AMX-13 Build

My material: Tamiya's AMX-13 with single-link tracks from Takom, as I cannot stand vinyl tracks. Also, feel free to marvel at the disaster that is the state of my workbench. 

The barrel is one piece, but the muzzle brake is formed from two. They came together quite nicely and needed only a little bit of putty. 

The kit has tools with molded-on clamps. I wanted to display a vehicle that has been more or less forgotten in some damp warehouse corner, with tools partially having been taken off for whatever reason. I removed the clamps from the hammer (mounted on the front plate) and axe (back plate) and replaced the clamps on the vehicle itself woth some copper standins. This was actually my first time doing this. Turns out, working thin copper sheet isn't THAT complicated. 

New (empty) clamps where the axe would have been mounted. 

Assembly of the tracks went smoothly. Luckily, the links from Takom turned out to be quite easy to handle, not a massive amount of cleanup necessary. 

Once cured, the tracks could simply be taken off by carefully bending them. I didn't close up the track to facilitate this. 

I applied some thinned putty on the turret to get a better texture. Not yet smoothed out. 

After sanding. 

Completed texture. 

Like with the tools, the fixture for the jerry can on the turret was molded in. I build a replacement from copper foil and a piece of thin styrene sheet. 

Came out quite nicely. 

Build mostly done. 

The tools. I didn't manage to build replacements for the strips holding the shovel and pickaxe to the turret, so I had to leave them on. Axe and hammer will later on be placed on the vignette. 

I applied a rusty base coat, as I wanted to use chipping fluid to give the vehicle a thoroughly forgotten look. This was my first attempt. It would later turn out that I did something wrong with the green layer on top, as parts of it came off during chipping (down to and including the primer). I had to redo everything after scrubbing off my first attempt using isopropyl alcohol and a bunch of not too enjoyable time. 

My second attempt. This time, I made sure to seal up the rusty primer layer. I also added a second layer with chipping fluid in-between to get a less unified, smoothly gradiented look. 

I was somewhat tempted to put this into a scene as a wreck, but I wanted to stay with my original idea of a vehicle parked and forgotten. 

With green coat and chipping to reveal the rusty base coat. 

Completely assembled, save for the running gear and turret tools. 

Running gear and tracks. The wheels were painted just like the vehicle itself. The tracks only got one coat of AK's track primer, a number of random splotches of AK's rust colors and where then speckled with the very same. 

Affixing the tracks to the vehicle. 

Decals applied.  

I added a bit of Ammo's Dust Enamel Wash on the track's upper surfaces, but I didn't fancy that one too much, so I didn't repeat it for the vehicle itself. 

Backside numberplate. I left off the decal for the front number plate, as the exact spot where it would have been has been heavily corroded. I added a few tiny splotches of black color to hint at remnants (no image, sadly). 

This was the first time I used an oil dot filter. I found it to be a quite simple and enjoyable technique! 

Tools for the turret finally done and added to the vehicle. Save for the final coat of ultra-matt varnish, the AMX-13 is done! 

Now for the vignette. I wanted it to be some dank warehouse corner, where the tank had been placed many years ago and been basically forgotten. 

Base and walls are made from XPS foam. The concrete pads on the ground (not visible here) are thick cardstock, sealed with black modpodge. A technique I kinda stole from tabletop crafting, just like the walls. 

Black modpodge base coat on the first two segments of wall, the three concrete pillars and the base. The third piece of wall is still in white. 

I painted everything using my airbrush. Aside from some minute overspray here and there, this was a quick and painless process. 

Everything was glued together using PVA wood glue. 

Test fitting the AMX for the first time. 

Adding some weathering. The window frame is still missing, as is the little shelve I want beneath part of it. 

Completed vehicle. 

Completed vignette.