KV ready for battle..finally

[palepainter]

It has been quite busy here at my shop and my guitar playing on the weekends has kept me away from the modeling table this past week. I put a few finishing touches on the KV1. I am just awaiting some mud pigments for all the tanks. I added some bedrolls and blankets as well as fabricating the tow ropes from picture frame hanging kits. I used shrink wrap to tie them off on the ends of the larger ones. I used some stryrene on the cable on the rear deck. The laundry is out drying just behind the rear heat ducts.

I used one of the MAKO boards I purchased from MichaelC, in order to get it compatible for IR battle at the local gathering. I liked the simplicity of the MAKO and am considering getting an upgraded unit for one of my other tanks to compare to the Clark board in a Panther I am about to convert to an Ersatz M10.

[PainlessWolf]

Pale,
The KV looks better (rustier) every time I see it. ;o) I have to ask, what is hanging off of the rear tow cable? I am looking forward to seeing this one in person, well, all of your builds. ;o)
Regard,
Painless

[palepainter]

Thanks Painless,
I have been tweaking the weathering just a bit over the past month or so. The bits on the cable are pieces of shop towel soaked in water/white glue mix, then hung over the cable. I wanted them to resemble personal items of the crew. Shirts, towels and other items. The one on left fender is going to get a Russian flag paint job in the next week or so.

Pale

[MichaelC]

Pale,

The KV looks fantastic and glad that the MAKO is working out. I don't know if your local gathering are stickler about hatches covering the receiver. We have to make out KV hatches lay flat so that the receiver is exposed at the back as well........

MichaelC

[palepainter]

Hi Michael,
I had not thought of that. Great point. I will run it like that and see what is said. Thanks for mentioning.

Pale

[scalawag]

Very nice indeed Palepainter. Nice to see the weathering not being over done, a used but serviceable look

I think the trick with weathering is to keep an eye on the whole tank and not get too focussed on the part you are doing now, and of course to now when to stop

This is spot on in my opinion

[MichaelC]

Hi Michael,
I had not thought of that. Great point. I will run it like that and see what is said. Thanks for mentioning.

Pale

The metal ones will lay flat but then you need to re-paint and mess up this master piece....... I think you can also notch the hinge mount point and that will allow the plastic ones to travel further and lay flat, or at least not covering the receiver.

Or just leave it and it will be invincible with the turret facing backward...........

MichaelC

[PainlessWolf]

Pale,
Something I found this morning that you and Alpha might enjoy which is pretty fascinating for it's views of KV's both in artwork, old photography and in motion and being used in wartime. The factory shots were very interesting as well. I just killed the sound track and ignored the CCCP imagery interspersed and focused on the amazing tank footage available. The second one focused on a KV-IIB either being State restored or restored in private ownership. Check these out:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YiZ2mi6vbrM and https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2ZRa6U2LfDc
regards,
Painless

[dgsselkirk]

Really nice paint and weathering job Painless! I just finished one too and will post some pics this weekend. On the hatch cover mine is plastic so I carefully heated the U joint and opened it up a little more so it lays flat for battling. You can run with it upright when not battling and then you lift it up a bit and it folds down flat. The only drawback is if you close it without the apple on it doesn't quite line up but I like it the way it works so if they give you a hard time about it this would be one fix.

[PainlessWolf]

dgsselkirk,
This KV is all PalePainter's baby. I've yet to lay a tool to mine yet. ;o) I just finished a Sherman 105mm named Maxene but my weathering techniques are sparse compared to Pale's here.
regards,
Painless