Two Nearly Complete Models...

In the past few months, I have had two models on the go: The Tamiya Tiger (I've been working on this one for many months) and the Tamiya Spitfire MK. I. Both are nearly complete so you can expect to see pictures in the coming month(s).

Kit-Bashing Figures Pt.3

For this next part of the Kit-Bashing section, I'll take a look at figure modding, making parts from scratch. For this part, I'll be using the figure from the Tamiya 1/48th scale Supermarine Spitfire MK. I kit. I began by cutting out the parts and drilling a hole in his torso and right arm (already detached in the kit mold). I did this because I inserted a piece of wire to hold the arm in place. After getting the angle right, I used wood putty to create the rest of his arm. I then painted him accordingly (look through my archives to find articles about figure painting) as an RAF pilot from the Battle of Britain.

Show Your Support!

In the "Fellow Modellers" Tab, press "Follow this Blog" to show your support for "Zaltar's Guide to Scale Modelling" if you have a Blogger account. If you don't, it's quick and easy to make one, and it also allows you to make your own blog and access many other cool features. I hope to see you in the Fellow Modellers tab!  

One Year and 45 Posts Later...

One year... In the first weeks I doubted that this website would last one month; but here we are, February 1st, 2009, one year after my first post. Thank you to all of my visitors for keeping me optimistic about this project by watching the hit counter slowly but surely rise to its current number of 777 (strange how that sort of thing works out, isn't it?); without you I would have lost interest a long time ago. I hope that you will continue to return to Zaltar's Guide to Scale Modelling for a long time to come. I wish to continue to provide modelling tips for many years to come, and I want to see many more February firsts to come and go on this site.

Best wishes to all for the next year!

zaltar

Kit-Bashing Figures Pt. 2

For putting together new figures, I use my secret weapon, a ball of clay. How that happens to be a secret weapon you may ask; I use it to dry fit arms, legs, hats, you name it. I am then able to place the figure in a model accordingly, now able to see if any changes are required. I did that with my Tiger's gunner. I then saw that the body was too large, so I had to cut down on the poor chaps "gluteus maximus" in order to fit properly. After sawing that down, I then dry-fitted him one last time, and then glued him together.

Kit-Bashing Figures: Pt. 1

Models always look more realistic with figures, so this new section is dedicated to creating figures from multiple kits, better known as "Kit-Bashing". The idea came to me after I had finished the Zimmerit on my Tiger I. The kit looked rather unrealistic with only commander Michael Wittmann (the tank is based on Wittmann's final Tiger, 007) and I had left the hatches open for an good interior view, but the inside looked very barren, so I decided that it needed another figure. After an unsuccessful hunt for tank crewmen on the internet, I realized that I would have to take matters into my own hands: I needed to make my own figure.

I started off by looking through the good old spares box. In there I found some British 8th Army crewmen from the Tamiya Universal Carrier, and decided that one of them would do. I then found a German hat for him from the Tiger  ,put it on him, and he strangely looked really good and it was a perfect fit. Thankfully, the figure will be inside of the turret, because I don't know of any SS tankers in Normandy wearing khaki shorts and long combat socks!

Tip of the Week

There's almost no need to buy expensive model paints; I suggest that you go  to your local dollar store and buy some cheap acrylics. That's exactly what I do, I can get every color that I need in Deco-Art paints, each squeeze bottle costs under a dollar.