Show us yer stuff!

[8ball]

Very nice CAMA, especially the infantry. They are bee-you-tee-full!

[Mk 1]

Well now, I feel compelled to go back and modify one of my OWN posts...

David:
...
OK, Troy and JB will give any of us a pause to consider our painting talents, but hey that's half the fun of this forum, ain't it? It spurs us all on to do better, and to try some of the techniques we see here.

I now gotta say I should been listed Troy, JB and CAMA.

And maybe added Kevin (Mage) for infantry! Man, those men are something! I can see every detail of the packs and webbing on the Brits!

Nice, nice, nice, nice. Me wants more!

Shhhh, don't tell anyone, but this has become one of my all-time favorite threads!

[jb]

Well now, I feel compelled to go back and modify one of my OWN posts...

David:
...
OK, Troy and JB will give any of us a pause to consider our painting talents, but hey that's half the fun of this forum, ain't it? It spurs us all on to do better, and to try some of the techniques we see here.

I now gotta say I should been listed Troy, JB and CAMA.

And maybe added Kevin (Mage) for infantry! Man, those men are something! I can see every detail of the packs and webbing on the Brits!
Nice, nice, nice, nice. Me wants more!

Shhhh, don't tell anyone, but this has become one of my all-time favorite threads!

You think maybe those are 15s from a distance? Nice detail!!!

[Mk 1]

You think maybe those are 15s from a distance? Nice detail!!!

Indeed.

I am quite frankly amazed at the details some of you guys manage on the infantry. I impress myself when I manage to paint boots or different color pants versus tunics. I'm lucky if I can keep the flesh tone MOSTLY to the face and hands. No way I'm going to be able to get in there with eye-liner!

[HMSDiomede]

15mm?!!? I have 20mm Brits that don't look THAT good!

David

[Mk 1]

OK, so I've yammered on for long enough. Dragged out the camera today (and got some support on hosting from Thunder -- many thanks).

So here are my M3 TDs from Tunisia:






I've tried to duplicate some of the look of US units in Tunisia who would apply ad hoc camoflage by smearing mud on their vehicles with brooms and mops. I've used the GHQ US Individual Artillery Crewmen, and the Seated US Armored Infantry, as well as several random figures from the extra's box (including a couple crewmen from M4A1 Mortar Carriers). I've also added camo nettings (sliced packing foam munched down with super glue) as has been described here.

I took the pictures in direct sunlight. Might have been a mistake, as a) the shadows are pretty harsh, and b) it was so bloody hot in the sun today I almost burned my fingers handling the models.

Oh, and one of these days I'll have to get a better camera. But that's about the best I can do for now.

[On edit: Updated in 2009 with new links to pics, after re-hosting on Photobucket. -Mk 1]

[kgpanzer]

your layout looks great...I am getting ready to post my pics..however how do you upload them?

thanks
Ar

[Mk 1]

your layout looks great...I am getting ready to post my pics..however how do you upload them?

We had a thread discussing it here: http://www.ghqmodels.com/forum/viewtopi ... 93&start=0

[jb]

I've tried to duplicate some of the look of US units in Tunisia who would apply ad hoc camoflage by smearing mud on their vehicles with brooms and mops.
.

WOW MK-1 The broom seems rather large for painting with, and the mop, I think you would 'ave crushed your minis with that. ... anyways...
Nice job...JOLLY GOOD SHOW ! SA !

[HMSDiomede]

Mk.1,

What, no M6 GMC's? Truly one of the "wonder weapons" of WW2. You wonder what the boys at Ordnance and TD Command were smoking when they came up with it.

David

[Mage Knight Kevin]

So here are my M3 TDs from Tunisia:

Cool unit, Mk1! You've convinced me to try that camo netting trick too.

Kevin.

[HMSDiomede]

So here are my M3 TDs from Tunisia:

Cool unit, Mk1! You've convinced me to try that camo netting trick too.

Kevin.

It looks like it might work for modelling applied foliage camo, as well. Might have to experiment with smaller bits of foam.

David

[Mk 1]

What, no M6 GMC's? Truly one of the "wonder weapons" of WW2.

Well, I DO have some. At my current rate of painting, they should be done some time just before I die of old age. If my wife doesn't kill me first for all the mess I make, that is...

You wonder what the boys at Ordnance and TD Command were smoking when they came up with it.

Well, actually it was the boys at the Tank Destroyer Board. And ... they were thinking the same thing they thought on ALL of the TDs, which went something like this: " We have learned all of the lessons there are to learn from the French campaign of 1940. We'll be ready when the panzers come."


French Laffly W15 TCC "chasseur de chars" (hunter of tanks) from 1940. At least the French had the good sense to put a decent AT cannon on it.

Cool unit, Mk1! You've convinced me to try that camo netting trick too.

Yeah, I like the way it comes out. I tried several approaches with these different TDs. SOP for the M3 TD units was to carry their lashed on the sides or backs of the open compartment, but many took to placing it on the top of the gun shield so that they could drape it over the front quickly to break up the outine of their vehicle when they took up firing positions. So I put some on the backs, some on the tops of the gun shields, and even ran some over the front of the guns and onto the cab on two of 'em. Unfortunately my camera isn't quite good enough to show them to good effect.

In addition to just putting the super glue all over the foam to mush it down, you can also put just the smallest drops of super glue in a couple locations along a piece to simulate tie-downs (it mushes down under the drops, but stays puffed up elsewhere). If I get some time maybe I'll shoot a pic or two of my T19s (105mm SP halftracks). I put nets along the sides on a couple of 'em, using the "tie-downs" technique. I think they look pretty good.

I'm still struggling with the proper sequence of painting and building with models like these. I used to mount figures before painting them. Well that makes it too hard to get the paint into the tight spaces. Now I paint them before mounting them. But the glue itself makes a white smear when it tries. Also sometimes I wind up smudging off some of the pain in handling them when I'm mounting them.

When I put it all together I have trouble making sure to do it all in the right sequence, which runs something like: base-paint AND camo first, weather next, detail after that, then re-weather some of the details (like running gear), all BEFORE mounting the painted figures, then going back for touch-ups on details (and even base-paint for the glue smudges). Yeesh, I must have hit those guys 15 times each with the paint, not including the three that had to go all the way back to re-base painting over their front halves when the alcohol-based black wash went on too dark and dried too fast.

I also tried to put some variety into the crew figs. I have a really useful pair of tweezers with large flat heads that I use to straighten gun barrels. I've found they can also be used to bend arms at the elbows or shoulders.

So the arty crewmen who are looking at their watches with a hand over their heads (ready to sweep down on the command to "fire") were modified to be shading their eyes as they looked forward, or resting an arm bent-elbowed on to the gun shield as they looked over it, etc. The walking crew figures with arms swaying wound up standing next to the AAHMG with a bent-elbowed arm resting along the top of the breach. I even took one of the guys with the split-view range finder , snipped off the ends, razored it off of his face, split the arms, and bent them at the elbows, and wound up with a guy standing and holding the top of the gun shield with both hands. (WHY do we need so many range-finders in the arty crews anyways? One per gun? C'mon, one per battery would be more than enough.)

All in all a challenging build. Fun. But kind of makes me envy the guys who are building 1:5 unit scale.

[HMSDiomede]

Mk.1, I would have to say the results justify the effort involved. The crew figures really help make the unit. Something I will have to do with my own open-top vehicles, some day!

Yes, there are some advantages to 1:5/1:platoon. I started out that way 25+ years ago using the old Gene McCoy (Wargamer's Digest) Series 78 organizations because it allowed me to field a greater variety of units and support weapons. I have stuck with 1:5 because:

1.) I am too lazy to want to reorganize my stuff. It would be a undertaking of fairly epic proportions at this point in time.

2.) I am also too darn CHEAP to want to do it!

3.) I seem to end up preferring rules systems that are setup for 1:5.

David

P.S. I have a unit of Laffly W15 TCC in 20mm. They have yet to see action, though. My company of the 601st TD for Tunisia has their M6 battery as well. I know the TD Board worshipped mobility over all else (in keeping with intended TD doctrine), I just have a problem with an AT gun that has no crew protection and is too big to dig in or conceal. Same reason I never cared much for the British "portee" concept. The M3 GMC was an even bigger target, but at least it kept out the splinters and small arms (most of the time, anyway )

[Mk 1]

Mk.1, I would have to say the results justify the effort involved. The crew figures really help make the unit. Something I will have to do with my own open-top vehicles, some day!

I've got a company of M18 Hellcats that is waiting for my attention.

They are painted in my "pre-GHQ forum" art -- well detailed with canvas and tools painted, and a few white stars, but not well weathered, and with no crewmen. I'm trying to figure out how to fit crewmen into their turrets. Thinking I might cut 'em off at the waist, and even at the shoulders, to fit 'em in.

I've already got the M20 utility (scout) cars to fill the unit in around the TDs. They were the very first models I put crewmen into. Boy, it is tough -- the MG race makes a very small space to insert a crewman, yet you can't cut them off because they are visible all the way to their feet.

I need to work up one or two more units before I try to re-do the M18s themselves. I really want to make it a showcase unit. My father (RIP) was in the Tank Destroyers in WW2, and told me about the open-topped TDs that went 50+mph (he didn't recall the designation) when I was but a lad. So TD units kind of hold a special place for me.