Not sure what the story is behind these newly announced CSM figures but I assume they are supposed to go with the kit I just mentioned…I have found CSM figures to be both imaginative and of very high quality…

Seems nuts to be wondering what I’ll build next already but the Fordson tractor is proving to be a quicker little project than I thought…maybe this next…CSM are one of my favourites…

Got the MiniArt Fordson tractor pretty much together now. The rear wheels needed a bit of filler. Next up an undercoat of rusty brown as I’m going to hairspray chip to this from the main blue and orange colours…

Fed up of cutting 0.3 mm wire with a pair of 20 cm long weighty & unwieldy wire cutters I have invested (i.e bet) £7 on a cheap small pair from Amazon. If they are crap then I’ll go upmarket and buy some ‘proper’ ones from a jewellery supplier for perhaps £30-£60…🙄 www.hswalsh.com

These are not cheap kits but they look like they could be beautiful too…

More progress on the madness that is this kit…not too far off finishing the build part of it I hope…I did spend 30 minutes on my hands and knees looking for a tiny bit of ‘pinged PE’ that was thankfully recovered…🙄🤦‍♂️🍻

I think this engine wiring in 1/35 is the height of lunacy and if it doesn’t last…well it doesn’t last…this is done with that elastic rigging wire for biplanes etc…🤦‍♂️🤷‍♂️

Most thin wire I have comes on spools so is naturally slightly curved and springy…I had some issues getting it ‘straight enough’ here…any advice on straightening really thin wire…?

Quite a lot of future releases announced today…my favourite three and then one re-release from way back that brings back some fond memories…🤷‍♂️

This is verging on the ridiculous and I have my doubts about whether it will all stay put but the rods are sort of in place at least…

I wish someone would roll out one of these in 1/35 scale…the diorama possibilities are fabulous…is it Border that have been releasing some airplanes in 1/35…if so let’s have one of these please….🤔?

I may have bitten off more than I can chew here..but will press on…worst comes to the worst it’ll be a rusty old wreck…🫣…ffs🤔…

Yes please…

I have sort of asked about this before but didn’t get much of an answer…I’d like to build this resin kit that I have had for a good while but am a little nervous about it…any advice from seasoned resin kit builders would be welcome…🤔🤷‍♂️

Slightly staggered by the difference in box sizes of my last build and the next one…😊

Time for a new pinned post…my last four completed builds…

I think that will do on the AFV Club Mk VII Churchill tank. A very nice kit, if a bit tricky in places...I’ll make another of their Churchill tanks at some point I reckon…

I do get slightly over excited when a build is coming to an end and the next one is sort of on the horizon…I think this is one of the great things about fumbling about with model kits…🤷‍♂️

Got the decals on…I liked the simplicity of this set…and a little dust in places but I think I may add some airbrushed mud sprays on the lower hull too…then a matt varnish and the tools…

Appreciate that many on here have gone through the ‘departing X thing’…it took me too long to do it but now I have done so…all I can say to anyone who still has a foot in both camps is yes it’s a little hard bit ffs it’s worth it…I genuinely feel ‘lighter’ for having done so…🤷‍♂️❤️

Well it‘s subtle perhaps but it’s done and an attempt at something I haven’t really seen much of before…need to put some decals on this soon! 😊👍

I am no longer on X…👍

I’ve posted my “I’m flouncing off from X” message on X…I will be flouncing off in the next day or so…🙄🥃

I found a photo online of what purports to be a manganese steel Churchill tank track link…I’m going with this look for the spare tracks C34. Looks like the paint is silver but I’ll use a light grey and hairspray chip to the reddish steel…troublesome tracks indeed…🙄😊…anyone have any other thoughts?

An addendum to my last post…I’ve also noted that the issue is often fudged in professional builds by either not putting the spare links on the tank or covering them up with something like white sheets as winter camouflage…it’s just me isn’t it…I should shuffle back to building French vans…ffs🤦‍♂️😊?

How to paint parts C34? The main tracks were done based on them being high manganese content reddish steel (worn to a shine on the contact points) but they are mostly hidden & dust can be used to fudge the issue. For C34? I have seen greyish/reddish colours used & photos of greyish looking spares?

This is superb…absolutely wonderful…brilliantly done about one of the best musicians of my life time…

Stumbled across this tv series…is it any good? en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Un_vill...

I think I have enjoyed this (as yet incomplete) tank build more than most that I have fumbled my way through & am wondering about building another earlier Churchill version at some point…they are such quirky but quite beautiful tanks…

Limping to the finish line here…I think a few more days fiddling & this will be as done as I want it to be…

Question for tank/armour people…what is part C28 on this Mk VII Churchill?

It is astonishing how much better & genuine the modelling community is here than on X. Folks here are more engaged, more interested & more sympathetic. X has been lurching towards the abhorrent in matters political & I’ve nearly had enough of seeing it all in my side vision if that makes sense…❤️

Commercially available 3D prints (aftermarket, figures, kits etc) in my limited experience, vary in quality from marvellous to awful and there is no real way to know what you’re ordering at the moment (so many new suppliers)…how does this get better…is it just a matter of time and word of mouth…?

Not thinking ahead enough 🙄…I followed the AFV Club instructions to drill holes for the tools all the time intending to use nicer ITA3 tools…then found I shouldn’t have done the drilling as the nicer tools don’t need it & I’m not prepared to do filling now so AFV Club tools (L) it will be…doh 🤦‍♂️🤷‍♂️!

As I stumble toward the finish line on the Churchill I’m wondering what to start next and am thinking a Fordson tractor might be it…🤔

Some base SMS SCC15 paint onto the Churchill turret, a little variety added to the exhaust rust and both sit reasonably well on the hull although the exhaust is going to need a little persuasion I suspect…

That’s the turret pretty much together. Just a few bits to add after the first dose of paint goes on. It’s a mini kit in itself this turret! I replaced the antenna base with one from ITA3 that I had lurking in a drawer. Thought I had a 3D printed vane sight too but nope 🙄.

Nearly there now…🥳…the exhaust system needs a few touch ups and maybe some brighter rust in places 👍

I love seeing other peoples builds & techniques…& I don’t mind a polite critique if it’s pointing out something I could have technically done better perhaps…but critiquing casual (like me) modellers builds on ‘historical’ grounds is just pants…we are modellers not historians ffs…🤷‍♂️

I am trying to ‘do’ two completely conflicting new years resolutions… 1. to spend less time arsing about on SM &… 2. to pay more attention to other folks posts on here Ffs…🙄😊🥃 🤦‍♂️

I’d hoped to get the hull of the Mk VII done today but some tricky PE at the rear took longer than I’d hoped. It needs respraying to blend in better too. Just a few more bits to paint and add…the exhaust system, tools (🫣), spare track and the last bits of the side skirts too…

This is complex but hopefully the photos explain how immensely satisfying this was when it actually worked out. The side skirts fitted (🤭) & then that V shaped part that connects them to the lower hull fitted too…honestly I was dreaming about this before hand…it‘s not perfect but I’m OK with it 💥😊

The embarrassing addendum to my last post is that the first kit I built…nearly five years ago was a bloody Tamiya Tiger I tank…brush painted & unweathered. It looks quite nice but it’s a Nazi war machine cliche and I can’t like it because of that…🤷‍♂️🤦‍♂️🥃

I have had this RFM Tiger I kit for a while but haven’t known what to do with it. So I’ve ordered a couple of books that might help…if I can’t model it beaten up and even rusted then I probably won’t bother with it…

Diorama inspired by this newspaper photo. I wanted to build a Panzer IV but show it captured or destroyed. This one is now on display to help sell bonds. Tamiya tank, I Love Kit tank transport, Tamiya, Miniart & Masterbox details & figures Here's the final result. This is a thread. #histscalemodels

My favourite four builds from last year…bit late posting them perhaps but ho hum…a nice variety if nothing else…🤷‍♂️🥃

Managed to get the side skirts on after a bit of a fight. A few more bits to add to the hull and a little tidying up to do…then to build the turret…

So what is #buildthestash please…? Have I even got the hashtag correct…?

I’m increasingly buying kits by their ‘type’ & the make that I like for that ‘type’ of kit…so… Tanks = RFM WW1 armoured cars = CSM Trucks & left field stuff = MiniArt Interesting civilian vehicles = AK Diorama bits = DioDump Esoteric 3D prints = RT Diorama This approach is working at the moment…😊

One to keep an eye out for perhaps. I like RFM tank kits enormously…