Tanks, Tanks, Tanks! Can't get enough of them apparently
Scoped around on my local gumtree and found a guy (Model Hoarder) who was advertising military models. My new habit was becoming too dear to keep on paying full price so i organised a time to go check out his stuff as he said as he sent me an excel list of just what he could get his hands on easily..
Jagdtigers, Shermans, Panthers, Halftracks, King Tiger, M3's, Pak Guns, 8.8's, Pattons etc plus a ton WWII and later era 1/35 infantry, Fallschirmjager, Kursk MG Squad, Rangers, Machine gun crews, assorted weapons and other bits of kit. In the car and off my lad and we went! At his places he ushers me to the downstairs section of the house and opens the doors to the stash. Amongst about 9 projects on the go ..1/24 Japanese Zero, a 5 foot Bismark with all metal guns and a complete photo etch kit, Warspite built into a semi finished diorama, B58 Hustler needing paint and a beautiful massive B52 kit from the mid '60's is boxes of tanks and assorted infantry and guns that i mosey on over to. After deciding on the Easy Eight and Tiger II (Production Turret version) i stupidly also grabbed a four pack of infantry to go with the original Tiger I i had built. Man, i can't paint 1/35 figures for crapola, but anyway. So we parted with 70 bucks and spent another ten minutes looking at the kits, spread out in three rooms and cupboards. Some of the kits are 50 year old originals, in boxes and never touched, it was just damn cool, felt like a kid in a candy store. I reckon he has about another ten kits i would like so ..thank god for model hoarders!
So, the Easy Eight. Never been a Sherman fan, don't know why. Always thought they didn't have much style..but building this and she has grown on me in a mere matter of days. Really liking the look of it overall, business like yet somehow sexy, maybe it's the turret. Started the kit three days ago but just haven't posted yet so lets do it. Obligatory morning Iced Coffee money shot
A mornings worth of cutting, trimming, trial fitting and glueing
......wheeeeeeels, cleaning them up and trial fit
To the paint shop for matt black undercoat and Olive Drab topcoat
Rubber black and fit ups of the rolling stock
Undercoat for the Olive Drab. I went with the black so i could get a darker tone of the Olive for the finished job.
Two coats of the Olive. All 22 of the guard brackets were a joy to fit, love Tamiya. Just had to scrape off a bit of paint on the rear of the chassis so the top hull would fit neatly.
Track trial fit with wheels on, so much easier and nicer than the four and more piece track kits. I want to keep this build pretty clean so the tracks will just be getting a Dark Iron finish with very minor weathering.
Trial fitting the top hull again and realised i had forgotten to paint the underside of the guards. Doh!
Adding the six glass windows for the cupola, easier than i thought it would be. Memories of terribly hazy Hurricane and Spitfire cockpits as a kid. Also, more obvious missed paint here as well. Double Doh!!
Tracks painted and fitted, yet to be glued. Undersides of guards painted, hull fitted! The kit has been a breeze, not a single issue, everything just fits neat and tight. Everything trims and sands nicely. Makes the T34 Academy i just finished kit seem very third rate.