Feb 8 2017

A Bridge Too Far – Finished Project

1/56th Bridge Too Far finished project pics ….

Finally processed the finished project pics, now packed up and ready to ship.

As a recap the project for Bolt Action Gaming purposes represents the 9th-SS Hohenstaufen SS-Aufklärung-Abteilung (Recce Battalion) and with a little historical licence comprises;

HQ
1x Humber A/C – Grabners Humber
1x Schwimmwagen – Recce/command (4 troops)
1x 251/8 – Medical (2 medics, 2 troops )
1x 251/7 – Engineers (9 troops)
1x SP Flak – Opel Blitz and SPAA Quad20mm

AC Platoon
1x 222 – 20mm light a/c
1x 232 – 20mm heavy a/c

Recce Platoon
1x Luchs – 20mm recce light afv
1x 250/1 – SPW (5 troops)
1x 250/1 – SPW (5 troops

Heavy Support Platoon
1x 250/7 – 81mm Mortar
1x 250/8 – 75mm SPG

Infantry Platoon
2x 251/1C – 20 troops
1x Opel Blitz – 10 Troops

And the gaming kits used were

Warlord Games
Opel Blitz with open canopy
Opel Blitz and 2cm Flak
SdKfz 251/1C SPW (Plastic kit) x2
SdKfz 251/8 Ambulance
SdKfz 250/7 Neu 81mm Mortar
SdKfz 250/8 Neu 7.5cm SPG Stummel
PzKpfw II Ausf.L Luchs Recce
Flakvierling 38 20mm
Schwimmwagen
SdKfz 222 Armoured Car
Grabners Humber Armoured Car

BlitKrieg Miniatures
SdKfz 231 2.0cm 8rad Armoured Car
SdKfz 250/1 Neu SPW x2

JTFM
SdKfz 251/7 Engineer SPW

Jan 30 2017

Project DAK – Finished : Perry Minatures, Blitzkrieg, Rubicon 1/56th – 28mm

DAK Project …..

A couple of “big” pics from the finished project.

Dec 14 2016

Project DAK finished – Perry and Blitzkrieg desert theater vehicles

Finished pics ….

Ok, updated with a few group pics and a bit of a re-cap is in order.

The vehicles are ;

Blitzkrieg SdKfz 250/1C
Bliztkrieg SdKfz 222
Blitzkrieg Marder II
Perry SdKfz 250/1
Rubicon SdKfz 250/1
Perry Dingo
Perry Universal Carrier
Blitzkrieg M3 Stuart
Perry Marmon Harrington MkIII

Stowage is a mix of Perry, Rubicon and JTFM, decals used were from Warlord, Rubicon and Tamiya. Everything was given an enamel base/primer coat and all top finishing was brushed acrylics using GW and Vallejo. Final weathering was mostly Windsor and Newton oils with some homemade acrylic washes and finished with Mig and homemade pigment powders.

Dec 7 2016

Blitzkrieg PanzerIII, 251/1C and 222 – Project DAK wip12

A bit of lining ….

Some base lining and shading in place. Dang hot here the last couple of days and the paint is drying as soon as it’s opened or detubed in the case of the oils 🙂

Dec 1 2016

Blitzkrieg PanzerIII, 251/1C and 222 – Project DAK wip10

Blocking …..

The fiddly bits, wheels, tracks and details blocked in. It also a appears a Dingo may have snuck in 🙂 Lining and shading next, the fun bit.

Nov 30 2016

Blitzkrieg PanzerIII, 251/1C and 222 – Project DAK wip9

More DAK …. yup.

Base colours went onto the last three German DAK vehicles. That’s pretty much all really, nothing exciting to report yet …. except the “stipple on and rub off” chipping worked out pretty well. Although it doesn’t show in the pics very well as they require some details/contrast to photograph better.

And a bit of a close up (dang I wish I had a better/modern camera) of the brush stippled and rubbed off paint chipping

Nov 27 2016

Caunter Base Paint – DAK Project part8

Almost there …….

Completed the basic shading on these guys and they’re starting to look the part. Only final detailing, AOS markings and some selective chipping to go now. Oh, and aerials with flags. The British desert forces loved aerials with pennant flags on them, all very boys own !!!!

A progression/SBS pic. Hopefully this gives some idea of how the layers of paint build up from the starting block colours to the final shading …

Nov 23 2016

Caunter Base Paint – DAK Project part7

Even more Caunter progress ……

Ok, it might not look like it but I recoloured the Silver Grey hue to make it “Greyer”. Why, because I’m odd like that, little things annoy me. So I fixed it. In my happy place now so I painted on some markings. All very British looking 🙂

Nov 22 2016

Caunter Base Paint – DAK Project part6

Caunter progress ….

First pass of the Caunter shading on and tracks, wheels and a few details blocked in. Still not 100% sure about the grey hued “Silver Grey”. While it looks attractive it tended to go blue when lightening and so I might either put a filter over it or tint it more towards the light-grey spectrum and re-paint.

Nov 20 2016

Caunter Base Paint – DAK Project part5

Perry Marmon-Herrington MkIII, Bliztkrieg M3 Honey, Perry Universal-Carrier MkI ….

The mysterious Caunter Scheme 3colour Disruptive camouflage pattern takes shape. The base scheme is on the first three brit vehicles using HOQ paint renditions of Portland Stone, Slate and Silver Grey. All colours are base solids and will get lightened considerably, especially the Slate (which is a green – dark grey) and Silver Grey (which is a pea green – grey).

Should be interesting to see how they work out …..

Nov 18 2016

Rubicon 250/1, Blitzkrieg MarderII and Perry 250/1 – DAK Project part1 finished

Rubicon SdKfz250/1, Blitzkrieg MarderII, Perry SdKfz250/1 …..

Finished the first three vehicles. Well sort of, still got the width indicators and aerials to add but embarrassingly I seem to have run out of suitable wire …..

Nov 14 2016

Blitzkrieg MarderII – Project DAK wip4 “updated”

Updated …

Finalised the stowage and detailing on these three. Added tool clamps, a stowage bin, ammo crate and tarp, spare track and gun cradle to the MarderII. Put straps on the Perry 250/1 for the hanging bags using thread tape cut into fine strips, made a replacement MG shield and repositioned the gun mount back and down. The Rubicon 250 got an added Jerry can rack.

So they’re all ready for the final paint work now …

.
Detailing ….
Just a little progress. the Perry 250 is looking a tad better with stowage and the base lining done.

Nov 12 2016

Blitzkrieg MarderII and Perry SdKfz 250/1 comparison – Project DAK wip3

Blitzkrieg MarderII ….

More from the DAK project. Blitzkrieg MarderII and Perry 250/1 with the base paint laid on.

The Blitzkrieg MarderII is quite a nice moulding for the most part with little of the 3D master lines a lot of Blitzkrieg kits have. The Pak40 mounting needed the sides filing back to fit so look up some reference pics if you’re assembling one. The gun barrel itself is a very (very) rough casting and despite being straightened 3 time with hot water/chilling refuses to stay completely straight. It’s looks a little big/thick too, over 1/48th in thickness compared to the Tamiya kits I have here. I’d replace it with something but I don’t have a muzzle brake, however with the above taking into account it’s going to look pretty nice when finished.

I also did a quick side by side comparison with the Perry 250/1 and Rubicon 250/1 halftracks. Suffice to say the Perry one is not a favourite of mine, (way off in shape and rough casting quality, mostly shape though). The front MG shield has to go as well, not sure what it’s doing so I’ll make a new shield and mount. I will save it with stowage and paint but …. not a recommended buy though (unlike Perry figures) 🙂