Build #3 finished: Plain Russian ugliness

Hi Julian

Sorry i am late for answer..

Doing well my friend...Keep going...

The mot is inside the box...

great progress there Julian, really great looking beast. I look forward  to seeing you progress with this one.

Terry.

Grem56 wrote:

The "Beast " has some pimples and warts at the moment but I'll work on those as move along. Comments and advice always welcome from all the "experten " hier on the forum. Thanks once again for taking a look, Julian

   Julian, not so ugly anymore.

  The paint job is looking really nice with the shading. I assume you're talking about the fuzzy stuff on the mantel when you say warts? I get those once in a while and to remove them I just use a stiff ½ wide brush in a circular motion. 

Looking good! I realy like the paint coulor!

So far so good. Especially love the chain and fuel stains on the external fuel tanks. The decals are lookin' pretty fine too.

Falschimjager: Are you refering to this delicate and finely lined Russian piece of machinery as an elefant sir? Thanks for looking.

Guney, Terry and Stickman: Thank you for the kind remarks !

Steve: I think the mix of my paint isn't thin enough, seems to dry too quickly leaving this furry look. As you say I have some very stiff oil brushes that I use to brush this away.

mg Mikael: Thanks mgM, as you have already shown it is possible to do fun things with a Zvezda kit Take a look at the Lifecolor Tensochrome acrylic paint for some unusual colours and textures: the fuel stains are Lifecolor "fuel", a pinkish color. They also have Kerosine and oil which open some nice possibilities for weathering. The decals are disgusting, thick and stiff. I used microsol and microset in enormous amounts to get the decals somewhat presentable.

Raining at the moment here in Holland so no painting outdoors (SWMBO has me doing some maintenance on the house) so I can get going with the friuls

cheers,

Julian

Grem56 wrote:

The decals are disgusting, thick and stiff. I used microsol and microset in enormous amounts to get the decals somewhat presentable.

Well I'm suprised you had so many problems with the decals, because they look pretty much perfect. I guess it shows you fixed them up quite nicely.

That is very kind of you Mikael, thank you very much

Julian

Thanks Bodge

Julian

Spent yesterday assembling the first Friul (82 links in all), spraying it with Vallejo track primer and fitting it. I was a bit worried about the amount of sag in the tracks until I saw Rick's JS II and the look of this sag gives it a fantastic look. I have been applying oil filter after oil filter to build up a nice colour, think it's nearly ready for some chipping and scratching now :

Thats about it for this week, cheers,

Julian

Holy Nyezdhevah, tigerman! If that's "ugly", hook me up with her sister! That finish is frickin' sweet!

Beautiful shading, tinting and weathering for sure--a real nice touch you'vegot to it! It looks beautiful!

Bill: Thanks for the head up, missed that. Think I am looking at different things

Tigerman: Thanks, the Russian "Beast " is progressing nicely. I am thoroughly enjoying shading and weathering this green base (more so than the German tri-tone camo's).

Doog: Hi Karl, thank you ! Glad you appreciate my messing with oils . Have you been deported from Europe yet ? Think you skipped Holland this tour, glad to see you back on the forum !

Julian

Julian,

I love it.  I really started to appreciate monotone finishes after I wrapped up my Sherman, you did a fantastic job on the subtelties and points of interest all over that big hunk of green metal.

Very fine indeed.

Bill

Bill and F Matthews: thank you both, looks I might become a permanent "Greenie" . I was trying to find a Dragon 152 but apparently it's out of production.

Julian

Okido, both Friuls on, weathering nearly finished and final extras being fitted, plus Boris the disgruntled tanker. Build # 3 nearly finished ( a rather stark contrast to Bill approaching his

100th build ).

Looks like the penultimate post. Thanks for looking,

Julian

Hey Julian I read your post like a chocolate bar I could not put down.

Very, very Cool Sir!  You are a very talented modeler!

Those frig, uh I mean saggin' tracks are just the way I like 'em. That #7 looks cool.

Edmund, Marc and DM: thank you for the positive comments on my build of the Beast. I am really enjoying this build and it seems to be working okay

MgM: The greenish Tarp sort thing is supposed to be a................, er,........... green tarp. I sense a certain trepidation in your mail from which I presume that you don't really consider it a good addition Can I improve on the tarp or should I bin it? (waste of thin lead foil ). I was rather chuffed with the effect but I can also remember a tow wire I made that the rest of the forum considered rather c**p........................................ Lay it on me Mikael, I am a model builder, I can take it..............

Julian

Grem56 wrote:

MgM: The greenish Tarp sort thing is supposed to be a................, er,........... green tarp. I sense a certain trepidation in your mail from which I presume that you don't really consider it a good addition Can I improve on the tarp or should I bin it? (waste of thin lead foil ). I was rather chuffed with the effect but I can also remember a tow wire I made that the rest of the forum considered rather c**p........................................ Lay it on me Mikael, I am a model builder, I can take it..............

Sorry about that, but I just couldn't understand what it was(I was thinking it was some sort of air recognition thing all folded up.) Personally I've never seen a ISU with a tarp anywhere on it in historic pics. That said, it is different and in a way adds something to the side of the hull. So I'm sorta 50/50 on the tarp, if you do decide to keep it the only thing I recommend is toning down the color, it looks a bit too lime.

mg.mikael wrote:

Grem56 wrote: MgM: The greenish Tarp sort thing is supposed to be a................, er,........... green tarp. I sense a certain trepidation in your mail from which I presume that you don't really consider it a good addition Can I improve on the tarp or should I bin it? (waste of thin lead foil ). I was rather chuffed with the effect but I can also remember a tow wire I made that the rest of the forum considered rather c**p........................................ Lay it on me Mikael, I am a model builder, I can take it.............. Sorry about that, but I just couldn't understand what it was(I was thinking it was some sort of air recognition thing all folded up.) Personally I've never seen a ISU with a tarp anywhere on it in historic pics. That said, it is different and in a way adds something to the side of the hull. So I'm sorta 50/50 on the tarp, if you do decide to keep it the only thing I recommend is toning down the color, it looks a bit too lime.

Funny about the tarp, when I saw it I thought it blended in too much with the tank. I like, just think it would look better if it was more of a contrasting color, like khaki...but, man, that is trivial compared to the overall build...

Thanks Manny, nice to see you drop by. Actually the molding of the ISU isn't too bad. Problem was the warped hull pieces. Wouldn't call it a dog (did call it just about everything else.

Mikael, here come the tarps:

Think it's more a question of the color. Will try something else

Cheers,

Julian

Grem56 wrote:

Thanks Manny, nice to see you drop by. Actually the molding of the ISU isn't too bad. Problem was the warped hull pieces. Wouldn't call it a dog (did call it just about everything else.

2 of the 3 pics are actually depicting dust covers for the gun matlet itself---I like the tarp, just think a contrasting color would look better...it matches the tank too closely and looks like you painted them together, which, IMO, doesn't look right...but this is nit-picking a really nice build...

Yep, this is the Zvezda one I am building. The tarp will be getting a different color, you and Mikael have convinced me that something about the tarp is not in harmony with the rest of the build at the moment.

Julian

 Juian, She's so ugly she's gone full circle and become beautiful. Great job!

                                                                             doc