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Modeller Build Logs
Sherman III Early in North Africa |
| By James Wechsler | | Started: | Aug 13, 2005 | | Updated: | Sep 25, 2005 |
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A couple of weeks ago I wrote up a review here on Track-Link of the Legend Sherman III conversion set (LF 1096). I really liked the set and couldn’t wait to start on it. So I thought, why not do a blog to show how the build-up comes together? So here it is.
Up Next: What items am I going to use? |
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| Chapter 24 - Stow it | Sep 10, 2005 |
I love stowage! Along with the tank crew, I feel stowage really adds life to a model. It gives a tank a sense of action and use. Coupled with even a simple base, stowage and figures can give a real feeling of the setting and environment the vehicle is in.
Unfortunately, the photos of the desert Shermans don’t really show a lot of stowage. Usually just a few packs and maybe a trap. Oh well, I guess I’ll work with what I’ve got.
I had five personal packs from a previous project (I believe these were from Accurate Armour) and a trap from who knows where.
I added additional rope to the tarp and straps (using lead foil) to the packs so I could hang them on the side rails. Major tip: don’t ever just glue stowage to the side of the vehicle. Always add some kind of straps.
I painted the packs and tarp in Testor’s Model Master Faded Olive Drab. I chose this color because I knew that I wanted to cover these in dust so I didn’t want to start with too dark a color. I dry brushed them with light tan and I then gave them a wash in Raw Umber (if you haven’t figured this out yet, I did the wash on the tank, the tracks, the stowage, and the figures all at the same time). Finally, I gave them a heavy coating of the Mig Pigment ‘Gulf War Sand’ and used my thumb to rub in the powder and also rub it off of the high spots.
In addition to the packs and tarp the Legend set includes a couple of oil cans for the front rack and a Jerry can for the rear rack. I decided to try a salt finish on these. I’ve experimented with salt finishes on test turrets and been pleased with the results. I first painted these parts with Testor’s Model Master Gunmetal. Then I used some Popcorn salt (it has smaller gains than the regular salt) with a touch of water in the areas I wanted to have chipped paint. Once this was dry, painted the parts in Tamiya Buff. When it was all dry, I broke off the salt to achieve the chipped paint look. I was pleased with the results but in the future I’ll use a burnt umber paint for the base coat since the metallic gunmetal was too easy to wear off and I had to do a bunch of touching up. I gave the parts a wash in Raw Umber to finish off the effect.
Up Next: The Crew |
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