I noticed what appears to be blu-tac on the tracks. Is that just to hold things in place temporarily so you can paint them off the tank?
Nice build Jim, looking great. I have built 2 Takom kits and found them to have perfect fit, Tamiya +. Can’t wait to see her in paint. Excellent job!
Thanks guys. Yeah, it is blutac indeed. Tracks, road wheels and skirts will be separate for painting. Spare tracks on turret are removable too and exhausts.
Cheers, J.
Now “primed” with Tamiya semi gloss black. Went with an old bottle I found and it sprayed lovely but is a bit delicate, even with the lacquer thinner. Tracks are awaiting a coat of Tamiya xf-84 dark iron, a colour I have never used so interested to see how it comes out. Now to mix up a yellow I am happy with…
Cheers, J.
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I quite like it in the semi gloss black…looks even more sinister !!
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Like Darth Vader’s Tiger II!
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Ha! Yeah, I know, the black looks great!
However, I have now sprayed the yellow. Tamiya dark yellow mixed with white and some clear as usual. Ratio was 2ml dark yellow, 2.5ml white, 1ml clear and thinned with 5 or 6 ml Tamiya lacquer thinner retartder type. And the tracks have their coat of dark iron, which I quite like as a start for these.
Most of the yellow is going to disappear under the next stages but I’m happy with as a start
Thanks, J.
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Looks good Jim. I haven’t used the dark iron yet on a complete set of tracks, only for some shading, but it does look pretty good as a base layer. Maybe the way forward for me now.
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I LOVE Tamiya Dark Iron! It is my standard track base color now. Every set of tracks I do gets a coat of Dark Iron to start. It reminds me of the old Humbrol Track Color, only better.
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Thanks guys. Yeah the dark iron is great.
Well, I tried using Tamiya xf10 for the brown and hated it, it came out too red. It is the equivalent according to the instructions. I wonder if using the lacquer thinner makes it react with the yellow underneath.
So, while looking at different paints to mix I thought why not have a wee shot at plain old Tamiya flat earth, and what do you know, I like it! I have had to go back over the yellow with a new mix after all the spraying but I’m happy with where it is now.
Now for some chipping medium and then mask for the white…
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I think that is a far better brown for that Jim. On a side note , have you tried Lifecolors ? I have 2 of their Panzer sets, and they come out really nice and stay very flat once on.
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I liked Lifecolor so much I switched to them exclusively this year as my paint line.
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You know, I do have a lifecolor set, German ww2 tanks set 1. But I don’t have any of their thinner. I have a dragon tiger late kit that I will try them on in the future.
Thanks, J.
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That’s one of the sets I have. I don’t have any thinner either I just use water … But I do intend to get some.
I would recommend their thinner and their cleaner if you are using their paints often.
What code does the Tamiya Dark Iron have you used? Is it the XF-84? Or the LP-54?
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yep, XF 84
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Great, thanks! Will definitely give it a try.
I used Vallejos Model Air Black Metallic lately, that’s not too bad either. But I am still looking for the perfect color for painting stuff like fairly new stuff like bare steel crane beams or railroad tracks or stuff like this… Just like the base for tracks, this semi-shiny dark steelish tone…
I had opacity issues with Lifecolor. The color was OK.