Molding Track

Ever had the issue of getting track to look weighted down, especially across the top.  Here is a little tip that might help.  When using individual links, like Dragon's Magic Track I apply a little force while the glue dries.  With Magic Track, after assembling two sections per side, then applying Testor Liquid Cement I wait about 20 minutes then put the track on the tank.  Once I am happy with the fit, I stuff a little tissue in the top to press down on the tracks to ensure the return track looks weighted down on the return rollers.

Here is an example on the T-34 that is currently on my bench.

I will get the track overnight for the glue to set hard, then remove and paint.  When the track goes back on it will look like the weight of the return track is resting on the wheels, like the real thing.  Sometimes the "spring action will keep it up after, but a little CA will solve that.

Happy Tanking.

Off the Bench: Canadian Leopard C1

The latest to leave my bench is a Canadian Leopard C1.  This model was build from the MBK kit, which is just a remold of the old Italeri Leopard 1A4.  Added to the kit was the TrackJam Models Leopard C1 conversion set, which contains the required turret and a few other bits to really make it Canadian.  I also used the Perfect Scale barrel, the Real Model photo-etched update and tracks from Hong Kong Creations Workshop.

While the resin turret took a little work, the rest of the model came together very well.

To match the Canadian (NATO) green I used Vallejo Air Dark Camo Green, while weathering was done using a combination of Mig pigments and True Earth effects.

Give a conversion a try sometime, it is fun.

Finding help at the Art Store

Sometimes a trip the to the local Art Supply store can be helpful for your modelling endeavours.  As modelling involves alot of painting sometimes, there are some interesting things, and products, that can be found at the art store.

A few things I have noticed in visiting the Art store is that there is a wider selection of brushes to select from, and in some case, they may be cheaper than the hobby store.  Not only brushes, but other tools can be found there too, for example I use a paint knife to apply putty, great little tool.

The key to a great finish is getting the paint to lay smooth when applied.  Two products that I have found at the local art supply are from Liquitex, Flow Aid and Slo-Dri.  Flow Aid is a product that helps in allowing acrylic paint to flow better and penetrate uneven surfaces, while Slo-Dri is just like is says, it slows down the drying time of acrylic paint.

For Flow Aid, I mix a small bottle with about a cap full mixed with water.  I use this mixture as a thinner when working with acrylic paints.  I mostly use Vallejo paints, and find it works great.  I also find it handy to use when applying washes, as Flow Aid will help break the surface tension of water.

Slo-Dri does just what it says, I always mix with Flow Aid as well.  We know that acrylics dry fast and sometimes we wish we could have a little more working time, and Slo-Dri does that.  It is also useful when there is a lot of painting to be done, ie road wheels for a tank.  I will add a little of the Slo-Dri mixture to the paint on the pallette giving me plenty of time to paint all those wheels.






Another item you can find at the art store is paint.  Some hobby weathering products can be a little expensive, one product I have found is Winsor & Newton Water Based Oil paints.  Yes, I said water-based oil paint.  This paint is great for doing washes and filters, and being water based makes it easy to clean and relatively fast to dry.  I will use my Flow Aid mixture to thin this, and a tube will last forever.

Once you are done all the painting, it is time to clean up.  Overtime, old paint can build up in a brush regardless how well you clean it.  Well another product from Winsor & Newton is Brush Restorer.  This stuff will eat away at all the old paint in a brush, and if you are not careful the finishing of the brush too.  Use a small jar and only pour in a depth just higher than the bristles, soak the brush for about 15 minutes, then work the bristles gently between your fingers.  Once you are satisfied, rinse with water, and the brush will be like brand new.









So get out of the hobby store sometimes, and head to the art store, you will never know what you will find.

Decals the True Earth Way

I recently saw a post, by True Earth, makers of water based weathering agents, about using one of there products for applying decals.  The product is called Crystal Lock, it is more of an acrylic gloss coat, but I am not sure what it actually is, but I do like it, and use it.  It is great for "locking" down pigments and other effects on the model.

So, True Earth showed how to used Crystal Lock to apply decals, so I though, why not give this a try for the  console decals for my current project for Armorama, the Dragon Sexton II.  To start I gathered the items I needed, Archer Fine Transfers "U.S. Gauges and Interior Stencils", Medium Wet Paper, and the rest of my decal applying tools.

So with the dry transfer applied to the Medium Wet Paper, I treat it just like a regular decal, and soak in water.  While the decal is soaking, I apply a little dab of the Crystal Lock to the area I will be applying the decal.

When the decal is ready to apply, I just slide it off into the little puddle of Crystal Lock.  Positioning needs to be done quickly as the Crystal Lock starts to dry and become sticky.  Once I was satisfied with the position, I apply another dab of Crystal Lock to "lock" decal in place.

Voila! A different method of applying decals.  To finish this, once dry I will apply a matt clear coat, then place a dab of "Future" to each dial to represent the glass on the dial.

This same method will work, regardless of the decal location, and is an alternate method to decal setting fluids.  I am not sure how it would work on irregular surfaces, but for flat surfaces, it seems to work great.

Off the Bench: Sd.Kfz.232

Well finally another project completed and off the work bench.  The AFV Club Sd.kfz.232 is a great kit, extremely well detailed.  I had the Voyager PE set for more detail, but found I did not have to use a lot of it, as the kit detail was as good or better then the PE.  This is a kit I would highly recommend to anyone.

 The model was built almost straight from the box, with the exception of a little detail from Voyager and RB Models barrels.

Painting was done with Tamiya German Grey, and weathered with True Earth and pigments.

If you are looking for an early war German armoured car, this is a definite kit for you.

Modelling Memories: Small kits

Back when I started modelling, there was not alot of choices, or that I did not know alot about the choices.  Availability was thought as to what was on the hobby store shelves.  Today with the internet, the hobby has become global, with lots of choices from around the world.

Well, back then, I used to love Matchbox kits, a small (1/76 scale) vehicle that came with its own little display diorama.  Well recently I came across a few of these old kits, and thought why not build one, again.

For the age of the kit, the moldings are pretty decent, with a little flash that will need to be cleaned.  So I started the build, it was alot of fun, and went together rather quickly.  Nothing special about the kit, just a little plastic model.

With a little weathering, these old Matchbox kits built into a decent looking model, with suprising details.  And of course, what would a Matchbox tank be with out it's diorama base.  While molded in plain plastic, a little extra bits can dress it up, and you will have a model you would be proud to display.

Modelling is all about fun, next time you are in the hobby store, or looking through your stash, pull out a model that will bring back some memories of your early modeling career, and have a little fun.

On the Bench - GWH FW-189 Nacht Jager

Well, I don't always build armour, for me if it is plastic, I will build it, well almost.  Recently I had pulled the Great Wall Hobby German FW-189A-1 out of my stash.  I got this kit for Christmas a couple years back, and thought it would be a good time to start it.

With the huge amount of "glass" on the cockpit, I decided to add the Eduard coloured photo-etched set to the cockpit.  The Eduard set provided pre-coloured seat belts and dash panels, as well as some other fine detail.  The set is a nice addition to the GWH kit, you just have to watch your painting order, as you don't want to add the pre-coloured PE prior to airbrushing the interior.  I painted the interior with Vallejo Green-Gray, and weathering it with some black washes and drybrushing of  lighter colors, including steel.

With this amount of canopy glass, you want to be careful gluing it on as to not mark it up.  I used G-S Hypo Cement for this task, as it is strong, and dries crystal clear.

As you can see, there is plenty to look through and see inside.  The assembly of the interior went very well, no real fit issues.

With the cockpit assemble, time to move onto the wings, which don't go together as easily.  There is a bit of a fit issue there.  Note, the landing gear, bay, engines will have to be built and assemble prior to building the wings and fuselages.  There is nothing major in this assembly that a little putty won't fix.

A nice touch for this model, is the detailed engines, including PE plug wires.  A definite reason to leave the engine panels open.

The engine was airbrushed Vallejo Air Steel, and washed with Mig Cold Grey and different shade of black.  The exhaust header was done with  the True Earth Burnt Out package, using Burnt Metal and the burnt Rust colours.

So time to work on the seams and get the rest of the cool looking aircraft together.

On the Bench - Dragon T-34/76 Mod.1942

This is the first of what will be ongoing posts of my current projects.  The first being a Dragon Models T34/76 Mod.1942 with Hexagonal Turret.  While a bit of an older Dragon kit, it still is a great model, good detail, crisp moldings, and looks like it will build a great looking T-34.

My "plan" for the T-34 is to build a diorama in the future with a MiniArt BA-64, so I wanted to leave the hatches open, and not a big fan of empty interior, thus I am using the Verlinden T-34/76 interior.  While designed for the kit with a standard turret, it can still be used.  By looking at some reference images, the interior is about the same for all T-34's.

The Verlinden interior set is full resin, with a couple of photo-etched parts, and is a great looking set.  It installs well with good fit, and does a great job or representing a T-34 interior.

The set also includes the a gun breech that is also well detailed.  The model has now been moved to my paint shop for priming and interior painting and I will share more on this built in a future post.

Chips Anyone?

A chipping effect on a model armoured vehicle can add some realism.  Some modeller can be afraid of this, either by adding to much, not know the right technique, or other reasons.  Chipping is an easy weathering effect that can really add to the used look of the vehicle.

The method below will describe adding the chipping effect to a World War 2 Allied vehicle, and is an easy way to add that realism of a used vehicle.  As most Allied vehicles were primed with a either a grey or light coloured primer under the olive drab or camouflage. 

The chipping effect is usually one of the first step in the weathering process, because as the vehicle ages, so do the chips.  I normally start with an off-white or very light grey color, adding little "spots" where normal chipping may occur.  I do this with a 00 or 000 brush for best effect.

Once happy with the location and look, even though it may not look like much now, I let the light paint dry, usually over night.

The next step is to add the actually chip colour, for this I use True Earth Dark Rust Chipping, and to vary it I add a little Vallejo German Grey.  Again, using a small brush, I go back at the light colour splotches I have done and adding the chipping colour to them, allowing some of the light colour to show.

 As I am moving from spot to spot, I will add some rust colour pigment to the wet paint.  Again this will not look so good at the moment.  I don't do every chip just to vary it a little.

After this, I usually only give the paint about an hour to dry.  Now using AK Interactive Rainmarks with a slightly larger brush I begin to "pull down" the pigment to give a rust run off effect.

I do this in a sort of sweeping motion, lifting the brush away as I move down.  Don't worry about the harshness of the effect, as further weathering will start to soften it.

And there you have it, an easy and quick method of chipping Allied vehicles.

Apply Decals

Getting the decals on your models is one of the highlights of completing the build.  Applying the kit supplied, or even aftermarket, water slide decals is relatively easy, and can really make the model stand out if applied correctly.

For me, one of the most important steps in applying decals is ensuring you have a good paint base, and a good coat of a clear gloss.  Decals will adhere better to a gloss finish, as it is smoother then a flat finish, and can really help in preventing the decal from "silvering".  "Silvering" is referred to as the excess decal film being seen around the decal.  With the decal applied applied correctly and on a gloss finish, this "silvering" can be reduced, if not complete eliminated.

So the first step is getting a good gloss clear coat on the model first and letting it dry thoroughly.  For this I use Future.  Future is a liquid floor wax, that is sold in stores now as Pledge with Future.  This can be airbrushed on and produces a great glossy finish to adhere decals.  Remember to clean your airbrush thoroughly when done.

You can also use gloss coats from a spray can as well, for example Tamiya Gloss Coat or Testor Gloss.


Once the gloss coat is fully dry, you are ready to get the decals on.  Make sure you have everything you need on hand to start, as you don't want to be looking for stuff while decals are soaking or wet.  Some of the  tools you will need are a small tub of water, a cotton swap, tweezers, a sharp hobby knife, a piece of paper towel, and decal setting solutions.

You will need to cut each decal from the sheet, as you should only work with one decal at a time, and a new sharp hobby knife is best for this, as it will prevent any damage to the decal sheet and/or decal carrier film.

Once you have the decal you are wanting to apply separate, the decal is then place in a tub of water.  Some people and companies will tell you to use luke warm water, but I keep the tub of water in a drawer, sealed, for use, thus the water is room temperate, and I have never had an issue.  The decal should only be in the water for about 20-30 seconds.  Then using tweezers remove the decal from the water and place on the paper towel.




Now you will need to prep the area to accept the decal, for this I use MicroSet, with a small brush I coat the area where I will be applying the decal.

Then immediately, holding the decal paper with the tweezers, I use a cotton swab to slide the decal into place.  You can use a hobby knife for this, but you need to be VERY careful.  Also with the cotton swab, you can move the decal around till you are happy with the location.

The cotton swap will also help in absorbing some of the excess water and Micro Set.  Once you are happy with the location, use the cotton swap to push the decal down into place, removing any visible air bubbles.  Once this is complete, I next apply a setting solution.  For decals that are sitting on a flat surface I use a milder solution, like Tamiya MarkFit.

The challenge comes when have to place a decal over raised detail.  This is not as hard as it sounds.  Apply the decal the same as above, taking a extra care pushing it into place.  Once happy with location, you can use a stronger setting solution, I like Walthers SolvaSet, or you can use MicroSol.  Apply a liberal amount of the solution on the decal, absorbing any that may be around the decal.  Now walk away, do not touch the decal or attempt to move it.

After about an hour, the look my scare you, it might look a little shriveled and uneven, don't worry.  Check to see how the decal is setting over the detail, in some cases you may need to do some fine cutting with a VERY sharp hobby knife.

Also if you find any air bubbles, just give them a gentle poke with the tip of the knife.  Now apply another coat of the setting solution and walk away again.  You may have to repeat this a few times, but it will eventually sit.

And presto, decals are applied, and will have that painted on look.  I suggest giving the decals a 48 hour period to thoroughly dry, then apply another coat of gloss to seal the decals onto the model before moving on to weathering.

Weathering Tires

Tire weathering can sometimes be a daunting task to some.  How to get that "run in the dirt" used look.  The method I use, while a little messing, produces a decent looking tire that I am proud to mount on my wheeled AFV's.   It is an easy and quick way to get the dirt in the tread, and move onto to other things.

To start, I only use a couple basic weathering items, ok, well one, pigment.  For pigment, I suggest use what ever works for you.  For me, I think basically for the colour, I use Mig Dry Mud.  I like the colour when dry,  and if I need to vary the colour, I just add a little different pigment colour to get my desired shade.  As for tools, an old brush, and a little container for mixing.  For this I buy those little tart tins at the dollar store, and I continue to use the same one over and over again.





To get started, I have already painted the wheels, I usually use Vallejo Dark Rubber followed a wash using Vallejo Black Wash.  It is also best if you have applied an aging effect and pin wash to the rims first.










Now onto the tire mudding.  I take a generous amount of pigment and add it to the tart tin, and mix with water until it becomes a paste.  Don't worry about adding to much water, as you can always add more pigment.  AND don't worry about wasting it, just let it dry in the tin, and you can rehydrate it later for another use.









Now with the brush, make sure you are using an older brush, apply the "mud paste" to the entire wheel.  Ensure you push the paste into the treads and everywhere else you want it to go.










Now set these aside to dry, I usually let it dry over night, but you can wait just a few hours if you are impatient.  Once dry, this is the messy part, I rub the tire with my thumb to remove the excess mud, leaving as much or as little as I want, depending on the effect I am trying to achieve.


Once you are satisfied with the result, it is best to apply a flat clear coat to the tires to retain the effect.  If you want to add some grease stains to the rims, I suggest doing it before the clear coat, as you can achieve the effect of the dry mud absorbing some of the grease.  For grease, I use Mig 502 Abteilung Oils, Engine Grease.  I just thin it down with a little white spirits, and apply like a pin wash.

Once you have the clear coat done, the tires are dirty and ready for your wheeled AFV.

Good luck and happy modelling.