Thanks guys!

Maildude, she's coming right along! As to your questions looks like the M21 simply denotes an M3 with modifications for the mortar carrier. The chassis and cab seem to be the same.

As to paint if it's all olive drab I'd just assemble as much as possible and then spray it all at the same time. Then use a small brush to pick out the details that need to be painted differently. You might want to paint the undercarriage and the body as separate parts and then attach them and give it an overall spray. And probably leave the tools off and paint them and attach them when you're done.

hog- Thanks for the compliment.

TAD- Thanks for that. That is what I was thinking until I started seeing all the nooks and crannies. I'm just gonna have to dive in and see how it works out.

Bish- Your build is outstanding. The weathering is .

Gamera-Looks like your coming right along with your M3. Do you know off hand the major difference between the M3 and M21?

Looks really great Bish, I need to try some filters. I agree, the tubes could use some more exhaust staining. I imagine they got pretty bad during a firefight.

MailDude

I have gotten started on the M21. It's taking me a while, because I'm trying to make sure to get rid of all mold seams. After all, if I'm spending the money on the kits and supplies, I'm gonna take this hobby serious.  Here is what two nights of messin' with it has gotten me. A few sub-assemblies are glued up and ready for some paint. Which brings me to a question. This is the first piece of armor I have ever built and I was wondering when you guys decide to paint what parts? I mean do you add all the frame assemblies then primer and then paint individual brakes, drive shafts, mufflers..........?

I also drilled out the exhaust pipe. A first for me, so I thought it looks pretty neat.

More to come. 

 

MailDude

I have gotten started on the M21. It's taking me a while, because I'm trying to make sure to get rid of all mold seams. After all, if I'm spending the money on the kits and supplies, I'm gonna take this hobby serious.  Here is what two nights of messin' with it has gotten me. A few sub-assemblies are glued up and ready for some paint. Which brings me to a question. This is the first piece of armor I have ever built and I was wondering when you guys decide to paint what parts? I mean do you add all the frame assemblies then primer and then paint individual brakes, drive shafts, mufflers..........?

I also drilled out the exhaust pipe. A first for me, so I thought it looks pretty neat.

More to come. 

 

When you paint things is a personal choice.  If you have an airbrush, you could pretty much build the whole model and spray it with an overall OD color.  You can then go back and pick out the details with a paint brush.  Working this process you can build with strong glue bonds as well.  If you paint as you go, you may have to go back and scrape paint off of joining surfaces before gluing parts together.  It's all a matter of personal choice; after a few armor builds, you'll figure out what works best for you.

Good job on the exhaust, the little things add great detail.

TAD

@Bish,

Wow! My heart skipped a beat! The weathering is spectacular! I can't wait to see this in your diorama! 

@Cliff,

The M3 is really coming along nicely! I'm looking forward to seeing some paint on this vehicle!

@MD,

Great start on the M21, and even better job on opening the exhaust! It's the little details like this that will make this build fantastic! Great job!

I have gotten started on the M21. It's taking me a while, because I'm trying to make sure to get rid of all mold seams. After all, if I'm spending the money on the kits and supplies, I'm gonna take this hobby serious.  Here is what two nights of messin' with it has gotten me. A few sub-assemblies are glued up and ready for some paint. Which brings me to a question. This is the first piece of armor I have ever built and I was wondering when you guys decide to paint what parts? I mean do you add all the frame assemblies then primer and then paint individual brakes, drive shafts, mufflers..........?

I also drilled out the exhaust pipe. A first for me, so I thought it looks pretty neat.

More to come. 

Thanks G. My problem is always adding to much. I really need to try and reign it in, its easier to add than to take away. Same goes for the AK weathering effects. The 251 i will do later in the GB, i really want that much lighter weathered than this.

For the thinner, i run my brush over some tissue to remove the excess from the brush.

Looks sharp Bish! I've been having some issues with the dot filters, I think I've been adding too much thinner and taking too much off. 

Looking forward to the figures, base, and seeing it all come together. 

Time to get to the weathering and get the vehicle finished. First thing to do was the dot filtering. I am going for a heavy weathered finish and how the dot filtering is done has a large effect on this. I have pretty much got the hevay look just how i want it. I still have to work on the lighter weathered finish, but i have a couple of builds coming up to work on that.

For the filtering i am using oils which allows me a lot of time to work on it. Doing one section at a time, i added dots of white, raw umber and raw sienna.

Then, using a wide flat brush with a little white spirits these are streaked downwards.

Once the whole vehcile is donw, i add some streaking with AK streak effects.

I had also done some work on the trcaks. A steel dry brush was followed by a raw unmber wash.

And the chassis could now be put together.

And back on the upper hull, the final touches were some chipping and dusting with AK Dark mud, earth and dust effects.

Then the two halves were brought together and all the last parts fitted. And once that was done some pigments added around the lower edge and the running gear.

And thats just about it. I think i will add some exhaust stain down the rocket tubes as they look a bit shiny.

I do think this finish looks over done for a stand alone model, but hopefully onc eon the base it will make sense. And speaking of which, i now have to out this on hold for a week or so. The materials i wanted to give me the base i wanted i could only find at the Scenic factory in the US. So i ordered some bt on Fri and hopefully they won't take more thna a couple of weeks. So for now i'll just get the figures finished off and get onto my next build.

Thanks Bish! The kit comes with two small frets of PE, one a little smaller and the other a little larger than a matchbook. 

Coming on nicley there G. Are those PE parts from the kit or you using an AM set.

hogfanfs

 

Bish

Glad to have you on board Dude, and nice to have somthing else not German.

 

 

 

 

I know you rolled your eyes when you typed that! LOL!

MailDude, glad to have you on-board!

 

I don't know what your implying, really i don't

I'm slowly getting there. Few more things to add to the chassis, cab, and bed and then onto the 75mm gun. Lots of small parts there, gonna be fun... 

Bish- Thanks for the add. 

Hog-Thanks for the welcome. 

Gamera-Thanks for the welcome. I'll be getting started soon, gotta put final touches on a T-33A to get my work space cleared!

Maildude: Cool! I built the Tamiya M3 years ago but not this one- looking forward to following along with you. 

Bish

Glad to have you on board Dude, and nice to have somthing else not German.

 

I know you rolled your eyes when you typed that! LOL!

MailDude, glad to have you on-board!

Glad to have you on board Dude, and nice to have somthing else not German.

Bish, please add me with this Tamiya 1/35th M21 kit:

I just joined the Sub Warfare GB, but with this kit laying around, I can't pass up trying to get this badge! I should have enough time to complete both (I hope).

Bruce, Cliff, thanks. Once the two halfs were together, there was not a lot left to add to the outside. But i was surprised at how much i got gone this weekend especially with everthing else i had on.

hogfanfs

 

Gamera

I've been making some slow progress. The running gear is close to being done. Gee whiz, I built the good 'ol Tamiya M3 years ago and this kit is about a dozen times more complex, the suspension bogies are about twenty parts in and of themselvies! Not that I'm complaining or anything, I love this type of stuff. On the other hand the parts here are smaller than those of a typical tank and my eyes aren't what they used to be... 

One little point I am confused on here though, the instructions tell you to paint the underside steel, but as I understand US factories at the time just hosed everything down with multiple thick coats of olive drab. Well, plenty of time to do research before I paint the thing... 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Cliff,

Sorry I missed this! Great start on the M3. I'm amazed at how many parts it took to build those bogies!

 

Bruce, i had not noticed that until i saw your post. If i am looking at that right, each bogie has 20 parts. Thats impressive even for Dragon.

No worries Bruce, I can understand why since I'm just limping along behind Bish's sprint to the finish! 

As I said over on the '46 GB I'm almost done there so I concentrate more effort here when done there. On the other hand I still have the 1/32nd Zero I really need to move faster on with my own GB though. I must be getting old, I cannot believe we're already over halfway though 2016 already and I have only 5 months left to finish by the end of the year! 

Gamera

I've been making some slow progress. The running gear is close to being done. Gee whiz, I built the good 'ol Tamiya M3 years ago and this kit is about a dozen times more complex, the suspension bogies are about twenty parts in and of themselvies! Not that I'm complaining or anything, I love this type of stuff. On the other hand the parts here are smaller than those of a typical tank and my eyes aren't what they used to be... 

One little point I am confused on here though, the instructions tell you to paint the underside steel, but as I understand US factories at the time just hosed everything down with multiple thick coats of olive drab. Well, plenty of time to do research before I paint the thing... 

 

 

 

Cliff,

Sorry I missed this! Great start on the M3. I'm amazed at how many parts it took to build those bogies!

Yeah wow Bish you went from about 1/3rd done to about 2/3rds right there! Nice work, good thing for the big hatches so you see all that work you put into the interior. 

Bish,

That looks awesome! Wow! You got a lot accomplished! 

Had quite a busy wekend so thought i would share it with you. having got the rockets finihsed, i fitted some inside, along with the long awaited missing parts from RM.

I was then able to get the top on which went on pretty well. I then laid a couple more rockets on the floor once i worked out where the loader would stand.

It seems as thoguh this kit is based on the vehicle at the Samur tank museum. It includes moulded on hooks for holding the hatch open. These are fitted to the samur vehicle but according to Nuts and Bolts, these are probably a post war addition as there is not sign of these in war time photo's, and i have looked and think they are right.

It was then just down to the last bits of PE on the outside. I used Aber tool clamps as the RM set did not include these. The insid was also filled with tissue to mask off the openings. You can see those hooks have been removed.

Then off to the paint booth. Yesterday i gave it a primer coat, then this morning i got up early before we went out for the day and sprayed the Dark Yellow useing Xtracolor enamels. When we came home, i then sprayed the random squiggles of green and red brown which i could do in one sitting as i didn't have to worry about masking.

And the launcher was done as well.

And after leaving it a couple of hours, i gave the whole thing a dry brush useing MiG oils.

And yes, i was useing enamels, yes i did say a couple of hours and yes it was touch dry. A complete paiunt job and dry brush in 12 hours, who says useing enamels is slow.

And finally, my first pic of the figures. I put the two standing figures toigetehr a couyple of weeks ago. But i waited until the two hull halves were together before doing the kneeling figure to get his arm position right.

So now i will let the oil dry brush dry for a couple of days before a coat of future and the weathering. In the menatime i can work on the figures and finish and fit the tracks.

Thanks G.

She's looking sharp Bish, love the interior! 

Rigt, time for a more hefty update. And time to hit the spray booth. Starting with the chassis and running gear, it got a primer coat and the DY.

And then an overall wash of AK wash for DAK vehicles.

And then i was able to get the bogies together.

Then it was the turn of the inside of the hull. For the floor i mixed up a German red primer with Tamiya and the rest got a coat of Xtracolor interior cream

Then the floor got an raw umber oil wash. I had to be careful i didn't damage the Enamel paint on the side, which i would used flory washes on.

Now i know what you thinking, why not use flory on the whole thing. The answer is simple.

Because i am stupid. It just never occured to me to use flory on the floor, i usually leave that wash for aircraft but just wanted to avoid a future coat.

So the rest got a wash, the floor, after removing excess wash, got a dry brush for chipping and the wood parts were painted. For the wood, i painted tamiya red brown and went over it with a sepia ink wash. This matches nicley the wood parts in the photo's and is a tip i found out by accident when i tried to paint my 251/6 leather seats a red leather. That was a bad idea that turned good. I also added the final parts includeing a few bit of crew equipment.

The final bit to add before i can close up is the rockets. These have been painted and decal added useing a set from Peddinghaus which has a nice selection of German rocket markings.

Also got the tracks together.

And painted tamiya NATO black.

And finally the base. A piece of chipboard glued to a bit of MDF to get the thickness i wanted surrounded by my usual balsa wood.

Then stained and varnished. This can now be put to one side until i am ready to add the celluclay.

And that all for now. I am hopeing by the end of the weekenbd, i can start on painting the outside of the hull.

Thanks Bish. Yeah, didn't make much sense to me either where you'd leave anything bare steel. As I'd heard they just hosed the olive drab on as a preservative. 

Glad to see you off to a good start G. It would not make sense to me to leave the underside bear steel, it would not do good for rust prevention.