Academy 1/35 K-200 KIFV- completed 5/31

[Stikpusher]

Well life is just busy here in this home... I do not know if it is summer, end of school year, or something else...
I am done with today's work now. The finish line is just ahead.
Today's detail painting, based upon some photos that I came across:
Tow hooks in Dark Green 34079


headlights & driver's persicopes base painted. After the final top flat coat, I will add a coat of Tamiya Clear Green on the persicopes


right side troop compartment periscopes- same thing for them on the Clear Green top coat


left side troop compartment periscopes and spare track shoe attachment bolts


TC & drivers hatch periscopes


troop compartment rear periscopes


right side tail lights. After the flat coat, I will paint the lenses with Smoke/Neutral


left side tail light assembly- lower light will get Smoke lens, top will get Clear Red.


and then it was time for the decals... the nice "low vis" UN markings (yes I am being facetious). Academy did not provide the "UN" decals for the ramp or the cargo hatch, so I took those from an AFV Club Scimitar in my stash. They also did not provide decals for the Malay Army vehicle serial number, only the UNPROFOR bumper number. So I created those using some extra British Army AFV decals from my spares bin by cutting apart several to make the two, since the Brit ones are of the same style. The number itself is fictitious, but the letter prefix is correct.








and the parts that I have left to add tomorrow...


and that's all my updates of work for today/tonite....

[LyleW]

Zowie, Stikman! That is a keeper for sure.

[bitbite]

Sweet. (Insert emoticon of toasting with beverage here).

[Stikpusher]

Thanks guys... it's finally coming all together now... Here are today's updates photos...
This is the stuff I used for the wash. The local Hobby Lobby started stocking them recently and this is my second use of the product. A pre make wash by Testors (or stain as it is labled), in this case, Gray, but it is really really dark in the bottle. They make both enamel and acrylic versions of the stuff, but since I prefer to work with enamels for my washes I am going with that here. Especially over my Acrylic base colors.




So here is the K-200 with the wash applied, but not yet cleaned up




and with the wash cleaned up, hatches popped open, and machine guns installed...








I will get it completd tomorrow. We have company coming over this evening and I still need to do the flat coat, final touch up painting and final weathering...

[LyleW]

nice. The the whites are white! did you use Tide?

[Stikpusher]

LOL! No... ancient Chinese Laundry secret.... Tamiya

[Stikpusher]

My next couple of updates will be in stages here.
Yesterday on my trip to Hobby Lobby I also picked up this wire for use in making the antenna


Now modern real FM vehicle antennas are tapered from a thick botten that screws on to the antenna base to a narrow tip. The long whips are also sectional, in two pieces. (yeah the commo sergeant in me is coming out here) To replicate that I stretched some tube styrene, and cut a couple lengths to fit over the wire core. Then I added some super glue which I would later sand flush once it was dry to give the appropriate taper. Here it is while the superglue is drying.


Not perfect, but it looks the part.

Before I started the antenna I applied a final coat of Humbrol Matt Clear. I love that stuff!!! Dead flat finish every time!




After that it was final detail painting and weathering...

[Stikpusher]

After the Matt Coat dried and I made the antenna I did the final detail painting: Tamiya Clear Green on the periscopes, Tamiya Clear Red on the stop lamp lens, Humbrol Flat Black on the Cargo Hatch pull chain cover, .50 cal. ammo links, & Drivers Hatch seal ring, Humbrol Dark Green 34079 on the upper deck hatch rims, and Testors Steel dry brushing in a few appropriate high wear spots. Then a bit of Testors Clear Parts glue for lenses on the headlights & taillights. Finally I mixed up a batch of Humbrol Hemp & Matt Clear for a dusting on the suspension and airbrushed that on. Afterwards some Tamiya weathering soot in the exhast pipe, and then the antenna was glued in place and finito! I present my completed K-200 in Malay Army/UN service in Bosnia

























Thanks for looking. Comments and critiques are welcome.

[bitbite]

Another awesome build! Now get back to the Italians! Quickly now!