Tamiya leopard 2a4

[tomhugill]

A job which I'd failed to photograph but am really happy with is the glazing, usually I use dark brown or green and then gloss clear over it for the periscopes. On this I decided to use clear styrene for all the lenses. The result is really pleasing when the light catches it. It'll get some pictures when the maskings removed at the end of paint.

After I'd added the rest of the welds and sorted the various covers it was time to reprime and shoot a coat of NATO green to see how she sat.

There are a couple of little details missing but nothing can't easily be added later. I have to say I'm really please with how it's come out, the welds have toned down with the paint (probably helps they're not bright white!). I've got the paint to do here Tri colour NATO camo but for now some more thinking needs to be done with where I go.


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[r32]

Tremendous effort. I would not be surprised if people are offering to buy this tank from you after you're done with the build.

[Raminator]

I realised that the lead foil I'd used as a mantlet cover was going to fatigue fail so a new material was needed. I've had mixed results over the years with different fabrics and have never been entirely happy. Some times you totally fluke onto a solution. I was never able to get a material that was thin, flexible and durable enough to model 1/16 material easily. My solution was a total fluke. I found a bin liner, a really cheap nasty one with very thin plastic on my garage floor. Whilst pretty bad at containing several kilos of waste it should be plenty tough enough to make a rain cover on a tank. It gives a nice crinkled look and is nice and flexible.

One man's trash, and all that eh? Coming along really nicely Tom, it's great seeing it all in one colour.

[tomhugill]

The Leo's been sitting waiting for it's turn for a little while now. I finally out my butt into gear and made a start. First job was modulating the NATO green base, I added some shading and then a couple of highlight layers.



Next is the NATO black and brown both tamiya colours in this case.



I find full modulation of the camo colours looks a bit cheesy so these are just laid down as a base.


Burnt umber filter added.



Next up is tidying up the camo, gloss coat as a base for the decals and the pin washes. Also at this point all the masking is removed. Finally the tools are painted.



Next up is pin washes and other weathering with oils and decal application once they arrive from Germany

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[tomhugill]

Some more progress, I've fitted a tbu base and a removable (for maintenance) ir emitter and tube.



I've also done the pin wash and added the tow cables



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[r32]

Are you able to show the front armoured skirts folded up?

[tomhugill]

Are you able to show the front armoured skirts folded up?

They do pivot but not a full 180 (and I've not painted the back

[tomhugill]

My Tamiya leopards 2a4 has been sad Waiting for decals for what seems like an eternity. Thanks to Der Emma Laden (and more so Patrick Götz) it finally has some markings. Not sure where I want to go with the weathering on this one, but at least it can be a finished clean example for now!

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