Very cool! The BTR 70 is such an APC icon. It's doing business all over the world. Looking forward to seeing your build Stik.

So on Friday, I added the suspension to the lower hull, and the detail parts onto the rear hull

the front axles are movable to simulate steering

R62, I am truly loving that T-34 of yours. I built an early version of the Maquette T-34, and know how much of a bear those can be to build. But man you made that look awesome!

This past Friday nite at IPMS was a build nite, so I pulled out my BTR and got to work.

I had about four steps on the upper hull completed before I sidelined it years ago. Perhaps 15%-20% done so far

Hey AA, hopefully when you assemble her the added parts will reinforce each other there. If you're still not happy I've cemented stuff like cut-up credit cards in to stiffen the thing up.

Funny to see damage like that. I bought a Tamiya Royal Tiger back, gee fifteen-twenty years ago with a broken turret roof. Looked like someone had tried to crush it. I repaired the damage as best I could but it's still visible if you know where to look.

Hopefully you'll be able to overcome the damage. Look forward to seeing it! 

Well, I finally got under way with the Su-122, and I’m a little disappointed.  I’ve built a lot of Tamiya models over the years, and this is the first one I’ve bought that came out of the box with damaged/broken parts.  If you’ll notice, on the upper hull the right side rear fender is broken nearly all the way off.  Harder to notice is the damage to the front of the lower hull, where the rightside extension that holds the drive sprocket is bent/stressed so that it doesn’t align properly.  This may be able to be fixed when gluing it together, but I fear it may have weakened the plastic (you can see where the stress has discolored the plastic from green to white), hopefully not to the point where it might break.  Most unusual for Tamiya kits...

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Thank you.  I have a BTR and tank destroyer kit in my stash.  Once I get a handle on these other two projects I think I will try one of those.

Route, that is a fantastic looking T-34.  I will post the first picture in the completed kit section.  Let me know if there is another picture you would like posted there.

Thanks for being part of the GB.  I enjoyed watching this come together.  If you can find the time, we would love to see another build from you.

Route62: That looks fantastic!!! If mine comes out 10% as well as yours I'll be thrilled!

I added a little snow to the T-34 this evening and I am calling it done.  The Alanger kit was meh at best but any kit can be turned around.  Added resin fuel tanks and aftermarket tracks.  A little scratch build like grab handles and added some PE mesh from my spares.  The tow cables are picture hanging wire.

For weathering I did hairspray chipping, washes, filter, oil paint stains and shading, baking soda snow and pastel powders.  No name brand weathering products were used.  All was done with common arts supplies.

This is my first group build and I had fun with it.  Kept me on pace.  I have a couple other projects on my bench but if I can squeeze another Russian armor piece before november I will post.

 That T-34 looks fantastic. Great work and with a little snow on it it'll only get better. It's begging to be in a diorama!!

Holy cow, route62, that looks freaking amazing!!  The weathering is incredible! 

So close to finishing this T-34. Tracks are on and shot it with flat clear. All that is left is a little snow.

Kien: Looks great! I've tried fooling around with pigments but mine never come out that well.

Hey Kien, very effective use of pigments.  That specific area behind the running wheels is a spot I am never quite sure how to deal with in a way that looks realistic.  I think you nailed it.  I may be stealing that technique. 

Some more progress on the IS2. After finishing the painting I’ve started weathering the chassis with wilder pigments and fixer. I’m using 3 shades of brown for the dirt. I’m also working with washes and oils on the upper surface and turret, I will get pictures of that when I add some of the stowage on. I am near done with this kit, and it was a great one!

Kien 

route62, I really like those MiniArt track links!  I may have to try a set....once I get another T-34 kit!

Dwayne, sorry to hear about the lost fuel tank.  I've lost plenty of tiny parts to the ether/carpet monster, but never anything that big.  Watch it suddenly turn up AFTER the model is completely done!!

Sorry to report that I have no updates on my builds.  I've made absolutely no progreess since the last post.  Other home projects have kept me busy and I have a fishing trip coming up that will also take up most of my time the rest of this month.  Hopefully I'll be back at the bench in June, but I'll keep checking back to see how others are doing!

Wayne: Ouch that blows!!! Good to hear to hear you were able to dig up a replacement. I probably have a half-dozen tanks from scrapped kits if you need anymore.

Thats a bummer Dwayne. My ether / carpet monster swallowed some P/E on the weekend too.

Cheers

Tony

Ever have one of those days?

Was trying to apply a clear coat when I managed to knock over the bottle.  Pulled back in my chair quickly to avoid having clear coat all over my clothes.  In the process, I knocked the KV-1 model, and one of the gas/oil tanks pops off.  So I think "no problem, it's a big piece, I will find it".

Nope.  It has gone into the ether that sucks up model parts. 

Fortunately, I had a backup in a T-34 kit.  

route62

Almost no clean up.  No flash.  Cut very clean from the sprue.  Just a few swipes from the xacto blade to clean up the cut.  It took about two hours per side to cut and assemble.  There is enough track left over if I want to add some spare links onto the hull or if I had damaged any links beyond repair.  Recommended and Miniart carries track for all types of tanks.  Not Fruil quality but much cheaper and once weathered and installed don't know if i would be able to tell any difference.

 

Ok, you sold me on them.

ManCityFan

 

 

Gamera

Dwayne: Judging is a whole new ballgame. I tried it once or twice but I hate it- trying to decide between a couple of perfect models gave me fits. Your plan for the KV-I sounds good, looking forward to the new photos. 

 

 

 

 

Hey Gamera, I found the judging interesting, but you are right.  Picking between two perfect models is hard.  I wasn't actually involved in picking the winners.  More of a "this is how we do it" thing.  But they did have me look at models and provide my input.  It felt very weird for me to be critical of models that were WAY better than anything I can produce.

 

 

 

It's a good they provided you with some training, they just just tossed me in the pool and told me to 'swim'.  And the same here, it's very hard to try to judge something that's lightyears ahead of my work. 

Gamera

Dwayne: Judging is a whole new ballgame. I tried it once or twice but I hate it- trying to decide between a couple of perfect models gave me fits. Your plan for the KV-I sounds good, looking forward to the new photos. 

 

route62

Almost no clean up.  No flash.  Cut very clean from the sprue.  Just a few swipes from the xacto blade to clean up the cut.  It took about two hours per side to cut and assemble.  There is enough track left over if I want to add some spare links onto the hull or if I had damaged any links beyond repair.  Recommended and Miniart carries track for all types of tanks.  Not Fruil quality but much cheaper and once weathered and installed don't know if i would be able to tell any difference.

 

Route62: Those tracks look good! Personally I'd much rather deal with the plastic that I can cement rather than running wire though a bunch of metal links. 

Dwayne: Judging is a whole new ballgame. I tried it once or twice but I hate it- trying to decide between a couple of perfect models gave me fits. Your plan for the KV-I sounds good, looking forward to the new photos. 

I'll try to get some photos up. Still fiddling around with the interior, just not that much new to show.  

Almost no clean up.  No flash.  Cut very clean from the sprue.  Just a few swipes from the xacto blade to clean up the cut.  It took about two hours per side to cut and assemble.  There is enough track left over if I want to add some spare links onto the hull or if I had damaged any links beyond repair.  Recommended and Miniart carries track for all types of tanks.  Not Fruil quality but much cheaper and once weathered and installed don't know if i would be able to tell any difference.

Route, the track detail on that set is excellent.  I put together a set from Kaizen for a previous build that looks quite similar.  Huge improvement over vinyl tracks, and not a huge $$ invesment.  Just some added time.  How hard were they to clean up and put together?  

The new track arrived so now I can finish the T-34.  For $19 shipped this is a nice replacement to the kit track.  flexible like real track with good detail.  Applied the base coat to create a surface rust look.  Once clear coated will continue with weathering to give it the right winter look.

Thanks for the explanation Ernest, I'm going to try it on my KV-1 when I get to it.

Cheers

Tony

Seems to have gone quiet in our GB.  I don't have any progress to show, but I did finally finish the Wildcat I have been working on.  If you are so inclined, you can see the final pics in the Midway GB. 

I was also at Noreastcon this past weekend, the Northeast regional convention/show/contest.  Had the time of my life there, and was a JIT (judge in training) for a couple of the categories.  Very interesting to see the process, and got to see some exceptional models up close and personal.  Oh, and bought some kits, cause, well, you know, vendors.  One of the kits is a Matilda, so all set for a UK armor GB.  Posted some pics in the IPMS Nationals thread, again if you are so inclined to take a look.

So I am finally ready to re-focus my efforts from "plane, plane, plane" to "tank, tank, tank".  Put the KV-1 back on the bench, and realized I have put some "bits" on the tank, so it would be difficult to use Ernest's method to break up the solid green, so will use my standard (this if my 4th tank, so I guess you can call it my standard ) oils then pigments.  Going for dusty as opposed to muddy on this one.  Stay tuned.