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Modeller Build Logs

Tasca Sherman Firefly Vc

By James Wechsler
Started: Dec 1, 2006
Updated: Apr 29, 2007

OK, I’ll admit it, when I got the opportunity to do a blog using Tasca’s new Firefly kit I was giddy with excitement. I’ve got Tasca’s Pz. II Luchs, and I’ve built about three of their Sherman suspension sets, and two of their 0.050 cal MG sets. Tasca has yet to disappoint. Now as a total Shermanaholic, I’ll admit that the thought of building a Sherman model that requires only a little bit of extra work is hard to fathom. I mean what is Sherman modeling without a bucket of aftermarket resin parts, replacement tracks, and a huge photoetch sheet? It’s … like modeling German armor (noooo don’t say it’s true)! There, I’ve said it. 2006 has been an allied modeler’s dream and Tasca’s Firefly is the grand finally of the fireworks show. But in many ways I’m glad to be doing a blog using a great kit. My last two blogs involved extensive use of resin conversion and scratch built parts to make unusual Shermans. So they were heavily focused on construction tasks. Yet I’ve noticed that most of the comments I receive when I post photos of my models are requests for more information on how I do my painting, weathering, and groundwork. So for this blog I will spend less time on the construction tasks and more time on the painting, finishing and techniques for making simple ground work. Up Next: The Construction Starts.

Introduction The construction starts That Sweet Tranny The Upper Hull Hull details: Rear Hull Hull Details: Back Deck Hull details: Front Hull The Turret Where is the rear turret stowage box? The Painting Begins Basic Painting Dry Brushing – Round 1 Laying out the camouflage pattern Painting the Camouflage Pattern The Hard Edge Dry brushing – part 2 Markings Blending Stowage and Details The Filter Streaking Fuel Stains Dusting Pigments Reverse Dry Brushing Graphite Making Tracks Final Details The Commander - Basic Painting The Commander - Detail Painting The Commander - Wash The Groundwork The Flak 38 Carving the Polyfoam Dirt and Turf The End
[Discussion]

The Flak 38Apr 16, 2007
So when I was at my friend’s house looking at his old Tamiya Flak 38 kit he showed me the Tristar Flak 38 that he also had. Both kits are OK but showing their age so I got online to see what other options were available. Well it seems that Dragon has recently released an all new Flak 38 kit complete with preformed photoetch and all kinds of details. So that seemed like the obvious choice.

Being a support piece in my little scene, I didn’t want to buy all kinds of update sets and invest a lot of money. Now I’ll be the first to admit that I don’t know much about the Flak 38 but I do know a nice kit when I see one. Dragon’s Flak 38 is a little jewel of a kit and building a nice representation OOTB is more than possible.

In fact, I was really surprised to find that I didn’t use most of the photoetch parts because the plastic ones were better! Wow. In fact, the only photoetch parts I used were the screens for the spent ammo bin. Of course those are the only ones that don’t fit correctly so I had to rework them. But the rest of the kit took little effort to assemble.

I painted and weathered the Flak 38 in the same manner described in previous chapters. However, I added more weathering and some painting chipping to give the Flak 38 more of a beat up look.

All said and done, I couldn’t have been more satisfied with this kit and it really is a perfect compliment to an armored vehicle on a base.

Up Next: Carving the polyfoam


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