AFV Club Achilles Mk.IIc - WIP

  Despite the inadequacies of the kit, you've managed to create a fine result.                 

Doogs, I had the pleasure of following your WIP since day one.  I have to say it is a top shelf build.  

I am pleased that you are interested in PzIII GB... remember it will go on for a whole year so you will have plenty of time. so you can join in the fall or winter.  That Vorpanzer looks way too good...

Thanks all!

Bill - I'd been leaning very heavily toward Dragon's Panzer IV Ausf. G...but now that I'm more or less committing to the PIII GB with Cyber-Hobby's Ausf L Vorpanzer, I'm not so sure anymore. Back-to-back whitewash Panzers might be a bit overkill. Thinking maybe a Tiger, or I may play in allied land for another build...way too many Shermans and Sherman variants whispering sweet nothing's from the stash!

Thoroughly enjoyed watching this one come together Doogs, very sharp work all around despite the kit's "challenges". Look forward to seeing you tackle a panzer, have you given any thought to which one yet?

Love it ! very sweet !

Came out great Doogs. I think you nailed it!

whoo, thumbs up. Very nice!

I really can't believe how long this thing's been on my bench, but I'm finally calling it done.

Overall quick take - not a fan of this kit. Ejector pins all over exposed surfaces. Like, oh, the HULL. Big parts fit pretty well, but small parts are pretty much left to their own devices. The manual is aggravating in terms of small parts location and detail painting...some things are covered exhaustively, others not at all. The tracks were a fun surprise.

Still, I'm glad I built it. Great learning experience and chance to stretch my skills a bit. Now that I've got two Allied VVSS builds under my belt, I'm finally comfortable tackling a Panzer, I think.

Anyway, pics! And thanks to those of you who followed along!

And...a view of the interior...not anywhere near as visible as I thought, but the spent casings at least provide a little visual interest when the turret's on.

Thanks Doogs! I do have the brushes (on your previous recomendation) and I will have to give the pigments a try, as I love the look you got with them.

Hercmech

Doogs,

Call me impressed yet again with your work! I have that kit in my stash and I hope I can do it a little justice.

One question if I may. I have not worked with pigments much other than the occasional exhaust staining. How did you apply them, from the looks of it you brushed them on then used thinners on them? Do tell....

Thanks! Best of luck with it - looks decent enough once it gets built up, but I have to say I was really not impressed with AFV Club's kit, beginning with the giant ejector marks all over the outer hull, turret walls, and turret counterweight. I'm looking far more forward to the collection of Dragon and Tasca kits I've been adding to the stash.

As for the pigments, I went in two passes.

The first, for the running gear and lower hull, I applied directly out of the bottle. The oils were still very slightly tacky and did a great job holding things in place. These were then fixed in place with thinner (Mona Lisa Odorless...great stuff). 

The second, for the upper hull, turret, gun, etc, I mixed into some thinner and applied almost as a wash.

On top of all of these I used an Aqualon Wisp moistened in the same thinner, dragged from top to bottom, to create a subtle streaking effect.

If you don't have a set of wisp brushes, they sell them at Hobby Lobby and I HIGHLY recommend them for weathering purposes. Haven't found anything that can do random streaking quite so well.

Doogs,

Call me impressed yet again with your work! I have that kit in my stash and I hope I can do it a little justice.

One question if I may. I have not worked with pigments much other than the occasional exhaust staining. How did you apply them, from the looks of it you brushed them on then used thinners on them? Do tell....

DRAGONWAGON

Looking very good Doogs!! One lil' nitpick, you have to take another look to the bachside, there's a little bit of shiny remains of the thinner you used to seal the pigments, one swab with an cottonstick will do the trick!

I love the weathered look, the pigments really did the trick....

 

Grtz, John.

Thanks man - I took these pics literally minutes after wrapping up. I'll have a look tonight and see if the shiny was just a case of it still being wet, or something that will need to be addressed.

Looking very good Doogs!! One lil' nitpick, you have to take another look to the bachside, there's a little bit of shiny remains of the thinner you used to seal the pigments, one swab with an cottonstick will do the trick!

I love the weathered look, the pigments really did the trick....

Grtz, John.

very cool! 

The end is very much in sight. Still have details like the lights and periscope glass, but the weathering is more or less done. Combination of applying pigments, then fixing them with thinner, as well as a solution of pigments mixed into said thinner for the upper surfaces.

  Now I am really LIKING it especially the streaks down the hull. 

Pigments going on. I'm going for the look of a tank destroyer trundling around dry, dusty Italy in 1944. 

Moving pretty fast with this one Doogs, the weathering looks just right IMHO.

looks good to me, doogs 

And...oils. Raw umber, burnt sienna, yellow ochre and transparent white, mostly. Also added the powder staining around the muzzle brake with a mix of Mig Black Smoke and Gunmetal pigments.

I feel like I'm getting the hang of some things I mucked up on my Sherman...but others I may have taken too far. 

Hopefully I'll be wrapping this puppy up sometime in the next day or two...

Here comes the weathering. Alclad II Klear Kote Matte to kill the Future evidence, followed by a patchy spray of 80% thinned Tamiya Khaki.

Drybrushing is mostly complete...need to hit those pesky Future areas with some flat coat and then it's on to the really fun stuff.

deafpanzer

Looking good so far!  Now we know who has been buying all of the Mr. Surfacer primer... you?  I see like 6 bottles of Mr Surfacer in the background. LOL  No worries I was able to order 3 bottles few days ago but it took me a while to find somebody selling it. 

LOL!

Yeah...when it came back in stock late last year I went ahead and stocked up, just in case it vanished again!

Looking good so far!  Now we know who has been buying all of the Mr. Surfacer primer... you?  I see like 6 bottles of Mr Surfacer in the background. LOL  No worries I was able to order 3 bottles few days ago but it took me a while to find somebody selling it. 

Doogs, its looking really good! Ingenious way to solve the track problem too! I may use that one on a project that I shelved because I didn't like the tracks! Good stuff.

Even with the set backs...she is coming together VERY well and I am excited to see what it looks like finished

The latest. That 17-pounder is finally attached. Tracks are on. Weathering is about to get seriously underway!

         DOUBLE DITTO! I've got 3: 24 yo son, 22 yo daughter and another daughter who is almost 19. It gets     crazy but WAY worth it! The Friuls are a great way to be in yer own zone, kinda like "me time". Still a great build and thanks for taking the time to   share it with us. "Share"? Isn't that a "chick word"? I'll take it back and say "thanks dude"!!.



Seriously,, Thanks a lot!!

Chazzer (Scot)
Keep it loose and HAVE FUN!!!

wing_nut

  Went through that with both mine.  They are 19 and 24 now and the headaches are WAY worse.  doing something like the Friuls to take your mind off things is the way to go.  

I have 4 from 20 to 16 and concur with that one