Left field progess

I'm not sure what else to do to this besides the missing headlights and then painting of the pick-axe handle in wood grain and the head in a steel color. To be perfectly honest, the weathering appears to be missing a little something but I'm not sure what. Due to the size, I feel a little out of my element, as well as the fact that it's a desert vehicle so there's no really need for the big swaths of mud and such.

I will give this one a rest for now and go back to other projects that need my attention. For now I think I'm good, perhaps whatever it is that I feel is lacking will hit me over the next week or so. I might want to take this one to AMPS East.

Somewhere, outa' left field...

this thing shows it's face.


This is Bronco models' little flame thrower tankette. This thing redefines small but don't let that fool you, there is some amazing detail packed into this kit.

It's a shame that I had to button it up as the interior and engine is an amazingly detailed group of sub assemblies but this is just a little something I'm doing on the side, strictly out of the box and have little time to get involved in too much. If someone really wanted to go to town on an interior, this kit is perfect for it. Tiny, but perfect.

I'll post more photos when done, this is just the initial stages but once complete, I'll make sure and post a good photo showing just how small this thing is.

Right out straight!

That's right fellow modelers, I am busy as a one armed paper hanger... whatever that means. I know it's been a month as of today since my last update but I have been very busy at the bench working on many projects.

Both of the little armored cars I posted earlier are built and ready for paint. The Russian BA-64 will find it's way into a little vignette, abandoned on the side of a muddy road in the snow, with a few Germans using it for cover. I have most of the various sub assemblies for this scene complete and just need to start painting them and putting them together. The BA-64 itself will be the focus of my latest project, one that I hope to make public by the end of September. I apologize for the cloak and dagger secrecy but that's how these things go.

So here's a look at the various pieces, as well as the basic layout idea assembled. No photo booth for these, just right off the bench.















Just a quick note before I go. My captured German half track seen in posts below will be in Military Modelcraft International's September issue, which goes out around the middle of August if I recall correctly. You can see a small photo of it there on the cover in the bottom left hand corner. My thanks to editor David Grummitt for the opportunity to work with him and Michael Rinaldi for putting in the good word.

June 30th, the SMA contest comes to a close

That's right, as of midnight tonight the contest is officially over. Voting will be sometime in the next week or so and now, after three months of light stress, the long wait begins (like a week or so, but it seems like forever when you have models entered)

This year was three time larger than last years in terms of entries, so the competition should be much tougher. We were given three months instead of two and this year I actually managed to enter two models, the Sd Kfz and Ma.K. below.


Here are a couple views of the finished products.


























For my next projects, I have decided to keep them small and simple and as stress free as possible. I will try to keep this blog updated with these builds and cover as much as I can about the builds, the paint and the weathering. I have chosen two small vehicles for my next builds and unless I become sidetracked with other stuff, this is what I should be posting here for the time being, once I've taken a break and spent a little time away from the bench.


See you all soon.

Who's the Ma.K. daddy?

Sorry, that was pretty lame eh? In my defense, it's been a very long week of working in the rain and tonight, I'm off on hols.

(that's 'vacation' for the rest of my fellow Yanks)

I thought I'd pop in and make a quick appearance before I take this much needed break, and just mention a few things and then post a few in progress photos of what's currently residing in the front spot of the work bench, which the title alludes to.

I've been playing around with a whole bunch of new AK Interactive products that made their way into my mail box, so much of the bench time has been experiments and trial and error stuff. So far I'm loving everything I've tried and will make sure they get some time in the spotlight here in the near future.

The Scale Model Addict 'Big Spring Contest' is about to come to a close. This is the second year and it's twice the success of last years so far. Not including the 'All Open' category we have about 133 entries all jockeying for the over $4000.00 dollars in prizes. I have two entires in this year, one in the diorama category, (the half track seen below) and one in the sc-fi category (which until these photos I'm about to upload, has been fairly secret). I am no where near done but I have about a week until I need to make sure I get everything done. Will I make it... that's anybody's guess but I will try like hell and enter anyway.

Lastly just a quick mention that I have been toying around with the HobbyBoss M3A1 Scout Car, so far I'm pretty thrilled with what I have seen but I will try to cover that in more depth in the coming months.

For now, I will leave you with a few progress photos of my Ma.K. Panzer Kampf Anzug Wapruf (K). The oils are still wet in these photos (hence the shine) and nothing, including the groundwork should be considered finished at this point. You should however get a feel for where it's going.

Getting there fast

This build is coming close to the end, my captured Sd Kfz 11 late half track is nearing completion at this point, although every time I really look at it I can see just how much more I need to do. There's quite a bit actually, and this is just sub assemblies posed for the photo.

I've been sidetracked with other stuff lately (my 1/72 Finemolds Millennium Falcon) but managed to put in a few nights on this to get where I am now, at any rate it's begining to look the part.


Enjoy/Comment/Critique.