Churchill Mk.III AVRE COMPLETED 3/6/11

Ouuu, I will definately be following this build, hughes2682! Been wanting to get this kit for awhile now, except I have yet to find it at a good price anywhere. Nevertheless this should be a good looking build, are you gonna make it as a straight-up Avre or do you plan to make it into one of the variants?

count me in!

Man you started this one before the paint even dried on your last one!    I will be following along on this one for sure.

BTW, on top of the page it says '1 follower' - How do you get to be a follower? Is it something simple that I am not seeing?

Also, who sells the brass rivets? They look really nice. Thanks!

Off to a great start Dave!

Kirk, you can become a "follower" by clicking on the Email Replies to Me button at the top of the thread. It will then add you to an auto-email distribution list anytime someone replies to the thread. HTH!

I couldn't find the button you were talking about until I went into my profile and changed one of the settings. Now I see it. I will have to be particular on which threads I follow or else my emailbox will overflow  

Thanks Bill! 

mg.mikael,

Thank you for checking in on this new build and following along.  I am contemplating putting a facine on this beastie. I am not that up to date on Churchills but, there is no time like the present to learn.

Total American Patriot,

Consider yourself counted!

Hedorah59,

I had just barely dried.  Thank you for following along on this one.  The brass rivets are by AFV.  They come in version A or B.  I am doing version B.

Bill,

Thank you yet again sir.  I need to check in on your build as it been a couple of days.

I'll be getting more done today.  This am and early afternoon are a bit hectic.  First I need to get some close up pics of the figure on my last build.  Edmund asked very politely for them so, since he has gone above and beyond in being helpful with many things, I shall get them posted this evening. That and some more progress pics of this build.

Cheers

Dave

Good going so far!  If you are building a WWII AVRE I hope it isn't too late to mention that AFV copied the AVRE at Bovington and it has post war additions added to it - the armor on the air intakes, the commanders cupola, and a few other small fittings.

Had my eye on this one.

Bronto,

Thank you for the compliment and the heads up.  No, it wasn't too late.  Your reply prompted me to find one of my resource books and, wouldn't you know it. there are a few differences.  The cupola is getting jettisoned.

DM,

You had your eye on this one? As a build? Or one for your very own?  If you haven't gotten it, I would recommend it. So far it is going together very nicely.

I got some work done (the fun kind) before I had to go to work (the kind that I earn $$$ at).  The suspension is not at all like the nightmare I had envisioned.  AND !!!!!! THE BEST PART!!!! The suspension articulates.

Well, it's been a long night.  My pm is most of yours am, so without further ado, I am off to inspect the insides of my eyelids.

Cheers

Dave

hughes2682

DM,

 

You had your eye on this one? As a build? Or one for your very own?  If you haven't gotten it, I would recommend it. So far it is going together very nicely.

As a build............ and definitely as my own.

OH CRAP!............

Now you've done it. This PIC says it all. Gonna gotta get it.

Hurry up, I wanna see it!

The springs and working suspension were one of the things that really set this AFV offering apart when it was first announced/released and yours looks awesome Dave. Making good progress!

wow! I feel bad for the people who had to build the REAL thing!

This looks like it is going to be some good old fun!  Can't wait to see how it comes along.

Brian

Hi,

Having built 2 of these I can tell you that you're past the fiddly parts now...the remainder of the build goes along quickly.  Nice work on the suspension.

Rick

Sorry for the delay in replying folks but, I've been out of state visiting family with the tribe in tow.  The last hurrah of the summer before school. It is GOOD to be home! The assembly of the AVRE will resume shortly. I did get the road wheels on one sponson before leaving to Michigan.  I'll get some pics up of that later today. 

DM,

LMAO!  Now go and get it!  You won't be sorry.  There are some fiddley details I need to get on the sponsons before attaching them to the hull plate.

Bill,

Thank you sir.  The sponsons actually built up rather easily.  Not the disaster that some thought it would be.

Total American Patriot,

I thought the same thing as I was building the assemblies. "I would NOT want to be the one/crew maintaining this system".

Brian,

For all the small fiddley parts, it really is a blast to build.

Rick,

I found some pics of your AVRE and, I must say, that is an amazing build. Thank you for the compliment! I built a couple of links from AFV's separate link set and I have to say they are sweet. I may have to leave off a fender or two on the upper hull to show them off.  It seems a shame to cover up that kind of detail.

Cheers

Dave

Here is the progress I got done before leaving town. 

The "centipede" shot.

A detail shot of the forward roadwheel

I got started on a couple of links.  I wanted to see how well they went together and, how they meshed with the drive and idler sprockets.  Flawless.

Cheers

Dave

Hi Dave!

great choice of builds! Something interesting on the Armor Forum. Looks great so far--

Coming along nicely Dave...and people think that German vehicles have a lot of road wheels...

Oh, I like this build a lot! And I get the chance to see how the Churchill was constructed. The suspension was always a mistery to me, but now I'm gonna watch this with pleasure! Good luck with your project, have a nice day

Pawel

INDY,

Thank you for the compliment.  I felt I needed a break from something German and, I didn't want to build the same thing as others were building.  Yup! This one filled the bill.

Bill,

Thank you sir.  It once was that when I built my first Sherman I said I would never again complain about German road wheels.  Now that I've started this one I have finally realized that I should just stop complaining about road wheels. 

Pawel,

I am glad you like it.  I remember as a child seeing footage and pictures of Churchill's and being intrigued by the running gear. Thank you for following along on this build.  Yesterday was an excellent day. It was very productive around the house and I got a marathon session in at the bench, as you will see with the following pictures. So for you dial up folks, you may wish to run an errand or two as there are a  number of pictures.

Yesterday this beastie really started to take shape as I have gotten the sponsons, hull bottom and, rear end assembled. It always impresses me at this stage when building armor just how massive these things are (or just how diminutive the PzI is).  

This is a shot of the spare gas tank bracket.  "Hmmmm, not quite what I wanted" I thought so, I went ahead with the Eduard PE option. They are a three piece affair (as you can see in the shot of the instructions) that I opted to solder the main part and the lower bracket.  This whole assembly was, in turn, glued to the rear end with CA.

I shot some pics to illustrate how I got the radius in the bracket. As I usually do with these odd assemblies, I cobble something together that I've got within arms reach at the bench. Heaven forbid I get up. I clamped a scrap section of brass tubing to the bench.  The radius of the tube is a bit smaller than that of the plastic piece as this usually gets me the finished radius that I need. I clamped one end down with a flat clip and burnished the radiused portion. I shot a comparison pic of the plastic and PE parts.

I should get more done today but there is a lot of fiddley stuff I'm wanting to do to the upper hull.  Such as PE tool brackets.  Never again will I complain about German tool brackets.

Cheers

Dave

Making good progress Dave, nice work on that bracket. I hear you about reluctance to get up from the bench when you're in "the groove".

Bill,

Thank you.  I was thinking about putting a rolled up tarp on the bracket but, it would seem a shame to cover that detail up.  We shall see.  "The groove" vs economy of effort.  However one wishes to look at it.  .  The groove does sound better.  

Cheers

Dave

Ha! The lower hull and suspension on your Churchill look more advanced then some models I've built. Nevertheless, it's coming along nicely and that bracket is lookin' mighty fine.

Beaut of a kit, i have been looking more and more into AFv after completing their 1/48 tiger. nice PE work, im not very good with curves.! aby particular vehicle your gonna go with?

Mg.Mikael,

The ironic thing is that it has been one of the easiest to assemble and, it went rather quickly.  Thank you about the bracket.  The plastic one was nicely molded but the PE one was too nice to pass up.

Lespauljames,

Thank you for the compliment.  It does go together rather nicely.  Just be VEEERRRRY careful when it comes to drilling holes for the rivets.  I botched the front ones.  I didn't drill them until after the hull was nearly buttoned up.  Fortunately I got it to all work out.  I'm not going after any particular vehicle.  Just enjoying the build really.  I needed to get another one of those under my belt.  This one has been a blast thus far.

Cheers

Dave

Not a very big update this week, what with kids starting middle school this last week.  I did get a moment in at the bench and enough time to snap a couple of pics.

I may have taken some artistic license with the front armor plates.  I am figuring that plate that thick is flame cut and would be a bit rough so, I took the razor saw to the plates and scored them lightly. I could not find a decent reference pic of the front hull armor plate.

Cheers

Dave

Any progress is good progress Dave and those conical bolts add a certain "mean" look to it for sure.

Holy smokes that suspension is sweet! I would have pulled what remaining hair I have out when it came time to paint all those roadwheels! Your pe work is looks very nice and clean also!

Bill,

I thought that about the bolts as well.  The drivers direct vision hatch looks down right medieval.  

Jester,

The suspension just begs to be placed on an uneven surface.  Which is what I plan on doing.  I am going to paint the beast as one big sub assembly.  The springs will be weathered after that.  I may end up pulling out my hair when it comes to applying the graphite stick to the contact portion of the road wheels after painting. As for the PE, I love working with the stuff, so as long as it is an improvement over the plastic part it is to replace. The exhaust cover was molded so well in plastic that I did not bother with the PE version.

Gentlemen, thank you for the compliments and stopping by. More updates to follow.

Cheers

Dave

Looking good.

Any chance you'll be heading to McMinnville this weekend?

Rick

Rick,

Sadly, no.  .  I'll be at a seminar this weekend in Washington.  I had double booked myself with this weekend several months ago and realized it too late.  

Cheers

Dave

It's been a while for an update.  Crazy busy. To top it all off has been a rather virulent bug making the rounds in our house.  Tis the season to cover your coughs and sneezes kids.  Wash your hands too.  I know... nag, nag, nag.

I did get a wee bit done the other day before just being at the bench tapped me out.  The turret took shape finally.  The gun for the "Flying Dustbin" is a beast.  Not to assemble but, to see that coming down the road for you must have been quite unnerving.

The business end of things......

The links all have small sink holes.  At first I tried to scrape them down but, they were too deep for that.  So, I dabbed small drops of Mr Putty an all the marks.  A few required two drops.  After drying for a day, a swipe or two from an extra fine sanding stick followed be a finishing stick did the trick. This will be required on all 152 links.

Cheers

Dave

This one is looking very good. Love how the suspension came out.

Nate

You have really leaped ahead with this build Dave. To bad there wasn't more wheels to slow you down.

Lookin real good dude

Tony Lee

Nice to see this moving forward Dave! Looks like a good solution on the tracks, 2 per means a lot of attention and you kept your sanity throughout so it's all good.

I can't recall off the top of my head, how big or what calibre was the dustbin demolition charge this thing was capable of tossing?

Nate,

Thank you for the compliment and following along with with build.  I can't wait to place this beast on a base with an uneven terrain.  There are a few D-Day pics I've seen of AVRE's rolling through Normandy that have given me some inspiration.

Tony,

Once you get past the sponson subassemblies it does go pretty quickly.  More road wheels?!?! What did I ever do to you?  Just pullin' your leg buddy.  Actually I've got a Tamiya Char hiding in the stash.  It has 16 sets of road wheels per side to the Churchill's 11.  Thank you for following along on this one and the compliment.

Bill,

It is nice to be making progress on this again.  Cleaning the tracks on this was a lot easier than cleaning up the tracks on the Panther build. The track run is acutally going rather quickly. Now those were some nasty EP marks. .  I'm not sure of the caliber of the "Dustbin" but, I'm pretty sure that the charge was 25Kg.  Even if that doesn't bust the bunker, I'm sure just having your door knocked on with that'll ring ones bell.  OUCH!.  Thank you for following along with this build.

Cheers

Dave

Dave,

the machine is looking better and better. Good luck on the tracks, it's a tedious job!

I checked out the demolition gun, it's 290 mm (11,4 in) firing a 18,14 kg (40lb) charge at the range up to 73 meters (80 yards). Mean!

Good luck with your project, have a nice day

Paweł

Pawel,

Thank you for the compliment and keeping me honest on the projectile specifications.  I agree most whole heartedly..... Mean!  The tracks  really are not that bad.  The clean up is fairly easy. After building some MK tracks for a Sherman a couple of years ago, everything else seems easy.  The MK tracks had nine parts per link.  Eighty eight links per track run.  They turned out beautifully but at the loss of some sanity.  Thank you for the well wishes for the project and my day.  May you have the same.

Cheers

Dave

Nice work looking good mate, AVRE's are a much underrated piece of kit.  They went on to later serve in Korea where the 'dustbin' was replaced by a 6.5in demolition gun, and later replaced by the Centurion AVRE with their 165mm demo' guns (come on AFV club get your fingers out!!).......which saw service in the 1st Gulf War. 

Bear in mind the destructive capability of a 165mm HESH round on a building, takes around 4 120mm rounds to accomplish, shame they weren't available for Iraq or A'stan now....

Eoin6661,

Thank you for the kind words.  I agree about the AVRE's.  I had no idea about the Centurion AVRE prior to your mentioning of it so, I looked it up along with the HESH round.  That's a lot of hurt in one package.    Makes me want to be well outside its combat radius and then some.  

I'll get some more updates posted later.  I got some PE work done last night.  The plastic version was pretty darn good but, this was one of those occasions where PE trumped plastic.  

Cheers

Dave

The PE lid for the storage box looks much better than the styrene version.  Not to mention the latch.

Here's a mock up with the track run.  I did a dry fit to see if the length was correct.  It'll be a bit snug but, it'll look pretty slick when it's done.

A detail shot or the left rear quarter.  You can see the spare link holder on the side directly below the spare road wheel.  I realized that I could not put the spare link on without using some brass wire for a link pin.

The spare link without and with the brass pin.

Cheers

Dave

Moving right along Dave, always neat to see the little details like the track pin get added to up the accuracy.

Bill,

Thank you for dropping by and having a gander. I like adding those details even if I'm the only one who know they are there.  

I added a couple more little details today.  The screens over the intakes are not what I'm referring to since they jump right out at you.  Though, I did get them on today.

I added some Grandt Line bolts to "secure" the spare road wheel assembly.  

The spare on the left rear fender will be absent so, I added some .025" styrene rod for the bolts.  I just need to remember to discolor that area and weather around it to show a void of what was there. The three styrene plugs you see to the left of the four "bolts" are to fill the holes for tool brackets.  The brackets will be replaced by PE versions.

Cheers

Dave

It's feast or famine at the bench of late.  Quite a bit has been done in wee fiddley parts.  PE parts that is.  I got the flimsy cans on the rear fenders. These went together rather easily with the exception of the rods for the wing nuts.  I opted to leave a can off for a bit more "character".

I decided to use the Eduard PE set for the tool brackets.  I had to scratch the rear most bracket for the sledge hammer since the bracket got used to hold the pry bar on the right rear fender.  Do not use three brackets as the instructions call out for, just use two.  This way if you use this set then you will not have to scratch a bracket. The wing nuts are from Bronco.

The fire extinguisher on the left side.  

The molding on this piece is quite delicate.  The PE brackets are just that much better than the molded on portion. IMHO.  

We are still a ways out from getting color on this beast.  I am chomping at the bit to get some color on it.

Cheers

Dave

Your Pe work is amazing, the whole build looks amazing.  All of that small detail really brings it to life.  Like how you left the one can off, makes a contrast and really shows off that retaining rod and wingnut.  Cant wait to see the paint.

Rob

Rob,

Thank you very much for the compliment sir.  The small detail keeps me off the street and my wife knows where to find me.  The can off was a creation by mistake.  It wouldn't fit past the bolt for the towing clevis.  So, I left it out and voila! Creation by mistake.  Woo hoo.  Stay tuned.....

Well, I think I've got all the parts stuff done.  Now all that remains is to shoot some paint on the beast.  I'll look at it with fresh eyes tomorrow to make sure all the assemblies are done.

I needed to scratch the mount for the commanders sight, as while I was mounting the kit part, it went PIIIIINNNNNGGGG to regions where I will never see it again.  It was maybe 0.5mm in diameter.  Thank heavens for the styrene stock on hand!

Perhaps I will be able to get a base coat on tomorrow.  The Styrene Gods willing that is.  

Cheers

Dave

I guess you know these turtle tops are not really my cup of tea but I gotta say i'm impressed Dave.

I have to save some stars for after it's painted.

Tony Lee

Thank you for the compliment!  They used to not do it for me but, lately I've been getting more into British/Commonwealth armor.  Dang! Three stars for a beast without color yet.  Thank you indeed.  I always agonize over the base color.  Too light? Too dark??  

Cheers

Dave

Can't wait to see this one with paint on Dave, looking good!

Bill,

Thank you for stopping by and the compliment.  The dishwasher crapped out today. Spent the afternoon fixing it.  Something quite putrescent was clogging up the works.  Alas, no color on this beastie until later this week.  I've got a lot on the docket until then.  

Cheers

Dave

hughes2682

Bill,

 Something quite putrescent was clogging up the works.

Quiet possibly an eaten tank part from ancient history.........

Coming along very nicely too!

DM,

LMAO!  Thank you for the compliment.  I will be getting some color laid down on this beastie today.  I received some wonderful shades of Life Color OD yesterday that I am anxious to use.

Cheers

Dave

Holy tea break, Dave--it's been a long time since I saw anyone put this much detail into a Tommy Tank! ALl that PE and whatnot--wow; there's some god work being done here!

It's looking pretty spectacular!

Karl,

Thank you for the compliment and checking in on this build.  I'm working on getting some color on it now.  Taking a break at the moment as there are A LOT of angles to get painted on this beastie.  I ended up running my paint cup dry.  I am using Life color UA219 Olive Drab.  The kit calls out for Tamiya XF-62.  I've used that on Tasca Sherman V and it turned out much too dark.  I am going with my gut feeling on this color..... I figured by the time I get all the washes, filters and whatnot it'll be right where I want it.  I am also trying to figure how to make an Ultracast British T/C work with the turret hatch.  IMHO, armor just doesn't look as good without a figure in, on, or around the vehicle.  

Cheers

Dave

Well the beastie is finally coated in color.  I gotta say that I love the way Life Color goes on.  I did not prime the vehicle, instead I just shot it with the color.  It probably took a few more layers but It covered nicely. 

I just love the look of this gun.

The track got covered with MM Exhaust Metalizer. It will get a wash with some thinned Vallejo. After that I will give my usual graphite treatment for the high wear areas.

As it turned out, the fantastic Ultracast figure I ordered will not fit in the hatch properly. At least not without MAJOR surgery.  So I rummaged through the parts/accessories bin and found a Firestorm figure.  It was a package of three and, was the left over from a build of a Tasca Sherman V.  It's only a three quarter figure but, it'll fill the bill nicely.  I have a Tasca Sherman Firefly Vc that the Ultracast figure is slotted for.

Cheers

Dave

Making good progress with this one Dave, looks good with the base coat on and the figs are starting to come to life as well.

Bill,

Thank you for checking in on this build and, not to mention the compliment.  The figures are getting easier and, coming along much quicker.  I'm off to the bench to try out a couple of new things on the beastie.  I'll get a few pics up later.

Cheers

Dave

I shot the highlighted areas with Life Color Olive Drab faded Type 2.  The darkened areas were shot with Vallejo German Green.  The overall effect is better live.  I could not capture it well with the camera. The area that it does show up well is the spot where the spare road wheel/bogie was "removed" .  

Cheers

Dave

Wow, she is really looking good. I can see the highlighting in some of the pics, like it!!

hughes2682

Karl,

Thank you for the compliment and checking in on this build.  I'm working on getting some color on it now.  Taking a break at the moment as there are A LOT of angles to get painted on this beastie.  I ended up running my paint cup dry.  I am using Life color UA219 Olive Drab.  The kit calls out for Tamiya XF-62.  I've used that on Tasca Sherman V and it turned out much too dark.  I am going with my gut feeling on this color..... I figured by the time I get all the washes, filters and whatnot it'll be right where I want it.  I am also trying to figure how to make an Ultracast British T/C work with the turret hatch.  IMHO, armor just doesn't look as good without a figure in, on, or around the vehicle.  

Cheers

Dave

I rarely ever get hung up on "exact" colors--I think the term itself is an oxymoron.

You're getting some good effects with your painting, and with all that bling..... it's one of the crown jewels!

(Those heads are rolling along quite nicely too)

Sorry it has taken so long to reply to you folks.  Things have been quite busy in and around the household of late.

Jester,

Thank you for the compliment sir. The beast has sat idle for a bit so I was able to see it with really fresh eyes this week.  The highlighting is where I want it though I may have to do some touch up on the turret roof.  I shot a small area with a gloss clear coat for where the aerial recognition star is to go.  I'll see how it goes after I seal it with some flat coat.

Karl,

Thank you for the advice.  I am getting more comfortable with mixing colors of late.  The mechanical aspects of modeling come rather easy for me..... it's the artistic aspect that I have to work harder at.  As for "exact" colors... what are those?  I was concerned once, long ago about getting the right color and, then I really thought about how correct it would be after being fielded, beat up, run hard, shot at, etc......

Disastermaster,

Thank you very much sir for the compliment.  The beast is at idle while the gloss coat dries for the decals. I've been working on the figure. I'll post some pics of him later as I am able.  The guillotine is cracking me up. 

Cheers

Dave

I had a nice session at the bench today.  Decals, tracks and, commander.

Obviously, the top may need a slight retouch after the flat coat is applied. Hey, at least there was no silvering.  One of the serial numbers started to silver and, I applied a coat of Solvaset.  It pulled it right down and two hours later.... still no silvering.  Woo hoo!

It looks as though I've got some clean up to do....

The tracks were base coated with MM Exhaust Buffing Metalizer.  The wash was MIG pigment P037 Gulf War Sand mixed with water to about the consistency of milk.  I used a 1" wide brush and liberally applied it to the tracks.  When this dried I then applied graphite to the high wear areas on the track and toned it down with a smudge stick.  WIth the graphite toned down, I then took a stiff brush and got rid of the excess pigment.  This in turn toned the high wear areas further giving the appearance of dust.  

Here is the commander thus far. He was painted entirely with Vallejo.  There is still a bit of tweaking yet to be done.  The hair is not yet complete and there are the washes to apply.

Cheers

Dave

Really nice base color for a really stunning vehicle!

You have nice weathering options with this tank! I´ll follow this one!

Those tracks are just super. They LOOK real.

Jose Luis Lopez,

Thank you for your kind words, stopping by and, following this build.  I'm not breaking any ground speed records with the rate of speed on this build.  Come to think of it, I am not breaking any speed records.  

DM,

Thank you so very much for that compliment.  Aside from assembly, it's five rather easy steps:

1. Base coat with color of choice.  I use MM Exhaust Buffing Metalizer. Let it dry about 24 hours.
2. Coat tracks with wash.  My mixture of choice is MIG pigments with water.This mixture will not eat the delicate plastic track pins when it gets into crevices. Mix it  to about milk consistency. This concoction will dry in about an hour.
3. Rub graphite onto the high wear areas.  I prefer to use graphite sticks as they give me more options.
4. Rub the graphite areas with a smudging stick .These are rolled paper sticks that are pointed at either end and, come in a variety of thicknesses. You can get them at any art store or store with a decent art supply selection.
5. Take a stiff brush and brush off the excess wash.  This will also give the graphite areas a coating of dust.

I'll get some pics up later.  I flat coated the decals last night with something I forgot I had.  Polly Scale Flat Coat.  I gave a dead flat finish.  So, I went ahead and gave the commander figure a blast of this stuff as well since, there were a couple of areas that had a bit of sheen to them. Even better, is that I won't have to touch up any of the areas on the tank that received gloss coat for the decals.  There were only a couple of very small areas on the front serial number that had any trace of silvering. These may not even be visible once the weathering and washes start.

Cheers

Dave

The decals came out great Dave and those tracks really look fantastic!! Graphite is awesome for that burnished worn metal look IMO. Got to invest myself in some pigs though for sure!!

I like where this one's headed Dave, decals look sharp and those tracks are awesome as well.

Jester,

Thank you for your compliments.  Those were the best kit decals I've played with in a long time.  The Solvaset gave them that final nudge and, the result (seeing it in person) is that they look painted on.  Uber thin and tough.  Graphite is my go to technique for high wear areas.  It looks different when burnished with a smudge stick.  When coated with mineral spirits it looses almost all of its sheen and takes on a gray appearance.  As for the pigs, they gave the appearance of my builds a leap forward.  You don't really need to use that much.  A little bit truly goes a long way.

Bill,

Thank you for the compliments.  As I said above, they are some of the best decals I've played with in a long time.  I got some painting done on  the tools and exhaust system yesterday.  

The tool handles were painted with Vallejo Old Wood and the metal parts were base coated with German Gray then darkened up with a thin black wash.  

The exhaust system was painted with Vallejo Dark Rust.  The unevenness of the base coat was creation by mistake.  

v

The aerial recognition star that snuggled down ever so nicely.  This is after I Flat coated it with Polly Scale.  

Cheers

Dave

MERCY MERCY

Dave you sure are making it harder to top this one with your next project.

Tony Lee

Wow, been a couple pf pages since I last checked in Dave, but looking fantastic mate, as has been said the tracks look wonderful

Regarding the lifecolors, I've only tried their rust set for brushing, for airbrushing what thinner did you use, their own brand or water....any issues?

Tony,

Thank you for high praise. I've got a couple of Cruisers and a Matilda in the stash that I may pull out after this beastie is done.  By the way, How did you get the distressed paint effect on that wooden box on what looks to be the back of a Marder?  Or is that I was so tired that I did not see the "how to" in your thread?

Eoin6661,

Thank you very much for the compliment.  I saw a thread a while ago by Bill Plunk, where he applied a pigment wash to road wheels, let it dry, and brushed off the excess.  So, I took that idea and applied it to my tracks.  The results were far better than I had imagined.  

Cheers

Dave

I decided to try out some chipping on this beastie.  I figured the box would be a good place to start since stuff gets hauled out of it and tossed into it.  Also, if I didn't like it I could just repaint it.  I'm thinking I'll keep it.  Mind you this is just a start so, it's not completely done.  The box that is. For the light discolored areas I used Life Color UA223 OD Faded Type 1 and for the metal areas I used Vallejo 995 German Grey. For brushes I used a 3/0 size and, a light touch.  One of the tricks is to keep it as random as possible.  

Cheers

Dave

The subject is great, dont see much British, The craftsmanship / artist is awesome!  This is a fantastic build so far.  The chipping looks great, I would also say keep it!  Looking forward to more.

Rob

Rob,

Thank you so much for the compliment sir.  The chipping will most certainly be staying.  There is one spot on the rear panel of the box that is just that, a "spot".  That'll get touched up.  The chipping on this beastie is going to take a while but, it'll be worth it.  I need to start in on a base for it soon.  Nothing too fancy.  Just a simple rubble strewn street.  

Cheers

Dave

Outstanding work... no more lurking as I have been following your work since day one.  I am not into British armors but you have been such an influence that I am starting to like others than Americans and Germans.  Looking forward to the end!

Andy,

Thank you for following this build and your compliment.  I, myself have been getting more into British armor of late.  I've been called many things but never an influence that would cause someone to like something.  You may wish to take a look at this link

http://www.perthmilitarymodelling.com/newkitnews/bronco.html

Check out the second vehicle down.  An Archer!  Wooo Hoooo.  I'm hoping that someone will do a Bishop. 

I got a bit more chipping done on the hull this evening.  I'll be able to get even more done this weekend as I'm batching it myself.  I used the same colors as on the turret but, I'm thinking of going back tomorrow and adding another shade of OD.  Just something to add more layers.  I'm getting excited to see what this is going to look like with the filters, washes and, weathering.  

Cheers

Dave

Nice and subtle chipping!

Jose Luis Lopez,

Thank you sir for the compliment.  You should look back through the threads and have a look at Bodge's King Tiger.  Absolutely stunning.  Oh I found it!

/forums/p/120415/1217573.aspx#1217573

Cheers

Dave

Very nice work Dave, the chipping truly does look great!

Eric,

Thank you sir for the kind words.  I got more done last night at the marathon bench session.  The hull and road wheels are close to completion.  I had gotten to the point last night that I needed to give the Mk I eyeballs a break that, I decided to give it a rest and come back at it with rested, fresh eyes.  There a still a lot of wee details to get done before any washes, filters or weathering (chipping not included) get started.

Cheers

Dave

Looking good so far Dave, adding in more layers through the weathering process will really blend it together and bring it to life.

Bill,

Thank you sir and, I couldn't agree more.  I learned from taking notes from you and others that, the layers were necessary to achieve anywhere near the caliber of builds that I admired.  

The chipping is done and, now it needs to set for a bit.  I found some water marks on the paint. I'll be darned if they didn't just show up over night. Yeah, I know they didn't but, how the heck did I miss that?!   I mocked up the tracks to do a final check on the chipping.  I did find a couple of areas on the upper sponsons that were going to be more visible than I had originally thought.  So, while the touch ups dry out I'm going to grab a cup of tea and warm up, as the garage is rather cool today. outside today. 

I finally got around to getting the oils on the tool handles.  

Cheers

Dave

This evening I got the dot filter on the turret using Abteilung oils thinned with Turpinoid. 

Dots before

Dots after

A few more after shots of the turret

Cheers

Dave

Here is a sampling of what I got done on the hull before I had to start my work stretch.  All that remains is to do the road wheels. For the filter that is.  There is plenty more weathering to be done.

Cheers

Dave

Really starting to come alive Dave, looking forward to the next set of updates.

some fancy cookin' here........

Bill,

Thank you.  Sorry about the delay in responding. Work has taking a fair bit out of me lately.  Today, I'm looking forward to time at the bench and posting some updates later. I've been playing around with some MIG rain effects on a scrap hull and I think I'll have a go at it with the AVRE.  One more layer. . I've still to do the road wheels. I almost forgot that one.

Disastermaster,

Fancy cookin'?  Actually, just some pretty simple ingredients put together.  Thank you just the same

Cheers

Dave

Very very nice there sir Dave!! Very realistic look you are achieving here!

Eric,

Thank you for the compliment.  This one has the most layers to date and it's still got a ways to go.

Today was mostly base work. Just your basic styrofoam, balsa, and a hot glue gun.  

There will be rubble that has strewn into the road and been run over and cleared. Also, there will be the remnants of a building off to the tanks right side.

I reinforced the road section with some strips of balsa just to be sure. 

Cheers

Dave

Nice setup Dave! I like the "downward slope" positioning, not something you see done often and will definitely create some visual interest for the final dio/presentation.

Bill,

Good morning! Thank you for stopping in and complimenting.  I almost went with the "up slope" approach and then thought of "descending into the fight".  That idea stuck with me.  

Well the "cake" is done and now that remains is all the various "toppings". The base work is roughed in with Elmer's Wood Filler.  This stuff is very easy to work with, as it is the consistency somewhere between cake batter and frosting.  Not to mention is is easy to clean up, both tools and mistakes.  All the surfaces will receive a sanding to knock down the high points.  The road will be a crowned cobble stone or brick.  Just trying to decide on which material I wish to use for that.

Cheers

Dave

VERY NICE   I like the down into the fight too.  What were your ingrediants for your cake?  I like the idea of cobble stone. Now I really cant wait to see the finished product!  Keep it comeing.

Rob

Rob,

Thank you very much for the compliments. The ingredients are as follows:

1. Sketch out your idea. What are your main elements? How do they interact with each other?
2. Wood base cut with edges routered to suit. 
3. Seal the base prior to attaching anything to it.
4. Styrofoam for roughing in the terrain. I attach mine using a hot glue gun.
5. Elmer's Wood Filler.  Apply liberally to styrofoam.

That's for the rough version.  For the finishing touches stay tuned.  Whatever you do don't eat this cake. Because if you do, you are going to need an unbelievable amount of fiber to move this one through.

Cheers

Dave

Cripes!  A month since my last posting?  I've been away from the bench far longer than I thought.  A lot has been going on around here of late.  Some of it good. Some of it pretty darn far from good. Really far.

The road way has been giving me fits.  I've fiddled with various techniques and materials.  I was going to make the cobble stone road from fish tank gravel.  Then I bagged that idea.  Then I thought, "Hey I saw where someone used lentils."  At first I was going to just do the roadway with lentil then I thought of a couple of things.

1. I dont't want these things sprouting or attracting pests.
2. I may want to do a master and make copies of it. Hey now! there is an idea.....

I tried making a master, albeit at test piece, from lentils.  The "mortar" was Elmer's Wood Filler.  Everything dried just fine but when I went to make the mold the lentils went to pot.  So I fell back to my original idea of fish tank gravel, while still using the Elmer's product.  It dried overnight just fine. So, today I shot it with some Future to seal it and make it a wee less binding to the RTV that I'll be using.  Which I need to venture back to the LHS and pick up some RTV.  

This will be the master for the roadway.  It is 14" x 4"

This is the test subject

Now I am simply waiting for the sealant to dry for the coming application of the RTV.  Then for some hydrocal test shots.

Cheers

Dave

I got the first test shot done today using the hydrocal.  There were some air bubbles but, I think I can play these to my advantage by chipping at those areas with a small pick representing chipped stone.  Now to make the master for the roadway.

Cheers

Dave

Nice job on the churchill i love this tank its everything a tank should look like im throwing the old tamiya one together as a side project for a painting exersize these new AFV kits look like they blow it away, looking forward to more base progress 

Looks like a good solution for the cobble-stone road way Dave, glad to see this one is still making some progress!

Biffa,

Thank you for checking in on this build and the compliment.  Never having built the Tamiya version I couldn't say one way or another.  This one goes together quite nicely.  The best part is that AFV has more versions in the pipeline.  The big master is slow in going as I can only work in small patches. The Elmer's Wood Filler gets a skin on it sooner than I had anticipated.  Glad to have you on board. Your Panzer 1A is quite stunning. I like the creation by mistake on the white wash.  I'd leave it as is.

Bill,

Thank you!  It's good to be making progress on it again.  The master is coming along, albeit, slowly.  The nice thing about getting it done in small patches is that the road is not laser level.  There are slight dips and bumps in it, as I have discovered.  Creation by mistake!

Cheers

Dave

Casting looks great!

Jester,

Thank you for the compliment.  I am hoping to get the master for the roadway done this weekend however, the wicked chest cold I've been trying to shake may squelch my plans.  At least I can pick away at it until my uber supply of casting materials arrives.

Cheers

Dave

WOW!!! That is some kit!!! Can it only be done as a British tank or is there a Canadian option as well?

It looks far better than the Tamyia model and I suppose the price reflects this as well. You have done a great job of it so far Can't wait to see the completed Diorama and model.

John,

Thank you very much for checking in on this build and the compliment.  The kit goes together fairly straight forward.  The caveat being, take care on which holes you are drilling for the rivets.  I forgot to drill one and had to take some very careful measurements from another unbuilt kit and, drill out that which I forgot to do.  

I am just getting into British armor so, I couldn't tell you one way or another about British vs Canadian variations. I am sure someone lurking in the forum could enlighten you.

I'll be getting some work done on the base inside today.  If my wife even hears that I was out in the garage today with this chest cold..... lets just say there'll be H-E-double hockey sticks to pay!

Cheers

Dave

I notice that some parts of the left tarck covers are missing. I have seen this on a few Churchill models. I assume this is normal wear and tear/battle damage?

I gotta get me one of those things!!!

John,

The front and rear fenders are molded as separate pieces, as are the track covers. The track covers are three pieces per side which, facilitates leaving off which ever one you want or, all of them.  You won't be sorry if you pick up one or several of these kits.  Just be mindful that AFV does mold some pretty small parts so take care when removing them from the sprue.  As for the hull rivets, it would be worth it to pick up AFV's brass rivets.  The detail on these are quite crisp and there is no clean up of attachment points and, no risk of feeding the carpet monster cleaning up the attachment points.  

Cheers

Dave

Just got the Churchill mk III by AFV that has a Canadian version (no track fenders) I'm going to check out the tanks used in the Dieppe raid (now there was a royal cluster f***) and try and build one of those. I'll take your advice and get the brass rivets.

John,

I'll be keeping an eye out for your build and looking forward to it.  Yeah, that one went sideways.  

Well I just finished the master for the roadway. For scale I placed a Matilda that I built about 3 1/2 years ago. Over all it's about 4"x 14".  I am going to let it cure for a few days then I'll clear coat it and get started on the mold. All told it took about 4.5-5 hours to get the rocks down.  There are a few areas that will need cleaning up as you can see where I stopped and picked it up the following day. I'll look at it again tomorrow with fresh eyes to see what else needs to be done before shooting the mold.

Cheers

Dave

Very cool Dave, good luck with the casting, hope it turns out to your liking!

Bill,

Thank you very much indeed.  There are a few spots that need some minor attention but the stones are down.  The stones were placed individually with the exception of a small area in where I tried placing them in bulk to cut down the time.  I didn't like how they went down and, ended up having to manipulate them to get them to set right.  With that lesson learned I opted to place all of the stone individually.  I am now even more glad that I made the master the length I did so I do not have to go back and make a bigger one. I am thinking that a 14"
 road will work just fine for now.... unless I build a base really big.

Cheers

Dave 

Been away for a while.

That looks like an interesting way of making cobble stones. I'll have to keep that in mind

John,

No worries. This build is getting done by fits and starts. There is a company called Kancali Custom Modeling accessories in Puyallup Washington that make ready to use cobblestone roads.  Here is their link if you are interested.  

http://www.kancali.com/militarymodelinghome.html

I am not affiliated with them in any manner other than I live in the Pacific Northwest.  I had considered using their product.  Some other folks I know who have used it spoke very highly of their products.  Me?  I opted to try my hand at scratch building my own road and, then it grew into a molding & casting project.  Which is where things have really slowed down.  Learning curves and getting final touches on the master before I shoot the mold.

Cheers

Dave

Good to see how you cobble this thing together........ easy there......

DM,

LMAO!!!

I finally shot the mold and two castings.  The first was with just hydrocal. The second was tinted with Woodland Scenics Slate Gray.  The gray is drying uneven which is perfect for the stone but, the tinting is showing ALL of the air bubbles.  Even though I need to perfect my casting technique, I am quite proud of how this turned out.  I've been chipping at the air bubbles with a pick to represent damage to the stones by the heavy tracked traffic over them.  Creation by mistake usually works out rather nicely.  

A shot of the mold and the first two castings.

A detail shot with the second casting in the foreground with the first behind.

The AVRE to give some scale to the size of the casting.

A detail shot, again for scale.

Thank you for your patience with this build.  Now with the road section casted, the base can now resume progress.

Cheers

Dave

Creation by mistake, I love it! Seeing the AVRE at home on it gives it the perfect setting Dave, looking forward to seeing this one progress.

        This is getting into the casting as much as the tank in  itself................ but just wonderful nonetheless!

Bill,

Thank you for following along on this build and for your compliments.  I agree, it was nice to finally see the AVRE in its "element".  It really spooled up the creative juices. The roadway will be a near perfect drop in fit for the base.

DM,

Thank you for your compliments and support on this build. Albeit very, very, very slow build. Even by my standards.  I realized that I may have a source of cobble stone roads for a long while as the RTV i used is really quite durable.  This casting experience certainly has got me thinking of other projects. Heaven knows I've got the kit stash for it.

Cheers

Dave

The casting finally finished curing yesterday.  I took a while since I reinforced it with some plaster cloth.  The old roadway was cut out of the base and the new dropped right in right after I cut the ends to fit.  The shoulders of the road will be filled in 

The AVRE is looking right at home.

I mocked up one track just to see how it will lay on the road surface.  It'll do just fine.

Cheers

Dave

Nope!  This project ain't dead yet! It's just rather busy around the ranch of late and experimenting with new mediums (at least for me they are).  I've been working with some rubble ground cover, or rather trying to find something that looked right to my eyes for what I wanted to achieve.  I had been mulling various ideas around and, then I remembered a container I had of cultured stone debris from when my lovely wife and I resided the house six years ago.  Scale wise it runs from boulders right on down to powder.  So, I sifted out some of this stuff and was left with some nice sized rubble and was left with a nice sized amount of powder.  To get to adhere to the base I brushed on some Hobby-Tac and, sprinkled away with the rubble. After the ground cover was down, I then sprinkled on the sifted powder and secured it with diluted white glue with a few drops of windex to break the surface tension.  The debris in the middle of the road is the powder secured with the thinned white glue.  It looks quite delicate but, to test how secure it is, I tipped the base upside down and it all stuck.  Wooo Hoooo  .  The side of the base that does not have the rubble is under consideration.  I'm thinking it needs more than just rubble.  Just thinking of how to convincingly fill the space.

The obligatory mock up.

Cheers

Dave

Considering the time period in question, I'd advise populating the other side of the road with some vegetation such as you'd find in a city or village. Would provide a nice contrast to the ruins on the other side in terms of visual interest IMHO. Just a thought...I like the rubble, very nice way to get what you needed!

The base colors were all laid down today.  Actually the dirt colored knoll was painted the other day using Apple Barrel Nutmeg Brown.  Everything else was done today.  The road was painted with Vallejo Basalt Grey 869. The outside of the building was done up with Vallejo Azure 902 and, the inside with Pale Sand 837.  The debris was airbrushed with Tamiya Medium Grey XF-20.  

After these thoroughly dry, then I'll start with the washes, highlights and such.

Cheers

Dave

  Some very excellent work here. 

Maybe a few small dusty specks of BLUE wall rubble scattered randomly to hint at the exterior wall color?

Dave, this has been a great toot how to make a diomara.  I plan to make one later this year.  At first I wasn't sure why you had to use hull red paint as base coat and now I can see why.  Outstanding!  Looking forward to next update... thanks for doing this.

DM,

Thank you for the compliment and the suggestion. Blue and Pale sand color flecks are on the agenda with some other debris details.  I got the flowers and grass clumps on the knoll today.  I'll get pics up later as I do not have access to the camera right now.

Andy,

You are most welcome.  To do a dio just dive in.  The color I used is similar to what Bill Plunk uses to base coat his armor with only, I used a mixture of Tamiya paints.  It gives a lovely undercoat to give some shading so you are not obliged to paint every single piece of rubble. Thus, not giving the rubble/debris a homogeneous appearance.  There will be an update later today when I get access to the camera.

Cheers

Dave

Very NICE work!  Will be waiting for more.

Looking sharp Dave, really starting to come alive!

Rob,

Thank you very much for the compliment.  I am looking forward to getting more done.  The landscaping was actually done on Saturday but, I did not have access to the camera until today.  There will be a blend of static grass applied to the areas between the flowers and clump grass which, by the way, are a NOCH product. That WILL get done this week.

Bill,

Thank you again for having the patience to follow along on this build which, is coming up on the seven month mark.  That will be a record for me for the longest build yet. Thank you also for the compliments.

Cheers

Dave

This is gonna be nice.

Just a thought though.

With all that rubble and destruction......... dust and cast-off might figure into the brightness of the vegetation since it's so close to the "action".

  It could be a tough call to get the right balance.

I have to agree with DM.  But in some way I thought it was cool to show two different sides... flowers could meant for something such as the war is near its end.  It depends on what you are going to name the diomara.  Very interesting... I better buy flowers for my wife soon.

Andy,

Do you mean about toning down the colors of the flowers?  If so, there will be a bit of artistic license at work in that regard.  The flowers at the top of the knoll will be untinted (untainted? Hmmmmm). Whereas, the ones closest to the road will be rather heavily tinted but, still standing (interpret that as you will ).  I suppose the flowers could represent a hope of better days to come. 

You can NEVER go wrong with flowers for your wife.  Even if just because.

Cheers

Dave

It is your diomara... I will love it either way!  I do like the idea of applying more dust to the flowers closer to the ruins.  You should call the diomara 'Grass is greener on the other side'... that's what I was trying to think of earlier.  Outstanding work... looking forward to your next update.

Andy,

Thank you so very much sir for the compliments.  I haven't decided on a title yet.  Nothing done at the bench today as I am recovering from working my stretch of night shifts.  I am planning on getting the static grass on tomorrow, along with a few chunks of debris that got blown into the grass.

Cheers

Dave

The static grass is on!  I had to do an on the fly repair of the static grass applicator.  The wire mesh got all boogered up.  It's working fine now.  I'll let this dry tonight and, then tomorrow. I'll start with the washes and highlights.  She's coming down to the wire.  Woo Hoo! Once I get the road finished then the AVRE will get its final dusting to tie it to the base.  

Cheers

Dave

Grass and flowers provide the perfect contrast to the rubble on the other side Dave, beautiful work!

Bill,

Thank you again for the idea and the compliment.  The roadside vegetation got "dusted" this am. The vegetation right by the roadside is just about the same color as the debris.  I've been on enough logging roads around this area during the summer to see that effect..  It's funny to see vegetation not all that far in from the road look fairly pristine.  I'll be doing some detail painting on the building.  Then, I'll start the washes and highlights.  The pics will be posted later today. 

Cheers

Dave

I was actually able to get done what I had wanted to do plus a wee extra.  The wife saw it and liked it with the exception of the building.  "It's too clean", she said. Nevermind that it was blown up.  She clarified, "there are no bullet or shell strikes".  "Aaaahhh", says I.  Nothing a 0.5mm and 1 mm drill bit, flicks of a #11 blade and some Vallejo paint won't cure.  Next stop. Dusting up the AVRE and securing it to the base. Right after I get some touch ups done to the sides of the base.

The vegetation dusted with Tamiya Medium Gray.

Building improvements done.

The cozy look of the interior "remodel"

Cheers

Dave

The shell strikes and small arms damage...........

                Definitely give her credit!

THAT idea was absolutely perfect.     I can't believe I missed it.

Now don't forget the blue flecks. * ^ @ " <

Disatermaster,

Oh you can bet she gets FULL credit for that one.  Heck, I was so focused on the minutia that, I didn't even see it.  Believe it or not, there are some blue flecks present. One is staring right at the camera.  There aren't too many flat surfaces that the blue would look proper on.  I may add more but, I don't want it ending up looking like a blue easter egg hunt.  I added some pale sand flecks for the interior.  Thank you for following this build and the compliments.

Cheers

Dave

wow the entire build is looking outstanding. I like your attention to every detail for realism 

Yep you've got a handle on it for sure bud. Reminds of some of those Mississippi roads in my younger years.

Looking good

Tony lee

WOW!  Looking great!  Tony got that right... reminds me of those cornstalks by the gravel roads here in Indiana when it is very dry and hot.

SprueOne,

Thank you for the compliments.  There were a couple of details that jumped out at me when, I was processing the pics for upload.  The tension adjusting mechanism on the front left needs some attention. I realized that I did not even weather that part.  . One of the wing nuts for the flimsies is MIA. .  All in all I am pretty pleased with how this turned out.  A lot of different learning curves due to experimenting with different mediums.

Tony,

Thank you so very much for stopping by. Not to mention the compliment.  I have been following your Dicker Max build.  I'm loving the headlight assembly you went with.  Your SPGs are always a treat to follow. There are some logging roads I've ridden/driven where you come across 2-3"+ quarry rock and the finer rock just hasn't  covered it.  Ouch.

Andy,

Thank you for the compliment.  I was going for a summer (ish) feel on this one.  At some point I want to do another winter dio.  Or perhaps a wet fall, early spring one instead.

Well gentlemen, aside from a couple of details that need my attention, I am calling this one completed.  And just under the seven month mark no less.  This one gets the award for bench hog just for that alone.

I shot a fair number of pics for this one, as I was playing with some new lighting at the bench.  Two side lights and a couple of homemade diffusers.  They seemed to work fairly well.  Comments and constructive criticisms are always  welcome. 

Loaded for "Bunker"

After I shot this pic and saw it on a bigger screen a couple of possible titles came to me. "The Hope of Something better", or "After the Job is Done..."

Thank you for following along on this stop and start, three steps forward two back build.

Sincerely

Dave

Wow Dave, 7 months, it went by fast! Definitely worth the wait and enjoyed every minute of watching this one come to life.

Bill,

As always, thank you for your compliments and suggestions.  I realized it was seven months when, as I was posting this update that the first pics for this build were in August.  

Cheers

Dave

  Impeccably exquis.

Délicat, excellent, parfait dans son genre.

Sorry I went french on 'ya there......  Wow.

  You obviously understand the rewards of patience as displayed here with this talented, skillful work of ability and perfection.

      This is so totally First Rate!

Dave,

It must be a great feeling to have such a big project completed, my compliments, the tank looks very good, to match the excellent base. The vegetation was a very nice final touch here. Overall, a pleasure to watch. Any plans for a next one? Good luck and have a nice day

Paweł

Dave,

Your project came out awesome. I always appreciate looking at a master at work. The details on your dio are almost too much to take in. Thank you for sharing your build with us!

looks great!!

you gonna match the dust weathering on the vehicle to the dust on the road? maybe it is my monitor though... lol

hughes2682

Thank you for following along on this stop and start, three steps forward two back build.

Sincerely

Dave

Outstanding. I didn't even notice the missing and neglected details you described, but I think this dude ^^ does...

Disastermaster,

Thank you very much! I am  by no means fluent in French (just enough to be imprisoned) but, it does sound nice. . Since I was working with a fair number of new mediums, I had to come back to the bench a fair number of time with "fresh eyes"  .  Two steps forward and one and a half back.

Pawel,

Thank you so very much for the compliments.  It was a nice feeling to get this one across the finish line.  Even then that wasn't rushed. Obviously.  I looked it over for a while and then decided "Yup, it's done"  Now what do I want to build?  I am glad to hear that you enjoyed watching this build.  I have had a good day and, may you have one as well.

Hercmech,

Thank you for looking in on this build and for the compliments.  I've taken a lot of notes on this and other forums, picked a lot of peoples brains, sought out second sets of eyes.  "a master at work"? I've been called many things but a "master"?  Thank you for the compliment but, I'm not quite sure about the master part.  The more I learn, the less I know.  The details are the result of bringing all these meduims together.  It really is amazing how many mediums our hobby touches. You are most welcome for the sharing.

cb1

Thank you sir. Actually, the dust on the vehicle is the same as what's painted on the road.  It looks much better in person.  The pics did not pick up the sublety of this very well.  Photography is not my strongest suit.

SprueOne,

Thank you very much for the complement.  I didn't notice the neglected details either but, the digi cam certainly did not miss them.  Ol' Three Fingered Jack most certainly wasn't happy about it.  There was an overhead shot of him (I haven't posted it) that makes it look like his left hand has only three fingers.  This figure was one of three from a Firestorm British tanker set.  I had originally planed to use a different figure until I realized that it wasn't going to fit the commanders hatch.  That one will be used for a Tasca Firefly Vc that is in the line up to be built.

Thank you again gentlemen for looking in on this build.

Cheers

Dave

What I can say?  It has been a great WIP since it started seven months ago.  And it is a perfect build for FSM magazine cover.

Andy,

Wow! Thank you for the vote of confidence!  I'll submit it and run it up a flag pole and see if it flies.  

Cheers

Dave