6MMRPC: Progress

Hi Folks,

My last full day in Scotland and all modelling supplies are now packed and my desk cleared for the first time since it was assembled.

Obviously this week has been pretty busy with household preparations and cleaning. I managed to get a lot done yesterday so took some time out to get the last few weeks models varnished with my usual Army Painter Dark Tone Quickshade varnish. I may need a new tin of this, as again it seems not to have been sealed properly after the last time I used it, resulting in a thick skin having formed. I added some large ball bearings I had found (a tip care of Paul Alba) and some turps, sealed the tin up and shook it hard for a while. I then opened it and fished out all the large bits that I could. I'll stick with it as long as I can, but I suspect I may have to replace the tin soon.

I found that having based the vehicles first made a huge difference to the amount of mess and my handling of the mini's while they were being varnishes. I managed to get everything done in less than an hour, which I was impressed at as there seemed to be a lot.

So, onwards and upwards! Hopefully it won't take me long to get set up and back into my painting on the other end. Thanks to everyone for their comments wishing us well on the move. Just to add to the busyness that I seem to have every October, yesterday it was exactly 1 year until our wedding day!!!

6MMRPC: Tanks and Trades

Hi folks,

A quick update before the weekend (and lots of packing) starts. Today was my final day of work in Glasgow, so I am looking forward to starting in Middlesbrough in a weeks time and not having to spend 3+ hours a day commuting! Tonight I celebrated by getting primer on my three Stuart M3A1's and Crusader AA tanks.

These pics are post black primer, so don't show much. I managed to do a little work through the week on stowage - running out of canvas rolls and jerry cans - and also managed to add a hull MG barrel to the Stuarts.

I had enough stowage to have a bash at one of the M10C's, adding a .50cal MG and patches of camo netting. I'm thinking on these guys to try a new thing, and have been looking at options for foliage branches in 15mm. There are a few options out there, I just need to pick one then have it delivered to my new address (I have the same issue with ordering more stowage).

My thinking with the foliage is that these Self propelled guns were normally used from defensive or ambush positions. Also, with them being a Canadian addition to my army, I wanted them to be visually a little different. The inclusion of foliage on the models will really depend on whether I can make it subtle enough. I've seen lots of models with clumps of horrible rubberised hair and the likes on them - or clumps of clump foliage - and I don't want to go down that route. The key will be getting decent looking 'branches' and leafs. 

I also picked up a Dremel like tool from EBuyer. Called the Xenta 163 Piece Rotary Tool it costs a whole £14.99. I'm waiting on it being delivered but the reviews sound OK and at that price if it only lasts a few months I won't complain. What it will let me look at doing it magnetising my turrets.

Also this week I managed to trade my 3 Stuart Honey tanks I asked for in error at Christmas time. I managed to arrange a trade of the 3 tanks and a small sum of money for 3 plastic  PSC Churchills and 4 plastic BF M5 Halftracks. I'm not too sure what to do with the Churchills, but the M5's will be for my Recce company infantry. The Churchills might end up as an extra support option or as base kits if the conversion kits for PSC Churchills ever materialize. I'll think about it but they can stay on the sprues for a while yet. I should probably count this as a Joker for the challenge, but it was a small amount of cash and that was only because we needed to even out the trade value.

And... I managed to move the vehicle crews onto the shelf as they are now ready to be varnished.

I've not posted the pics of the Stuarts or the Crusader AA as the black primer makes them just large black blobs in the pictures. More to follow when I get the base coat on them.

6MMRPC: A Bask of Crocodiles!

Hi Folks,

Just when you thought it was safe to go back in the water...

I've managed to get these 5 tanks and trailers to the point that they are ready for the Army Painter varnish. They were alright to paint - the more I work with Churchills the more I come to see them as quite charming in a pugnacious way.

Some of those pictures are looking a little washed out, but the paint tone is the same Russian Uniform green as eve.

Plus the trailers:

Still some touching up required, but that can be fixed easily enough (like the wheel above). The main thing is to get them varnished now, as time is rapidly ticking down to moving day!

I've also managed to get the flesh painted on half of the crew figures. I had planned to get the rest finished tonight, but my PC was starting to sound like a helicopter as I have been putting off cleaning it out for months. So I ended up doing that  instead.

I also had a secret project to work on tonight - but I made less progress than hoped, just getting the models cleaned and assembled. I may have time for a base coat but I doubt I'll get too much more done this week... More on this later!

Now on the painting table (but with little hope of being ready) are my M10C's, Crusader AA tanks and Stuart III's. With luck I will at least get the stowage on these and perhaps a base coat before moving day. 

Croc on!

6MMRPC: 15mm Camo Netting + progress update

Hi folks,

A few weeks ago I'd posted some pics of the first batch of painted Shermans V's which had been traded on to Scotsgreys in exchange for new Sherman I's. A few people had commented on the camo netting on some of the tanks - and having used the same netting on some of my Churchill Crocodiles I thought I'd do a quick post on what I'm using.

First up, a quick shot of how it looks unpainted:

So the netting seems to be this stuff, although I can't be 100% sure as I bought it years ago from a small modelling shop in Glasgow. It was labelled as (I think) 1/72 scale netting.

Some close ups of the netting:

I use my trusty nail scissors (a very useful modelling tool!) in order to snip small sections of the netting to roughly the size and shape I need for the surface I'm applying it to. I then put a coat of superglue on the tanks surface and apply the netting. Don't worry about the fit, you can always trim the netting to the shape you need afterwards. I think I should then have applied a thinned down coat of PVA, but I just went right on to priming and painting.

Some more pics of the Croc turret (with some Sherman track links as extra armour on the front turret):

This particular look was based roughly on this picture of a Churchill Crocodile in Normandy:

 

I've actually got a odd number of Churchill Crocodiles, due to 2 of the models I had bought having very rough and badly cast/pitted fuel trailers. I had emailed Battlefront Customer Services for replacement trailers, and I was sent two whole new tanks!

While prepping a couple of the Crocs for my next wave of painting, I hit upon the way of sorting the pitting on the fuel trailers... Hide it!

 

This involved putting a couple of bits of stowage on the trailer, then using the same technique as above to drape the netting over it. Obviously, this is just with the base colour on, and not the finished article!

Lastly, some pics of the primed Croc:

6MMRPC wise this week I have also:

 

- primed and base coated the vehicle crews I prepped last weekend. These now just need helmets, webbing and flesh (and a few other details) painting.

- detailed another Churchill Crocodile with Stowage and got this primed and base coated.

- added steel paper to the bases of my Universal Carriers. These are now stored away securely awaiting Army Painter varnishing.

 

Things to think about for the coming week:

 

- basing for the Churchill Crocs and trailers? How to have the trailers remove able? Magnets? Some sort of hole drilled and paper clip 'hook'?

- finish off the vehicle crews.

- get the other three Crocs started.

 

 

 

 

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