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The Great LSM Twins Group Build ends July 3, 2024 ×

1/35 Tamiya BT-7 1937


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I started building this during my lunch break at work on Thursday.. I had most of the lower hull made up...

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I started to tackle the upper deck on Friday during lunch, but the PE Grilles didnt fit into there slots on engine covers and the exhuast grille.. Oh man! that was really a pain in the @$$! Even with the PE jigg I couldn't get it to sit right.. But I fought it and finally won!

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So everything is back on track now.. and the hull is completely done now!

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Starting to work on the Turret.. This were I am at the moment.

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Will hit the wheels and tracks last! I also ordered this last night too

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So this is where I am currently at -

Turret Seam was filled with Super glue and then filed down and polished...

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Wheels and Track test fitted and then stripped down for prime coat with black Mr Surfacer  

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After painting the green... I found a couple of small faults that I missed! Mould Line on the front Fenders and some blob on the Turret.. These were sanded back and repainted.

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Rubber was painted with AK Rubber and Tires paint

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Exhuast were painted with Vallejo Air Hull Red as the base, the spades were painted with Vallejo Gun metal and Flesh

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the spades were painted with Vallejo Gun metal and Flesh

From one Vallejo user to another :rolleyes:...

 

I find the gunmetal...any Vallejo metal for that matter... a real pain to brush on.

 

For painting small pieces...like tools...I find it easier to paint the part black and drybrush the metal on.

Drybrush very lightly and repeat when needed...after it dried.

 

Another method I use. Paint black and rub on Vallejo Dark steel pigment with the tip of my finger. Polish with a soft tissue afterwards.

I prefer this, but there's a risk when you want to varnish afterwards. Varnsh can mess it up badly.

 

Great build and you work amazingly tidy...the last two photos are like 3D renderings from a Kagero book :)

 

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Another big update...

 

I forgot to paint the inners of the front wheels, so i broke out my compass cutter and maded a couple of quick masks out of some Tamiya tape and sprayed them.

 

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Using Mr Color GXIII clear, everything was given a coat, so I could apply an wash and decals on the turret..

 

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I was going to use a AM set of decals, but opted to go with a set in the kit instead of waiting around for the mailman!

 

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After giving the turret another clear coat to seal in the decals, I used XF67 and a red and white from Vallejo to make a few chips and scratches in the turret markings

 

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and then sealed everything in with a flat clear.. Tamiya decals worked like a charm and are pretty much invisible under the flat coat.

 

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Now the part that I enjoy! Weathering...

 

I started off by lightly spraying AK Summer Kursk on the lower hull and wheels..

 

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The once dry I used the AK Plaster base and Summer Kursk effects again and made a thicker mud mix..

 

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The it was dabbed all over.. At first I didn't like it and thought I was heavy handed with it.. But after it dried I was happy with it!

 

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Next task was rust up the tracks a bit... I started off by painting the tracks with Mr Metal Dark Iron and then using White Spirits and AK Track Rust Pigments

 

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and dry -

 

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Using Black, Medium and Light Rust Pigments straight from the bottle I rusted the exhaust pipes and heat shield grille

 

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And sealed them in using AK Pigment Fixer. They say that the pigments are suppose to retain there colours but once dried the are acually a bit darker now. I will have to touch them up...

 

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Added some dirt to the tracks too!

 

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and thats pretty much where I am currently... Next on the list is to start weathering the upper deck

 

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