SPA Modeler

I don’t feel like doing any decal work today. So instead, I worked on the drive sprockets and idlers and road wheels. I put a wash of Vallejo RLM Grey on the rubber parts, which I’d already airbrushed with TAMIYA’s German Grey mixed with various shades of other light greys that I can’t remember. Then I did a burnt umber pin wash on them. It’s still drying in the photos. The burnt umber might be a little too brown and high contrast for a desert tank, but I err’d on that side thinking that:

1. Subsequent filters with light colors will bring it all together

2. I’m going to be doing some pigment work and that’ll knock a lot of it down

3. I wanted there to be enough contrast to let the details pull through in a pleasing way after #1 and #2


Aaaaand I don’t know if any of that BS made sense, or is even a thing but here we are.

What’s next for the wheels and stuff… a very thin white wash for the rubber probably, and some light dry brushing.

Looks good to me.

Those looks great Kenny! Your painting really makes the detail stand out!

Thank you gentlemen!

I like working with the oil paints. I did Fine Arts in high school and college and I guess it gives me that warm, sentimental feeling.

I decided to stop procrastinating and go ahead and do the tank’s markings before I start doing the oil paint stuff to the main tank. There weren’t that many of them anyway.

Now, you guys know that I’ve had trouble with Tamiya decals in the past. Many folks have. I **think** I’ve got a system though that will work pretty well with Tamiya decals. I won’t know 100% until the model is flat coated, but anyway here it is-

1. Make sure the surface is smooth. I dislike clear coats nowadays —that’s a recent thing. I just basically made side to smooth each layer of paint out by gently buffing with a microscope lense cleaning pad. My pal Sayid is a biochemist and he drops literally pallets of boxes of those things on me.

2. Make sure the decal water is hot. Not boiling, but steaming.

3. Put Tamiya Mark Fit Strong down first.

4. Apply decal, position it, talk sweet to it.

5. Hit the decal with a coat or two of MiG ULTRA Decal Fix, letting each layer dry fully of course.

Here’s the markings while they set up, I just applied them and hit them with the Mig’s ULTRA:







I’ll have another status report on these once they’re all dried up.

Okay, this is the result after three treatments with the Mig’s ULTRA:



That’s the best results I’ve been able to personally achieve so far, with Tamiya decals. Now, there’s a sheen difference under direct, unflattering light due to the clear film being glossy and the surface paint being not glossy, notwithstanding the smoothness due to the buffing treatments I gave each layer of paint. But that sheen isn’t visible at most angles, and I’m thinking it’ll likely disappear after the final flat coat. Actually I’m banking on that. But not so much so that I’ll consider all this work a huge exercise in futility if it doesn’t. I think it looks just fine as-is, already. And I’m happy to say that.

Well, I guess I’ll go ahead and affix the wheels and stuff, pin wash the tank to go with the wheels, then do the various filters and dry brushing.


Still have a ways to go but the finish line will be in sight before I know it I’m sure, long as I keep on working on it a little bit at a time every day.

The pin washes and “tactical” sludge washes on the tank are complete. Some light dry brushing comes next, then filters and pigments. And a break for the tracks and tools in there somewhere for a rest.

Looks great. I like the wash.

Here is a real Panzer III in Tunisia, 1943, 501st Heavy Tank Battalion… for reference and inspiration.

keavdog wrote: ↑Thu Jul 11, 2024 8:36 pm Looks great. I like the wash.

Thank you sir! I appreciate that!!

Stikpusher wrote: ↑Thu Jul 11, 2024 9:38 pm

Here is a real Panzer III in Tunisia, 1943, 501st Heavy Tank Battalion… for reference and inspiration.

Thank you for sending that my way, Carlos.

I wonder how true to life those photos are, color-wise. I recall our friend Bruce mentioning to me that Kodachrome remains pretty faithful to the original color of the subject of the photo. but I know next to nothing about that stuff.

Anyway, the tank in the photo looks to be more green in the mix, paint-wise. But cloud cover could cause that shift. So could dirt. I look at some of the highlights though and then look at the color of my model, and I say to myself "Good enough for government work!"

Having said that, have a look at the turret number. Maybe the often thick and unwieldy Tamiya decals really *DO* a good job representing them HAHA! It actually makes me want to explore painting the turret numbers on myself. Its something to think about.

Thank you for the great photo! I love it and I'll be using it moving forward with my DAK stuff. And as it happens, if you ever find more to pass my way, please do, or if you know a good source. I'd like to bring more realism and accuracy into my builds moving forward.