On the Bench - Patrol Air Cushion Vehicle

Started back a little while ago, the Gecko US Navy Patrol Air Cushion Vehicle(PACV) or as some may say, a hovercraft.  The kit is well molded with lots of details, including a well done interior with options to model the front door in the open position.

Probably one of the trickiest parts of the build is the machine gunner stand on the interior, there are no real attach points for strength, and lining up the bars to fit into both the slots in the floor and roof are tricky.  I used Testors liquid cement to "tack" the bars in place, then dry fitted the roof to line up the bars.  Once lined up, I put a couple of drops of CA on the joints and left to dry.

I was also concerned with painting, so I pre-painted some of the areas that may be tricky for the airbrush to reach once I start final painting.

It is a good kit, and I would recommend it. 

Off the Bench - Land Wasser Schlepper

 Just completed, the Bronco Land Wasser Schlepper (Mid Production).  Overall this is a good kit, detailed interior, nice details and overall great fit.  The build was basically out of the box, with the addition of a few extra pieces.  

The model was painted using AK Real Colors(lacquer) and weather with a combination of the AK Weathering pencils and some enamel washes.

The woven bumper is from Thatchweave, which adds a great look to the vehicle.  

The boxes on the back are from Value Gear, and the tool box and tools are 3D printed.  As for the flag, it comes with the kit, is a cloth material, and is was formed using Mod-Podge.

Track and AK Pencils

 A while back I completed the 1/16 scale Tiger, which is a fantastic kit, but big.  I had started using the AK Interactive pencils for weathering, which in my opinion are a game changer. (I will have future articles covering their use).  I decided to experiment a bit, and applied both the Copper and Gun Metal Graphite to the surface of the tracks where it would be worn to metal, and buffed it with a cotton swap.  The result was impressive, as it provides a greater depth in the effect then just graphite. 

On the Bench - May 18

 A couple of kits I have been working on for the past couple of weeks.

An oldie, but a good, is the Bronco Land-Wasser-Schlepper(Mid Production).  Overall the kit went together very well, with an impressive interior (sorry did not get photos).  It is at the stage of weathering, and I included the Thatchweave Products bumper set.  This set it is easy to install and really adds to the completed model look.

And still in progress is the Gecko Model US Navy Patrol Air Cushion Vehicle(PACV).  The build has had some challenges, but overall a fun build.  There is a good interior, with the internal stand for the turret gunner a little finicky to install.  Just in the process now of adding window, which will be masked and the external details.

The Return

After many years of not having enough time, now I find time on my hand, and this will be the return of this blog, including Sprue News.  I have not been building much, but am back at the bench regularly now, and will have some new content to share with you.  I have picked up some new products, tools, and more, and will be sharing how I use them and how it might help you.

I have also added a couple of 3D Printers to my collection, and will be sharing how I incorporate these into my model building.  

Stay tuned.......

Priming and Painting with Ammo by Mig

With Ammo by Mig paint being out for sometime, I am still hearing people are having issues using it, or not liking it.  I have started using it for about six months, and am very impressed with it.  I find it goes on very fine and produces a great finish.

Having just built a MiniArt T-70M, with the build review found here, I thought lets show how I used Ammo by Mig Primer and paint.

Starting with Ammo by Mig Black primer using my Iwata Eclipse, lets apply the primer.  The key to applying Ammo by Mig primer is very thin coats.  I apply the primer directly from the bottle with the airbrush pressure set to about 20 psi.

 
The first coat applied should be very light, barely covering the model.  This light coat will dry to the touch very quick, which will allow for more coats in the same sitting.

The next coat, again very light will start to add more primer, again it will not cover the surface completely.

Again in the same sitting, after the second coat has dried, you can start to apply more primer to start fully covering the model.
















While acrylic paint and primer dries quickly, it does take some time to cure.  Before applying paint, I will give the primer on the model two days to cure.

To start the paint, I am using the Ammo by Mig Russian base, and I will apply the same way as the primer, very light coats.  With the Ammo by Mig paint, I will thin with about 40% Ammo by Mig Thinner.  I will also reduce the airbrush pressure to about 15 to 18 psi.

The first coat will be barely seen on the black primer.

Then, like how the primer was applied, I will build up the color with more very thin coats.  If I had preshaded the model, this is an excellent way to get color modulation.  But since the final color on this model will be white, I did not apply any color modulation.  But I did leave some areas with light coats to show the darkness of the black primer, while I applied more coats to the edges and tops areas to get a more green color.

Give the Ammo by Mig paint and primer a try, you might just like it.

Improving Masking Tape Seat Belts

I have come across a link that shows a great method for improving the look of masking tape seat belts.  The process looks like it could be used for multiple scales by adjusting the size of the loops of wire.

Seat Belts Made Simple - by Rato Marczak


If anyone has any other links they think should be added, please let me know.