SPA Modeler

So I guess this is my first completion of 2023. Although it hardly counts as such. This is the old MPC snap together box scale, (1/54 per Scalemates) All Terrain Scout Transport. I had built the basic kit many years ago and started painting it for an April Fools theme at OC IPMS. But my painting skills at the time were not up to what was needed for the end result envisioned, so I just set it aside partially painted. So yesterday at IPMS Phoenix the theme was Star Wars/Star Trek/Battlestar Galactica and I remembered that I had this one sitting around and decided to finish it up. The kit comes with the armored flaps over the vision ports molded shut, so I created some new ones out of sheet plastic to match the shape, then drilled open the ports. Then I glued the new flaps in the open position and proceeded to do a rapid and complete exterior repaint into a standard Imperial look. Once the painting was done, I added some “glass” in the open vision ports using Micro Krystal Klear, and lastly followed up with some slight weathering.













Thank goodness for quick drying Tamiya acrylics with lacquer thinner. Not bad for an afternoon’s work.

Very nice Stik! One of these days I'll finish mine.

Nice. I don't think I've built any Star Wars stuff but I like that guy.

Thank guys! This was a fun few hours to get my mojo flowing again after the push to finish up the last two projects by New Years. Deadlines suck in modeling… even self imposed one’s.

speedgraflex wrote: ↑Wed Jan 04, 2023 5:37 pm Carlos, it’s hard to believe this is an MPC kit but I know that pretty much every kit you work on has good bones. In this case, I think you have turned a sow’s ear into a silk purse by adding open windscreens to the interior! A small yet significant modification which transforms the look of the design. Also, the striding pose is significant. Most built models I see are standing tall, parade ground attention, but it changes the whole attitude of the AT-ST to show an action pose. I would like to know more about how you painted and weathered the model. More about why than how, actually? If you don’t mind let me know! Happy New Year!

Yeah, this kit is definitely a bit of a sow’s ear. I won’t call the results a silk purse though… it’s more like deerskin… Drilling out the vision ports, creating the cover flaps, then filling the resulting holes all went easier than anticipated. Truly a case of expecting the worst while hoping for the best. As far as the pose of the legs go, I had no say in the matter, they are molded in this position. All you can do is swivel the head and cheek weapons. How I painted was easy enough. Everything in black, then a 1:1 ratio of paint:thinner of a medium gray on the center portion of every area, while leaving the surrounding areas black. This was followed by a 3:1 ratio thinner:paint of a lighter gray misted on to cover the bare black and leave those areas as shadow. As to why? Well it was far quicker than doing washes, clean up, and such. Lastly I did some minimal dry brushing of steel to suggest use, and some light use of Tamiya weathering stuff (don’t know what the compact stuff is called) to give a more ground used look on select areas.

Just what the Ukrainians need!

jeaton01 wrote: ↑Wed Jan 04, 2023 10:32 pm Just what the Ukrainians need!

I see a dio...tractor pulling and a Wookiee in the upper hatch!

Great work, Carlos. Space Armor to start the year!

Bruce, your quite welcome. Nice to see you back on here too!

John and Lyle, I’m glad you like this one. Kinda fun to step away from my usual stuff with something like this.