Urban Armor GB, May 1-Dec 31, 2008

So long as you give it enough dry-time (24 hours is sufficient), your decals can be laid down right over the future. For step 3, I think you mean a gloss coat, not a flat coat? After your decals are dry, you can use another coat of future to seal them in pre-weathering. Some people dislike the added gloss layer and head straight to the flat coat to seal them in, although certain washes behave differently when applied over a flat vs a gloss.

Did that help? 

Rookie question, hope someone can answer it for me.

I plan on doing my first wash for my armor for this GB after I finished the painting. But I know you have to prepare for it. So are these basically the steps you have to take:

1) put a layer of Future on the armor      2) put on decals     3) put on a layer flat-clear gloss   4) do the wash/weathering

For step 2, I was wondering is their anything special you have to do to decals for them to stick to the Future, or do apply decals just by putting it on the Future.

Oh and for step 3 do you have to thin the gloss for use in a airbrush or is it fine straight from a bottle.

SMJmodeler wrote:

espins1:  Nice photos!...I'll go ahead and change your build info...hey, how about adding a figure on the end of the barrel like that one pic'

Thanks guys.  I'm leaning more towards the pic 2nd from the bottom, #233

dupes wrote:

Scott - if you're interested, I'm going to ask my Grandmother what she remembers about the fighting in Budapest in '44-'45 - she was 15 at the time. She and my Grandfather (now deceased) both lived there at the time before moving to the US in 1949. I'm willing to bet she has some interesting stories if I can get her to talk about it. Great batch of pics, btw.

If you can get her to talk about her experiences then you've got to post them! 

Scott - if you're interested, I'm going to ask my Grandmother what she remembers about the fighting in Budapest in '44-'45 - she was 15 at the time. She and my Grandfather (now deceased) both lived there at the time before moving to the US in 1949. I'm willing to bet she has some interesting stories if I can get her to talk about it.

Great batch of pics, btw.

Ok, it's official.  For this GB, I'm going to build my Dragon 1/35 King Tiger w/zimmerit as one that served with the 503 Schwere PanzerAbteilung attached to the Feldherrnhalle division in the defense of Budapest Hungary.  Here are a few inspiration photos.  I'll have to dig through my Tigers in Combat books to see if there are any other good, relevant photos.  

Man, I really have to get started on my SU-76 for this GB.

Didn't realize how far behind I fell, by not checking into this site and posting for the past few months. Anways I hope to get started on my SU-76, today.

That 1st one is particularly sweet.

Going to do the dio version of that one? Huh? Huh?

SMJmodeler wrote:

Thanks Scott!...by the way, what the heck is the difference between pre-and post-shading Here's what I did: First I sprayed the whole model Dark Yellow, XF-60 (no primer).  Then I lightened it and sprayed the center of each surface/ detail.  Then, I lightened it even more and sprayed/ accented only the horizontal surfaces where the sun would bleach it the most. Finally I came back with the first lightened color and re-"shaded" where I oversprayed the lightest shade. Is that the same shading technique you mentioned?  It's neither here nor there,  I'm just trying to get my teminology correct.

Ah, that's all post shading. 

A pre-shade would have included spraying a dark color (flat black, dark brown) along all the panel edges and wherever there would have been more shadows to darken the basecoat in those areas after you spray the base coat.

Post shading is spraying the base coat, then adding increasingly lighter coats in the panels just like you mentioned above. 

Thanks Scott!...by the way, what the heck is the difference between pre-and post-shading

Here's what I did:

First I sprayed the whole model Dark Yellow, XF-60 (no primer).  Then I lightened it and sprayed the center of each surface/ detail.  Then, I lightened it even more and sprayed/ accented only the horizontal surfaces where the sun would bleach it the most. Finally I came back with the first lightened color and re-"shaded" where I oversprayed the lightest shade.

Is that the same shading technique you mentioned?  It's neither here nor there,  I'm just trying to get my teminology correct.

SMJmodeler wrote:

By the way, the paint job on my Panther was actually pretty easy...time consuming, but easy.  Let me know if you need any info on how I got the look, OK?

Very nice job with your pre and post shading! 

mg42gunner:  No, the paint job on your build doesn't have to be the same.  The photo is for proof of your urban setting/ inspiration only.

By the way, the paint job on my Panther was actually pretty easy...time consuming, but easy.  Let me know if you need any info on how I got the look, OK?

dupes:  Thanks for the heads up on the badge, it's handled...and thanks for the help Hermesminiatures. 

mg42gunner:  I put you down for the Panther G Late, but to adhere to the rules (please re-read), I'll need some photo proof of your urban setting.  There are a lot of pics' available...see what you can find.  Glad you could join in, I look forward to seeing how you weather that beast!

...By the way, I'll be doing the Panther A for this GB.  I used my current Big Cats GB entry, the Panther G Late (Tamiya kit) as my "guinea pig" for this GB.  I was REAL happy with the dark yellow paint job...here is how it came out, and what I hope to duplicate for this GB:

How'd you do on those AP tests?!

Hermesminiatures:  I went ahead and officially made this the badge for this GB, I copy and pasted it to the intro page, can you help confirm I set it up the way I should?  Thanks.

Here is the painting I was refering to...

And the caption:

Escape to the Elbe, Berlin, 3rd May 1945 by David Pentland.

Following Hitlers death, the decision was taken by the officers and men of Sturmartillerie Brigade 249 to break out of the doomed capital. Shortly before midnight on the 3rd, what remained of the unit fought to the edge of the city at Spandau. By this time the brigade had been split into two elements, the first under Hauptmann Herbert Jaschke successfully punched their way out to the west. The second group was not so lucky, and its survivors fell into Soviet captivity.

SMJ,

 Welcome back.  Glad to hear your move is nearing completion and you are getting yourself organized.  I am not exactly sure what picture you wanted me to post - I suspect it was the artwork of the Stug IV in Berlin?  I'll see what others I have, and will post 'em soon.

I've got a good little start on the Stug.  Just some work on the running gear, but still, progress!  In fact, I think I'll go kill an hour or so down on the bench right now.

Hermesminiatures:  Awesome photo!...are you doing a dio'?