Tracks: I build mine in sections, then remove them from the tank, paint flat black (both sides), heavy dry brush MM steel, wash with mix of Humbrol #63 (not 62 as I've said before!) and burnt umber oil paint several times, finally highlight with MM silver. Works for me.

Okay, guys and gals, I did it. I got out my Accurate Miniatures SBD-5, marked up the instructions to show all the parts that get modified or replaced with the Eduard set, cut open the bags, and washed all the parts. (I also washed parts for a Dragon Pz IV at the same time, so who knows what kind of mutant, plane-tank thing is going to come out of all the parts being mixed together!! Maybe it would be a Daunt-zer, or a Panz-less, I don't know!! lol (No, I'm not really stupid enough to accidently mix up the parts from wingy thingy and ground pounder kits. I reserve that for different releases of the same kit! (Ohh, what a mess!)

Anyway, one thing that struck me right off. AM kits sure have MUCH smaller sprue attachment points than DML armor kits! The good and bad being, you have to be much more careful with the toothbrush on the wingy thingies, but you don't have nearly the potential for ugly scars and broken parts (due to heavy handed removal), either. I'll probably clean the PE parts in vinegar tonight and drag out the interior green! Whoopie!!

I will DEFINATELY need help with wiring the engine, and plumbing the landing gear. I've never understood exactly where all the wires and tubes go. But it will probably be 6 to 10 months before I get that far!!

I picked up my Dragon King Tiger today Joe. Looks like a great kit. Hope it treats you well!

QUOTE: Originally posted by woodbeck3 Cool so i figured it out right. I GOT MY ZIM DONE!!! too big to scale but even and sanded a little. I screwed that back end up and just might remove it because I have parts back there yet to go on after I paint it. -Jeff

Ahh. Nice to hear. Now you shall be granted one of the Armour Pearls of Wisdom. If you muck it up, it's battle damage! No questions asked.

Look forward to seeing your pics Jeff.

For treads:

1.) Flat black mixed with blue.
2.) Dark brown colored wash.
3.) If you want to simulate dust apply a light coat of buff
4.) Dry brush with metallic grey.
5.) Dry brush with chrome silver (just lightly on outermost edges of the tracks)

Hi woodbeck. I like to primer mine in black (I use acrylics) then shoot a rust, followed by a raw umber wash with artists oils. Next I apply a light dust spray with Tamiya buff, finalized by a drybrushing of the guide horns and top parts a dark metallic grey. I think silver is too shiney, but everyone has a different way of doing it anyway.

Cool so i figured it out right.

I GOT MY ZIM DONE!!! too big to scale but even and sanded a little. I screwed that back end up and just might remove it because I have parts back there yet to go on after I paint it. I stopped short on the turret... left a gap where the spare treads go and on the other side where the loader(? is that what it is) hatch is. I barried enough detail below my white putty. It looks cleaner then I thought I could do. taking pics for ya all but will be a while til I post em but they will be there.

Now back to the tracks.... what color and washes in order they are applied please.

Ausf...you have inspired me to weather it up too so I hope I dont disappoint ya or the others.

-Jeff

Jeff, I prefer to paint and weather them first, then like you said, build them and just touch up. In other words, it's one of the last things I do.

Hmmm Indy tracks....paint em before I put em together?? The instructions say to put em together then let em sit for like half an hour the put them on the tank. The way I paint it would take much long then that so painting first then putting them together then touching up a good method???
No matter how ya pick on me I can tell you all like me...I think

-Jeff

see what you miss when you go away for a while.

joe

Geez! Im away from the forum for a couple of days and this thread goes crazy. 3 more pages and some poeple have already started.

Any news on a starting date ?? I thought it was late July or something.

would you be thinking of me.

too funny. think i woke everyone up when i started laughing at it.

joe

Hey now!! I zimmed on my second.Close enuff.

I was laughing so hard my wife had to see what was going on.

Hey now!!!!!

Ya didn't mention the flying circus is trying to talk me into a NMF on a P-51! That would be as ridiculous as trying something like Zimmerit on your first Armor build. Oh, wait a minute....

no not much. bill i think thats a pretty good summary.

joe

Well, some of the plane dudes have started and almost finished. One or two of the armor dudes have posted a plane or two, but I'm not sure if they were supposed to count towards the build or not. (Mine wasn't). I thought we weren't starting until sometime in July, still to be determined. Other than that, mostly a lot of trash talking, advice on kits and zimmeriting, and admission from some of the wingy thingy guys that armor might not be too bad to build.

I miss much, guys??

lol

I'M BACK OH YES IM BACK

WOw you guys realy did a lot of writing when i was gone, could some one sum me up on what happend thanks a lot.

Mwah

Been to Swanny's site a few times. have even used some of his tips and incorparated them into armor builds.

If us Armor guys need any help, here's a great link (not sure if it was posted within the last 15 pages) for help. I wouldn't be suprised if Swanny isn't browsing this build.

http://swannysmodels.com/

Awesome Kit reviews, but goto the Tools and Tips Page..

QUOTE: Originally posted by ausf Alright, alright, alright........I give. For the love of Pete, what's NMF? I mean, it's aluminum right, New Metal Finish? What? What? Not My Fault? Nothing Much Flying? New Mexican Fajitas?

alright i will spell it out. nmf = natural metal finish. this can be done in many ways. the paint method, two types generally work. something like alcad which doesnt really need to be buffed and a buffable metalizer. the second is metal foil attached to the plane, i chose this method and am using tinfoil glued to the a/c. it is a timeconsuming method but the results are incredible.

matt thanks. i am still going to order the eduards as a backup but i am going to try to get into this with both feet. i wont be starting this one for about a month so i will have some time to practice. i think i have an old auto body from a kit long since trashed. i think the razor saw would work i have some old saw blades that might be a suitable tool. and it will be good to get advice from someone looking at the same kit.

joe

Ok all you treadies..i got mine going...lets see some planes...unless ya are chicken!!!




"Victory roll with a pint...ahhh the good life"

QUOTE: Originally posted by wipw QUOTE: Originally posted by fightnjoe as far as the zimmerit i think i am going to give it a shot. i think using squadron green and a comb, the ones that come from like barbie doll kits, would work. i am going to wait however until i get the right paints to begin this beast. joe Be careful with this, Joe. I'm afraid the putty will stick to the plastic comb and get all gummed up. I think you'd wind up pulling all the putty off in big troughs. Make sure when you put the putty on to keep it really thin (in depth, not consistency). Sometimes I would scrap a little off my "pallet" onto my scribe tool and trowel it on with that, holding the tool at a shallow angle so that the putty would get applied and scribed at the same time. Then I'd go back and put the verticle marks in the putty. Good luck.

Joe, I have used a razor saw with squadron green before, with nice results (on an old model). You can clean it up with acetone afterwards. (The saw, not the model!) If you have an old blade, you can break it up into different size bits for different areas. As you know, squadron green can be softened with liquid cement, too. I personally don't even spread it first; I just run a line of it, and spread /saw at the same time. I am hopefully picking up the same King Tiger as yours tomorrow, Joe, so I might have a nice long peek at it, and see if there is anything I can find to help us both out. I was going to try milliput on this one, but hadn't really made my mind up. I also wanted to get Tamiya's Zimm combs, but haven't found them over here yet. I have a couple of interesting Zimm articles about too. Let me know if I can help in any way, since I will be able to look at the same kit and at least give you another opinion.

QUOTE: Alright, alright, alright........I give. For the love of Pete, what's NMF? I mean, it's aluminum right, New Metal Finish? What? What? Not My Fault? Nothing Much Flying? New Mexican Fajitas?

Yum. Mexican for me tonight.

From hearing Joe talk so loveingly about it, I think it stands for Natural Metal Finish. But thats just my assumption.

Alright, alright, alright........I give. For the love of Pete, what's NMF?
I mean, it's aluminum right, New Metal Finish? What? What?
Not My Fault?
Nothing Much Flying?
New Mexican Fajitas?

Got that one built some where my self.

To bad I did'nt see you post before I out it up Bill, would love to have seen the comments. Of coarse it seems they being polite by not really saying to much about it anyway. Had it not been for my boys , I would have done a totally slop job on it , big globs of glue runnin down it, paint it OD and such and posted that for them to comment on.

Yes, it is the Monogram kit with a total of about 15 parts I think it was.

QUOTE: Originally posted by tigerman QUOTE: Originally posted by wipw Ohhhh, I got prop envy!! lol ROTFLMAO. Whew, more than I needed to know. You guys are really making me want to try something I truely suck at. Okay, I may give my KI-84 a shot. After reading all the horror stories about NMF, I may just go with the green and grey though. Yup, whimped out.

Hey, if you can't stand the water, Eric, get out of the prop build!

LOLOLOL

QUOTE: Originally posted by wipw Ohhhh, I got prop envy!! lol

ROTFLMAO. Whew, more than I needed to know. You guys are really making me want to try something I truely suck at. Okay, I may give my KI-84 a shot. After reading all the horror stories about NMF, I may just go with the green and grey though. Yup, whimped out.

Is that monograms 109 Chris? You may at least treat it to a good AA lickin when its all said and done.