Airfix 1/76 40mm Bofors Gun & Tractor

I like this kit - always have, always will.
Currently £6.74 from eModels - excellent value!

This is what I made using this kit.

Tamiya 1/35 scale3.7cm Pak 36 anti tank emplacement

I started this and immediately knew what I wanted to do - I wanted the crew and Pak 36 in a ruined church - to command a section of road.

I used the Italeri 1/35 Church window and made the base myself using car body filler, crushed rubble bits, and so on.  However, I didn't like the sandbags at the front.  And this detail totally put me off!  There was something I didn't like about this scene, but I couldn't put my finger on it.  An example of one detail messing up the whole scene.

Once I removed the sandbags and filled the space with more rubble, I was much happier.

But this scene comes with a twist.

I was going to call this scene Friday 13th... Unlucky for Some.

Because someone wouldn't be going home...

LG 3000 Heavy Truck

I liked this old Mercedes - another 1/72 scale.

I used a cast of the base that comes with a different set - i used playdoh to make impressions, then used normal plaster-based filler.  This allowed me to flatten the base and add/remove detail easily.

Once again, the detail is dubious - not sure which part of my imagination the camouflage pattern came from - one I just made up because I liked the colours most likely.

Kubelwagen

This is a 1/72 scale reconnaissance set which I decided to change slightly.  I wanted a different scenario - with the kubelwagen being  recovered after going off road.

A friend did say the colouring was a bit... hmmm, what were his words? Unusual.

This was before I cared about details like that - I was just making models because I liked the idea.  I'm still like that now!

Weathering

I've been watching more tutorials on You Tube - these are all about weathering vehicles, and reading TankArt by Michael Rinaldi.

So, today I bought some plaster of Paris, hairspray, acrylics, toothpicks and cotton buds.

Next I resurrected the M113 I bought for the figures and desk - hacked off all the reusable parts like towing hausers, axe, sledgehammer etc, and butchered the bodywork to my hearts content.

The purpose is to practice my weathering techniques.  Mud spatters (acrylics and plaster flicked with toothbrush) mud build-up (pva glue and crushed chalks used as pigments dabbed into wheel wells etc), chipping (hence the hairspray) and streaking.

See the tutorials here:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RckNMlvyjKo
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gU01ZSgC9mo
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hu3f-Jmf_
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eyBsuK-M

These are excellent and go into great detail.

By mixing a little acrylic burnt umber with water and plaster of paris to a sloppy mixture, dabbing in an old toothbrush and dragging a thumb across the bristles to flick the mud-like paste across the vehicle.

It was hard to tell how much to add.  I've definitely overdone this!

Below shows some base grey and rust coloured paints.  Over this went two light coats of ordinary hairspray. Over the top of this goes the top coat, and when dry small sections are wetted and scrubbed with a toothbrush the hairspray dissolves revealing the paints underneath - this is a chipping technique.

Next I put a top coat and brushed off some with a toothbrush dipped in water to reveal the paint below.

This didn't come out as I wanted it to - and was a lot of scrubbing for a little reveal.

Again way too much mud splash!

I added some camo netting...

...which I made from these:

A normal dishcloth, soaked in PVA glue, painted in greens and browns, with the fake coarse turf added in patches.  Cut to size and draped over the vehicle and allowed to dry.

Finally, after adding some streaks or grime, build up of grime, decals, rust streaks and patches and some final painting details, here's the finished vehicle.

Random Soldier

My figure painting has been quite poor - especially faces, so I've been watching You Tube tutorials on how to paint 'em. I made this soldier up from various parts- a little futuristic on purpose - not meant to represent any particular nation or era

These are the tutorials I was talking about.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cF1i_kh8GFo

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xYAoOXZ_VOU

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZfvgnvRu5A4

Panzer Kampfwagen II AusF with riders.

This is the Tamiya 1/35 scale Panzer Kampfwagen II AusF with crew of 5 pretty much as it comes in the box.  Rather than have the 4 Afrika Corps soldiers running alongside the vehicle as depicted on the box, I adapted them so they could be seated on the vehicle, and omitted one soldier completely.

Adaptation was mainly the legs - cutting off the straight legs and utilising the spare soldier or other seated spares to give me three sitting figures.  I wanted one figure to be wounded, so added an arm from an american kit I had and added a sling.  I like this figure best of all - almost looks natural!

The guy in the turret came from the refuelling and rearming kit I posted earlier - I preferred this one to the one that came with the kampfwagen kit because he has headphones on.

The other two figures I think are a bit too stiff - they look posed to me. I may have to change them another day - I'll see if they grow on me!

Additional tank clutter in the form of extra kit bags, towing hauser, chains and jerry cans, plus a refuelling pump all go to build what I hope is the sort of vehicle you'd see in North Africa.  I hope you like it.