Road Race - If you break an egg, you might as well make an omelette....

 So.......

Balls....

Anyway, I started bodging.

I replaced the front wheels of the wagon with Battlefront PaK-36 wheels, cut as much excess away around the dead horse and sanded that base as thin as possible. Glued into place and yes, this is ok now. Time to fix the wagon to the base as well, with a blob of Milliput and clean up all other areas.

I made a mould of one of the casualties, as soon as I have greenstuff or something like it again I can use these to change up the casualties for some variety, but this will suffice for now. 

I salvaged the original wagon and horse by giving it the same treatment, so removed a much base as possible and got a 30x60 base from my stash. Added the cast I made of the casualty after sanding that base as thin as possible too.

Once everything has set I'll round off the edges and make the base smooth with Milliput. As soon as I have a good replacement for Greenstuff I can do the horses tails as well. 

Road Race Progress - Civvies and a 232

 I did some more work and finished the 232, leaving the wheel sections unglued so I can paint them and glue them in last. I've added the 15 liter fuel canisters to the front after I took these pics (cause of course)

I received my Peter Pig order (not charged by Customs this time, jay) and washed all of the resin models and sanded the beases down to a sliver. Then washed them again, and based up the shot up Traction Avant on a Medium FoW base. Not sure if it needs any refugee items on it or leaving it as is. 

I recently grabbed a Warlord Epic ACW Ambulance on a hunch off of Vinted in a lot of other models, to use as civillian one. Still not a fan of Warlords resin casts, but with cleanup it was ok. Some pretty heavy casting sprues around the wheels, more metal in those gates than the wheels themselves. They got put into the spares bin for now as I wanted something more fitting the 1940 look. I have some spare 15mm truck wheels but those looked tiny compared to the cart (think wheels on a shopping trolley) so I grabbed my smallest size 20mm wheels off of a PSC Zis-2. Had to drill new holes for the front 2 wheels and it works...sort of. I now need to find my FoW blister of Destroyed cart so I can make a Oyumaru cast of the 2 dead horses for this cart. 

Same goes for the casualties from the Peter Pig pack, but...storytime.

I picked up 2 large rolls of Greenstuff from GSW 2 years ago. On arrival they already had partially set and the outer sections of yellow had already hardend. Complained, got a refund and got the same roll, nut in Brownstuff. marked it with the purchase date, August 2024. I grabbed this to do the sculpting for the refugees, but again, this one had almost completely set and had become useless. 

Really had it with GSW, had to ask for 2 refunds already this year and their quality is pretty much shit. 

It does leave me with the problem I have no sculpting material or filler material for the Oyumaru moulds. Milliput works as a base but I just can't work with that till it has set for a while, and with my limited time that doesn't work for me. So maybe Apoxie or something? I dunno.

Not that it matters, with surgery on Tuesday I won't be able to do anything for a bit anyway. Jay.

I picked up some ancient H0 Belgian rail markings for the abandoned truck, fingers crossed they still work. 

I think this scheme should work for it, with a nice Beige of Brown tarp on the back so the yellow decal shows up best. Might do another of these trucks but crashed and on its side? Different scheme of course, ripped tarp, spilled cargo? But that is something to do after the first ones are done. 

Tomorrow I'll grab the Milliput to fill up the underside of the cart, as the axles of the wheels are just too fragile. 

"I'm a little teapot, short and stout"

 Working on some 15mm civillian refugee vehicles for Battlegroup and could not resist making this.

Italeri 1/35 Porcelain Insulator from the power line poles I'm working on for Stalker, I have a whole bag of these surplus and I thought, why not....

Road Race, Calais to St. Omer Road, May 23rd 1940 - A Battlegroup Scenario for EW

 With the release of EW by Battlefront I picked up a German - French and British - French starter box and I had planned to start with a French - German scenario. Sadly that box wasn't packed in the correct manner and it contained quite a few damaged parts. BF Customer Service will get this sorted but that is going to take some time.

So, change of plans, and I selected the British vs German scenario "Road Race" from the Blitzkrieg supplement.

 

 It comes with all the details you would need, and the listing is quite simple.

For the Brits I have the following.

Starting Forces

• Staff Car - I have no model for this yet, currently looking around for options, most likely a printed model.
• Vickers Light Tank Platoon -  I'm assuming these are the Vickers Mk VI B. For this I can take 3 models out of the Battlefront Dunkirk box as it comes with exactly 3 lights. 

 British Main Force

• A10 Platoon (3 tanks) - I've managed to find a seller in the EU that still had several boxes of the PSC A9/A10 so I just bought them all. Battlefront only does a blisterpack with 2 A9's and that gets expensive really quick.
• A13 Platoon (3 tanks) - The Dunkirk box comes with 5 A13's so that is sorted.
• Vickers MkVI C Platoon (3 tanks).  For this I have picked up another Dunkirk box, this also gives me additional British troops and 2 Pounders. 
• Additional A13 (Commander) that I can get for the original Dunkirk box. 

So besides the staff car, they are all in my collection and I can start to build them.

For the Germans I have the following:

Starting Forces

• 1x SdKfz 222 - I have loads of these in resin from Battlefront, so not a problem. I even have a Zvezda one that would make a nice wreck if I am honest.
• 1x SdKfz 232 -  it does not say if it is the 6-rad or the 8-rad, but the only one I have in my stash is the 8-rad from PSC so that is a moot point.
• 1x Panzer II - in my stash from BF

German Main Forces 

• Panzer II Platoon (3 vehicles) -  I can take these from the Maginot starter box (the German side was properly packed unlike the French, so undamaged apart from some damage to the Siocast crews.
• Panzer 35(t) Platoon 1 (3 vehicles) - I do not own any 35(t) but I do own several 38(t) boxes from PSC so I'm afraid these will substitute for the 35(t). After this those can be used for Barbarossa etc.
• Panzer 35(t) Platoon 2 (3 vehicles) -  Same,
•  Officer in Panzer IV (which assume is the D) - I have a blister of this model in my stash. 
• 2 offtable 88 shots. I have tons of 88's but I will need to check if I have Early War crew. I could get away with a counter but a real model (with a counter next to it) is more fun for me.  

And that is all the scenario needs.  

Limited in build time, I'm looking forward to building, painting, and finishing these. I have no set deadline for this project, so it will most likely come and go like the others before it. I've already looked at doing additional bits but those can wait till these are done. 

Why shipping models as letterbox mail is a bad idea...

 Sure, why not. Looking forward to the sellers reply. 

Edit 28/3 - Seller refunded the entire order, no need to return it. Now to find a way to hide the damage. 

AK-47 "Animal" Group Build - Cannery plated and fixing something I forgot

 I've been working in the front yard relaying the pavers and widening the driveway a bit (as far as my body and limited skills let me) cause my parents and brother drive SUV tanks these days.

Finished today and to say I'm tired is an understatement. Gotta love getting old :) But it is done and I am happy about it.

Anyway, plated all of the factory earlier this week, but.....

To seriously misquote Sir Cain, I forgot the bloody loading door!

<sigh>

Ripped off a building from my H0 scrap pile, washed off 20 years of sigarette gunk, cut a sateh stick and some scrap MDF et voila, loading door. 20 minutes of work.

Now that I look at it I might add some trim beneath the door....but that's for tomorrow.

First full plate print succes since starting - Anti Mecha Tetrapods

 Jay!

Sofar I've never managed to line up a full plate of stuff and got that to print without issues. Today I finally crossed that hurdle. Ok, granted, printing so many of the same item helped I reckon, but still, WIN :)

The support helps with keeping them glued down on their base, so I did not remove them. 

Now to base them up in two's and three's, and give them a coat of Mr Surfacer.

Running a test print of a 15mm version as well so see how it works out. 

Edit: Awww, so cute.....

Recycling

 I picked up this resin water tower ages ago for my 20mm stuff. I tried to do something with it a few years backj, made a fence for it at some moment, but that got nowhere. Now I need one for 15mm, so with some scrap MDF to remodel a new door and a new base....

 

 

Now to let the lot dry, sand the edges and coat everything with Mr Surfacer and get on with it. 

AK-47 "Animal" Group Build - Expanding the cannery

Next to Canned Fish we will now sell Canned Squid as well, with extra ink in each can, cause we can. Only for Wadiyans of course. 


As Erik just said:"Calamari-inna-Can! Food, paint and eco-friendly O-rings"

Finish it! - Bombshell Miniatures Minebots

 Started - Well, bought in this case, June 2015. When shipping from the USA was still affordable and not a spare (tariffed) kidney.

Thats 2 moves ago and 10 years of my life. Was about bloody time I painted these.

"IIyama-Kevill SH-17S are affordable small size service robots for all of your needs for your Interstellar craft. Equipped with 2 dexterious manipulators no small task is too great for them. Directly connected to your ships computers they will not shy away from any service issues that arise and handle these in a swift manner"

IIyama-Kevill commercial add

Kevin kicked the now smoking little droid, the 10-gauge slug having removed the large central eye and most of the upper part of the little body. Its shiny black casing went flying and crumpled into a corner with a bang. He looked over to Fran who was taping up the puncture in the left leg of her suit, where the droid has sliced right through the suit but missing her leg. While that was going on, the scanner started pinging again. 3 more little lights came running around the corner. Kevin racked in another round for a aimed shot at the nearest little shit. This was costing too much time.....

I tried to make them as multi use as possible. 28mm or 15mm, Pulp, Sci-Fi or Cyberpunk. 

White basecoat, several washes of Vallejo Dark Grey Wash and for the eyes I used 3 thinned Speedpaints (Blue, green and red). Decal from the Vo'Tann decalsheet from GW. Multiple coats of gloss varnish. 20mm magnetised round base. No damage.

I can't find the original models in the Bombshell Miniatures metal line, but you can get these as STL's now: Minebots

On one of them the antenna had snapped so I removed it from all 3. 

For now they will get blasted apart in Scrapjacks :)

Finish it! - Big Fat Silo x2 by recycling a Faller H0 kit

 Date started: somewhere early 2025 I think.

Built, based and that was it. Primed these last week and did most of the paint job at our hobby nights. 

Kept it basic and generic so it works for multiple periods and scales.

With 15mm (though the drone is technically also used for 15 and 28mm), stairs to the front.

With 28mm with the marking. Though to be honest, the slim stairs side will also work for it, God knows I've had to scale some for work that only had space for one steel toeed boot at a time. 

In case you are wondering about getting these for yourself......don't!

This is a H0 kit from Faller, 130474 of which I bought a box of 8 or 10 at a tenner each years ago. Well, inflation hit hard cause these up in price by 500%. 

Then again the kit has a ton of parts for scratchbuilding, so....

Finish it! -15/28mm Sci-Fi Cargo made from toy car wheels

 Date started: Around September 2024 I think.

Built, based and partialled painted and then dumped in a box after a cleaning run. These are 4 wheels I ripped off of small car toy cause they are a nice hard plastic and look container-y.

Now finished. May many more follow. Incidentally this also another 50 Cent Challenge finished!

Compared with 15mm

Compared to 28mm

Finish it! - start of a series?

 

I keep finding semi finished stuff, so decided to put in a box whenever I find it. And I just sat down to actually start finishing them, most of them have languished long enough.

AK-47 Militia Build - The Miltia 120mm mortar painted, now just needs crew

 God knows where they dug up this old fossil....

Battlefronts 15mm scaled 120mm that they sell for the Germans, Russians, Egyptians, Iraqi's, Bietnamese, etc....so this might be a bit hefty for the Militia but it just says Mortar, so something with a little more Oomph is nice. That and I have loads of these in my spares bin.

Lowlands Terrain Small Storage Warehouse

 

Picked this and 2 other kits up from a local creator (10 min drive to pick these up) and this is the smallest of the 3. 

 

Nice TT Combat like feel to the MDF, nice lift off roof and comes with 1 crate, 4 solar panels and 2 AC units as well. The light lasering on the floor and door is nice to keep intact while painting. Made for 28mm but if I am honest as always, make a fake door in the side and you have a nice large warehouse for 15mm as well. Or a hanger for a stubby aircraft? Need to paint it now.

 

They tossed in a free 0-10 counter thingy as well in MDF, for which I don't have a need but it was fun to paint up 

AK-47 Militia Build - Dir, the 1st T-34 Rebel Tank PIP

 No kids for Christmas, and meds making sure I'm not hungry I just spent the day sorting stuff, cleaning and grabbing the occasional small snack, no Xmas dinner this year, or tomorrow. Well, there was but that is now in the freezer.

And then I took an hour or so for myself this evening to grab some washes to paint Dir, the 1st T-34 tank for the Militia (Rebel) Build. I did not get as far as on Rumh, but that is ok as I need to do some more prep work and putty pushin on the third anyway and what work remains (white markings and barrel, crew,tracks etc) can be done when I paint that. At my current rate that will be somewhere next year I think.

Dir (درع) means Shield in Arabic. The crew are....for lack of a better word, "conscripted volunteers"

The 2nd T-34 (and third tank for this unit) will be īmān (إيمان) which means Faith.

So Spear, Shield and Faith. Tank is a Battlefront T-34 that I got in a joblot. I hope that explains why this and the other T-34 have their commanders cuppola glued on the loaders side. For a fantasy like this it is perfectly fine....

...Crap, now I feel I should equip some of the spear guys with a shield......dammit. Oh well, still more than 20 days left I suppose....

AK-47 Militia Build - Rumh, the Su-100 Rebel Tank PIP

 I don't have a lot of time today so focussed purely on getting the tank as far as my enevrgy could take it. It needs markings (which need to be weathered) and I need to write the name on the barrel. Then do the trackwork and some parts of the base. Final detailing after the basing.

 

Rumh (رمح) is Arabic for Pike (the weapon, not the fish). Backstory is that the Militia "found" this and other T-34 based tanks in a outdoor long term storage base in some backwater on the coastline. She's not pretty, but she runs (for now) and the gun works. 

AK-47 Militia Build - The Old Gun PIP

 I grabbed a plastic German 105mm gun from the Battlefront spares box after grabbig these photos off of the Internet.

These are from the Syrian Civil War and are a rebel gun circe early 2015. Although you would think it is a German 105mm, it is not. It's a Yugoslavian one and some details are different......but not enough to bother with for this build.

After posing, basing and giving it a coat of primer and having that harden nicely, a solid hour of work gets me to here:

Once the crew is finished, I'll base them together, do the base and add the lanyard for firing the gun. 

AK-47 Militia Build - Clothing WIP

 For the basics of the clothing I've used nothing but my sets of AK markers. trying what I can and cannot do with them. I've mostly used the historical markers this time. They work fine but I'm not sure how long the tips will last.

Tried using at least 1 bright colour per stand, when possible. Also did a few (very fake) camo's to see what works with the markers....but that got messy real quick, so if I wanted to do that I'll use the brush. 

While fun to do, I'll only do this for bigger items. The ammo crate works just fine, the camo pants does not so that might be a redo. This is the guncrew btw. 

AK-47 Militia Build - Skin

 I'll be honest. As much as I enjoy painting scenery, I really don't like painting figures 99 out of 100 times. Yes, boo, hiss, eat me.

But these guys aren't going to paint themselves, so.....

1 coat of Army Painter Speedpaint Hardend Leather for all of the skin. It will do. Once everything is done, a coat of matte should tone the shiny, sweaty, muscular.......<ahem> The models should be nice and flat then.