Wow lots of good lookin steelee cats bein tended too here .

Andy , we got beers ...... Seen bears locally , but not around my home . Them bears are up in the timber and its open fields around my house . Course soon as i say something like that you know what happens dont you ...........................

Been doin a little paintin on the K T . I had a jar of Mig pigments primer red in one of the sets i picked up so i have been experimenting with it , it darkens up with a coat of Future over it .

Tony: I hope you'll post photos as you go along. I've picked up some of the AK Interactive products and have been reading here and elsewhere to learn how to use them.

Cliff

Cliff - yes I'd like to apply some filters, will also do some streaking, rust etc, anything to break up the grey. That's exactly the sort of thing I'm looking for. I guess  I want to take it a step further on this model, as I'm going for Panzer Grey to deliberately challenge myself to improve my weathering skills.

The AK-Interactive set has a blue filter, but I am thinking that is to subtly lend a blue shift to the grey, as is often  discussed with panzer grey. I'm thinking about maybe modifying the original panzer grey just a little, maybe make it slightly paler, and then applying different filters, highlighting, pin washes, paint chips, stowage and whatever else can be used to make it interesting.

Cheers

Tony

Jack: thanks for the help! Actually I've got the rod almost all the way in the barrel and the three guys all smooshed together - it's just that the 88/71 is so honking long! I'll figure something out though, please keep the advice coming - I can always use new ideas.

MD: looking good there! You're not too far from being done.

Tony: were you going to try some colour modulation filters on the grey? There are people here that know way more about them here than me but I think single colour schemes like this is what modulation was invented for.

Cliff

That's looking nice Duke. You've almost made me change my mind on the colour scheme I prefer for mine.

Bad news on the cat Eric, anyone who's been in that situation will empathize and sympathize with you.  I certainly do.

I think I've finished basic construction on the 1/48 Tiger. I'm thinking of a grey (or gray ?) scheme, and will use Tamiya acrylics as the base. I've never used commercially available washes and filters, but since model is a bit of a test bed, I picked up the AK-Interactive set for Panzer Grey. Previously I've mixed them up from oils.

I think the key to this model now will be make it visually interesting despite the grey finish, I'd welcome any thoughts on how to do that. I also wouldn't mind varying the standard Tamiya grey a little.

Also, adding interest via additional stowage would be good too, does anyone have any information on that ?

Many thanks for any comments.

Cheers

Tony

sorry bout not posting in  a while fellas. been kinda busy with a new job and other things. eric sorry bout the cat man. i got three dogs and dont know what ill do when the day comes.  so here's a little update on the tiger. only got a little done, been in a bit of pain lately. check the pics you'll see why. me an the wife had a bad day a couple of weeks ago. thank god my kids were still in school. ill have more updates later i just got a new iphone so i can be on here more frequently.

Carl - sorry for your recent loss.  As can be seen by the responses, people do understand that pets are just like a family member.

Ben - couldn't quite follow your method for the tracks (what is blue AK stuff?), but the results look convincing.

Bish - coming together nicely - wish my pace could pick up to yours.

Gamera - for the gun cleaning crew, have you considered placing the rod deeper into the gun and shortening up the postion of the figures, or even having just two figures handling it while a third looks on?  Here's a pic of a flak 88 being cleaned.

regards,

Jack

Eric- I am so sorry to hear about your loss again. 

Bish- Love the PE on your little tank!

Ben- Always liked that movie!  Friul tracks look real good!  Wouter answered my question earlier... he used 96 links.  It is very possible that you will only need 94 or 95 links.   Looking forward to your next update!

Marc- You should have included a disclaimer... 'No animals were harmed during the making of this...' LOL  Glad you can start all over again without causing any damage to your little KT.  

Carl- You got moose?!?! Bet you get to see bears too... 

Hey Ben and Bish: Nice looking work guys! Though I'll admit looking at all those track links and PE makes my head sore! Keep the photos coming please!

Eric: Sorry to hear about your cat, esp so soon after the loss of your other cat.  Shheeesssshhhh, when it rains it pours.....

Guys, I thought I had the tracks assembled for my KT and sprayed them to find out they don't fit! So I've been getting them fitted over the weekend. Plus I probably shouldn't have decided to use the barrel cleaning crew with this kit, I've found I'm going to need a long skinny base no matter how I arrange the tank and figures. Probably 1.5 foot / 45cm by 6 inches / 15cm.  

Eric: Sorry for your loss.

Bish - Absolutely awesome. I'm really impressed with your work, especially with amount of PE you put on there.

Eric - I am indeed very sorry to hear about the loss. Please understand that you did the right thing, no matter how painful to you, to end the suffering your cat would probably have endured had you clung onto him. My cat is without a doubt my best buddy. He has been with me while I went through some very rough personal times and never fails to give me some serenity when I most need it. I know when his time comes I will not take it well. My prayers. 

Ben,Marc,and Bish,some excellent work on those builds. Eric great campaign buddy

I wish I could keep up with everyone's work.There is so much going on here.sorry if I'm missing some guys work.Have been SUPER busy at work due to Sandy,look forward to some bench time after Thanksgiving,hope to jump in by then.

Anthony

Sorry about the cat Eric.  We are coming up on the 1st anniversary of putting down our dog.  I know whatit's like.

Thanks Eric.

Sorry to hear about your cat. It is a hard thing to do, even though as you say its the right thing.

Thanks Carl, it hurts like hell. I'm kind of numbed by the whole thing.

Sad to hear this Eric .

Bish, great work on the PE. Glad to see some of your work. 

I was spraying my Jagdpanther Olive-grun when I got a call from my wife. She was at the vet with my cat. She was diagnosed with cancer and was given a short time-frame. She was acting weird for days and we made the hard decision to end her suffering, even though we knew it was the right thing to do. Needless to say, my building has been put on hold. 

I put my last cat down a little over a year ago soon after I was laid off. Absolute bummer.

Hey all-I've been lurking and I must say that this is some of the best modeling I have seen in a GB from everyone.  A lot of great scratch building and detail work being done.  Hats off to all!

I haven't touched the Panther for over a month-various reasons-but I hope to get some work done late this week.

Cheers

My modelling pace has really slowed lately. But finally i have the construction done and am ready to paint. The Voyager PE set was a real pain trying to sort out the un used items and make sure i hadn't missed anything. But i am pretty sure i haven't.

So here is how she looks now. The turret is just placed on at the moment and will be glued once paiting and weathering are complete. And after reading a few posts about the colour of some tools and checking some photos, i decided to attach the jack and fire extinguisher and will be painting them the same as the hull. Other tools will be painted seperatly.

Hopefully i will be able to get some paint on tomorrow night. 

Hi guys,

Just a VERY quick update today due to family commitments and just not having time to myself! I've just sat down to type this and The Bridge at Remagen is on telly! Woohoo - bonus!

I decided to get the Friuls out the way but because of problems with gaining lack of full coverage and the blue AK stuff not taking to areas with any CA where pins have had to be secured.

This time, and with great success too, I decided to immerse all the links into the solution prior to assembly to ensure all surfaces are free to make contact with the fluid and obviously there's no CA in place yet! Being a late Tiger I They are all Left Handed links so in they all went. Now they are totally dry I'm left with two bags of perfectly treated links - 115 in each. Roughly how many on each side - I can't recall off hand?

I'll make a start on them now and aim to completely finish both runs tomorrow. The periscopes are also done so it looks like we are good to go with the weathering as soon as the Friuls are done      

A very quick photo update:

Dry-fitted links on the turret wall link mounts:

I've kept the solution left from the main treatment so I can give them another wash when they assembled - the second hand solution always has a bit of 'oomph' left in it!

I like to add a few spots of Mig Russian Earth pigment onto the Friuls when fitted then lightly flood the tracks with thinner. When dry the tracks look great as they take on a patchy dry-mud look

Cheers guys,

Ben

Marc: OUCH!!!...that had to hurt.  If there's any consolation I'd say, "at least it's a small tank"...probably doesn't help much but hang in there buddy! 

I kinda liked that MEGA worn look as it sat in the windex...had I caught you soon enough I'd have suggested you try the rusted burnt look like scratchmod does!

Carl: Careful with the moose's!  Recently watched an episode of "Alaska State Troopers" and one of those big muthers charged the trooper....he had to but it down!

Marc: sorry to hear about the toothpaste debacle. When I saw the pics, all I could think of is Dr Peter Venkman (aka Bill Murray) saying..."He slimed me!"

Eric , i think its a cow and her calf so they are hands off .  The cow has been around for about 5 winters now . I really dont care for them getting this tame . I chased them off this morning but they'll be back .

Cliff , they can do a lot of damage for sure . They get to were they wont get out of the road and they are difficult to see with that dark color at night . Heck they hard to see durring the day when they stand still in a group of trees .

Marc , man what a mess .Think i'll stay masking tape .  

Marc: Hate to see you go though all that work and then have to start painting over again. Still looks like you've recovered her well.  I sprayed my Tiger with some Tamiya buff to dull her down some and now think I sprayed too much so you're not alone with the painting mess-ups. I think the washes will bring her back down again though.

Carl: Wow, I'm always afraid to hit a deer with my car, I can't imagine slamming into a moose...

Hmmmm... I wonder if I hadn’t made that comment about it being so sweet would this have worked. I did some experimenting with some different toothpastes and it was definitely the one I used that was the problem.

As far as using silly putty... I have always had a problem with it not sticking very well. I like to use poster tack but this was going to be a problem with all the delicate little detailing on the hull. The paste was a perfect () solution to get in between all the little bits and bobs. I think I am going to go with brush painting with Vallejo since they brush so beautifully.

Speaking of details on the hull... you know that question that comes up now and again... Do you do the detail separate or paint them on the model? This is the 1st time "on the model" and will if at all possible be the last.

Here is the KT soaking in some Windex.

And then it déjà vu all over again. It has already been "déjà vu'd" again with the dark yellow.

I don't know if you fellas have come across this stuff in your internet travels...

www.militaria-archive.com

reibert.info/.../foto_album

I find the photo albums absolutely fascinating.

Hey Marc... given you made this comment about my Panther not so long ago... "Dave, that's so sweet my teeth hurt", I find it some sort of ironic foreshadowing with your recent toothpaste removing disaster. Your teeth probably hurt more from gnashing them together while watching the layers of paint and hours of work wash away with the goo.   I'm sure you'll do an excellent job of salvaging though. 

Was also thinking about that technique... wondered if putting down some future on top of the paint layers before toothpaste would have made any difference? (paint/future/paste/paint/future/paste.. etc.) It really does look like a mess though... you are very brave indeed for even trying. 

Shellback

And on another subject the moose are back . They come in when the snow starts and feast in / on my fruit trees . It snowed last night and this morning here they are right on cue .

Will miss seeing your build Greg.