Lots of great progress to report for this weekend's bench efforts with the focus put on the remaining hull details in particular. All the tools were hand painted and detailed and installed in their various locations at the front of the hull and on the rear mesh screen of the fighting compartment. Curiously, the Bronco PE fret only provides 4 handles for the tools that go on the front fenders and none for the tools that go on the rear...the omission is also there in the instruction sheet, the tools are clearly shown assembled and installed sans handles...so I used some extras from a Griffon PE clamp set for those tools to make up for it.
I also added a little bit of visual interest by creating a different shade of the Panzer Dunkelgelb/Light Gray combo and used this on the jack and fire extinguisher. Since this type of gear was manufactured separately from the vehicle and added at the final stages before the vehicle was shipped out, you wouldn't expect a 100% match so they got the slightly different (and darker) treatment to reflect that.
Last but not least, the spare track run was detailed up and installed in place in the rack on the hull nose.
Other rear hull details were picked out as well. I used Tamiya Clear Green for the Notek convoy light lenses and Tamiya Clear Red over some MM non-buffing Metalizer Steel for the brake lights. The visible parts of the exhaust system were also detailed although they are all but hidden away in various places.
Tracks also received some attention. I dry-brushed enamel MM Steel and then followed that with a wash of enamel Raw Umber to prep these for the pigment weathering to come later.
With the details squared away, a coat of Future via airbrush sealed everything in and was allowed to dry for an hour before the decals were added. Markings are simple for this scheme and vehicle, just crosses and small white numbers on either side of the fighting compartment. Decals were treated with Solvaset to ensure they snugged down with no silvering and then a 2nd coat of Future applied to seal them in and protect against the weathering to come.
Coming down the home stretch now on this one, not a whole lot left to do to get 'er done!