Landships II

CrashandBern · Field Marshal

Dumbo...

PDA · Legend

I hope there will be a kit of this, Bern. Not the quarter sphere; the whole thing!

CrashandBern · Field Marshal

PDA wrote:
I hope there will be a kit of this, Bern. Not the quarter sphere; the whole thing!

There most certainly will be.

Here's where I got to last night before turning in for bed... looks like a radiator shell for a Bull Nose�Morris Cowley!

PDA · Legend

A 1915 Morris Cowley would be good, as well!

CrashandBern · Field Marshal

PDA wrote:
A 1915 Morris Cowley would be good, as well!

�Could be a bit big for 1/72 scale!

Roger Todd · Legend

Bloody hell, I need to get my arse into gear...

CrashandBern · Field Marshal

You've got to love half day Fridays... little bit more progress this afternoon.

CrashandBern · Field Marshal

Probably the last update before my hols...

�

TinCanTadpole · Legend

Now there's a neglected subject! Good choice, Bernie, look forward to seeing more.

CrashandBern · Field Marshal

TinCanTadpole wrote:
Now there's a neglected subject! Good choice, Bernie, look forward to seeing more.

�Cheers TCT.

Well holiday's over so it was time to get back to it again... here's the latest.

�

-- Edited by CrashandBern on Saturday 28th of September 2013 11:07:01 AM

CrashandBern · Field Marshal

TinCanTadpole wrote:
You're doing "Design A" then? Great! Design B may be the familiar shape for the Fliegende Heffalump (with apologies! I know very little German), but I find "A" more interesting, even with the unusual sloping-back stance. As for those track links - very good! I know how small the pitch is at 1/72 from my Medium D test models (something like 2.64mm), it's tricky just measuring and marking a series of them.

Thank you kindly, yes it's Design A on the go, I really like both designs but there's something about this one that caught my imagination.

For the tracks I used the same method as I did for the Renault FB which is to make one incredibly wide track link, in this case out of a strip of 80 x 10 thou plasticard with a length of 20 thou rod for the rib, then cut down into individual links I find this method a lot easier as it's almost impossible to keep the pitch constant if you try to make a length of track then scribe in the individual links.

�

-- Edited by CrashandBern on Sunday 29th of September 2013 06:51:41 PM

TinCanTadpole · Legend

You're doing "Design A" then? Great! Design B may be the familiar shape for the Fliegende Heffalump (with apologies! I know very little German), but I find "A" more interesting, even with the unusual sloping-back stance. As for those track links - very good! I know how small the pitch is at 1/72 from my Medium D test models (something like 2.64mm), it's tricky just measuring and marking a series of them.

CrashandBern · Field Marshal

Well now it's starting to look like something...

Roger Todd · Legend

Looking splendid!

CrashandBern · Field Marshal

Cheers Roger... it's pretty close to being done now at this rate I may have the moulds done before Christmas which would be a result.

CrashandBern · Field Marshal

Well so much for having the moulds done by Christmas... 1/1 scale Mk.2 Jaguar restoration has been taking up most of my spare time but while it's been away at the paint shop I've had a few free evenings to crack on with this. Just a barrel and the front mudguard to complete and the master will be finished.

Roger Todd · Legend

Wow, that looks fantastic!

CrashandBern · Field Marshal

Thanks Roger, I finished the gun barrel and front guard yesterday so just need to mould it now.

CrashandBern · Field Marshal

I forgot to post some pictures of the finished castings... here they are, I'll do a build up of this one shortly.

-- Edited by CrashandBern on Saturday 19th of July 2014 08:25:52 PM

Roger Todd · Legend

Excellent kit with lovely casting, I should have posted when I received my example! But I've still not built it yet , too many other projects...!

CrashandBern · Field Marshal

I know that feeling Roger, I live in fear of my bedroom ceiling caving in under the weight of all the unbuilt kits in the loft!

CrashandBern · Field Marshal

It's been a long time coming but I think it's about time I got on and built one of these for myself... I'm pretty sure that was the reason for doing it in the first place!

Being a clumsy so and so I managed to drop the hull before I got started and broke the front mud guard into several pieces so had to make a new one from plasticard, not the best start ever doh

As Phil noticed in his review article there's a couple of things I missed when I built my master namely the sighting slot in the gun shield and the exhaust ports in the roof so I started off by adding these details.

I also thought I'd add some texture to the cast front part of the hull with some Mr Surfacer 500, just stippled on with a blunt ended brush it gives a pretty convincing finish.

The gun barrel was drilled out at the muzzle end and then drilled and pinned to the hull, you may have noticed I'm not keen on butt joining things.

Well that's it so far but with so few parts, 11 including the wire axle for the rear auxiliary tracks, it should be a quick build... I may regret saying that!

Granty101 · Colonel

Are you doing this as a 'one-off', or are you doing it for mass production? i.e a kit manufacturer?

Grant

PDA · Legend

Granty101 wrote:
Are you doing this as a 'one-off', or are you doing it for mass production? i.e a kit manufacturer?

Grant

It's been available for a long time. It was reviewed a long time ago on Landships:

http://www.landships.info/landships/kit_reviews.html?load=kit_reviews/Mister_X_Flying_Elephant.html

CrashandBern · Field Marshal

Granty101 wrote:
Are you doing this as a 'one-off', or are you doing it for mass production? i.e a kit manufacturer?

Grant

Hi Grant,

As Phil says it's available from Black Lion Decals and Tracks-n-Troops as a kit or you can PM me and I'll sell you one direct... mass production may be a little grand for my resin casting activities (I only do it for my own entertainment) but thanks for the compliment anyway wink

Bern

I got it into primer, base colour and clear coat over the weekend ready for weathering, I'll post some pics as soon as I've taken them.

Granty101 · Colonel

I'm just coming back into modelling after (what seems a life time) being away, so I'm not 'up to date' with everything available yet...but I have ordered items/kits from Tracks 'N' Troops before. Looks like I need a to have a long hard look at what they do stock.

Thanks for the update Bern

Grant

CrashandBern · Field Marshal

You're in luck Grant the number and quality of WW.I injection and resin kits available has exploded over the last couple of years not surprisingly.

So swift update on Dumbo, we have the base colour on I didn't bother pre-shading on this one as I found the black pin washes were more effective on the Mk.IVs I built... I still need to finish the Female!

I did lighten the centre of each panel (Tamiya flat earth + increasing degrees of light grey) funny how it all but disappears under the clearcoat but returns when you flatcoat at the end.

It all looks very brown and uninteresting at the moment (like a 70s Ford Cortina!) but a few washes and some weathering should bring the detail back out.

That's it for now just need to let it all dry out thoroughly before the weathering starts.

CrashandBern · Field Marshal

Well the major assembly is done, I used some 2mm plasticard angle on the sideskirts where they met the hull and the rear mudguard to make the joint stronger but other than that it's straight out of the box.

To brighten the colour scheme up a bit I've added some WRW recognition markings... they're loosely based on period Whippet and Mk.IV/V markings.

Just needs some washes and weathering next.

Granty101 · Colonel

Looking good Bernie, have you thought about doing one in a camouflage scheme as a 'what if it went into service' model?

Grant

CrashandBern · Field Marshal

Granty101 wrote:
Looking good Bernie, have you thought about doing one in a camouflage scheme as a 'what if it went into service' model?

Grant

Thanks Grant, interesting idea but as it's taken nearly two years to get around to starting this one that could be a long, long way off but never say never!

Granty101 · Colonel

Bernie, the projects I've got in my head will never see the light of day if I live to be 500 years old!!! I need to 'prioritise' my model building and stop adding more kits to a stash I know I'll never build...so maybe one day you will get round to doing a camouflaged Dumbo...lol

Grant

CrashandBern · Field Marshal

Granty101 wrote:
Bernie, the projects I've got in my head will never see the light of day if I live to be 500 years old!!! I need to 'prioritise' my model building and stop adding more kits to a stash I know I'll never build...so maybe one day you will get round to doing a camouflaged Dumbo...lol

Grant

I think we're all guilt of that one... I live in fear of a loft cave in!

So first black pin wash on, this will be followed up with a second lighter pin wash to the centers of each black band and then the final all over oil washes.

-- Edited by CrashandBern on Tuesday 13th of October 2015 02:45:00 PM

CrashandBern · Field Marshal

And the second black wash, looks a bit messy at this stage but it should all tone down and blend in a bit once the umber and sienna oil washes go on.

-- Edited by CrashandBern on Tuesday 13th of October 2015 02:48:41 PM

Granty101 · Colonel

Now that is nice Bernie.

Grant

CrashandBern · Field Marshal

Granty101 wrote:
Now that is nice Bernie.

Grant

Thank you Grant, that's very kind.

I still think it looks a bit messy at the moment. This is the point where I always wonder if I've messed it up but I've put the first burnt umber oil wash on and it's starting to tone down nicely so a couple more and it should all blend in a bit better and look a little less stark... I hope blankstare

I'll post some pics as soon as I've taken them and let you decide.

Granty101 · Colonel

Bernie, I don't think any modeller is truly happy with their models, that I do like what you've done with it.

Grant

CrashandBern · Field Marshal

Cheers Grant smile

Several oil washes later and I'm happy with the way it's toned down... it's now spending a week in the airing cupboard to let all the oil paint dry out before it gets a flat coat, a few little tweaks with the airbrush and final weathering.

The inner pair of auxiliary tracks will go on right at the very end.

PDA · Legend

Looks fantastic, Bern! Sadly, I ruined mine with a really bad attempt at a wash; now I have to find a way of getting paint off a resin model without damaging the resin. I think I will try Dettol.

CrashandBern · Field Marshal

Thanks Phil, sorry to hear about your painting misfortune... what type of paint did use for the wash?

PU resin is pretty resilient so you don't have to be overly cautious, I find surgical spirit works well on most types of paint and you can buy it from the chemist (here in the UK at least) also it doesn't attack styrene.

PDA · Legend

Thanks for the tip, Bern, that gives me more confidence; I was worried that I'd see my model dissolve into a gloopy mess. I will try the surgical spirit.

I used a Citadel wash - Sepia. Actually I haven't had good results with any of the Citadel washes. Their black wash turned my Horizon Blue into Navy Blue. Their mud wash turned my Milk Chocolate Brown into Dark Chocolate Brown. As a consequence, I've just started to experiment with oil washes.