Draconis: Spring Clean 2024 and onward

9th April 2024

Just a quick one here.

I have managed to find enough time to get the firefly base coated with AK Bronze Green via my basic airbrush.

Thinned it a bit this time and it did seem to spray a little better.

Not sure when I will be able to work on it further but I will update when I can.

9th April 2024

I actually finished this several days ago, but just haven’t had a chance to post the update.

The next stage carried out was adding transfers. In the Sherman Firefly kit I have it has transfers for a few versions. I had already used some on another model a number of years ago, but I still had enough spare that I could put some onto the Cromwell. I don’t know the appropriate markings, so just used a group from the sheet. They really do add a good visual impact once applied. To seal them I added a coat of matt varnish once they had dried.

With the transfers down it was time to wash the main hull using the same method as for the turret. However, I did thin the strong tone wash a little more this time.

Then it was onto the tracks. Wasn’t sure how to handle these though. In the end I went for painting them in a red brown colour all over. The thought on this was that it could represent either mud or older rust perhaps. This was followed up by a drybrush of a dark silver, a wash of army painter dark tone, some matt varnish and finally some spotting of rust colouring.

Chipping came next. I used the same sort of chipping process as that for my Deadzone terrain – sponging on some Wlydwood contrast paints. Followed up with some metallic for some of the chipping and edges. I tested it on the turret first, then rolled it out to the hull.

Finally I added some minor weathering. I had purchased some Vallejo ‘splash mud’ effect so tried that out alongside some streaking grime. I think perhaps I would prefer some dried mud effect, but the splash mud looks ok.

4th April 2024

So, my paints arrived – and the two Bronze Greens are slightly different colours (Vallejo, and AK Air). Also, neither seems quite right for what I needed.

I spent further time researching, and found conflicting answers for what the correct green should be.

As such, I decided just to paint with what I have and see how things come out. Started out on the Cromwell (as that had already been stripped before anyway). I found the AK air paint to be a little thicker than I expected, but did manage to get an airbrush layer down.

I then drybrushed it with my Russian Uniform colour. However, I think perhaps it was a little too lightly.

In order to change the colour further I went back and tried a heavier drybrush over one half of the turret. This gave me more of the tone I was looking for.

Rolled that out to the whole turret, then added a thinned wash of army painter Strong Tone, to tie things together and give a slightly grubby filter to it.

Next up it was rolling out the drybrushing to the whole tank…..

That’s as far as I have got for now.

Next up will be adding some transfers from the Firefly kit, washing the tank hull and then into the tracks and detailing. Then I will try some weathering out….

1st April 2024

My friends and I are planning to try out Warlord games new tank game, ‘Achtung Panzer’ – but plan to try to play it co-operatively.

We recently played through the Star Trek Attack Wing coop campaign and had great fun. One friend is a big tank fan and already has some for Bolt Action. I have a few made (Shermans and Panthers from the previous Tank war game – I am also a big tank fan ? ), but have had some waiting even longer to be done.

Many years back, when playing a Weird War 2 game called Secrets of the Third Reich I picked up a 1:48 scale Tamiya Sherman Firefly…. But never got around to putting it together. I also have a Warlord (1:56?) scale Cromwell that I sprayed green, but clearly didn’t clean it properly first. And most of the paint flaked off.

So this first stab at spring cleaning will be to build the Firefly (may be a little large, but since we are playing coop should be ok, and I think it deserves to finally be built), clean up the Cromwell, then paint them both. No problem….. ?

The Firefly build started out ok – gluing some bits to the diecast chassis. Then came the difference between a model kit and a wargaming kit – the sheer number of components, often very tiny, that go to make a more realistic model!

However, as it went along I actually enjoyed the process (apart from the searches for tiny components that somehow jumped away from me to hide on the floor…). But, I got there in the end.

After scrubbing the Cromwell in warm soapy water, sanding parts back etc I have sprayed them both black. But, I am currently waiting on some paints that should have arrived on Saturday. Needed to order the correct colours for them. Once they arrive and I can get the time I will spray them both with my airbrush (hopefully that goes ok) then try to work on some weathering to add visual interest.