With the $30 gift card i got for Christmas, I purchased some things I needed and this Tamiya FLAKVIERLING kit.
I figured while I am still looking for diorama pieces why not build something that I could possibly use with the figures. But I also wanted something small that I could practice weathering on.
It went together pretty easy. There were some issues with warped pieces or slightly off pins, but i'm not going to complain. The instructions reminded me of early Dragon kits, mainly separating the towing v.s. firing set up. In the end, it look pretty good. And though i'm not going to use the tow trailer, I built it out anyway. Just more practice real-estate.
Side complaint:
I have basically run out of the dark yellow AK Interactive paint that I've been using for my armor builds. I searched high and low and it seems AK has discontinued the paint and the set's it was in. I was very luck to find an online store here in the states that still had a limited quantity. So I ordered two bottles along with the other AK paints.
Needless to say, what little bit of dark yellow I had left was thinned so much, it was like 2% milk and took extra coverage on the Flak. In the end, I ran out and couldn't get the trailer painted.
After priming it with Mr. Surfacer 1500 black (which I am also out of now), I sprayed a few coats of the Ak Interactive Worn Effects. I then followed this up with the dark yellow.
I also got to use the paint booth Eric gave me. It made a massive difference with the extra light and keeping the fumes down. There were a few area where the yellow was so thin that the black was showing quite a bit. I did what I could to fix it then called it done.
One thing I noticed while working on chipping was the thicker the yellow paint, the more it "chipped" off compared to the area's where it was really thin. Not sure what caused it, but it's a reference for later.
BTW, the lights in the paint booth help taking better detailed pictures. So I guess it's going to double now as a paint booth and a photo booth!
I wanted a well work, beat up looking gun that was abandoned. I think I came close. After taking a break, I came back with the oils and a #2 pencil. I really need a master class in pin washes. Seems I get too much on there then clean up just smears it around.
Before adding the pin wash, i went around the kit with the pencil on hard edges and areas where I thought paint would have rubbed off leaving bits of exposed metal. Though I spent about 10 minutes on this, it's subtle enough I think to not stand out like a sore thumb. I used the Vallejo black for the barrels and clips, then sealed this with Tamiya flat clear.
After adding the yellow and burnt umber oils, I started on an oil wash. Started dotting all the blots, rivets and hinges. Started adding some to the creaks and crevices. Slowly, it looked like it was coming along.
Only place I forgot to add the wash was the back side of the armor plates. I'll do that a bit later.
I think it turned out pretty good for a weekend build. I know I need more practice and that's what this was for. It looks pretty beat up. The gunner chair is bent out of position because that section was a bit warped. the front front sliding door is a bit out of whack because it's warped. But I feel I was able to use that to make it look old and beat up.
