[White Ensign Paints]

Humbrol paints, esp. white and some other light colors, are good but they yellow with age. Keep that in mind.

[Airfix 1/600 HMS King George V]

Neat work here, and certainly nice paint job.

 

This was not waterline, I think, and wonder if you cut off the lower hull.

 

Thanks

[Some unpleasant truths on modelling]

RobG,

 

It is certainly true that when sheltered from light, models age less. It is also true that armor kits age less, esp. if they are smaller scale and painted sand--with the possible exception of decals, if they have any at all.

 

Thanks

[Some unpleasant truths on modelling]

]Thanks for the feeback, Gil.

 

Floquils are not available here--most Greek modelllers have turned to Sangyo and/or Vallejo colors Some use some Tamiya colors also.

Despite what we may think., there is no permanence in models--they do change over time--colors, varnishes, even glues change, and putty also. But then again all in nature changes over time, wether man made of nature-made, and that includes us.

 

Thanks again

PS. The atttached image shows 3 paintings of mine of British WWII pilots as they were published in a Greek magazine called WAR AND HISTORY, long ago. The text in Greek was also part of the article I had written about these men. Dated 1994.Kent was a Canadian.

[Some unpleasant truths on modelling]

:gold-plane: This post arises from my own experience only and it concerns how many models age and actually get worse as they do.

The other day, I opened my modelling cabinet, which has six shelves and house about 60 models of all kinds, and took out some models I had made in in the early 80's. Some of the aircraft models were a sore sight: the decals had yellow, the painted had yellow, and some landing gear doors and missiles had come off and unglued.

Let me say that I made aircraft models in 72nd, AFV"s in 1/72nd and 1/76th, waterline ships in 1/700 ot 720, figures in in 1/72nd, 1/ 35th, and 1/76th and in 54 mm--and that myself contain specimens of all the above types pluse some unfinished models pending or stopped.

Aside from the constant battle against dusr ( I wash them and go over them with a soft brush and let them dry from time to time--every 2-3 years), I saw that my Humbrol enamel finishes had yellowed and so had some of the decals, even on some aircraft models that had got 1st prize at the IMPS-Greece Nationals long ago, when they were fresh from the bench.

I also noticed that tanks and AFV's, mostly western desert WWII, and painted sand, did not look as bad and had not deteriorated much--some are still great to look at. My 54 mm figuresm those that had been primed with Humbrol enamel and then painted with artist's oils, looked fine. Those painted only with Humbrol enamels had yellowed and deteriorated.

 

I then stopped to wonder if the sad fate of the deteriorated models is always there as a menace for whatever I make now and also reflected that many modellers have met the same sad sight.

 

Clearly, it is a pity.

The models certainly gave pleasure when they were being made, and joy to me when many of them got awards in many classes...

But are we modellers everywhere fighting a losing battle all the time?

Must we resign outselves to the idea that after a few years the sheen and lustre will go and the colors become despicable and the decals horrid?

I am 66 and have been modelling since the age of 14. I am no.3 member in the list of IPMS-Greece and helped create it and many of the models I made when I was 14-18 are now in storage for a Plastic Kits museum that will be created in the next years in the city of Athens and will feature creations by "old & well-known"" modellers. I am now such a modeller and I am not sure of the mertis of that dubious distinction.

I also paint as a standard artist (oils and gouaches and watercolors and acrylics).

In fact the picture at top left of my posts is a goyahe painting of mine of a British WWII destroyer in the sunny waters off Crete in 1942. My gouaches and oils and watercolors do not yellow. The models do.

 

 

A penny for your thoughts,

and Happy New Year to all.

 

Nick In Athens :unsure:

[8th Army uniform colors in Western desert?]

Thank you Ron,

 

In effect, you are saying what I was suspecting all along--they wore whatever was at hand, and it also looks as if footwear was not the same color for all ranks and units.

 

I am modelling Taniya's 25-pdr British Field gun and it has six figures, of which I have managed to lose one, as I started it 12 years ago and took it upto finish it again now. I will vary their dress colors a bit, just to spice things up.

 

 

 

I am reading that best of all war books ever , Robert Crisp's BRAZEN CHARIOTS, a day-to-day first person narrative of the desert war.

The book is so good this is the 4th time I am reading it, and it will not be the last, either, I am sure !!.

I noticed that each time I read it I see new things. Bob was a tank commander on the Stuart M3 Honey, 8th Army, 3 RTR.

 

The book, though not directly saying it, implies that everything was makeshift, including the general movements and strategic plans. (90% of the time they did not know where they were or where the enemy was and what was happening.)

I also read somewhere that the Israeli army uses that book as a instructional text and tool, since they have desert and lots of stuff in the book is on tank warfare in the desert and its peculiarities.

 

Thanks again

 

 

Nick

[Vallejo paints]

Many figure modellers use them here in Greece where I live--they have dropped oils and opted for these and seem to be swearing by them now.

Armor modellers use them for weathering effects.

I have not used them yet myself and saw they needed a lot of shaking to stir well and become useable.

One thing I do not like is they have a small hole at the top of the bottle through which I cannot put my usual minidrill mixing rod to stir the color.

 

I also assume they will be very similar to artists' acrylic tube colors, though I have not yet tested that yet to make sure. If they turn out to be similar to artists' colours, I will post it here.

[8th Army uniform colors in Western desert?]

Hi,

 

Does anyone know what the 8th Army uniform colors were like in the western desert 1941-43? My net search reveals conflicting colors.

 

I assume the tank and infantry regiments had most items similar, though the Scots had different dress (tartans) and then they had all these COLONIAL TROOPS and ANZACS also.

 

Any help would be appreciated.

 

Nick

[8th Army uniform colors in Western desert?]

Hi,

 

Does anyone know what the 8th Army uniform colors were like in the western desert 1941-43? My net search reveals conflicting colors.

 

I assume the tank and infantry regiments had most items similar, though the Scots had different dress (tartans) and then they had all these COLONIAL TROOPS and ANZACS also.

 

Any help would be appreciated.

 

Nick