Winter is coming…
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Wade those tracks look 1:1 fantastic!
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Thank you, Matt!
Ryefield Models makes a very nice track with excellent detail to work with painting!
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This morning was spent working on the winter white wash as the base coat and randomly applied color coat had had time to cure.
Starting point…chipping fluid applied plus a coat of Tamiya XF2 Flat White.
Kali meowed, “Scratch the hell out of it.”
Midpoint
Endpoint
Of course, I broke the rear turret MG barrel off but otherwise no damage to the model.
One paint brush was mortally wounded in the process.
Hope to fix MG, detail paint & install tracks later today.
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Finished the detail painting, installed tracks, repaired machine gun, prepped a base with felt bottom, posed name plate, Soviet red star & started playing around with positioning model.
Feedback is very appreciated.
Tomorrow, plan to flat coat, install items on base and do final weathering tweaks.
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1st thought - could you paint all my AFVs from now on please? 2nd thought – OK I hear ya mo’ weathering to come. 3rd – (donning Kevlar protection) – no i/d or numerals? I’m nowhere on typical winter appearance of KVs so maybe it’s fine to have nothing, just thinking that especially without radios (no antenna) they’d need some kind of visual identifier? Whatever, just like your Mk IV this is a peach 
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I suggest if you would like to save even more money on modelling supplies buy Copper Sulphate Pentahydrate Solution from a chemical supplier on-line.
It is the same as “modelllers burnishing fluid” at a fraction of the price.
I bought mine here in Blighty from Evil-Bay and it was £9.99/$13 for 500ml with free shipping.
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@Dioramartin Tim, That’s really kind of you to say! Thank you! I appreciate you taking time to look and comment, that makes my day. Yes, a bit of weathering with pastel chalk dust left.
Excellent observation on the markings. In truth, I didn’t like the set of RFM kit markings provided and decided to skip planning decals. No markings seemed happened on occasion but knowledge of the KV-1 is pretty limited. I’m also a little concerned my normal double gloss coat & acrylic flat procedure will darken the model too much etc.
Marking the Pz IV F stalled waiting on a stencil. Probably going to have to gloss & decal etc that one or break over and buy a Cricut.
@Catsrcool , thank you for the tip on burnishing fluid! When its time to restock, I’ll definitely do that.
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You’re very welcome, wouldn’t say it if I didn’t mean it. Yep understood re. pre-decal coats, but here’s a left-field alternative…
I just used a sharp Derwent crayon & free-handed it, the Russkies seemed to do that a lot. Of course white’s not exactly the right colour for yours…from memory there’s at least one example of them using red over winter camo, or more commonly they’d leave an un-whitewashed box around the original white-on-green number…hmm but that option’s trickier now. 
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Overall I like it. 
Personally preference, I would remove a link or two in the track, it has too much sag for me. As it’s your model if you can’t or like it that is fine too.
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Wade I think your KV came outstanding! The tracks look excellent as does the winter white wash. I have a few of these in the stash and need to tackle one but I’m working on other stuff, currently an M4 105 that I plan to do in winter white as well. I have a few books on the KVs and many do not have markings but that would certainly add to the model. Beautiful job
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Ryan, agreed too much sag, looks a little cartoon like. I screwed up but will call it “artistic license” 
The track sag was OK here.
I probably stretched those little track pins or something when breaking the links free after my heavy handed washes dried.
Decided to just keep the kit tracks on seeing Spruebrothers.com wanted ~$50 for a new set of RFM 3D printed KV-1 tracks.
@metalhead85 Richard, thank you! It’s good to know not marked was fairly common. Definitely an excellent kit to have in the stash and a fun build. M4 105, winter sounds like a fabulous project!
I like the pencil marker idea but am a little hesitant to try that. My hand writing is pretty horrible…wink
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I think the tracks look just right for a KV in service Wade. I’ve seen photos of a KV with tracks so loose that 2 track links lay on the road in front of the first road wheel!
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Looks like in the first photo you had a pencil or something under the paper towel, look between the first and second road wheel. As I said personal preference, so leaving it is fine. For this build Matt’s information does help but myself I probably won’t do that unless modeling that photo but that’s me.
For the tracks, Tankraft is only $36. I got some for my Tamiya KV-2.
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Great spot! Probably the armor texture paint brush underneath making the tracks look tighter.
Tankraft will definitely be on the shopping list for the “Big T” KV-2 in the stash.
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Just caught up with this Wade… I was going to read it as you did it but something shiny caught my eye and I got side tracked…
Absolutely great job on the road field build… It turned out looking fantastic and a big credit to you on that while working with limited build tools …proves what can be done… Great work all round …
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You could always turn a weakness into a strength, with a couple of crew looking at track-tensioning?
The great thing about pencil/crayon is it doesn’t have to be perfect, just a little practice on a test-panel required. I did a self-education search, this may or may not be authentic, just an idea…
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Thank you all very much for the excellent ideas and comments!
I’ll incorporate the hand drawn red markings on winter white wash ideas on the Big T’s KV-2. Ordered a set of Tankraft tracks for the KV-2 today.
Calling this one wrapped. First completion of 2023. Photographs are outside in natural sunlight some clouds.
Inside under my work desk lighting.
Thank you all for looking and comments on the build. Feedback is always welcomed and really helps with the upcoming projects.
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Simply excellent Wade
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