Tiger Model 1/35 AMX-10RCR Separ

Hello to all my dear readers. Finally, I have managed to do what I used to do when I was in the UK. Progress after Progress and reveal after reveal. And here is another one for 2017.

This is the second offering of the kind from TML (Tiger Model Limited). The kit is fantastic for its price. This kit also happened to be my second Tiger Model kit and after this, I am hooked on Tiger Model.

Some information regarding the kit - The fit of the parts is very nice and assembly is straightforward. There's only a small amount of gaps to fill. I love that there are plenty of detail around the whole vehicle, especially on the turret, which does look very 'busy'. I even decided to put more stuffs on it. Hahaha. That turret is a very sexy one. The 6 tires are done in a soft black vinyl(or rubber?? I am not sure) which have a detailed heavy tread pattern and include raised markings of the tire company which makes them just lovely.

I didn't do anything special, just the NATO Three Tone. The colours used are Tamiya Nato Green XF-67, Nato Brown XF-68 and Nato Black XF-69. These are my GO TO colours for every and ALL nato three town vehicles. I love those colours. 


As I found on some sources, these babies were in Afghan and some sources also indicated Mali so I decided to go 'Desert' Dusty on it. I used a variety of AK and AMMO wash for the dusted effects on the nooks and crannies. Of cos, a bombardment of sand and dust pigment was necessary. 

I am more or less happy with the state of the vehicle but I am so pissed off on my eyes missing out on the glaring mould lines on the stowage. As I only managed to find them during photo-shoot, I couldn't be bothered to fix them anymore. Laziness strikes and it hits hard. LOL. Regardless, I am happy I put them on. It adds some visual interests.

All in all, this was a enjoyable build.

I am, however, not happy about forgetting to remove some of the heavy application of the dust wash around some of the details. I totally forgot I put on too much and I thought everything was fine until I took the photos. Only then I realised, some of the dust washes are really really messy. :(. Oh well.... what's done is done.

(Just click on the smaller ones and they will pop out )

The running gears -

Some random close ups -

And as usual, my show case photos from various angles -

 

And as usual from me -

Thank you guys for always supporting me. Thank you dear readers for your patronage as well.

Until Next time.

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HobbyBoss 1/35 ZSD-90 IFV

Hello Dear readers.... 

I have another finished kit to share with you. and no, this is not the T-80 I have been building. Yes the T-80 is finished but I haven't got around to taking photo of it yet. 

Anyway, this is a kit that I bought on impulse. I was at Hannants one day grabbing some paint and Tamiya cement and my eyes fell on this little IFV with a retail price of £25 so I bought it on impulse. Little do I realize that this will be Part of my IFV fleet after I am satisfied with my MBTs and SPGs fleets. 

The box contents consist of 10 sprues, lower hull, upper hull, single chain links, copper wire, PE parts and a decal sheet. The parts are very fine and clean sprayed -. beautiful details and absolutely clean, the kind of quality one can expect from 2010+ HobbyBoss kits. To my surprise, the single tracks in this kit is workable. You just basically click it on but it's not that well made so it falls apart so frequently BUT it made putting on the tracks a wee bit easier. All I had to do was glue them once I have successfully installed them. 

A little bit information about this vehicle, I don't know why HobbyBoss name this kit ZSD-90. This is the IFV version of the ZSD-89 ( type 89 ) APC armed with a unmanned turret with a 25mm and a co-ax 12.7mm machine gun. This IFV version of the ZSD-89 is actually known as the YW-307 IFV in the PLA arsenal. ZSD90, known also as Type90, is an entirely different machine. However, some sources say the exact opposite of what I have just typed. At this point, I really don't care what is what any more. Researching about PLA machine is just too hard.

The entire kit was painted with Mr.Hobby Aqueous as it was the most closest and best colours for the PLA vehicles. I painted the ZTD-05 with the same paints and in turn, the ZTZ-99 and I was happy so I just used Mr. Hobby Aqueous.

The paint scheme is obviously the digital camo from the 60th Anniversary Parade. The instruction do not show any example of the digi cam and I haven't seen videos of picture of the machine taking part in the parade or with this scheme but I wanted to paint it in the digi cam regardless. The  vehicle number is my girlfriend's birthday, July 13.. well, my ex-girlfriend now as of since yesterday (Nov 11). Had I knew that this would happen, I would have put on a different number. Oh well, I guess we just can't foresee things. ''' sigh ''' :( :(. ( I'm ok.. well, trying to be ok.)

Much like the ZTZ-99, I used pre-cut masks. I just recycled the masks I used for the ZTZ-99 so as to save valuable masks.

I was going to build it absolutely weather free but I didn't like how it looks. While pin-washing it, an idea struck me - '' what if I weather it entirely with oil? '' and that's just what I did. I am quite weak in applying dusts so I killed 2 birds with one stone with this. I thinned down Naples yellow just a little bit and started making streakings with that colour. In that state, Naples yellow lose its yellowish colour and become more of a grey colour. Once dried, I thin it down to completely milky consistency, pour it in my Airbrush and apply a layer with low pressure. I then wet ( just slightly ) a brush with white spirit and started blending the first layer. It takes me 4 layers to achieve this looks

It's time for the photos - 
(Just click on the smaller ones and they will pop out )

 The running gears -

Some close ups of the sights ( here you can see how Vallejo Matt Varnish F**ked up my finish... damn you Vallejo) -

And as usual, my show case photos from various angles -

This is not one of my best works but my experiment with the oil only weathering was a bit of a success IMO. I'm actually very satisfied with this except for one thing - the F**King vallejo matt varnish f**ked up the finish by leaving those bloody white frosted blobs ( you will see some of them in some of the close up photos). I try and I try but from time to time, those white frosts happen. "££$£DRHEB TY$%^$%T$£%$%"$£%%&%^~@{%$}$£&$%^ 

Ahem.. forgive me, lost my temper there. Anyway, does anybody know how I can avoid that? Cos it's really annoying the F out of me. I don't have that problem with the Vallejo Gloss or Satin varnish but only with Matt Varnish. Can anyone, someone, help me with this? :( 

I couldn't keep building if not for my supporting friends and comrades. Thank you guys for always supporting me. Thank you dear readers for your patronage as well.

Until Next time.

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