M3 Lee

[Sharkmouth]

 

[moon puppy]

Looks good .......but as you say, needs to be shortened (width wise).

I find less is more with bases. You want the focus to be on the model, unless you emulate Dad and tell a huge story and show action with lots of models, figures and buildings.

I'm going the dead space off, I don't really have a lot more to add to it. Could stick a deuce and a half in it like that photo...but na. Let's keep with what I can reach.

Miniart, ICM and Master Box have several civilian figure sets that could be made to work. They seem to be pretty popular so can be tricky to find.

Cheers,
RichB

I've noticed that Rich, I'm keeping a look out. I got another base I want to complete over my 2 week holiday. That's coming up

 

[Rhino]

The kids in aviator helmets and goggles are a hoot!

 

[moon puppy]

The kids in aviator helmets and goggles are a hoot!

I know and they look like "mister I gotta get to school or i'll get a whippin!".
I wonder what family around here has a story about grandpa walking over a tank to get to school.

 

[Rhino]

Broke their bridge, Army Dork-naggles!
What you could not know, is that these 2 youts are 1st Lt's James Lawrence Thompson and J.B. Harrison of USAF 128th fighter wing fame in the war in Korea. They started in Lockheed P-80's and went on to fly the ground-loving, Republic F-84F Thunderstreak.

 

[moon puppy]

 

[moon puppy]

Various color washes here. I'm thinking another gloss coat to seal this layer then some red clay dust. And I'm talking bonified South Carolina red clay dust! I'm gathering some samples to see how I might be able to make use of them. Anyone ever ground pigments???

 

[Rhino]

Actual Georgia red clay? If memory serves, rain water and a vintage Cadillac seem to do a good job.
Is Red Clay a "fat" sticky clay. Not a lot of sand or gravel traces in it?
A jar of water, a hunk of clay and a paint mixer, mebbe?

 

[moon puppy]

Actual Georgia red clay?

I beg your pardon!
South Carolina Red Clay sir!
We have a deep history with that stuff, many a cars have been ditched because that slick stuff in the rain.
Not only that some beautiful pottery has been made from it.
This was in my Moms house when I was growing up. It was sold to a collector who then sold it to a museum.

Saint Louis Art Museum purchases ceramic jar made by David Drake, enslaved American potter - Saint Louis Art Museum

ST. LOUIS, Feb. 17, 2021—The Saint Louis Art Museum has acquired a ceramic vessel signed and dated by David Drake…

www.slam.org

 

[Rhino]

Mah 'pologieez, Suh, but is The Great State of South Carolina not geologically most famed for her remarkable blue clay?
https://agriculture.sc.gov/agritourism-farms/manuels-blue-clay-farm/

 

[moon puppy]

Mah 'pologieez, Suh, but is The Great State of South Carolina not geologically most famed for her remarkable blue clay?
https://agriculture.sc.gov/agritourism-farms/manuels-blue-clay-farm/

That's down in the sand hills area below the fall line. Man you cross the street around here and you're in a different culture.

 

[moon puppy]

Red Clay, y'all tired of reading about it I know. Since Migs doesn't have "SC piedmont area red clay" color in their line up I figure I have to go old school and break out the pigments. What's going on here.

This is red clay collected from my back yard. How many colors do you see? red oxide is a good starting point. I layed up a lineup of Vallejo pigments and started playing with the ol' gun truck, afterall, Vietnam has red clay for the same reasons we have it here. Iron in the soil.

I started mixing colors around. Looks good on the Gun truck to my eye.

Gun truck has a good matt finish. The Lee has a fresh gloss.

It defiantly looks different than the gun truck. More like shading.

The great thing is I can wipe it down some more. Once I have this underlayment where I want I'll flat coat it and hit it again with red clay colors and get more of the effect like the gun truck looks.

@RichB you'll notice the offending tow cable has been removed, when you're stuck the first thing you do is get the tow line out.

Thoughts, comments suggestions?

 

[Rhino]

Are you quite sure a peace-time vehicle would be less skungy? OOPS! I lost my "Hush and see how it comes out" right there.

 

[moon puppy]

Are you quite sure a peace-time vehicle would be less skungy? OOPS! I lost my "Hush and see how it comes out" right there.

Depends on what your definition of Skungy is. I'm seeing this thing coming down dusty red clay roads behind caissons and 20 other tanks. I am wiping this down a good bit, it's not AS dusty right now. Flat coat to seal this in and then some more filters. Go back and look at those vehichles, they were shipped in on rail being pulled by steam powered locomotives that belched black smoke like a skungy...I think.

The Lees were literally factory fresh so you're not seeing this dinged up and scratched to hell, just dry dusty roads. Look at the photo Saul posted at the top of this page. the top of that tank is not clean.

 

[moon puppy]

Man what a difference a flat coat makes.

So now some more red filters against the flat surface. I see other photos and models with fuel stains around the filler cap but I do not see it in these photos. I'm felling good about this. I found some brick pattern sheets of styrene that I think I'll use to make the embankment or approach. Going for a steel bridge construction with wood planking.

 

[Heavens Eagle]

Yeah, the flat coat tends to help things blend and tone down a touch, makes a big difference!

 

[centaur567]

Try grinding up your red clay, make some mud and smear it on. When it dries, brush I off the excess. Gary S.

 

[moon puppy]

Try grinding up your red clay, make some mud and smear it on. When it dries, brush I off the excess. Gary S.

Using the real stuff for the base.

 

[Steve Ski]

Gettin her dialed in, excellent!

 

[moon puppy]

Got some dudes for the scene. Also found some civilians in my stash, had them for years, they look a bit European but who'll know.
Alpine 3rd armor sets, they will pass for prewar 1st armor.