DasBeav: Good luck, I hate cleaning up tracks. Although if I can turn on the TV or YouTube and just get into a groove while doing it they aren't too bad. 

Wayne has a really good point there about building wheeled vehicles. 

Hi Waynec,
Some time ago I decided to go with Tamiya's acrylics since they seem to be available almost everywhere (was travelling a lot at the time). Hesitating to start mixing with Vallejo - although the brand seems to come very strong.
I am experimenting with a mix of Tamiya XF60 Dark Yellow and XF61 Dark Green 25/75%. Looks OK'ish.
Looking forward to your next update!

Ernest and DasBeav,
I am with you – if it wasn’t for those tracks…
Managed to glue my second track run to the jig provided to crate sag.
Plenty of warnings in the instructions NOT to do that but there you go...need to stop cutting the acrylics with Chardonnay.
Link and length seems a good compromise, but I understand that the improved impression is worth it – just don’t have the eyes and the patience.

Yepp Gamera,
next one is going to be a BTR80 

Sackgasse  When you say mix are you saying mixing a Tamiya color WITH a Vallejo color or using say Vallejo for the base color and Tamiya for one of the camo colors? I have used different paints on the same model with no issues. 

Still experimenting with Vallejo surface primer so no results to report right now. I know i have at NO problems with sanding issues or  lifting when masking with silly putty or tape when the primer is rattle can ACE Hardware NOW.

 Suspension. the front 4 wheels turn. I assume there are some internal tierods so all four turn at the same angle.

BTR-70 SUSPENSION by bravow01, on Flickr

Sackgasse - cutting acrylics with Chardonnay? hmmm......never tried that!

Wayne - BTR-70 looking good.  Are you building it for this GB?

Not much of an update here.  Completed the scratchbuilt sponsons using sheet styrene:

The lower hull also had a gap on each side just behind the idler.  Shored those up with little fillets of styrene.

Still working on the MK links......

Wayne & Ernest: Those look good guys! 

Tracks do seem to be the most tedious part of building armor.  Sticking with the rubber bands on the KV-1.  I will be getting a better kit at some point, and the upgrade would cost more than this kit...by a lot.

I used Kaizen workable tracks on a T-34 I recently finished, and really liked them.  Little clean up, and after figuring out how to get them together (that particular set uses pins similar to Friuls), they went together quickly.  They were a huge upgrade.

Have not tried link and length or ModelKasten or Friuls....yet.  Friuls are fantastic, but do take a bite out of the wallet.

I remember when rubber bands were the only option.  Now we have many options to upgrade the tracks, and while it can be tedious, I guess we should be happy to have those options. 

KV-1 is black based, so the base color will go down as soon as I can get my butt down to the basement.  Will be using Mission Models paint on this one.

Hi Wayne

Tamiya is all about mixing until you get it right, and I have quite a few of their stuff.
So I have been hesitating to go for Vallejo since I have been thinking I can not mix them with the Tamiya. But I will give it a try - I have the Vallejo Primers and today I bought some Vallejo 4BO.

Tamiyas recomendation for he base color of the SU is FX-61 Dark Green. That is very dark green and I have seen noone else recomeding that as a match to 4BO.

Here is a comparsion I did today:

Kicking of the next one while the primer dryes on the SU.
Trumpeters BTR80A, starts with the tracks and running gear road wheel suspension system.



Will try to give the stearing wheels a bit of a tilt.

Ernest,

Good work on those sponsons!
Dont understand why they did not shut those in the first place but all good now.

wow there are so any nice builds here ! out standing to every one. here is what I have on the T-62.I did paint the hull with tamiya dark green have one side of the road wheels in place and my I attept with friulmodel tracks I have to say it was relaxing through the process.

I am seeing some good builds out there, hope I can keep up with you guys.(speedwise, skillwise, etc) Like the paint job on the hull, Nick. I have started the ICM T35 last night by putting some track links together. Doing them in batches of 15, stopping each night at 45, to keep my sanity. Not too bad but 350 is 350. Should get some work done this weekend because according to some weather experts "we" should be expecting "Super, Ultra, Megastorm 2018" others say 2-4 inches. Here are the sprues...sans the links. 750 parts count, but because this tank is a monster the parts are BIG! Enjoy.

Nick, those tracks look great! Beav That's a lot of parts.

There's some nice work here, I've been keeping tabs until I got around to my second build, which is now.

I started on the PT-76, bypassing the wheels and tracks and staring on the hull.

Sackgasse: Good work there on the suspension. A lot of parts but still not as annoying as independent part tracks. And not sure I'd worry too much about the paint, since it did discolour and fade from the weather a good dark green should work in any case. 

Crown: Those look fantastic! Guess I'll be taking the plunge on using on Spade Ace metal tracks on a IJA Type 95 soon- if they come out anywhere near as well as yours I'll be very happy. 

DasBeav: Now that's a box of parts. Always good to see you get your money's worth in styrene! 

Steve: Nice start there! 

Gamera

Griffin: That colour modulation looks terrific! I know some people don't like it but I think single colour subjects look dull without it.

Steve: Looks great! 

If I may echo Hunter and brag a little on Steve/ModelCrazy he just finished this and now he's got that much done on his entry here! 

 

A while back I built a p40 and zero diorama with the zero crashed into the water. I used the vallejo pacific water product that comes in a blue paste. For the splashes, I used some DAP silicone caulk. This worked and looked nice, but I think it could be better. How did you create the water base above? and the spashles? The colors look great and much more realistic than the vallejo stuff. 

On another note, I think I'll join this GB soon! I have a build or two to do first, but after that I got an Is2 and takom ZSU-57... will most likely build them for this GB. 

Kien

Thanks Kien,

I use medium acrylic gel, acrylic varnish and cotton. I'll be doing a water dio for this one so I'll go through the process again.

Kien: Sounds cool!

We keep after Steve/Modelcrazy about doing a YouTube demo or something showing how he works his water magic after his treatment! 

Steve, looking forward to seeing the PT-76 charging though a river or pond! 

may as well add the 1/35 DRAGON Ukrainian BTR-70 to my list. It is for a February club contest, anything DML or DRAGON. is it just me or do certain mold colors seem "off" i find the white a bit disconcerting i also have a pair of OTS (1/72)  PEGASUS BA-6s in the works. more gamey than serious kit but can try some stuff.

fender fills look good.  even though i am wearing down some of my perfectioniam such as "why spend time on the interior if all the hatches will be closed?" or "why clean up all the track links if half of them are under the side skirt?" BUT openngs under fenders have to be filled.

BTR-70 UPPER HULL STARTED by bravow01, on Flickr

i put the top on before putting the back on. it was easier to fit and get the angle. as soon as fills on left hull are sanded i will add all the handles and stuff.

yes i asked to add this and a pair of OTS PEGASUS BA-6s

Wow, it's getting hard to keep up with all the great stuff going on in this GB.  I think I have all the roster updates.  

Got a couple painting sessions in today.  Home sick.  But not sick enough to stay away from the bench (cough, cough).  Hope to have enough progress for a few pics soon.

crown, those friuls look fantastic!!

Looks like everybody is making great progress...except me. Yesterday, I worked on the engine compartment and the driver's area. I had to stop because I have no oil wash and HL is closed. Sooo....Track Links!

 nice I think it’s relaxing with a crown n 7 drink  and working on metal tracks 

Hello everyone! I'd like to join this group build if you'll have me! I've been a lurker in these forums from time to time; I love checking out the beautiful work that you guys do! I think it's been over 20 years since the last time I actually completed a kit and it's something that I keep planning on doing. I've made it one of my goals for this year to really focus and spend a lot more time building and having fun with it. Anyway, I only have a couple of armor kits in the stash but I do have one kit that fits this perfectly. Tamiya's 1/35 JS-2. 

Plan on starting it this evening.

Wayne: Another good point there, if you can't see it no point in detailing it.

DasBeav: I guess you might as well get the most tedious part out of the way, you're making good progress there.

DasBeav

Looks like everybody is making great progress...except me. Yesterday, I worked on the engine compartment and the driver's area. I had to stop because I have no oil wash and HL is closed. Sooo....Track Links!

 

Hey Das how do those tracks go together? You need glue or do they snap together? 

Griffin25

 

 

DasBeav

Looks like everybody is making great progress...except me. Yesterday, I worked on the engine compartment and the driver's area. I had to stop because I have no oil wash and HL is closed. Sooo....Track Links!

 

 

 

 

Hey Das how do those tracks go together? You need glue or do they snap together? 

 

PEGASUS BA-6 painted in Vallejo russian green but the lighter colot than the 1/35 BA-10. I like this color better than the darker so will overspray the outer surfaces but NOT frame, wheel wells, and wheel hubs. The other little one will be winter camo. managed to lose 2 tires but they were spare tires so they fit on front axle.

PEGASUS 1-72 BA-6 PAINTED (2)

PEGASUS 1-72 BA-6 PAINTED (1)

Wayne, that's a tiny little thing,
At 5 tons did they really parachute those things like the box art showes?

Neat looking car with a 45mm turret.

Steve

Looks like a lot of work on tracks this weekend!  Great work everyone!

I also got some track work done!  Some progress on the MK tracks for the JS-3 but not as much as I had hoped.  The pin marks on all the links were finally sanded down and cleaned up.....took nearly a week to do them all, whew!  With that done they needed to be assembled.

Here are 86 links in progress.  75 with pins glued in place, 5 on the jig ready for the pins, and 6 already complete:

85-86 links is what I estimated for one side and I was spot on!  Here's one set done and test fitted along with a pic of the kit vinyl tracks on the other side just for comparison:

The Model Kasten workable links are a definite improvement over the kit tracks, even though they're slightly underscale (or perhaps the kit tracks are overscale? ).  I'm not sure if I'm happy with the track sag...might be a bit too much.  I'll try 85 links on the other side tomorrow and see how it looks.

Here you can see the size comparison between the MK tracks and the kit tracks.  Some reference photos indicate that the dimensions of the MK links might actually be accurate.

Hopefully the tracks will all be done tomorrow!

Wayne: Looks good! The Soviets had some cool looking armoured cars like these. Looks like a truck with an armoured body and a BT turret on top (which I'm guessing it was).

Ernest: Great progress there. Those MK tracks came out great. No idea if they're underscale but they look 'right' to me.

Ernest, that's such a great comparison. The tracks look great!!