Hello all,
I have a confession to make: I am a long time air craft modeler and have recently gotten multiple Dragon kits… I recieved DML’s Tiger I 3 in 1 late (kit 6253) and have bought a DML 88 and Sherman thunderbolt VII kits (was in PI and they were cheap).
I guess what intimidates me is all the damn road tires and such… throw all the road wheels on and then paint? paint them individually then glue them on? what looks best?
then there is the zimm to do (I am more than likely going to go the green putty way)
I use an air brush semi-proficiently (better than my spelling at least).
guess its just the pre game jitters. I might start with the sherman then do the tiger… ease into it. I just dont want to screw these things up since they are such beautiful kits
Don’t be intimidated by all the roadwheels. The easy way to do them is to leave them on the sprues. Paint them flat black or dark rubber color overall. Next, get a circle template from an office supply or drafting store. Use the circle template and spray through it to paint the wheel centers to match the hull color(s). Now simply take the roadwheels off the sprue and clean up/touch up the attachment points. Lastly, assemble them and attach them to the painted model.
Good luck.
I suggest starting with the Sherman or re issue Tamiya tank. They are $25. each at my LHS. The fit and detail is good. Keep your DML kits for later, those are nice kits. Regarding the road wheels, I paint them seperate from the tank, at the same time because they are the same color. Then put them on later.
Since we are confessing, I would say start with a “cheapie” armor kit and practice basic techniques like when and how to paint roadwheels. I also wouldn’t recommend using putty for zim right out of the gate. Putty zim takes some practice, otherwise, you’ll end up with the “baked caked roll” look.
Why not get an old Italeri or tamiya to just experiment on? then the pressure is off and you can explore your own abilities and try established methods. That’s my 2 cents…
Steve