Thanks guys. I started the deck painting just a bit ago. I will get some photos up tomorrow I think.

Nice work, so far, Stik!

Looking really nice Stik,  

My progress to today so far...

Primer coat with Tamiya

Testors Acryl Schnellboot Weiss on upper hull (big change right?)

compared to the primered lower hull

Testor Acryl Shiffsbodenfarbe (for those who do not sprechen, that translates out literally to ship's bottom color)

and the two next to one another. To my eye, the white uppers with the red lower is a throwback to turn of the 20th Century ship paint schemes...

More to follow in the next few days....

Yesterday I primed my Schnellboot with Tamiya Liquid Surface Primer. Today I airbrushed on the base colors of Schiffsbodenfarbe on the lower hull and Schnellboot Weiss on the upper hull using Testors Acryl Marine Colors. I took photos but did not have time to get them on here before work today.

O, that's not good, so off to the scrap yard is it. Roster has been adjusted.

Bish: can you substitute the Horch with a Tamiya M4 (Mid-production) Sherman(1/35)?  The Horch was involved in a lil fender-bender and the insurance adjuster has deemed it a total loss.

I dunno, I've only built the one kit. Maybe a different paint we used??? I hit mine with two coats of rubber bumper paint in a spray can from the local auto parts store and then I think Model Master Acrylic.

I have no idea about the weather, currently the model is in a box in the basement which bounces back from cool and humid in the summer to warn and dry with the wood stove heating in the winter. I'd think the span of weather around here would make them more likely to break instead of less.

I've never had a problem with AFV Club rubber band tracks either. I did have a tire on an Italeri halftrack split after a year or so but so far it's the extent of rubber type plastic going bad (so far). 

Gamera, if the tracks had snapped on eiher my Cromwell or Centaur, I would say yes, probably a bad set. But since it happened to  both of those builds, just taking a bit longer on the Cromwell, I put it down to the tracks themselves. The kits themselves are nearly identical parts wise. I have also had it happen with AFV Club gluable soft tracks. Maybe it is just the local climate? Moderate to low humidity and sea salt air most of the year. Give me the older heat joined tracks any day. Tamiya of course. Italeri's and Academy's are just too dang stiff.

So can we say what if to a 'What If GB'?  

Eric: I built the same Cromwell kit a couple of years back and didn't have any problems with the kit tracks. Maybe you got a bad set Stikpusher? I painted them, put them on the model and then cemented the saggy parts to the tops of the road wheels and everything went fine. Maybe I should dig the model out and check them, but last I looked they were still in one piece. 

Pick away Bish :)

EB, I hate to say this, but Mr Zaloga is wrong here. I ended up using the Hobbyboss tracks on my Centaur. They are not overly difficult as far as indy link tracks go. My poor Cromwell sits in the display case with broken tracks... Oh well, she already won her prize. Those resin pin tracks from Poland sound like a nightmare.

68, I forgot all about the Able Dog's debut. That would look good in late WWII colors, not too different from Korea, just minus the red bars on the insignia.

stikpusher

Pacific 1946.... Bearcats... Tigercats... P-80s... Shindens.... Europe 1946... T-44, Panther II, Super Pershing, Centurion Mk.I... Vampire... Do-335... Meteor F3...

Gamera

BTW: Any chance of a 1946 GB - I have a few theoretical subjects that would fit!  

Stik,

I'm going to take my chances with the Tamiya tracks even if they're not the greatest. I've agreed with myself to try Friumodel some day, but for $50 I'd like to see them on something with pronounced sag - something lacking on the Cromwell. Hobby Boss and an Ukrainian company called SKP make plastic individual link sets for the Cromwell (not sure SKP are available anywhere) but both were roundly trashed on some very good sites as being a nightmare build. Zaloga described a Hobby Boss set as "unbuildable." In the SKP set for the Cromwell, you have to drill out every hole (they provide the drill) and connect things with resin pegs. And then you pray for an adequate fit. Yikes. More modern Tamiya kits (I think Cromwell is late 90s) have link and length tracks that have gotten good marks. Personally I like DML DS tracks a lot.

My models don't go to shows. The only people who see them are the good folk here and a couple of other sites. I actually like my models, but for my purposes if they pass the five foot away test, they've passed. That probably explains why, except for ships, I build OOB and spend much more thought on painting and weathering than on detail. I know some fine AFV builders assume that they'll spend 75% of the model's cost of after market stuff and create the splendid models that you see from photos taken at  AMPS get-togethers. They set the standard for the hobby but  I'll never make it into that club.

Eric

Pacific 1946.... Bearcats... Tigercats... P-80s... Shindens.... Europe 1946... T-44, Panther II, Super Pershing, Centurion Mk.I... Vampire... Do-335... Meteor F3...

Gamera

Lol, two years from now the way things are going I may be locked in a small room and given finger paints and Mister Potato Head to play with instead of sharp things like X-Acto knives... 

I'm in for the Armour in the West GB for sure- I've got a Tasca/Asuka Model M4A3E2 'Jumbo' Sherman I think should fit pretty well and I'd love to build. 

As for you SP I'm not sure about Vietnam but I picked up a Dragon Super Sherman Isherman for twenty bucks that should work for an Israeli/Arabic GB.

Has a 'What If' build been done here? I know a 'WTF' GB idea was tossed around but never got started. I think it would be a pretty cool idea and would get a great deal of interest. Found this site on Japanese X-Plane research a while back, I know German subjects are more popular and actually have kits of them but there is some truly wacky and wonderful stuff here.  

Hokoki: 1946

You may well find me knocking on the wall from the room next door. Well, I say knocking, more than likely head butting as I think I might be rather tied up.

There was a Prototypes and projects GB a couple of years back and an Endgame GB which covered operational equipment from 1945 as well as what if's.

Lol, two years from now the way things are going I may be locked in a small room and given finger paints and Mister Potato Head to play with instead of sharp things like X-Acto knives... 

I'm in for the Armour in the West GB for sure- I've got a Tasca/Asuka Model M4A3E2 'Jumbo' Sherman I think should fit pretty well and I'd love to build. 

As for you SP I'm not sure about Vietnam but I picked up a Dragon Super Sherman Isherman for twenty bucks that should work for an Israeli/Arabic GB.

Has a 'What If' build been done here? I know a 'WTF' GB idea was tossed around but never got started. I think it would be a pretty cool idea and would get a great deal of interest. Found this site on Japanese X-Plane research a while back, I know German subjects are more popular and actually have kits of them but there is some truly wacky and wonderful stuff here.  

Hokoki: 1946

silentbob33

Nothing like looking to the future.  I have some things that would work well for the Vietnam GB, and I really should do that since I teach an entire class on the Vietnam War.  I've also been anticipating a '45 GB and have a plan for that...

So we can pick your brains for the Vietnam GB then

A 1946 "What if?" does sound intruiging. Especially now that I have done a what if and have several in my stash that would qualify...

Nothing like looking to the future.  I have some things that would work well for the Vietnam GB, and I really should do that since I teach an entire class on the Vietnam War.  I've also been anticipating a '45 GB and have a plan for that...

I guess I was just thinking Luft 46 as that's what we see the most of and what I do myself. But opening it up to all those What If builds does sound a better idea.

Lets keep it in mind until the end of next year, only 21 months to go.

Hey Bish, the Luft 46 sounds cool but most of my stuff is more along Operation Olympic- aka the invasion of the Japanese home islands and some of the crazy stuff they had on the drawing boards both aircraft and armour so a '46 What If would work great there.

The GB I was thinking of was a Luft 46 GB, a subject I know quite a few modellers, myself included, are rather keen on. Its a long way off yet, but maybe we could make it a 46 what if GB.

Wow guys, ya'll are getting some serious stuff done!

BTW: Any chance of a 1946 GB - I have a few theoretical subjects that would fit!  

You and me both my friend. 2016 is just a tad too far off for me even to consider at this point.

I am glad your still going with the Vietnam GB. I have been leaving a space for that and the chance to build an F-111.

I have the Armour in the west that's starting in June and will run into next year. The others I am hosting or are about to start will be done at the end of the year. But I am trying to cut down on the number of GB's I'm running, The armour in the West will make 6 in a year, I think I should leave some room for other people.

But I am also thinking ahead for a GB for 2016, I should really get a life.

Don't tell my wife that ;-) She could teach the military brass a few things about planning ahead...

I have the Vietnam 50th Anniversary GB planned for this August, and a MM III & Arab Israeli Wars GBs with no hard dates yet. My Latin American Aircraft is winding down now and ends in May.

Ok Stik, I have added your S-100 to the roster.

I have a couple of GB's planned for next year, so if you are happy to tackle the 45 GB, that would be great. Nothing like planning ahead.

Thanks guys. Aside from the yearly Weekend Madness, it has been quite some time since I had intentionally built a kit in a day without rushing. Mind you, the completed boat is only some 100mm (4 inches) long, so there is not much to it. But the PE certainly adds to the process time. Next up some time this week is priming, then painting and it should be done soon.

EB, isn't that the 1/35 Cromwell kit? If so, I built one not too long ago, and yes, it is one of the sweetest building tank kits out there. The only drawback in the kit is the tracks. On both my Cromwell and Centaur builds, the tracks broke shortly after completion. I strongly advise that you look for some AM tracks for your build. I would like to build a Gleaves Class DD as well one day. One of the Omaha Beach destroyers that were so instrumental in changing the tide of battle there on that morning.

Bish, I have seen the Revell S-Boats built up and they are fabulous looking kits. But no, I am not trying to do this for my '44 build. I am actually going to do another ship there. Something a bit larger, but still 1/350. I am trying not to do crossovers, even though they are allowed.

SS, agreed about the '45 build. I think we need to see this thru to completion after three great GBs so far. I have no GBs planned that far out so I am game to run that one if the orginal sponsor here does not return.