Paint! Paint! Paint! 

Sorry, I'm getting impatient lol.

I would have said Soon, Soon, Soon! but I just got a week's assignment to El Paso, not much gonna happen for a while.

Dang. Guess I should just get something done myself. 

One word: Blog.

I'll be right in the middle of "No" and "where", but I can look at this forum on my phone. I'll be watching.

All work and no modeling makes Russ a grumpy boy.....

So I did add a few small details here, spare tracklinks and brackets, air cleaner service indicators, an empty shovel bracket (I broke the shovel, and didn't like it anyway) and something else, forgot.....

IMG_7717 by Russel Baer, on Flickr

IMG_7718 by Russel Baer, on Flickr

I still haven't decided if I want to finish this one as a "demo" or in service.

Ah, decisions, decisions. 

Amazing details, Russ. This thing looks fantastic without paint lol. I love seeing all of that work in the raw, but I know you have to paint it.

M. Brindos

Ah, decisions, decisions. 

Amazing details, Russ. This thing looks fantastic without paint lol. I love seeing all of that work in the raw, but I know you have to paint it.

 

Yeah. it's cool to be able to look at all the different colours and see how many different kits borrowed from there!

As usual nice work!!!

This is an amazing amount of work you got going here. I can't even wrap my head around all that you done. Very impressive kit bash and scratch work you can do.

BK

Thanks all!

Mike, I think on this one I may buy a couple prints of my own before and after paint pics, kind of as a reminder.

Brandon, thanks. This is my favorite kind of modeling, by far.

Dare I say it? Yes, I dare: I might have some modeling time today!

Well??! Did you find some time?

We want MORE!!! 

Ha! Yes, I got a couple of hours in, mounted the TC's box and did some crew steps on the front, then hit it with Krylon khaki. Yee ha!

IMG_7830 by Russel Baer, on Flickr

It doesn't look to bad at all in one color lol. Gotta love that Krylon though. It's tough stuff, good finish, and easy to spray.

This is a really impressive piece of armor, Russ. I can't wait to see how it all ends!

Thanks Mike. Yup, I do like my Krylon, gotta say.

Yeah she looks fine with just the Krylon. 

Krylon rocks. And so does Vallejo acrylic. I started some detail painting, mounted the road wheels so I could rotated them to paint the tires (so much easier than using a stick in the hole and painting them that way, gotta love poly caps) and I mixed up a green/brown for the mantlet cover, gun tube accordian and mortar dust cover. I'm glad I spant as much time on the mantlet cover as I did, it stands out nicely.

IMG_7833 by Russel Baer, on Flickr

Some more detail painting, clear coat and markings are next.

A little splash of color and she starts breathing life. That real fine already, Russ. Moar.

Thanks Mike. More coming soon, I think.....

I'm doing a work conference call right now, but I'm in the middle of doing a wash on this thing, making the many panel lines pop. It's looking busy, pics later today.

After a general wash, followed with a pin wash:

IMG_7834 by Russel Baer, on Flickr

IMG_7835 by Russel Baer, on Flickr

I'm liking the effect from the pin wash, lots of visual interest.

Now we're talking! This is what I've been waiting for. 

Excellent.

I'm getting jazzed myself. Markings are on, and I've got the tracks painted, getting closer. Pics to come.

Looks good, the wash did a great job bringing out the details! 

What!

    A dirty Tank? LOL.LOL. Very nice so far and very subtle shading. Looks great to me !

T'anks all. I got some more done today, stuff like tow cables, call signs, markings, and tracks. Optics, turret MGs and some more detail painting and it'll be ready for the final light dusting.

IMG_7957 by Russel Baer, on Flickr

IMG_7959 by Russel Baer, on Flickr

IMG_7956 by Russel Baer, on Flickr

Okay, I'm calling it finished.

IMG_8135 by Russel Baer, on Flickr

IMG_8134 by Russel Baer, on Flickr

IMG_8150 by Russel Baer, on Flickr

IMG_8149 by Russel Baer, on Flickr

IMG_8148 by Russel Baer, on Flickr

IMG_8145 by Russel Baer, on Flickr

IMG_8144 by Russel Baer, on Flickr

IMG_8143 by Russel Baer, on Flickr

IMG_8142 by Russel Baer, on Flickr

Too much fun! And now back to the "real" ones.

Russ, I'm really impressed! That looks like it could be the real thing. Making me want to finish out my own frankentank.

Ray

Thanks, Ray. Gotta say, that was my goal, build something that could have been.....   and have fun.

Oh, and frankentanks are fun. I like letting my imagination run amok, no worries about "is that the right air cleaner housing, or am I using the right return rollers?" I do one every few years, just to keep my head on straight. Matter o' fact, I've got another one in the cooker, waiting its turn.

Holy crap, Russ! That is spectacular!

That is one of the coolest M-60 varients I've ever seen!

Edit:

I love that reflective yellow in the optics! That's really cool!

Thanks Mike. The optics are coverd with some AFV Club stick-on reflective film, left over from the Leo2 set I bought years ago. It's a fairly large sheet with pre-cut parts for the Leo, with lots of material left, so I thought it would work well.