Hi AlanF -- your approach is working nicely and I think the 'aircraft' mentality is going to be okay in the long run if progress to date is anything to go by. For grease I would think gloss black would be a good call, my instinct is to thin it to basically tinted thinner, or even use a black oil wash and let capillary action take it into the joints. Also, don't forget the pencil graphite trick for bare metal areas. For the tires, I use Tamiya NATO Black for all rubber areas, and then drybrush with lighter shades and add pigments from there, it's a comfortable off-black that avoids the starkness of a pure black while requiring no mixing.

Cheers, M/TB379

Thanks for the kind words everyone.

The color is simply a mix of Tamiya XF-59 Desert Stand and XF-60 Dark yellow, with some matt white added.

I used a filter of Humbrol #83 mid stone just to vary it a little, and then some sand pigment washed on after the pin wash.

Cheers

Tony

Tony: Looks great! Yeah the washes turned out fantastic.

Alan: Nice work there too!

The Crusader is together. Sorry I didn't know the photos were this blurry when I took them. Hopefully when I get the whole thing primered up I'll take some more that will turn out better.

Gamera, nice looking Crusader.  

The white exhaust sections, is that after market items?

regards,

Jack

Naw, sorry they didn't come out better. For rusty areas I spray them with Krylon textured paint, it has a grit to it and dries to a pebbly surface. Once painted with reddish-brown paint it looks like a rusted out surface to me.

Tony, you're finished? Seriously? We're barely into this GB two weeks! Grumble, grumble. Ok, kidding aside, nice looking AB. I like that it's weathered, but not overdone.

Wayne (et al), did some digging around on British colour questions.

There are a variety  of British fuel cans, and could be found finished in any military colour that was in use up that present time.    It is possible to even see the odd civilian colour.  Those painted white were specifically for water.   In reference to the flimsy, these were throw away types and usually left in their original tin colour.  They have no cap, and had to be punctured to pour the contents out, and then thrown away, hence their name.

Primers; for afv I've seen reference to red oxide or red lead.  Since already established auto industries were manufacturing wheeled vehicles, it is likely the standard primer was of baked on black.

Opinions vary, but seems to be that early on, vehicles sent to Africa had their European scheme, and would be repainted at local workshops in the ME theater.   Some have suggested that as the desert campaign became more permanent, vehicles would leave factories in a desert finish, but am waiting if a direct reference source can be quoted for this.    Also to consider, vehicles meant  for the front lines would have precedence at the paint booth.  Enclosed interiors, such as a truck, would likely remain in European scheme (this though is my own logical conclusion).  

regards,

Jack

hey jack

thanks. looks like i'm going w/ 22 arm bde/7 AD in the mid '42 battles as april '42 was when the 6ib at gun was introduced. as such, and given this has an "open" cab with a canvas top i am going to assume a factory paint and all sand. i have never tried a preshading with black so maybe i will prime this in black and see what happens. will overspray the inder part of the chassis hull red and washeses but all the outer parts will be sand. i can use the black for some chipping though this will be a fairly new truck so not much damage or wear and tear. almost at the can't do anything until i prime stage and in the early stages of preventing a cold from getting worse so...

Great work guys! Its getting hard to keep up with everyone. I feel like a really slow builder compared to some of you! And my entry is so dang small!

And Tony really like how your build turned out.

Got the Bishop's gaps filled in on my build.

And one part I'm not looking forward to the road wheels

I think my next armor build is going to be 1/35! At this point my builds ready for a bath and off to the paint shop. I hope that I'll get it painted this weekend.

David

My gosh David that thing is tiny!! You WILL be putting indi working track links on that thing right???

Well, proof that I do plan on participating here.

While I wait for the Magic Tracks to dry on my PzIII, I broke out the hull for the Bison and began trying to decipher the Dragon instructions. Dragon has held themelves to their usual high standards on instructions right off the bat as basically I had to cut all the leaf springs off and just see which ones fit where. The numbering just makes no sense whatsoever. Luckily our own wbill built this kit not too long ago and has a great build log on his website which should help tremendously!

Probably going to jump back to the PzIII tomorrow and lay some primer and paint down in hopes of wrapping it up by the weekend. The Bison here seems like it is going to require my full and undivided attention during the build and especially the finishing process!!

Jester75 -- I'll be most interested to follow this build. I have the Alan kit of the same subject, obviously not to anything like Dragon's standard but it has been called an overlooked gem, and I hope to fit this one in too before the end of the year. So I'll be watching yours like a hawk for any aspects which might help me make something decent of the other!

M/TB379

I'm having problems with my camera, so I'm copying this link to my build.

www.militarymodelling.com/.../8261

Dave, nice progress on the Bishop.  It is small, but I'm sort of not far behind size wise even with the 1/35 choice I've made, as you'll see below.

Eric (Jester75), great choice, does this one fall under the category of Rommel's "funnies"?  Interesting how huge it looks on the boxart, even though the chasis is the Pz II light tank.

Eric - looking forward to you Pz IIIH,  I've this one in the stash as well.  

-------------------------------------------

So officially, I've chosen the Italeri 1/35 scale L6/40 light tank.  Also included will be:

1) - individual metal track links

2) - resin stowage set

3) - resin/PE update set

4) - and you guessed it, another appearance of the blue man group.  These tankers will  be sporting leather jackets  and the black plume of feathers on the side of their helmets.

Even managed to break some sprues, cleaning up the four main pieces of the lower hull, and have some Squadron putty covering the ejector marks ready to sand.  As a scale comparison, on the left side, an old Esci 1/72 Valentine.

regards,

Jack

Eric, No indie tracks for me, the kit comes with vinyl. Nice work on the Bison so far.

Eric, Looking forward to seeing the Panzer III.

Mark, Thank you. And holy cow that L6/40 is small!

David

Jester: Very cool, not a vehicle you see that often.

Jack: Gee, I knew those things were small but I didn't think that small! Looking forward to seeing all the aftermarket added.

Wow, this GB has really taken off!  One completed model before the GB is 2 weeks old and "in progress" builds of PzIIIs, a Churchill, Bison, Bishop, L6/40 and several wheeled vehicles.  It will be a challenge to keep current if this pace continues.  Great work all!

I have continued with the PzIIIJ and hope to have new photos in a day or so.

Don

M3A1 Scout Car

Thanks for all the suggestions about improving the undercarriage. I'll be working on those once the top is on it.  I'm currently working on the body and will have to decide on a paint scheme soon.  I haven't been able to find any color pics but I did find a link showing drawings of a couple scout cars in Tunisia. (Link: http://www.tanks-encyclopedia.com/ww2/US/M3_Scout_Car.php) .  This first car is in the standard Olive Drab.  I guess it didn't get desert camo and it looks like an earlier model. The second to the last one is what I think I will go for. My decals, esp. the star, is more in line with the first, but I don't know if that's a big deal or not.  I'm going for something representative. Is this ok with everyone?

BTW.  I'm really impressed with the builds going on here so far. Very nice work everyone.

pordoi

Wow, this GB has really taken off!  One completed model before the GB is 2 weeks old and "in progress" builds of PzIIIs, a Churchill, Bison, Bishop, L6/40 and several wheeled vehicles.  It will be a challenge to keep current if this pace continues.  Great work all!

Don

still waiting to prime in the garage so the truck is alomost at the can't do anything else. grabbed the 6ib from the PEERLESS MAX 15cwt chevy 4x4 to put on the BEDFORD. also have a TAMIYA 6ib w/ crew.

GB off to good start everyone - still working on the Armor Car 232 Rad 8 - Have a Dragon Panzer IV Ausf. D - DAK in the hopper. Enclosed couple of photos of the 232. Armor86

Here is my humble Panzerspahwagen

A bit advanced WIP, one wrong click and I lost bunch of early WIP pix

Wow, those look great guys - love the wield seams Dan and the dirty tires CN!

I sprayed the Crusader khaki for a primer last night and hopefully this weekend after checking to see how things look I'll start building the colour coats up from that.  

Nice work Dan and Castelnuovo.

I made some progress on the M3A1 Scout (sorry no pics this round). One step forward, two backward. I spent a lot of time trying to attach small parts, losing said small parts to the carpet monster, not finding some of said small parts and trying to scratch build the few lost ones. They were mostly handles so stretched sprue worked really well.  Whew.  I accidentally cut off some of the rear fender thinking it was part of the sprue. I had to rebuild that. (Note to self - always look at the shape of the part in the instructions before cutting.) I also spent a lot of time filling in what seemed like a zillion injector pin marks.   Nothing really photo worthy.

Alan: I've got a few pieces of fine copper wire I've salvaged from construction done at work- I'm losing or breaking grab handles all the time and have used a lot of this stuff!

put a towel across your lap. it's amazing how many pieces it catches.

Great work there guys. Dan, is that putty for the weld seams, they look great.

Gamera

Alan: I've got a few pieces of fine copper wire I've salvaged from construction done at work- I'm losing or breaking grab handles all the time and have used a lot of this stuff!

Ditto!  Thin brass rod works as well.  I hate sanding the sprue attachment stubs from fragile pieces like this; would regularly ruin the part before even trying to attach it.   In the past, I routinely used brass rod to replace handles and similar parts.

Don

Bish

Great work there guys. Dan, is that putty for the weld seams, they look great.

Another ditto!  Really nice effect.  How did you do it?

Don

I have made some additional progress on the PzIIIJ.  Turret construction is pretty much complete, but some of the parts are really small.  To sand and install them was a real chore .  Also, I must have bought the wrong metal L/60 barrel because there was no way that it would fit with the breach.  Just means that the turret will be mostly closed up and showing little interior detail, which is what I had originally planned. 

The spaced armor assembled much easier than I had anticipated.  Perfect fit of the PE parts.

I'm installing some of the parts that mount on the fenders now; but the tools will be painted first and glued after the main body is painted.

Just a few additional shots of the other side...

The next step will be to dry fit the resin sand armor.  It was supplied with some spare tracks;

... that are appropriate for earlier PzIII versions but not for the PzIIIJ.  So they will be removed and I will try to replace them with the indy links supplied with the kit.  Will also start assembling the tank crew figures and dry fitting them.  Hopefully, that will be the next update.

Don

Don, that looks great!! I love the sand bags, what brand are they or did you make them? I have this exact kit at almost the exact same stage right now that I am trying to finish up so I can begin my Bison. Really is a nice kit that goes together really well! Can't wait to see more!!