Waltzin' Matilda

The challenge: build any kind of hover tank without using a tank kit's hull or turret - because nothing saus 'fun' like 70 tons of floating mayhem.

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Scotaidh
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Post by Scotaidh »

I decided to try something new (for me, anyway). I thought I'd try a sort of screened spray painting effect on Matilda. I found some rubber net/mat stuff that my wife had used to line the kitchen shelves. She's now changed over to shelf paper, because the dishes 'stuck' to the rubber, and you couldn't slide anything on the mat.
This mat isn't just a flat mesh - it's got blobs (I don't know how else to describe it). I thought it'd be interesting to drape some of this over Matilda and spray through it, and see what kind of pattern I got, especially if I repositioned the veil for each new colour.

Pic 1 & Pic 2 - veil draping trials
Pic 3 & Pic 4 - first colour, a dark green, with veil.

As you can see from
Pic 5,
Pic 6, and
Pic 7 - results were mixed, mostly, I think, because my paint was very 'spitty'. Since these paints all came from very old rattle-cans I got a Wally-World many yonks ago, I don't think there's much that can be done about the quality of the paint, except perhaps to not move the can quite so fast.

So I tried again. Two shades of green, some version of blue, and a metallic gold later, I got
Pic 8 - with veil;

Pic 9 and
Pic 10 post-veil.

So, ladies and gentlemens, I ask you - what do you think? Should I keep it or try something else?
"Is Russian artillery. Is mostly on target."
Dimitry
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Dr. Yo
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Post by Dr. Yo »

Its an intersting effect, and I think its effective so far. I do think it
needs some strong dark colors for contrast.

Know what you mean about spitty paint-always a pain.
"Semper fiendish"-Wen Yo
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onezero
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Post by onezero »

Now go with black and maybe really dark grey for some contrast. Bit of weathering and you are golden!
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Scotaidh
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Post by Scotaidh »

Today I worked on the cupola, the TC's weapon, and finally 'set' the scale. It's 1/35 - the One True Scale for Armor - or so I was raised to believe. ;)

Cupola raw material Yup - a 2" bobber from WallyWorld.

Cupola View 1

Cupola View 2

Cupola View 3 The TC figure is from a 1/35 Centurion.

Cupola View 4

Cupola View 5

Now to find and attach the impedimenta that all active fighting vehicles accumulate - equipment, crew's gear, add-ons, anntenae, and so on and so forth. :)

Thanks for looking - any suggestions will be carefully weighed. :)
"Is Russian artillery. Is mostly on target."
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rallymodeller
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Post by rallymodeller »

Hey, you got a Dalek head mounted on there! :D

The tank is lookin' good...
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chrisjon65
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Post by chrisjon65 »

:D I want that marine boy P1, I saw an episode the other day and thought that the P1 would make a great scratch build.Let me know how i can get one please please
Ohh and the tank is looking great also :wink:
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Scotaidh
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Post by Scotaidh »

rallymodeller wrote:Hey, you got a Dalek head mounted on there! :D

The tank is lookin' good...
Thanks, RM. I was trying for the Hammer's Slammers cupola-mounted 2cm tri-barrel, but ended up with a quad-barrel instead. I justified the height of it by saying it needs a good field of fire ... that's my story, and I'm stickin' to it. ;)

The turret ring is a large toothed wheel I got in my Box O' Stuff two years ago ... I'm slowly using up those hi-quality greeblies - by the time I'm done I'll be ready for a new BOS challenge! :)

Chris-jon, Thanks! As to the P1 - sorry, I either got that at a model show hereabouts, or . I have no idea where there might be more. I know nothing of the show, or even more than the "P1-0" - everything else on the box and directions is in Japanese, of which I am completely ignorant. I've got that mostly done - with some modifications of my own - or I'd send it to you. All I've got left to do is paint, put the heads on the people inside, add the glass, and decal. I've put the 'glass' bits somewhere safe - I'll have to find them. Do you want it?
"Is Russian artillery. Is mostly on target."
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Scotaidh
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Post by Scotaidh »

"Is Russian artillery. Is mostly on target."
Dimitry
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Dr. Yo
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Post by Dr. Yo »

Very neat detail on the interior of the sub-turret. Glad to see I'm not the
only person who sometimes paints ahead of the details. :D
"Semper fiendish"-Wen Yo
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Scotaidh
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Post by Scotaidh »

Dr. Yo wrote:Very neat detail on the interior of the sub-turret. Glad to see I'm not the
only person who sometimes paints ahead of the details. :D
Well, I do get ahead of myself, sometimes. Ok, often. :) However, the life of a military vehicle is all about paint-touch-ups with a brush - rarely are they actually sprayed.

So I reckoned I'd get some base-spray-coats down, and then all the added stuff will be brushed with whatever bottle of paint I happen to have handy - much like in the army, although they do have the 'correct' colours (usually).
"Is Russian artillery. Is mostly on target."
Dimitry
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Old Wombat
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Post by Old Wombat »

But rarely from the same batch, which can show significant colour variation.
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Scotaidh
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Post by Scotaidh »

Updates ...

Pic 1 Adding some colour ...

Pic 2 ... details to the cupola interior. More to come as soon as I find it.

Pic 3 Potential crew and hull-mount greeblies ...

Pic 4 known as 'pioneer gear."
"Is Russian artillery. Is mostly on target."
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Scotaidh
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Post by Scotaidh »

Done! Here are the final snaps of this tank, before it's deployed to a display shelf.

Pic 1

Pic 2

Pic 3

Pic 4

Pic 5

Pic 6

Pic 7

Pic 8

Pic 9

Pic 10

Pic 11

Pic 12
"Is Russian artillery. Is mostly on target."
Dimitry
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Butters
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Post by Butters »

Very nice! The details make it come alive! And despite your earlier aprehension, the paint has a nice 'future camo' feel.
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Scotaidh
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Post by Scotaidh »

Thanks! Pics 8-11 show the max elevation and depression of the main gun - 8 & 9 over the aft deck; 10 & 11 over the bow. It's the same amount of travel, of course, but because of the differing lengths of decking under the barrel it seems different ...

Anyway, onward and upward! :)
"Is Russian artillery. Is mostly on target."
Dimitry
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Dwight D. Maxwell
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Post by Dwight D. Maxwell »

Very cool indeed! :thumbsup: :alien1:
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Dr. Yo
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Post by Dr. Yo »

The oscilating turret taken to its logical conclsion! Very nicely done, indeed!
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Scotaidh
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Post by Scotaidh »

Thank-you, gentlemen. :) It was a fun build. :)
"Is Russian artillery. Is mostly on target."
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Old Wombat
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Post by Old Wombat »

Looks great, Scotaidh!

You're really pressuring me to put aside my slow-moving "What if..." build & start on a hover-tank, you know!
"The purpose of all War is Peace" - St. Augustine

"This is what happens when you keep fixing it until it's broke." - Ziz.

Lost! Somewhere in WhIf World!
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