Inevitable.
Butchered the rigging. Not the execution, but the concept. Missed a couple of struts. Discovered just as I was finishing up. Just didn’t look right….and it wasn’t.
So, yank out the monofilament, sand down the super-glue bumps, and get the micro hand drill out. And, might as well re-adjust that out of kilter top wing.
All of this has resulted in Project Aversion. Need to get back on it this weekend. It’s staring at me.
Proceeding with the DH-2 kit, and it is turning into the same old story.
In the beginning it all seems so easy. Read the instructions, snip the pieces off the sprues, remove flash, and start assembling the kit. It’s so easy to imagine the process proceeding smoothly.
Then, pieces go astray, glue goes where it shouldn’t, and what you thought attached to one piece should really go somewhere else.
Not that I’m making things easier by trying to do some “basic” rigging with 3.5 pound test monofilament leader, hole drilling, and super glue. Infinite possibilities for foul-ups.
Taking a short break before girding up my loins to attach the top wing (with monofilament glued in) and thread the lines through the bottom wing.
I need to zen my way through it.
It’s Summer!
Not the best time to wargame. Too much fun to be had outdoors. But, you can’t spend all of your time outside. So, a couple of lightweight endeavours for the next couple of months.
The Irregular Wars campaign is on hold, and the “Small Table” is now set up for Advanced Squad Leader Starter Kit (ASLSK) scenarios. My philosophy with ASLSK is that one has to keep playing it or lose all rules chops. There is enough rulebook referencing when conversant, so a prolonged absence can make things painfull. I’m going to take it easy and cherry-pick one-mappers, and maybe maintain momentum into the Fall.
While figure purchases are on indefinite hold, but I have the itch to build something, I dug up an aircraft model to use in my Red Actions game. To do it right I need to learn how to “rig up” a biplane. Things could get frustrating, but what the hell…….
The good news is that this isn’t another relationship situation. The bad news is that it looks like the Tanks! franchise has been discontinued. No posts in quite a while and no merchandise in the store.
While I use the less expensive Zvezda models, I did enjoy checking out the site for scenarios and information. I guess I will go over to Flames of War for news updates.
Meanwhile, I continue to build up my late war Germans in anticipation of creating some urban combat scenarios. Here’s the latest additions. One more traunch of kits to finish up for a representative set of both German and Soviet AFVs.
Working on my latest batch of Zvezda 1/100 (15mm) late-war German tanks.
After trying adhesive putty to delineate camouflage, using both brush and spray paint, I tried using a small sponge.
The sponge seemed to work best. I used a couple of umber and black washes to gritty the tank up, and then a little bit of touch-up using a Q-tip. I do enjoy tanks, because my lack of precision and technique can be superficially covered up by applying dirt, grime and weathering.
The result…. it “looks good on the table” (which is a miniatures equivalent of “Bless His Heart”).
Here are some dynamic before and after shots taken in the usual crypt like lighting.
Finally finished up the late-war Soviet and German tanks purchased some time ago. They were languishing in a painting induced purgatory, victims of my incompetence.
Painting early war tanks is straight forward. Single color, weathering, dirt & grime…done. Later war Germans are something else.
There are some excellent resources on the web about how to paint them (#1 and #2) . The problem is I just couldn’t leave it alone and do what I was told.
Instead, I tried using the Blu Tack (or its far less expensive counterpart Blue Stik), along with spray paint and, just to make things more interesting, ignore cleaning out some stray landscape flock from the painting box. The result was ridges along the color lines, and grit all over the tanks, like a molted zimmerit paste.
It took a awhile to psychically recover from this screw up. But, in the spirit of clearing out all the miscellaneous bits and pieces before the next big project, I trudged to the finish. The results……..well……..(let’s blame it on the bad lighting). If they look glossy, it’s because I finished them in gloss coat. Perverse, but they seem to look better this way.
Undeterred from this episode I bought some more late German and Soviets. Exotics. What started out as a “let’s get a few late-war tanks and fight in an urban setting” has ballooned into something else. And, don’t even get me started on the continued scale printing problems with the paper buildings.
During this sad process, I picked up a copy of Stalin’s Tanks. Had read some positive comments, and remembered it as something I thought about buying way back when. The hope is I can mash up this rule set along with Tanks! to add a little depth to a beer and pretzels game from another beer and pretzels game.
Getting the twitch for some new miniature games, but with minimal budget outlay.
First quasi-project is Western Gunfights using the Fistful Of Lead (Reloaded) rules. They’re available over at WargameVault. My real hope was to use them with smaller 10mm figures. No real options there. Tempted to work with 20mm “Punitive Expedition” figures, but that’s a pricey proposition for what could be a “one and done” game. So, found this at the local vintage toy store.
Cheap, can fabricate some buildings, and if it’s fun……go to the more expensive option.
Also purchased an Osprey title on the Technical vehicles.
Now all revved up (no pun intended) on a miniatures treatment using 1/285 GHQ vehicles. Again, pricey, but no real options for low cost tactical minis. Very, very tempted.
Back from a week in the Sun with friends. Nice way to spend the time.
Just before departure, I received the last of three books ordered to help with the Tanks project. All of these involved camouflage and markings throughout World War II. I already had one book covering the Polish and French campaigns. Each of these four books, while originally published many years ago, is highly recommended. Here’s a few comments on each.
The cover says it all. I was especially intrigued by the widespread use of tankettes and carriers by the Allies. Many of the photos were of abandoned Allied armor, which shouldn’t have been a surprise, but the sheer frequency of breakdowns reported was astounding.
This is the only book not published by Arms and Armour. George Bradford is well known for his profiles series. I was not overly impressed with it at first glance-through, but subsequent readings proved it to be a very satisfying overview, complete with scale drawings of all the armored vehicles used during the campaign.
Another volume with Steven Zaloga, the well known armor expert and author of the popular Panzer Colors series. This volume includes a helpful survey of German Panzer unit insignia, as well as an interesting discussion of Soviet tank inscriptions. Vehicles from Romania and Hungary are also covered.
This book begins with a very interesting discussion of the purposes and techniques of camouflage. The author emphasizes the effects of dirt, dust and foliage on armor camouflage, and the differences in philosophy between the Great Britain, United States and Germany. To me, the illustrations aren’t consistently as good, but I am a fan of profiles and not aspect renderings of equipment and aircraft. Most of German vehicles photographed were captured, with only a few shots of them in action.
Prices for these books – all used- range from the reasonable to the absurd. It took time and effort over a period of months to locate quality copies at good prices. I feel the money was well spent.
Finished them up right before I left for a Southwest hike/bike/drink-beer-with-friends trip.
The A-9 didn’t have a power turret, and both A-9 and A-10 had a variety of mechanical problems. The question I’m mulling is how to reflect that in the Tanks rules without starting down the slippery slope of too much chrome.
Instinct is to have a die roll if the tank moves more than 1 move in a turn. Roll of six, tank breaks down, and must be repaired in the appropriate phase. Maybe use the Bail-Out card, in which the crew abandons the tank and no firing that turn. It’s an idea.
Here’s a hasty photo of them. The two A-9s in the front.
Purchased Plastic Soldier Company’s Cruiser Tanks.
Function of bad packaging by Zvezda and bad thinking by me.
Zvezda markets their Mk IV tank as a Crusader. Not the case. It’s actually an A13, which would have been just fine for my 1940 Brit vs. Germans skirmishes. But no….overthought plus faulty research (there’s a great combination) resulted in the decision to make the purchase of PSC’s A9s and A10s.
Not a bad thing. They’re fun, especially the wacky A-9. But, the assembly process was something. Not to complain, because any company that will create quality models of this type of obscure and ineffective AFV is to be commended. On the other hand, here’s a scan of the turret assembly. OK, I’ve been spoiled by that snap-fit world……
There were problems. I’ll ascribe those to my ham-fisted modeling techniques and lack of perceptional awareness. It took me two tries to figure out that you build the turret from the bottom. Yes, look at the damn thing from the bottom while manipulating the pieces with glue soaked fingers.
Resulting fit was not the greatest, but I used my New/Old Best Modeling Friend. Apply, sand, prime, base coat and everything will be just fine. That’s the best thing about AFV modeling…….cover mistakes with dirt…..that’s authentic!
