Another Tadpole... nearly finished

[paulh]

Following on from Chris67's
This is the result of a couple of nights work whilst on holiday in sunny Devon The build itself was fairly painless though the attachment for many of the parts leaves something to be desired
The tracks are awaiting more time than I have to spend on them at the mo, and I still need to attach the exhaust system and fix down the sponson roofs which are currently just dry fitted.

Its had a primer and a couple of cots of VMA hull red as a base coat/preshade- I'm still working on getting the shade of olive/ brown right so any input or advice on that would be graciously received.










Cheers
P

[Teabone]

Paul

I have to love those old vehicles where the makers didn't have a clue about so many factors in the design of an Armored Fighting Vehicle.  Guess and by gosh and some funny assumptions went into those and now we see the latest with Astro Turff camo.

Nice work, which maker makes that kit?  I take it that there are some minuses to the molding that have to be worked around from what you said about attachments.

Bones

[robbo]

Can't get enough of these great tanks, I've got a 1/72 on the want list

[paulh]

Cheers both.
T-bone ; the kit is made by EHMAR.
It goes together easily enough - most of it is "flat-pack" built up from individual sides/panels requiring accurate allignment on a small "leddge" for correct placement. I think I've been spoilled with locating/allignmnt pins etc.
The moulding detail seems ok- truth is it wass built straight out of the box with no reference material so I can't actually vouch for the accuracy of it all TBH
P

[TRM]

Looking great from here buddy! Of course I would no where those inaccuracies would actually be on this... But she is looking the part there!!

[danb]

Loving the Tadpole Paul ive wanted to build 1 and will be using this as ref when i get round to doing 1

Dan B

[wbill76]

Always love seeing WW1 stuff get built, off to a great start here Paul!

[deafpanzer]

Another great WWI tank WIP to follow... please count me in! Local hobby sells those kits now. Too tempting...

[paulh]

Right then trying to build up a decent colour for weathering;
First on was a light misting coat of light olive (RAL6040), then an eyeball mix of this with sandbeige (RAL 1039) and a touch of white then finally a coat of Sandbeige focusing on the panel centres.
EDIT: Vallejo Model Air)

Have to say I'm happy with how its looking at this point and some filters should start to bring this to life



As always ACVGW

P_

[wbill76]

Paint looks good Paul, nice shading/variation.

[Teabone]

Paul

From the buzz on the web it looks like these kits are a little bit of a challenge but the only show in town, so to speak, if you are a perfectionist on a historical build it sounds like there will be some re-work.  On the other hand if you are like me and in it for the fun with no Lazer focus on matching original vehicle accuracy it looks like an interesting build.  I see a lot of builders are calling for the big kids on the block to step up with a kit for them.

Bones

[paulh]

Bill- thank you very much. Hope I can keep it going and finish it in reasonable time. Hoping to have it done for my local MAFVA branch openday in October (with maybe a base- if time permits)

Bones- the only lazer focus I'm interested in is eye surgery

We're both reading the same stuff fella! Yes, there is a lot of work to do to get these ones "inch perfect" but one of the joys (?) of modelling these particular behemots is that the original engineering tollerances seem to have been more of a guideline - but as cookie Sewell highlighted- thats no reason to be sloppy in the build.

As for the bg boys stepping up; I've often thought about that with these and a raft of other kits. The issue this would bring as I see it is two-fold: the kits in their current "form" require you to have of develop the ability to allign etc without the joy of locator pins etc- a basic skill , particularly if you have
ANY inclination towards scratherizing ( I'd just love to see the Squidmeister scratch one of these : ; Also, it would probably be over-engineered and we'd end up with a kit of X thousand pieces that involve attaching every individual bolt/rivet including the ones on the track

P

[Deleted]

Yeh! Nice Paul!

[pantherf]

You have my attention Paul. A very neat vehicle everyone must try at least one WWI kit.

Please, keep us up to date on the progress.





Jeff

[paulh]

Bruce, Jeff -thanks a lot guys.
First filters tonight I hope.
P

[bbd468]

Hello Paul! Man, this thing is lookin awesome buddy! Ill be watchin this one.

[`Boots`]

Yeah thats real nice Paul......the shading worked a treat coz it looks great under the topcoat, she`ll weather up very nicely indeed i reckon

[paulh]

Thanks very much guys

Bill- hopefully it doesn't get screwed up during the painting/weathering- not impossible with my cackhandedness!

jackwagon - we do it cause they can't leave us out into general population mush

Boots - have to admit I wasn 't too sure when I first put the airbrush down - but I have to say for a first attempt at preshading I am quite happy.


Well folks I'm afraid that is going to be it for a while. Tonight I am taking my very understanding and lovely wife out for an improptu dinner in a nice little ( 8-table) fish restauant I recently discovered for some us time. Then its off to deepest Surrey to pick up the anklebiters over the week where they've been holidaying with their cousins.

On our return I have to sit down with the boy and finish off his little summer history project on WW2- he decided to go for Battle of Britan - he'd already finished (mostly himself)the Airfix Mk 1 Spitfire & Hurricane- I'll be painting those while he finisihes the Bf109. Once that is finished Im building a Tamiya 1/24 Mini Cooper( the old proper one!) for my daughter who is "helping" removing some parts from sprues and applying some Tamiya extra thin - she's doin alright!

Anyhoooo
TTFN
P

[`Boots`]

Peace and tranquility shattered now `eh Paul...............thats `anklebiters` for ya, i`m so glad mines grown up and works nights ((LOL))..........

[paulh]

Update time:
I got so far with this and then remembered it needed the tracks!
These are horrible vinyl things that doesnt like most glues so I used CA.
This will now be all set aside for the weekend to make sure the paint is all fully cured off before I attet to mask up for track painting.
Then it will be on with detail painting and back to weathering



Thanks for looking in and as always ACGW
P

[paulh]

Thanks very much jackwagon.
I'm hoping I'll be able to sort it with some careful masking and I haven't finished the weathering I've planned anyway so it should come together.
P

[ogrejohn]

Cool looking tadpole Paul! Very nice on the paint and weathering.

[paulh]

Cheers John

[wbill76]

Looking good Paul, nice progress on the weathering.

[paulh]

Thanks Bill. Hopefuly dsorting out the tracks wont undo where I got to with all that- but with my luck....

Not happy with some of the rainmarks around the lower edges but this will be getting covered to some degree with further weathering so all is not lost.

[danb]

Ooooooo we got paint and some weathering very nice my freind them kit tracks are the worst i scrapped mine for my MK IV i purchased some resin upgrades only thing was the tracks cost as much as the bleedin kit keep it coming buddy

Dan B

[paulh]

Cheers Dsn.
I did consider some replacements -but becausehe increased length of the this particular version it would have required 2 full sets and then the cost would have been downright stupid tbh.
Onwards and upwards- afterall, mud is the modellers friend...

[Deleted]

looks really nice Paul always wanted to build one of these

[paulh]

Thank you kindly both.
Pete -give it a go and once you get over the fact that its a kind of suck it and see sorta build its great fun.
Tracks painted and additonal weathering to hull now done. Pigs and mud spaltter still to come. Pics of progress soon.

P

[bbd468]

She's lookin awful good brother Paul! Seems I may need to acquire one of these....looks like fun!