Hey Mike, I saw where you've listed July 31st as the end date on the front page and thought I had a month to finish! I'm going to have to overrun, I can probably finish in a month but not in a week!

Whoops!!!

Oh! July 31st! In that case I'm a month off -- sorry for the panic -- I'm teaching 128 classes this year and seem to be stuck on university time! Okay, guys, false alarm!

Cheers, M/TB379

Woo thanks Mike! You had me panicked there, I would like to get this one done but have been distracted by other stuff. I'm to the point of applying the wash but I'm not sure how I want to do it so I've been sorta putting it off...

That means i have another week to put stuff off before chili con. I have got to break through this paint block. Its not as if i do it that badly and i enjoy it once i get going.

Well, not sure now if I'll hit the deadline or not Mike. I had the friggin' tracks put together so I could just slide them on after painting. And now NOTHING FITS!!!  I have no idea what happened there- why can't companies give me good quality rubber tracks instead of those gawd-awful bits and pieces tracks- I HATE them...

same boat as gamera. in a paint funk and still need to silly putty and camo the DANA. at least the entire chassis and wheels are done including washes.

Gamera -- I hear you on indie tracks, I really do. I hate them myself with a passion, I have only dabbled in articulated tracks so far with nothing actually completed. Give me vinyls anyday!

WayneC -- I know what you mean about being in a blocked situation, I've had so much work lately and been so far behind on builds for another GB, plus a malfunctioning airbrush and a sick pet, that I've not had a chance to get to the AS-90. Tell you what -- let's finish them as and when we can, if we're the last ones building then its no imposition to leave the build open!

Cheers, guys!

Mike/TB379

Thunderbolt379

Gamera -- I hear you on indie tracks, I really do. I hate them myself with a passion, I have only dabbled in articulated tracks so far with nothing actually completed. Give me vinyls anyday!

WayneC -- I know what you mean about being in a blocked situation, I've had so much work lately and been so far behind on builds for another GB, plus a malfunctioning airbrush and a sick pet, that I've not had a chance to get to the AS-90. Tell you what -- let's finish them as and when we can, if we're the last ones building then its no imposition to leave the build open!

Cheers, guys!

Mike/TB379

works for me. been i a slump/everything looks like crap since regionals but i know that will change. might be time to start the sci GB genre, especially since i host it.

Thanks Mike, I'll come stumbling across the finish line sometime!

No worries. Well, I must have been inspired because I dragged out the plans and the model and reviewed where I'm at, masked up and got a mixed earth shade on the recuperator sleeve, then got a basecoat onto the tracks. I can work up the tracks over the weekend, get a wash into the accordion structure of the sleeve and, if need be, a flat coat over that.

I have the topside MGs to finish, the mud flaps to mount/unmask, the running gear to mount... Possibly respray the NATO black roadwheels because I use that shade for tire black, I'll need to add the 5% gloss I used in the camo so they match. Then there are small details to finalise, drybrushing, oil wash, decals and dust... The headlights need their lenses painted and added, then there are PE protectors to go over them. A couple of prepainted vision ports get unmasked, and if she's looking the part at that point I'd call her done.

Cheers, M/TB379

Mike, good to hear you're back up and running!

I was hoping to get a little done this weekend but everyone is on vacation so I'm working. Probably won't have a whole lot of energy left for modeling.

If I get off my duff, I might finish a model for this GB by September.  Danged job!

I know what you mean. I did get the M40 sprayed with the dark coat of mud but I still need to do the spade and all the other stuff now.

No worries, guys, keep plugging away!

Well, I made some progress today. I did a first round of oil wash weathering plus some drybrushing in enamels, all on the hull. Turret tomorrow... I also did the wash and drybrush work on the tracks and wheels, then mounted same. The tracks are not sealed together as my last tube of CA has gone hard as a rock, they're just press-fit but holding fine. Fresh CA tomorrow, hopefully, and I can reseal three or four etched parts that have parted company. It appears I never posted any shots when I got to the painting stage, apologies for that! The evidence:

The recuperator was sprayed with an acrylic mix, then treated with Micro Satin and Florey wash in the recesses of the concertina structure, and finished with Tamiya XF-86 Clear Flat. The masking has not yet been removed:

And a closer angle:

Target for tomorrow: Unmask the turret ring, unmask and fit mudflaps, continue with wash and drybrush, secure loose items, possibly get to some remaining fine details. I'll do my best to push it along, as I would like to have it finished in a few days.

Thanks for looking,

Mike/TB379

Mike: Looks good! Still stuck in the same place here- hoping I can get some work done today.

Mike thats looking great, I'm really liking the finish. I have a question for you if you don't mind, I have a full set of Florey washes and haven't used them yet. So what makes them any different from oil washes? I use oil washes on almost every build but sometimes its difficult to keep it in the recesses without a lot of clean up when necessary. If I understand them correctly, they can be applied and then easily cleaned away?

Thanks Terry

Terry, I hope Mike doesn't mind me jumping in here but the Flory washes are 'sludge' washes- you apply them and then wipe away the excess. The oil wash you only apply a little bit and then leave it on. I've used both and they work well but it's a little different technique between them.

Thanks, I need to work with them a bit. I know a lot of guys are liking how its applied and the look they're getting. Seems a little messy but its probable not much different that cleaning up with White Spirit among others.  

Hi Terry -- yep, as Gamera said, it's a paint on, wipe off process. They are clay-based, an ultra-fine grind of pigments suspended in water with a hint of detergent. It settles into recessed lined and dries there, and you wipe away the excess with a faintly moistened cloth, Q-tip or whatever. I've used them on aircraft for the last several years, with excellent results, and while I seal with clearcoats now, the first couple of projects I used them on are not top-coated and the washes are still as perfect now as they day they were done.

M/TB379

Thanks, I've seen the aircraft guys using them but not so much on armor? I'm going to try them.

Here's an update -- today I unmasked the turret ring and the front fenders, and unwrapped the barrel from the recuperator job, and did the drybrush profiling on hull and turret. I managed to knock off another bit of etch, which brings me to three to reattach. I wasn't able to get CA today, so it could be a couple of days before I can get to final assembly.

I used Gunship Grey to profile the black areas, and RAF Interior Green to profile the green, I'm never sure how well it shows up, though.

Target for tomorrow: The rear mudflaps need a final bit of airbrushing; begin a second round of oil wash and dot filter weathering, extending to the turret, and possibly more rust, dirt and bare metal work. I could spray the driving mirrors at the same time as the mudflaps; and I must search my bench for the etched sets, which are around here somewhere, as there are a few pieces still to go, including parts for the headlight protectors and a sighting unit. There are two vision ports to be unmasked.

I'll see what I can get to, but with luck I'll be looking at decals the day after.

Cheers, Mike/TB379

Looks very good, and the cammo colors look nice.

Very good built.

By the way, im still waiting on the badge for this GB....

The badges are on p1, Garzon -- they've been there for a while!

Thanks re the AS-90, it's turning out quite nicely!

M/TB379

Hey thanks!.... now I have my first one... yeeeeeiii

Mike: Looks terrific so far! The AS-90 is a cool looking SPG and I love the camo job you've done on her.

Garzonh: Congrads on your first badge, watch out they're addictive though!

Terry: I tried the Flory wash on my Crusader and well, it looks pretty good but I think looking at her now I'd have been better off with a regular oil pin wash. Of course your results may be significantly better!

I would think a sludge wash would be difficult to wipe down, especially around delicate pieces. That being said i might try it on a slab sided vehicle like a ww1 tank.

Wayne that was my thought, how difficult would it be on armor with all the recess areas. I bought the entire set a while back and haven't had time to experiment. I have a couple builds coming up so I'll pick one and try them out. If nothing else I can wash it off.

I do have a question that I meant to ask, should you "seal" the vehicle off before using them. Such as Future or a varnish? Would that help with the clean up?

Jibber -- the shinier the finish, the easier the washes are to handle. On a flat finish they will invade the surface and leave a stain you can't remove, and it's recommended that you glosscoat, then finish with a final sealant coat for whatever finish you're after. My first few times, I used them over the low-lustre MM enamel RLM matches, and over Humbrol enamel metallics, and they worked perfectly, though with a hint of staining which, as it happens, enhanced the result as a post-shade around recessed lines. Since then, on aircraft, I've used Microscale Satin as both surface prep and final seal coat, with the washes locked in between, and couldn't be happier with the result.

M/TB379

Thats kinda what I was thinking, you explained it perfectly. Thanks.

Progress report, guys -- yesterday I did another major round of wash and drybrush weathering, and yesterday evening I put the decals on, all but for one which is a puzzlement as the space for it to go is very tight indeed, and may call for a detail to be removed for the decal to settle down acceptably.

Today I worked on the sighting unit over the mantlet, preparing some etched parts and getting them, plus the driving mirrors and MG cradle, into NATO green, plus getting the metal upper parts of the rear mudflaps into NATO black. My last job for tonight will be to do some oil wash weathering on the flaps.

Targets for tomorrow: assemble and mount the sight, assemble and mount the MG, with some weathering on the gun itself, fit the headlights and protective grills, fit the mirrors and mudflaps, and paint the indicator lights and whoopee light. If I can do that lot, there's precious little to go, such as reattaching the various parts that have fallen off, making and mounting a radio mast, and doing the dust work.

The decals are glossy, unfortunately, and while those on the lower hull are not too much of an issue, there are four on the turret on angled surfaces which catch the light badly and I'm thinking of carefully masking and applying some clear flat, but that should be the very last task. If I can get my head down to the job tomorrow I might be able to declare this beast finished.

Cheers,

Mike/TB379