#12 Tamiya German Horch 1A mit 2cm Flak38 (Conversion)

Build Update:  Fourth figure mostly done. I need to go back to all figures for final touchups and a coat of flat followed by just a touch of pigments.

 Dave:  I decided to change up my weapon painting approach and experiment with a new paint line and method.  I usually use Model Master Non-Buffing gun metal dry brushed with a lillte Vallejo Oily Steel followed by burnt umber and a little Red Vallejo for the gun stocks.  It looked ok but I wanted to improve the approach so I Primed with Tamiya German Grey Aresol followed by Citadel Color Chaos Black as a base coat followed by Dry brushing with Citadel Color Gunbolt and then Vallejo 984 Flat Brown as a base on the stock follwed by MIG Abteilung Shadow Brown oil washes.

Bob:  When you can remove this bottle of Mig pigments from my hand you can leave the temple Grasshopper! 

Ed once again your talent exceeds all expectations.  You are a true Master.

Bob

Much like the tip of an ice berg.  How did you paint up the stocks on the K98's?  Those look fantastic!

Cheers

Dave

P.S. Oh yeah the rest of the kit needs to go back to formula.  LOL  Yeah right!  It looks great!  Seriously.

  Andy:  Is that like Supercalifragilisticexpealidocious!

Wbill:  Thanks Bill I made a short list of what's remaining and here it is

• Paint Remaining Figure and final touch up on all four.
• Paint and weather  personal equipment. (Helmets, canteens, breadbags, packs, etc...)
• Paint and weather 20 mm magazines and ammo containers
• Final details on trailer to possibly include a Milliput tarp with MIG grommets.
• Final MiG pigment weathering on everything.

Hard to belive this all started with a $10.00 dollar purchase on Ebay!!!

Making great progress Ed, almost to the finish line with this bad boy!

Fandabydozy

Build Update:

I finished a number of weapons for the crew and vehicle and ran up some slings for the weapons to get a more realistic look.

I also finished up the third figure.  One more left!

Thanks Andy, Dave and of course Adam for yoru comments! That was one huge Mr. T Adam! 

Build Update:  I have finished two of the four figures so I will post a few pictures of the finished figures.  THe rifle is just a bench prop I will be painting the equipment and stowage at the end.

How cool is that? having your own creation cast and sold to the modelling public. well done mate.

Edmund,

Nicely done base!  Congratulations on the masters for R&J.  I'm staying tuned for the figures now!

Cheers

Dave

Yer Ed thats lookin real hot, Dont you just love this hobby.

I pity the fool that tries to get results like Schnobs his 1st try!

Ed, word Man---I believe you have done it again! You know that looks  

Andy:  Nice to hear from you Andy you have been missed!  Thanks mate that is really cool coming from you.  Your base work is fantastic!  I can't let things go it is against my nature and as you will see further along in this post I wanted to try a plaster approach to a base and since I had kiped the original Horch base for my LRDG Chevy I proceeded forward.

Bob & Andy:  Your posts made me grin as always.  Goofy Modelers!

Build Update:  I am leveragin the little base builds for my huge Dio I have planned so I took advantage of the fact that I used the Elmer Wood FIller base for the Chevy to make a plaster base for the Horch.  I really like the plaster bases that Rick makes so I went in that direction with a little slant.  I had no legos or glass for the form so I simply poured a couple cups of Woodland Scenics Lightweigth hydrocal on my cutting matt and waited for about an hour and started carving.

I then used some of the Sand Blasting sand that Adam sent me this week to create texture along with that old standby Kitty Litter and thinned PVA glue.  The sand is so fine and is spectacular for this application.    Thanks again Indy!

I then set the vehcile into the base and carved where I needed to do to achieve the correct set and stance.

I was going to to just set the vehicle on the plaster base but Adam convinced me to try to source some kind of palqe due to the fragiity of the plaster.  I beleive it or not found exactly what I wanted at a local Trophy shop called Mr. T's Trophy!

I Pity the Fool that doesn't use a base for his AFV's!!! 

I used Tamiya Light Sand for the basecoat folowed by MIG Dark Brown washes and a variety of Vallejo paints dry brushed on the corners and top of the base.

I then glued the plaster base to the trophy plaque and here is how it turned out.

Hmmm....a mating call

something like:

FRRRRAAAUUUUUEEEE  BLLLLLLUUUUUUCCCCCCCHHHHHHHHEEEERRRRRR!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Bob

Bob can be so funny sometimes...

Can't wait to see your little babies painted!  I am not too worried because I know you will do them great. 

That guy sitting on the hook looks like if he is doing a mating call? Sorry Bob started it...

Hi Edmund super job as allways. Your attention to details like the cacti is superb and is the sort of thing i like doing, building your own lanscaping is so rewarding. I go back and improve certain things on my dio,s months or even years later as my skills improve and whatyou done there a lot of people would have left , but you saw room for improvement and rectified it to your own satisfaction and that will allways make for a super modeller. Fantastic job .

Ed my brother, looking awsome.  I did have to laugh though.  the third guy from the left in the first picture looks like he taking a serious number 2 and yelling "POOPY"........LOL

Bob

Build Update:

I was able to finish final prep on figures and final poses.  I primed with Tamiya Grey Metal and Plastic primer.  I will let set up overnight and start painting each figure one by one.  I decided to go with more a quartering away shot than a straight on sideview pose. It just looked more interesting.

 Thank you Dave, Bob and Wbill for stopping by with your comments.  I am glad you guys are patient with my OCD.  I am alsl glad you like the Cacti.  I am making masters today and shipping them off to R&J Enterprise who are going to cast them in resin and make them into a product. 

V3.0 is much improved indeed Ed, nice work on the latest release of cacti!

Wow, unreal brother Ed.  just

DONT EAT THE DIO!

Bob

Edmund

I am very familiar with the saying, "There is always room for improvement".  You have taken something that was very visually impressive and, and made it even better.  Nice use of the texture on the gloves.  Well done on the fingerprint discipline!.  Oh man, I'd love to be a fly on the wall watching this take shape.  Of course taking notes as a fly would be problematic at best.

As for "turning your OCD" to the figures.... The word that comes to my mind is "UNLEASHED"!

Cheers

Dave

Build Update:  Hi Guys I have been off trying to improve Opuntia Cacti Ver 1.0.  I did not like the end result the sand which I tried to use to simulate the spines which are not very prominent was not consistent and the paint colors and shapes were not quite up to speed.  Also  I left fingerprints in the Sculpy III that was baked in! and I am now at Ver. 3.0 which I like much better and I was able to leverage lessons learned from my first two attempts.  First of all Adam sent me a real world reference picture from his front yard that really helped.

Here you can see the progression from Ver 1.0 to 3.0 from left to right.

To avoid finger prints on the fresh clay I used latex gloves that had a texture grip that was exactly what I was looking for and so I leveraged that and left off the sand and went to town with oil washes and dry brushing.  I also did nto noth the palms this time and used CA kicker to assemble each cacti after baking at 225 degrees for 15 minutes.  I also adjusted my base color and used Model Master medium green  and lightened it with about 10% Armor Sand.  I used extreme discipline to ensure I left not finger prints.

I then removed Ver 1.0 from the base with maniacal glee and here is how it turned out. I took these pics immediatly after i was finished so you will see a little white PVA glue that dried matt and clear.

Thanks everyone for your patience I couldn't leave it alone and I knew I could improve the end result.  Now back to the regular scheduled Horch Conversion build.  I will turn my OCD on the figures!

Ed - Im speechless.........WOW! and

FREAKING SWEET!

Bob

Thanks Wbill that means a lot to me that you like it.  You have a good eye for symetrical detail.

For a lark I put the Chevy on the new base and the Horth on the Chevy base and something clicked and I have decided to switch gears.  I really like how they look  so I am going to call the ball and use the base i just made for the Chevy it just seems a better fit.  I also like how the Horth pushed the limits of the other base and breaks the boundaries and they guy on the bonnet is going to extend it even more which to me is just really cool.  Breaking and extending boundaries is what I do!

Base is really coming together nicely Ed, the multi-layer approach and colors look spot on. The organization of the cacti looks great too, they go where they can get good water and that little gully is perfect to collect what little run-off there would be. Top notch!

My pleasure Dave!   I love to share this experience with others.

I took some natural shots in my driveway just now to check colors.

Edmund

I just got home a bit ago and, thought I'd unwind by checking the forums.  Then I see this and I have to say that what you've put into this has been most enjoyable to follow not to mention inspirational.  It's gotten some ideas rolling around in my mind for a base for my Panther.  Oh yeah, and the humor that you've added certainly added a bright spot to the end of my day (shift ended at 0730 this am).  I sense a rebuke from Bob.  It's kind of like not-quite-full-contact tennis.

Cheers

Dave

Thanks Dave I am glad you like how it is turning out so far it was blast to do.  No package as of yet it is probally bieng delvered cia a planc ewhich are not as reliable and dependable as a rugged piece of armor.  I hear UPS is mocing to armored delvery vans soon.

Build Update:  I woke up early and started applying pigments for color and sand effects.