It has been a few weeks since I posted any progress on the Matador, but I have not given up, just fell back and regrouped.
In my last post I showed the results of using EasyOff oven cleaner to remove a messed up camouflage paint job. As you can see below the oven cleaner took all the paint off except the olive green primer. I left the canopy somewhat unmolested so I could compare the difference. Then I experimented to see what it would take to remove the primer and leaned the Vallejo acrylic surface primer is so strong it even defies an attack of heavy duty oven cleaner.
In the mean time I decided to purchase a second AFV Club Matador model to make the changes I wanted and could not with the first model without doing major damage. On the second Matador I adjusted the steering linkage so the front wheels are in a turning position. I also changed the canopy so the canvas sides and back are rolled up. The front of the cab is waiting on a product that will allow me to clean any glue off that I get on the clear plastic windows.
The first Matador model is waiting on a product that is specifically designed to remove acrylic paint which I will use on the canopy to compare it’s effectiveness to oven cleaner. I don’t recommend oven cleaner for removing acrylic paint after trying it, mainly because it can chemically etch the plastic and it is difficult to control.
When the second Matador is ready I will give both models a good primer coat and finish coat of S.C.C. 15 British green Tamiya paint. Then I have Ammo and AK Interactive camouflage putty that I will use to create the camo pattern on both models. In making mistakes I have learned a lot of important new techniques and developed a greater understanding of camouflaged painting.
I admire your determination Harold. For removing paint and primer I’ve had luck using Simple Green. I’ve soaked a couple models in it that I’ve wanted to restore and it stripped all of the paint off including the lacquer primer after submerging the model in it for twenty four hours. Can’t say if it will take the Vallejo off just thought I’d let you know.
Thank you Mike, TigerII, Dodgy, Rob, G.S. and Svenne. I completely agree Rob the best learned lessons are from the mistakes we make. I am not even upset about the way my first attempt at camouflage turned out. In the last four years of modeling I have had many failures while developing new skills, but that only served to make me more determined. I am usually not one to join Forums like this, but it has been a very good experience for me. I have learned so much more reading about other modelers ideas and sharing my own work, it is something I really enjoy doing every day.
It has been a few weeks since I posted my progress with the Matador. I am waiting on a product from VMS in Poland for clear plastic windows. It will allow me to remove any glue around the windows without damaging the clear plastic. This is important because the Matador has tilt out front ventilation windows with delicate photo-etched hardware.
While I’ve been waiting, I started an AFV Club late-production British 40mm Quick-Fire Bofors Anti-Aircraft gun the Matador will tow. What you see in the photographs below is the carriage of the gun. By the time the gun is completely assembled it will be almost as high as the top of the Matador.
Thank you G.S. The 40mm Bofors Anti-Aircraft gun is finished and I’m back to work on the Matador. I assembled hardware for the tilt-out windows and finished hand painting selected items in the cab interior. I have a little more hand painting to do around the windows, but the cab is almost ready to glue together and add the roof. Then I will be ready to give the exterior a finish coat of S.C.C. 15 dark British green.
My dark British green is actually called olive drab, but it is not the same color as U.S. Army olive drab, so I call it dark British green or British O.D. This S.C.C. 15 color is a Mike Starmer Tamiya mix of 5 parts FX-61 Dark Green, 2 parts FX-62 Olive Drab, 2 parts FX-3 Flat Yellow and 1 part FX-53 Neutral Grey to lighten the mix just a touch. I used Mike Starmer’s color chip in his British Army Colours & Disruptive Camouflage book.
Thank you, Cliff. I finished the cab assembly and primer coat today. Tomorrow I should be ready for an exterior coat of S.C.C. 15 British O.D. I will probably only need two light coats since the top and lower part of the vehicle will be S.C.C. 14. For S.C.C. 14 Blue Black I will use Tamiya XF-69 Nato Black. The disruptive camouflage pattern and decals will be like the picture below of ‘The Old Lady’.
Originally, I did not plan to use the ‘Mickey Mouse’ pattern, but Mike Starmer gave me information about the pattern that changed my mind. The War Office of the British government in World War 2 issued a directive to paint vehicles like the Matador with a foliage pattern; however, AEC and other manufactures could not mass produce a foliage pattern so the paint crews, which were mostly women came up with and alternative that was applied in the factory with circle templates. Thousands of British military vehicles had this pattern in one form or another during the early years of the war.
I haven’t been on the site for some time Harold, so I’m doing some catch up. (Haven’t been doing much at the bench either for that matter). Your matador is looking fantastic. Now I’ll have a look at your Bofors build. Great work old mate.
I finished the S.C.C. 15 British Olive Drab painting, so tomorrow is the real test for me. I have practiced flattening MIG Masking Putty with my wife’s rolling pin, then cutting scallops with a hobby knife to create the ‘Mickey Mouse’ style of camouflage pattern that I am attempting to reproduce from the picture of ‘The Old Lady’ shown below.
The masking putty will be applied in sections over the British Olive Drab paint along the sides, front and back of the tractor body. Then all of the exposed surface, top and bottom will receive one or two light coats of Tamiya Nato Black to represent the S.C.C. 14 Blue Black color used for camouflage in 1944 Northern Europe.
Boy, the lorry and the 40mm bofors look really great! I finished up Takom’s jeep and trailer last year and then, inspired by your 3 inch AT gun and the 40mm, I got and am working on AFV Club’s 105mm M2A1 howitzer. Since it’s still not painting season here, I also got Tamiya’s M8 Greyhound to work on. I’ll have plenty to paint when I finally get to it.
Still watching your project and anticipating a wonderful finish.
Looking great Harold. Even if the painting doesn’t necessarily work out 100%, the washes and weathering will bring it all together. I reckon she’l come out a right beaut cobber!
Thank you, John and Rob. John I would like to build the AFV Club M2A1, 105mm too. I want to join it with a ‘Deuce and a half’ as they were called during Vietnam. AFV Club recently came out with an M35A2, 2 1/2 Ton Cargo Truck #AF35004 that was often used to tow the M2A1 Howitzer.
I made some progress with the Matador camouflage painting. I finished the S.C.C. 14 British blue-black (Tamiya Nato Black) paint on the undercarriage and top of the tractor, so I am ready to do the sides, front and back.
I practiced making circles with stencils, masking tape, masking putty, stipple form brushes and paint brushes to create the ‘Mickey Mouse’ style scallops that will look like ‘The Old Lady’ camouflage pictured below. Every method I tried has issues, but I think the best method will be hand painting. It is the most challenging for me because I am not a good free-hand painter, but it will look more realistic than the other methods I have tried.
Rob, I don’t know if the matador is a ‘cobber’, but I certainly feel like one some days. I will be 75 soon and I am not ready to be an old cobber yet.
Sorry mate. I was being a bit of a smartaleck and put in a bit of Aussie bull. A ‘cobber’ is a mate, a good friend in our slang. We also like to whack an ‘o’ on the end of everything, so over here Harold becomes ‘Harro’. ‘Old’ is often attached to things with no intended reference to the person’s age, more to do with how long they’ve been friends, or as a term of endearment. i.e. G’day old mate. Sorry if I caused any confusion. It was the comment from your mate John about missing the humour, so I thought I’d chuck in something Paul Hogan like.
