Second T-26 and first Pz I

This is my second Minairon T-26. Remember, these come two to a box and you can build both as Model A, both as Model B or one of each. My first batch are both Model B. The second box are built as Model A, I'll paint them soon. Next to the T-26 is the first Pz I. These come three to  box. I traded one to my good friend Jocke for some Zvezda troops and the last one is still awaiting paint.

Front view. The commander comes with the kit. Not very detailed, but woks fine.

 Side view. I decided not to put any mud on this T-26 to compare with the first one that was covered in dirt.

 The Pz I.

Side view. A quick paint job but it works for me.

Free stuff!

Mike over at Trouble At T'Mill is having a give-away to celebrate 100k hits. Go there and enter, just please don't enter the LOTR draw as that will reduce the chance of me winning. Enter the Airfix one instead, lots of cool stuff there too!

And yes, there will be a regular update soon, I have two tanks painted and have done a bit of work on the LRDG truck, but this is hay fever season and what little energy I have tends to be reserved for work and not much else.

Milicast LRDG Ford, WIP 2

The wheels are in and the base is being prepared (you can see the corner of it bottom left), just a few minor details left to add. And the steering wheel... I still need to figure out how to do that. I have a driver picked out, but he won't fit with the wheel in place. Maybe I'll attach the wheel to the driver before I fit him in the seat.

There is quite a bit of stowage done, sitting in a box waiting to be distributed across the vehicle and I am preparing an insert containing stowage and a Vickers MG and hopefully a guy to fire it. My plan is to have inserts for the storage area to make it possible to swap cargo for  troops, casevac, POWs or whatever the scenario might call for.

And just for Laffe: a closeup of the wires attaching the spare tire to the front bumper.

Second Minairon T-26 and Milicast LRDG Ford WIP1

Second tank from Minairon, using the same colours but in a different order. Last time it was base-wash-drybrush. This time I tried base-highlight-wash.

I think the result is looking promising, but we won't know until tracks have been done and pigment added if it actually looks better. I got some suggestions for paints to use from Lluis, Mr Minairon himself and I will be trying those on the two T-26A I built from the other box I bought. Stay tuned for that.

Second WIP for the day is the Milicast Ford F30 30cwt LRDG 4x2 Truck with 3A1 Steel Body. This has been delayed as a piece was missing in the original kit. Milicast sent an new one as soon as I askd, but the Post promptly lost it and I had to ask for another. That packet eventually arrived. Great service from Milicast, less so from the Post Office.
Anyway, construction has now begun. Please note that this is a good model and I am a bad builder. Anything  warped, askew or incorrect is down to me, not the model.

First Minairon T-26 finished

My first T-26 is finished, three more to go. It's a pretty quick job. Base colour is Vallejo Cam.Olive Green, 70894. Over that a wash of AP Strong Tone and a drybrush with old Citadel Goblin Green, from when they were made by Coat d'Arms. Tracks painted Coats Wood Brown, metal dry brush and another AP Strong wash and finally a mix of MIG pigments.

6mm ACW test

As a test I did a base of 6mm Baccus ACW skirmishers. I intend to give these to my buddy Jim as a present and an attempt to drag him into the 6mm world. The wall is a piece of cork tile and the gate post is a tooth pick.

Minairon tanks part 2, painting a T-26

I have done a bit of painting on the first of my T-26 tanks. So far just base paint, a wash and a drybrush, but it looks promising. I think I overdid the highlight, but I hope another wash and some weathering might tone it down a bit. I have done nothing on the tracks yet, any ideas, suggestions or links to track painting tutorials are most welcome.