Regarding anti-gas paint used by the BEF, this is another topic where there isn't much literature devoted to.  Naturally for best advantage it should be applied in an area that is easily seen. In photos of other vehicle types the front top area seems most popular.  One entry states it should be in an area clearly visible to the driver. Colour is usually described as yellow-green, but on the WW2talk forum someone said it was more of a canary yellow.

Taking this into consideration, it is possible these two photos are illustrating just that, but regulations (perhaps from later in the war?) stated the paint should be applied as a blotch to make it less conspicuous, so there goes that supposition.   While writing this I just thought of another possible location, inside the cab.  This could explain why it is difficult to find definite photos of this marking on the carriers.

Or you can skip the vehicle altogether and have the soldiers wearing the anti-gas paint on their left upper arms.

For your figures, you do have a sound base to work from.  Many modelers though have trouble with eyes.  I think we all know what they look like as everyday we see faces, but somewhere along the way they tend to get out of scale.  Tools and technique are the likely culprits.

For the whites mix a hint of blue and just a tad of brown to dull it down. For the iris, yes it is a circular shape, but the eyelids cover the top, and the bottom lid should just be touching the iris.  For this scale even the smallest brush size can make this difficult, so what one has to do is paint in sort of a masking process.  The following diagram from a Shep Paine book better illustrates what I'm trying to say.

Basically you lay down your paint in vertical lines to help keep the eyes centered on the face.  Then you use a skin tone to cut across to give the eye it's size and shape.

Now if you find this too tedious you can try using a very sharp coloured pencil and apply a stab of colour where the iris is.  One thing I hate about very small brushes is they hold so little paint, that by the time you apply it to the surface it has already dried in the bristles.

Only other thing I noticed is avoid dry brushing skin, because it looks, well dry brushed! lol.  If you are using acrylics, an application of straight Tamiya thinner might help tone down the stark contrast.  For both skin shadows and highlights, build up with appropriate coloured washes. 

I hope this helps you as well as anyone else with their figure painting.

regards,

Jack

Good stuff Rob

CARL - Thanks buddy.  Not much left to do now.  Have to put the rest of the gear in, water cans, chain, ammo cans, blanket rolls, and spare wheel.  Good thing is that all of these items are already done and just waiting to be put in.  Just have to finish the last Vickers MG and I am now searching for the appropriate jack to add on the back.  Hope I can find one otherwise might have to scratch one.  It might not go onto its base until next week though.  Had used celluclay and it is still drying   Really do appreciate your comments

ERIC - I think you too.  The wood railing was added on a long time ago but trying to paint it now with everything else on was a bit tedious.  Glad to hear you like it.  Found this wood handrail on all the MK 1A but found it funny that it only went around half of the crew area?  The other half of the vehicle not shown in the picture does not have it, strange.

I like that wood slat below the equally cool Vickers MG. Nice.

Rob , wow! All of the detail you have packed into this little beauty

I like the look and feel of how you have palced and painted everything .. Top Notch modeling

JACK - Good to hear the markings look good.  Have seen the gas detection patch on other vehicles but have not on the Carrier.  Where would it be placed on the Carrier?

Look forward to see what you have to say about the figures.  I have much to learn on painting them.  The ones you do are fabulous.  Any advice will be welcomed.

Vickers MG mounted.

Rob - the markings look good, and I too hope they are correct.  I have no definitive answers and the info is really what the British lads overseas have posted.  More than likely they did follow British protocol, but when looking at period photos of the carriers there are various combinations of markings - some are even devoid of markings on the fenders.   The number 13 is the senior regiment of the brigade.

You should add a gas detection patch.  In Zaloga's book on the 1940 blitzkrieg, they appear in two forms: either as a painted kidney shaped patch, or as a square.  The square is actually the white recognition symbol originating from about October 1939.  The troops in the field usually threw mud over this or applied the yellow green gas paint to conceal this square - just too easy a mark for enemy AT guns.  I have seen photos of carriers having that square on all four sides.

One thing I would like to address are your figures (something I'm more confident and knowledgeable about), in particular their eyes.  Will touch on that later as I"m off to work.

regards,

Jack

bondoman

My two bits.

I have a Badger 105 which is a great brush, although not set up for fine detail.

I had two Azteks. The flaw is that the spring is in the paint path, and gets gummed up. Unscrew the tip, pull out the spring/ needle/ cap and drop it all into a paper cup. Swill lacquer thinner in there, pull it all apart and wipe down the needle, toothbrush the spring, put it all back together and it works fine.

 

 

More bits

Good tip on the tip cleaning  Once i found out how to do that cleaning process its interesting to see how much gunk builds up in there .

BONDO - Thanks for the tips.  Had tried that and did not resolve the problem.  My new brush should be here tomorrow.

Still small details on the hull are being done.  Also have started on the armament.  Building the Vickers was a real tedious thing.  Have also scratch built an ammunition tray.

Almost have the second gun ready for paint.

Markings are now on the hull.

Front has the same.  JACK if your still following, I hope these markings are correct.  This is what your information and my research came up with. 

Figures are complete and will be getting there final wash tonight.

I have to concur on those Tamiya decals Rob. I really like the Cartografs.

My two bits.

I have a Badger 105 which is a great brush, although not set up for fine detail.

I had two Azteks. The flaw is that the spring is in the paint path, and gets gummed up. Unscrew the tip, pull out the spring/ needle/ cap and drop it all into a paper cup. Swill lacquer thinner in there, pull it all apart and wipe down the needle, toothbrush the spring, put it all back together and it works fine.

Rob , i guess the Aztecs just crap out after a time ? I've got one but dont use it that often . Mostly i go with my Badgers . One of them, the 150 ,  i've had for 30 yrs and its still working fine .

The details on the tools and inside the compartment look great .

CARL - Glad you like the figures and he no longer has that flat top   No problem worrying about what was wrong with my AB.  It crapped out   It was an Aztek.  No worries because my new Renegade Krome should be here any day now

BOB - Thanks and look forward to your 109.

CLIFF, ERIC, DETAIL FREAK - Pz II is looking good.  Like the driver hatch open.  The wood block and tool clasp are well done

WBILL - Looks great

KVELDULFR - Nice work on the hull.  The cleaned out engine cover is a nice touch.

BROWNIII - Nice scratch work.

Have been putting on the last of the small details, ammo and water cans, etc.  Added decals and have done quite a bit of dry brushing.  Still working on the unit and formation signs.  Did not have a decal for this that was the correct number or color.  To remedy this have decided to hand paint them.  This is the beginning of that

The Tamiya decals really suck and very thick so did not use them.  For the vehicle ID numbers had found some spares in the decal box and used them instead.  The only upsetting thing about that is the spares I used do not have the "C" in front of the number.  "C" designating Canada but thats OK because many of the Canadian vehicles had the standard British marking beginning with the "T" and that is whats now on the carrier.

Bill- Great paint job on your Pz III!!!  Always wanted to do that paint scheme... one day I will!!!  Excellent tip about using pin vise to drill hioles for "female' end of the rod.  Never thought about this earlier...

Boyd- Nice interior details!   You are very lucky... I have contacted the model accuracy police station as soon as I saw the error but they are closed for the holidays.  Nah, I will have not known about the wrong side if you didn't tell me...

bbrowniii

wbill76:

 The model accuracy police aren't going to bust down your door anytime soon so I wouldn't lose any sleep over it.

 

Well, that is certainly a relief.

"HEY HONEY, YOU CAN UNBAR THE DOOR NOW."..........

LOL

Cliff, let's see what you've got, it might give us a better perspective.

wbill76

 The model accuracy police aren't going to bust down your door anytime soon so I wouldn't lose any sleep over it.

Well, that is certainly a relief.

"HEY HONEY, YOU CAN UNBAR THE DOOR NOW."..........

Eric: That's a good idea, only the filter dried sorta blotchy and uneven. I think I may have used the thinner stuff off the top on other models and ended up with too much paint and too little thinner. Or if I can remember back to college chemisty the filter had too much solute and not enough solvent.

If I used a lighter filter I think it would lighten the whole thing instead of just the heavy areas. It's not too bad I suppose, it does look sorta dirty and muddy - which is fine on the lower areas but just looks odd to me on the top of the turret. I guess the tracks could throw mud up there, but it doesn't look right to me.

I've been meaning to post photos and ask what ya'll think but keep forgetting.

Clif, can you use a real light duty filter to perhaps lighten it up? Maybe a few filters?

Great work all around guys!!!

I"m afraid I haven't gotten much done since the filter I put down on the Char B1 came out really dark and kinda nasty looking. Trying to decide to leave it or take some thinner and blot some of it off hopefully not wrecking the paint already on the model.

Boyd,

Thanks for the kind words on the Pz III, much appreciated!  I assume the photos are from the Littlefield 222 but am not 100% sure on that. I hear you about agonizing over stuff that's not really visible in the end, chalk it up to Advanced Modeler Syndrome (AMS)! As for the grenade racks being on the wrong side, it's an easy mistake to make as both sides had MG34 ammo racks and they look very similar if you aren't paying too close attention. The model accuracy police aren't going to bust down your door anytime soon so I wouldn't lose any sleep over it.

Well, I just went back and looked at my photo, and the grenade racks are on the left. Looks like I put them on the wrong side.

Oh well....

Bill

Thanks for the photo. That is very similar to one of the pictures that I used (from the Littlefield collection, maybe? - or from pics at Toadman's (are his of the 222 from Littlefield? Is there a 222 from Littlefield?) except the grenade racks were on the other side.

I realized pretty early on that my ammo rack is most likely fiction, but it fits the bill of giving the impression that something is in there. Most of it is invisible with the gun in place anyways, which is one of the reasons why I didn't put too much effort into trying to accurately represent the interior. It was actually one of my struggles, because I really wrestled with going whole hog and adding just about everything that I could find pictures for... but then I realized that: A) 95% of it would be hidden and B) I just didn't feel like it

By the way, this probably goes without saying, but your Pz III is superb!

Eric, thanks for the comments. I'm shooting to have this one done before year's end. I have a week off from my classes next week so won't have any excuses in that department!

Kveldulfr, that's some nice surgery and enhancements going on. Nice work on the rear deck intake and suspension springs.

Boyd, nice "gizmology" on the interior of the 222. I've got interior shots of a museum restored 222 and they don't show that any kind of rack like that existed...what it does show is that there were racks for various stuff on that hull side including three vertical slots that held either the "two-by-two" drum racks for the MG34 or standard MG34 belt boxes (not sure which). You can see it in the pic below. What you came up with fills the space but I can see why it would interfer with the turret rotating. No pressure on fixing but thought you might like to see the actual arrangement for future reference (or for anyone else contemplating the same kit).

Hey guys

Sorry for my extended absence and lack of participation.

I've got a few update photos of the 222. Basically, minus a few small additions, construction is complete and all that is left is the paint job.

The last time I left you, I was arguing with myself about how crazy to go on the interior. In the end, I compromised. I used a combination of ref photos from the web and a picture of the Tristar interior for their version of the 222.

On the right, I added a mount for a gas mask canister, a helmet, and a rack for some grenades.

On the left, I scratchbuilt a rack for ammo cans for the MG-34. I got this idea from the Tristar kit. Truth be told, I could not find a single ref photo that supported that this thing, in fact, existed. But I liked the look of it so, what the hell. Of course, I am guessing that my measurements were off because I cannot rotate the turret with the rack in place... Still, I like the looks of it.... that's my story and I am sticking to it!

Here is everything painted up and loaded...

And here is the vehicle all buttoned up, waiting for paint:

As always, comments if ya got em'!

By the way, great work you guys. Lots of really nice builds going on in here. I wish I could comment on all of them, but I'm a bit pressed for time.

That's a lot of surgery there Kveldulfer. It looks as though your on top of it.

Bill, good to see more progress. Hopefully you can't make it before the holidays end.

Well, the biggest update until now...

The gap filled and puttyed.

I glued my fingers to the back armor, and another missfit.

The back was very inaccurate, so I filed it flat.

One of the sides.

The engine cover after I open it.

The front spring oob.

My replacement under construction.

This is the end of the photos, I have made some progress but is really slow rebuild the leaf springs, remove the flash and fill all the sink marks.

Good modelling!

Spending time with the devil is certainly a long and involved process! I've gotten the details for the fenders and rear hull completed and all of the various tools installed. I used MM non-buffing Metalizer for the metal portions followed with a light dry-brushing of MM enamel Steel. Wood portions were done using a base coat of 50/50 Light Gray/Panzer Dunkelgelb with a thinned wash of MM enamel Leather followed by a dusting of Burnt Umber artist pastels. The wire cutters had their Bakelite handles done using MM enamel Italian Dark Brown and the rubber end caps with MM enamel Gunmetal. I also detailed the head pads on the commander's hatches using the same Italian Dark Brown. Everything was clamped down using the kit-supplied PE parts where necessary. The gun cleaning rods were detailed and installed as well, I used a pin vise to drill out the connecting "female" end of the top rod for a little more accurate detail.

The rear hull also received some detailing attention, the exhausts for the main engine and turret traverse motor were treated with a base coat of MM non-buffing metalizer Gunmetal followed by very careful applications of an enamel Rust wash to create their finish. I say careful as the metalizer will lift easily so time between applications of the wash is essential. The smoke grenades were detailed using a custom mix of "field gray" consisting of Russian Armor Green combined with Panzer Schwarzgrau to produce the desired shade. The pull chains on the grenades were added courtesy of the kit-supplied PE fret and painted with MM non-buffing metalizer Gunmetal. I used Tamiya Clear Red for the brake light lenses and the rear fender deflector.

Next up will be getting it ready for the markings and moving on to the weathering stages.

Hope you can rectify the problems Greg. Good to see some progress.

                                 Well after working my way through a computer gliche I finally have some progress pics. The upper hull is now in primer and it looks pretty good.

                                    Seems a bit finicky on the fit between the upper and lower but it will work out.My intentions are to leave the armament out on a table or makeshift workbench in preperations for a good cleaning.More on that later. Also been working on the tools. The woodblock is real ,the kit supplied item was terrible. The P.E. tool clasps are Voyager and seem to be easier to deal with than Dragons.

                                        As always any questions or comments are welcome.

                                                          Greg"Detailfreak"Rowley

Hope to see some pics of your build kveldufr.