-in and cover with a tarp.Thanks for looking, comments always welcome.

The tow cable is pulled up a little bit for painting.

RBaer,

Cool lookin' Merk!  What are those little balls and chains, are you building a brass version of the ex-wives club?    Seriously, they look like grapeshot or something from the civil war era. 

Merk looks great, I like the weathering job. 

Jeff

That's it! Grapeshot! I knew thay reminded me of something......

Actually, they'll be suspended from the bottom of the bustle rack, and their purpose is to detonate RPG or shaped charge weapons prematurely, since the back of a Merk turret is a shot-trap. They came into use during the "Peace for Galilee" operation, introduced on the Mk2 as it was made operational during that campaign.I think they look like the hair on the "Predator" creature....

Haha, tank dreads, mon!  The 'real' predator!  Thanks for the info Rbaer, ya learn something every day!

 Jeff

Ok finally got the motivation to snap some pics of my Su-27, I'm calling this one Done!!

Once the second layer of weathering went on I decided to leave it as is and didnt put a dull coat over it.  Kinda like the looks of it as is.  If I were to do this one again I would take a lot more time getting rid of the seams on the intakes as they are a bit nasty.  Other than that it was a fun, if long, kit to build.

Thanks for looking,

Matt

Wow. She's awfully beat up, but VERY sweet finish! Man I love the Russian birds...wish more of them were available in 1/48.

Great job!

Thanks all for the kind comments.  Glad to have this one finished

matt

Maybe it's time for me to post some progress.

I joined in with an already started Airfix kit (#01309) Bren Gun Carrier, which in the GB Under New Ownership transfered itself into a captured german one, somewhere in Northern Africa.

I'm crossbuilding this in a Swedish GB with the same theme on the Swedish site Modellbygge iFokus, GB #10 Återvinning, hoping this is alright.

It's in 1/76 and not 1/72 that Airfix want us to beleive with some of there kits.

Right, this is nowadays a Gepanzerter MG-Träger Bren 731(e).  

From the beginning, I didn't have any instructions but managed to put things together anyway.

When the old GB ended, I hade some parts laying around.

And of course the carrier.

After finding instructions on the net, I continued and most of the build were done.

Maybe it's not all correct, but there MIGHT have been a carrier like this.

The small carrier needed some sun protection so I decided to add a canvas top to it.
The poles are made of cannula points for insulin pens, and then painted in Humbrol 94 - Matt Brown Yellow.

For the canvas top, I used a paper tissue and dipped it in a mix of white glue and water before drying. Then I painted it in the same colour as the carrier.

And this is how it looks with the cover on.

Well, this is how far I am with this build right now. I have been thinking about a cover over the driver but I'm not sure.

I must also see what I have in decals that would be suitable for this little carrier.

Matt -- stunning Flanker! A bit more weathered than appeals to my taste, but for all I know many a hard-flown jet ends up looking like that, especially in an under-funded airforce.

I've finally made a move on my Zvezda BTR-70 APC. I added the guns (barrels drilled out) to the turret plus the three lifting lugs -- two of which promptly disappeared, superglue does not react as enthusiastically with Russian plastic as with the Japanese stuff! The grenade launcher for the turret roof would have been the last assembly but one of the components is already broken on the sprue (too fine, too small, that's classic Dragon molds for you) so I decided to make things simple and leave it off. With it out of the way I can redrill the attachments for the missing lugs and if I can't find the parts I'll take a shot at them in wire.

Otherwise, remaining parts include the radio mast stub, the winch (after painting), the forward vision armored covers, and the band-saw mounted on the aft starboard hull. The wheels and tires are already painted separately, as are the water cans (black, here) and the spare wheel. The crate on the port forward hull will be painted seperately. There are two steps and a grab handle to make in brass rod and fit, then she's ready for the paintshop -- it'll be an all-acrylic camo job, followed by oil wash and MiG pigments.

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Note that the periscopes have all been detailed with plastic stripstock, as there was no molded detail at all.

I'm hoping to have this one in the display case before long, and maybe fielding another entry for this build -- I have Trumpeter's 1:35 SA-2 Missile/Launcher that's been half-built for well over a year, and Italeri's 1:35 M-110 SP Gun in Vietnam trim half-done in its box for many years, this would be a great chance to get them both finished.

Cheers,

Mike/TB379

Progress on my BTR-70:

The lifting lugs from the turret were on the floor, I recovered them, filled the old holes, drilled new ones and anchored the lugs in with cya. And today I made brass replacements for the three busted steps/handles, and fitted them:

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Masking next -- the forward windows get protected as the shutters will be mounted up, but I think that's about it. Then subassembly painting -- the crate, the bandsaw and whinch fitting. Then into the overall camo.

Cheers,

Mike/TB379