Some badly needed ARVs arrive to the shelves of the US Armoured Regiment. With luck no more bogging down in the (Richard) marshes of the Cotentin.
The models are MiniGeneral 3d PLA prints. The models are simple and very well designed but lack all the details that made this vehicle win plenty of Modelling contests with 1/35th scale models. No problem though as the extra details are easy to make.
After washing and carving out some excess plastic I tried something new in order to erase the few printing lines visible: before gluing any extras, two coats of varnish were applied and the problem was solved. The varnish covers most of the lines and this solution is much better than all the pastes I´ve tried. Besides now, and thanks to the varnish, the superglue that attaches all details has a firm substance to hold and stay.
I caught some nice photos on the web of a M32 with a Ben-Hur trailer and used one from Airfix.
Fabulous mate, really nice builds
ReplyDeleteCheers
Matt
Thanks Matt. Very enjoyable but only a few things as Im trying to concentrate on placing RF rules in my head for my 1st wargame in many years. Look as if im going to marry my oldest :)
DeleteI've never seen these recovery vehicles before, but they look great:)
ReplyDeleteThanks Steve. They are a joy to add details and you can find incredible kits of them in 1/35th scale on the web which are great inspiration.
DeleteI like those a lot, much better than assembling the version by UM
ReplyDeleteThanks Will. Only had few UM but if they are close to old ACE I can see what you mean.
ReplyDeleteVery nice mate, mine a at least 30yrs old a conversion on an Airfix Sherman chassis based on a plan in an old modelling book :) Not as nice as these, but usable :)
ReplyDeleteThanks Richard. I treasure those old conversions much more than many new stuff. Besides no one as one like that for sure.
ReplyDeleteI have two on order from Pedro. Yours look great. What kind of varnish are you using to blend the printing lines - water based or solvent based? Also, I see you prime your models in a light grey. Do you use an airbrush to paint? I fear missing bits and having the primer show up in those missed places.... Thanks for posting. Love your site.
ReplyDeleteHi Chris. I use acrylic varnish in spray. Two coats with 30 min intervals are enough and insist a bit more on areas with more visible printing lines until a small pool is formed.That thing will dry and cause no problems. Only then glue all extras with superglue. Finally I spray grey primer and the whole model is painted by hand. Hope it helps.
ReplyDeleteThanks JP!
ReplyDeleteYou're welcome.
ReplyDeleteJust received my first of three Minigeneral orders. The vehicles were really well printed -- better than I expected. What was also not what I expected was how time consuming it is to remove the excess plastic! I broke a an MG barrel and found it quite difficult to remove some of the materials under fenders and other undercut areas. Any suggestions? Still love the models, just a bit more challenging to prepare than I expected.
ReplyDeleteKnow that pain. For the excess plastic there are some videos on YouTube on how to do it. Also check the BPM 3d printed miniatures as there is a nice video on how to do it. Under the fenders there is that f#### kind of plastic net that you take out using an old Xacto. Carve it in an oblique way and that thing will come out in one piece. With practice and some yelling and swearing things get better.
DeleteThanks, JP. Must say that I am relieved that I am not the only one struggling. I think that I got a mix of old and new designs. The 21st Pz funnies were a real pain. I kept realizing that there was ever more to remove and I think I removed something that was meant to be part of the model! My attitude is "if it can't be seen, leave it." I will check out the links. Cheers, Chris
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