FJCook Posted January 20, 2011 Report Share Posted January 20, 2011 (edited) Not trying to hog the Armor forum here. These re-issues are often complained about, but I really enjoy seeing them on the shelf and checking out the box art as well as the original year of release. They're old, inaccurate, but stand the test of time because they're fun to build and lend themselves to improvements and honing your modeling skills without breaking the bank. This is Tamiya's 1/35 M3 Stuart light tank (Item 35042) I finished in 2010. It has motorization holes in the hull, open sponsons, clunky vinyl tracks, funny tabs that are supposed to be handles, inaccurate shape, soft details, thick Tamiya decals. But it was so much fun to build! I replaced the funny tabs with wire so the handles look like handles; filled in the motorization holes; did some sculpting on the sergeant in the cupola so his helmet looks more like a WW2 tanker's helmet instead of some weird lump on his head; and experienced the joys and beauty of Archer Transfers. The sergeant's chevrons and the big white stars are Archer while the rest of the decals are the kit's (and I regret using them because they are thick and need some work to blend into the paint job). The .30 cal behind the SGT is from Academy's nice little U.S. Machine Gun Set (kit no. 1384). I added a charging handle and drilled out the muzzle (as well as all the muzzles of the other guns on this tank). I accidentally broke that mounting rod for the machine gun so scratch-built a new one. The weathering is lightly done after a rather smelly Sin Industries filter. MIG Pigments all over, and graphite from a pencil rubbed on the guns, track assemblies, and edges of places the crew would scramble around. There's some light fuel spillage around the fuel caps. The antenna is stretched sprue. The tracks are the kit's and the first time I lavished attention on vinyl tracks, thinking I could handle the pressure. "What's the big deal?" Nope. I primed them, painted them reddish dark brown, painstakingly painted every rubber track block, highlighted gently with some steel paint and graphite shavings, then had all kinds of trouble trying to get them on the tank without cracking the paint. Didn't work, so there are portions where the paint was stretched and cracked off, revealing the vinyl beneath. It was a fun build, though. I notice Tamiya just re-issued a couple more US subjects... Edited January 20, 2011 by FJCook Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
802chrisg Posted January 20, 2011 Report Share Posted January 20, 2011 AHH, another classic oldie but goodie Tamiya kit. I built this same kit years ago. Funny at the time it seemed that this was state of the art. I now know about the kit short comings, but who cares. It was such a simple joyful build. Again you did a great job on this classic kit. Chris Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mark Aldrich Posted January 20, 2011 Report Share Posted January 20, 2011 I love the old kits. I just hate seeing them rereleased at close to the newer molded kit prices. You did an excellent job on that. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pappy Posted February 18, 2011 Report Share Posted February 18, 2011 Hi I have built one of these old Tamaiya kits too. I replaced the incorectly pined track with AFV individual links. I also replced the gun barrel with one from lion mark. Over all a nice kit. Yes I put in USMC colors. Once a Marine always a Marine. http://albanyipms.com/zenphoto/models/armor/1-35/-/ I like the job you did on yours what color green did you use over all? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FJCook Posted February 20, 2011 Author Report Share Posted February 20, 2011 Hi I have built one of these old Tamaiya kits too. I replaced the incorectly pined track with AFV individual links. I also replced the gun barrel with one from lion mark. Over all a nice kit. Yes I put in USMC colors. Once a Marine always a Marine. http://albanyipms.co...s/armor/1-35/-/ I like the job you did on yours what color green did you use over all? Yours definitely looks sharp with those AFV tracks and the barrel. I like your vignette. I used Tamiya Olive Drab (XF-62), lightening the center of panels by mixing either Desert Yellow (XF-59) for areas closer to the tracks or mixing in Deck Tan (XF-55) for higher areas of the tank. I used Sin Industries (available from MIG Productions) filter Brown for Dark Green (3837), which darkened the paint considerably, a result I didn't like as the olive drab paint was essentially darkened too much, almost as if I mixed in black or gave it a filter using black paint. Semper Fi. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RGronovius Posted February 20, 2011 Report Share Posted February 20, 2011 I loved this kit as a kid. It brought me back to the Haunted Tank comics I read as a kid. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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