Robert, nice work, that was quick.
Robert,
the Challenger came together really quickly. If it was a one night effort, it must have gone together really well?
Jack,
Do you get the photo etch done by someone - you just send the artwork?
Harold,
Your colour mix looks good on the Matador. For my Achilles, Tamiya suggested XF 61 straight and I reckon it looks dark:
You have done a really nice paint job on the Achilles especially the tools. The Matador may also turn a darker green when I add a gloss coat for decals. After I add the decals I plan to give the entire model a clear matt varnish coat to seal the decals and take the shine off, but it does not normally change the color. So we will see what happens in the next few posts.
By the way, which clear coat product did you use? I normally use Vallejo gloss and matt varnish regardless of which acrylic paint I use.
Harold
Lost, good going with the Achillies. The overall darkness should decrease once a flat coat is applied. The paint underneath does not specifically change, but it’s the amount of light that reflects back to the eye depending on the surface finish.
The photo etch company I’m dealing with is in Scotland:
I sent my artwork in vector format. You can just send in drawings of what you want and have them do the vector work, but the costs would balloon. I shudder at the thought of what the final price would have been had I gone that route.
Started working on my PE project mid-July, and sent it in beginning of October. They quote a turn around of a minumum 2 weeks or up to 6 weeks to get the finished product sent back to you. Also they quote prices on a minimum size of 150 x 300mm, so was researching a lot of extra subjects to fill out those dimensions.
Here’s what the whole project looks like:
regards,
Jack
Robert, Harold, Piers, and Jack: Those look great guys, please keep us updated!
Thank you, Cliff. After Piers mentioned the effect gloss coat had on his finish paint, I decided to test my paint with a gloss coat and matte coat. I learned two important things from this test. (1) the finish colour does in fact get darker, but as Jack indicated it is because of light reflected off the paint. The base colour is unchanged just our preception of the color has changed. We know this is true because when the matte coat is applied the original colour returns, more or less.
(2) I had read that changing the psi on an air compressor can change the surface texture of the paint. Vallejo varnish is a heavy medium, the viscosity is much thicker than Vallejo Model Air paint or Tamiya acrylic paint. I tried applying the varnish at 17 psi and noticed it was textured almost like orange peel. So, I applied 3 coats and it just became more noticeable. After it dried, I applied one coat of matte varnish at 35 psi and the texture began to smooth out. neither the gloss nor matte varnishes were thinned.
Conclusion: the perceived color will change with a gloss coat and the psi must be increased with heavier mediums like varnish. Thinning the varnish will allow application at a lower air pressure. Perhaps if I had a smooth gloss coat to start with one or two matte coats would have restored the paint to its original color. The gloss coat is only needed to provide a smooth surface for decals. If the finish coat of paint is smooth enough it may not be necessary to have a gloss coat.
Harold
I am almost done with assembly and the base coat S.C.C. 15 Olive Drab paint. I have a little more to do on the interior then I can glue the cab together. The next step will be to install 28 gage, dead soft, copper wire on the canopy as tie-down rope. This will be threaded through the holes on the sides of the canopy and secured on exterior truck bed hooks. Then I can glue the canopy to the truck bed. Once that is done, I can install decals and add the camouflage in Nato Black which will represent S.C.C. 14 paint.
I have practiced free-hand camouflage painting for a couple of days on art paper and decided to use a combination of forest camo airbrush stencil template and free-hand to apply the Matador camouflage. The stencil set is shown below.
Harold
I have some good news and bad news. I have completed all the assembly and base coat of S.C.C. 15 paint. Waiting now for the camouflage stencil template to arrive so I can complete the rest of the painting and decals. The bad news is I did not take a photograph of the interior painting before I glued the cab together. I did remember to remove the masking tape on the inside of the windows, but I am afraid the interior will need to wait until the painting is all done to be seen.
I also received Mike Starmer’s books today and was pleased to see that my S.C.C. 15 Olive Drab paint matches his colour chip perfectly. However, I was surprised to see that his book British Army Colours & Disruptive Camouflage in the United Kingdom, France and NW Europe 1936-1945, updated in December 2019 did not include the Tamiya mixes in his article https://www.mafva.org/british-vehicle-camouflage-1939-45/?v=79cba1185463. But I have no doubt that Mike is the kind of person that will help modelers find the best Tamiya paint to match whatever British colour we are trying to represent. I am a big fan of Mike Starmer and highly recommend his books for British military colours and camouflage patterns.
Harold
Pic of the inside or not, thats looking very nice harold. look forward to seeing the camo on and how you get on with those stencils.
Thank you Bish, I am excited to get started on the camouflage. The photographs in my recent post were taken with a combination of on-camera direct flash lighting and indirect LED and incandescent lighting to reproduce the color as it actually appears to my eyes. The colour chip Mike provided in his book matches my spoon sample perfectly.
Quick progress update, road wheels are painted and installed. Body is glued together, and a basecoat of desert tan is applied. Turret is just in place for the photo.
The yucky khaki thing along the bottom of the side armor is supposed to be some canvas clothes, some kind of protection for the road wheels i assume, I thought this color would work…but I am not pleased. It will take some major washes and drybrushing to get it up to snuff. Glad I haven’t affixed them yet.
Hi,
Ditto all what you just said lostagain.
And to my eye that looks quite right, the XF-61is not to dark - XF-62 would have renderd that almost black.
Good one 
Svenne
I second that Bish.
This is just awesome!
Harold, Jack - the work you have put into this is worth every credit!
When ever in Gothenburg/Sweden PM me and drinks are on me!
Very Best Regards
Svenne
And me again,
Since my last update:
New compressor: Check!
(family downstairs will be pleased)
New AB, Paasche Talon: Check!
(And it does not fit my std 1/8" thread, guess it is M5*0,5 same as Badger)
Tamiya XF-81: Check
(6 bottles obtained from obscure source since all main distributores in Europe are out of stock - BoB syndrom?)
And got myself a 5 pounder to drag behind the tractor
Party on!
With best wishes
Svenne
1/72 ey…
Looks amazing.
Can not help you with the canvas thingy - not seen that before.
You might want to ask that question in the reguar Armour forum - lots of ppz there to guide you right.
Looking good - keep them coming!
With regards
Svenne
I’ve built the little Challenger from Dragon about a decade back. I believe the canvas skirt was added during the Gulf War to keep the dust down when travelling. Try using a Buff colour, like from Tamiya. Follow up with a thin dark brown wash, and dust it up a little during the weathering stage.
Svenne, thanks for that and the invite.
Harold, that continues to look good**.** I’m still waiting my copies of Starmer books, and we both ordered around the same time. Have also been meaning to ask, what did you use to measure out your paint when mixing - some kind of eye dropper tool or pipette?
regards,
Jack
Hello Jack, and thank you, I really like the S.C.C. 15 color. Yes I used a pipette to measure the drops. Actually I use four different pipettes, so I did not get paint from one color in the bottle of another color. Then I rinsed the pipettes thoroughly with thinner and let them air dry. I had a couple of Testors Model Master paint mixing sets that include five glass mixing bottles and three pipettes each. https://flic.kr/p/2k6f1Yx
I wanted enough paint to give the entire model at least two coats, so I started with 100 drops = 5 parts of XF-61. Then it was easy to calculate the other colour parts and by the time I had all the colors in one of the mixing bottles the bottle was full of paint, so it worked out well for me. I also used AK Interactive stainless steel shaker balls in the mixing bottle.
I am really surprised you haven’t received your books yet. I got the impression Mike sent your shipment a few days before he sent mine. You might want to email him and find out when he sent them and confirm the address he used. If I haven’t said so before it was great working with you on my Matador model. I would have never figured out the decals and through you I made a new friend in Mike Starmer.
Harold
Hi Harold, thanks for answering my query about the pipette - will have to get me a few of those.
Not concerned yet about the delay in the book order, could be just less flights being accepted here in Canada, and more stringent procedures once anything does arrive out of country.
No problem about helping out with your build, that’s what we are here for.
regards,
Jack
Jack, i think your right about those skirts. But looks like someone has not listened to their instructor.
Hi Bish… I’m guessing crews were instructed not to sleep underneath their vehicle or something else is going on in the photo?
Incidently, the boots look to be the same colour/material as the tank skirt.
regards,
Jack