The last couple days have been batch painting days. These are Paul Heiser Models US 2 1/2 ton trucks and some home made cargoes. Resin models use regular model paints.
Mir T34/76 tanks and a couple T34 armored recovery vehicles converted from the Roco T34 tank.
Roco M48 tank based armored vehicle launched bridge, Tiger tank turret conversion, M47 AVLB bridge launcher, and Roco conversion of the SdKfz 234/ 81mm mortar carrier. The M47 hull is some odd model I got that was terrible and I only salvaged the hull and tracks. The AVLB bits are from the Roco AVLB on a M48 tank. It makes an M47 AVLB which never existed in US service, but it looks cool.
The Roco SdKfz 234 has a huge space between the upper and lower hull which I noticed when I did the mortar conversion. It took a while to get that blocked off before I did the painting. As far as I know the SdKfz never carried an 81mm mortar, but it could have, so I used one of my surplus ones to make the conversion.
These are Mir T-34/85 tanks. I got them from a pen pal in Czechoslovakia back during the Cold War; they were made in the Soviet Union. A world that no longer exists. CZ is now two countries, Soviet Union is broken up, and they don't make Mir models anymore, and no one under 40 years old has ever had a pen pal! Since I got these tanks 40 years ago I figured it was time to paint them! The artillery is the 122mm Soviet howitzer by Zvezda in 1/72nd scale.
These Mir tanks were great for wargames, very simple and durable, just like the real T34 series.
I start by painting vehicles upside down, and then turn them over as each layer of paint is applied, I turn them over on their sides and right side up until they are all perfect. I wait at least 30 minutes between coats of paint.
I spray paint outdoors on a wire table, with the vehicles on thin sheets of wood. I keep a bit of paint thinner on hand with a few paper towels to wipe excess paint off the spray nozzle. Paints used today were Rust-Oleum Army Green and Testors Olive Drab. In another 40 years I will paint the tracks, wheels and other details.
Bunker Talk
Mike Bunkermeister Creek