Queegs Tank Treadz ..... Project '46 stuff

[Queeg]

Looks great to my eye! How long does it take you to build a 1/48 AFV on average? 

That's one of those million dollar questions isn't it lol

For me it depends on a few things. Whether it's for myself or a customer, whether it's a kitset (eg Tamiya) or a resin casting like the Bradley above.

On average Tamiya kits take me about 4hrs to assemble with another 4 or so in painting and finishing.
I've had some practise with them though having made almost 40 to date.
If anyone's looking to try 1/48th armour I'd reccommend Tamiya in a heartbeat.
They practically fall together with a good enough level of detail to allow OOB builds.

The Bradley is quite different. Aimed just at the wargaming market it only has about 14parts, some in resin, some in white metal.
Detail is average (eg it vaguely looks like a Bradley) and working with resin has it's problems.
Timewise the Bradley has taken me about 8 hours so far with maybe another 2 left in finishing and hand painting the markings.
Another odd feature of wargaming kits is that they almost never come supplied with decals.

So funnily enough it's taken me longer to assemble the "fast build" wargaming kit. And it wasn't the sit down and relax job like a Tamiya.
With resin you often (and in this case) have a fight on your hands. You usually have large casting plugs to cut off as the parts are drop cast.
You need a rotary saw, grinder and face mask is mandatory, I'm too old to worry but the dust from this stuff will give you cancer ...... 
Both of the Bradley track castings were warped, the left hand side in two directions and the right so bad I had to fudge the banana bend with a styrene strip.
You often get warped resin parts but these were solid mothers and I couldn't straighten them with any amount of heat.
I ended up grinding out large parts of the track and hull and even then they are still off.

All that aside ..... it will look the part on the table once I've won my battle with it !!!!

And on that note - todays progress.
Added as much detail as I could be bothered with, enough to make it look like a proper kit at first glance anyway 
Final painting and weathering tomorrow ....

cheers
Brent

[Old Wombat]

No reflection on your building abilities, by any means, Queeg (because they are excellent), but I've got to say that, compared to a styrene kit, the moulding on that Bradley looks rough around the details & wobbly around the edges.

Glad it's you & not me, brother!

I think I'll stick to 1/35th styrene!

:)

Guy

[Queeg]

Made a few advances on some other long term wips ..... all 20mm resin kits from Cromwell.








I tried out a lizard like urban scheme on the E-75 and it's really annoying me.
It looks like shite and I can't decide whether to procede and hope marking, details and weathering will help or just repaint it and be done.
Maybe it's the yellow wheels ... or just the poor camo. Maybe it needs to be sharper . or something, I'm stuck at the moment anyway.
The poor pic isn't helping either ...
Maybe I should have left the whole thing red oxide?

[Old Wombat]

Perhaps paint the road wheels in dark greys, like asphalt, or light greys, like concrete & maybe tone down the lizard with a thin coating of brick red?

:)

Guy

[raafif]

yeah, the yellow wheels on that E-75 ruin the look - your 1/48th germans should have saved the paint & just left them in red-primer.

That Bradley does look like quite a poor moulding with many missing details that should have been there in that scale

[Buzzbomb]

I like the Dunkelgelb wheels.
given that they may have been done by a subcontractor somewhere else, the yellow does not look out of place to me.

[Queeg]

I like the Dunkelgelb wheels.
given that they may have been done by a subcontractor somewhere else, the yellow does not look out of place to me.

Yeah I kinda like them, I think it's just the camo is crap.
I don't have my mojo on this one for some reason ........

[Logan Hartke]

Again, Queeg, I think you're pretty close here.  I think this one needs more detail, but I didn't like any of the ideas I was coming up with.  Any structural mods wouldn't make sense because this is supposed to be straight from the factory.  Foliage is likewise stupid because it's in a city.

So... here is my idea.  You've got this great open side space that's perfect for advertising.  Put a slogan on the side like "Berlin bleibt deutsch" or "Siegen oder Sibirien".  I know those are more common on Soviet tanks, but on the side of a new heavy tank in Berlin?  I think it fits.





Cheers,

Logan

[Old Wombat]

Did the Germans still use "Panzer Grey" at this time, or maybe they're just using available old stock?

If so, why not do your wheels in that & use a couple of shades of red oxide (different batches or thinned to make it go further?) sprayed on horizontally to break up the mono-tone?

This gives you an urban camo without it actually being urban camo & painting slogans onto the sides could increase the effect.

:)

Guy

[raafif]

Did the Germans still use "Panzer Grey" at this time, or maybe they're just using available old stock?
:)
Guy

Shhh !, Wombat .... that's my idea (been shot down many times for proposing that on the "real" Panzer forums )

[Brian da Basher]

That's quite an assembly line!

You really have incredible talent, Queeg!

If that red tank was mine, I'd probably just outline the red areas in black and paint the wheels black. Not the most elegant solution.

All of these are real beauties and a testament to your enviable skills!

Brian da Basher

[Queeg]

Thanks for the ideas gents !!!!!!   

I did a little more thinking and believe I'm back on target.
The new colour looks a little bright in the pics but it's a much better base to weather to my mind so I'm much happier.
Started adding extra details too, another happiness indicator for me ......

Added a gun cleaning rod tube, aerials and made a IR battery box for the rear.
Got a jack, jack block and some tools to add as well as a drivers IR station.
A couple of tow cables and I think I'll also add foliage attachment wires to the turret and hull.
I do like the idea of a slogan so might tinker with that too ......

Yup on target .....




 

[taiidantomcat]

What about Dunkelgelb hull and then dunkelgelb tiger stripes on the primer red turret? 

BTW love the SP howitzer

[Queeg]

What about Dunkelgelb hull and then dunkelgelb tiger stripes on the primer red turret? 

BTW love the SP howitzer

Well I do have two more 20mm Tigers to paint .........

[Queeg]

Started the shading and weathering this afternoon ... just enough to make sure I was on the right track.
It should work pretty well with pigments and dusting so now I have to add the rest of the details before going any further.

Brent

[Logan Hartke]

Looking great!

Cheers,

Logan

[Queeg]

Looking great!

Cheers,
Logan

Thanks Logan, I'm much happier about it now ..... the faded red oxide might just suit a slogan better now too ..... 

[Logan Hartke]

I can't wait!  I think a slogan like that is going to look really unique and interesting, yet still somewhat historical.

Cheers,

Logan

[Old Wombat]

Looking good! Much better without the lizard effect.

:)

Guy

[Queeg]

Progess on the detailing. Can't do much more as I broke my last superfine drill and I'd had to order some more.
So can't add the cables for the IR gear or the studs and wires for the foliage camoflage.
Apart from that though ....... just needs the added details painting and then final weathering plus pigments.
Practicsed a slogan and it looked like poo. I shall try a few more and see if my freehand improves ......

cheers
Brent






Not too clear but I added welds to the gun lifting bracket and the added shot trap guard.
Theres are also clamps on the tools ........ hidden behind the poor photography lol

[Old Wombat]

Coming along very nicely, Brent! Looking better & better with each update.

:)

Guy

[GTX_Admin]

Is that a 88mm gun or a 105mm gun?

[Queeg]

Is that a 88mm gun or a 105mm gun?

It's meant to be the 128mm L/55.  Cromwell do a couple of versions with different main guns including a std 88L/71 and an 88L/1000.

[Old Wombat]

88 L/1000?

Now, that's a long gun!

:)

Guy

[Queeg]

88 L/1000?

Now, that's a long gun!

:)

Guy

Hahahhaa ... hows that for a fruedian slip 

My whif Jerries are bigger and badder than anyones elses whif Jerries!
We're the ultimate baddasses. So yes, obviously it's L1000, after all, anyone could do an L100 ......
And don't get me started on our engines. They're pretty big tooooooooooo.