8. Leichttraktor Rheinmetall 1930

Andreas Koziol
There it is - my new model kit! After my very lengthy last project, I need something small that can be implemented faster. My choice fell on the Leichttraktor Rheinmetall 1930 tank.The Leichttraktor (Vs.Kfz.31) was a german secret experimental tank designed between WW1 and WW2. Also this time there are some premieres for me: this is my first model kit from the Ukrainian company ICM and I will attach a 3 tone camouflage for the very first time. So let's go! 🙂

Mike Kryza
Count me in

Thomas K.
Bitte, Bitte fabrikneu! 😉 😉

Andreas Koziol
Welcome Mike! 👍
Thomas on the test site in kasan, they had something against brand new! 😄

Andreas Koziol
First gluing steps! My Tamiya Extra Thin Cement was empty, so I'll try the new cement from Ammo of Mig. My first impression of the kit: As far as good, but the plastic is very soft, which I really don't like. We will see.😉

Holger Kranich
Und? Wie macht sich der kleine Bausatz?

Andreas Koziol
Wächst & gedeiht!😉
The little tractor is growing and prospering.

Slavo Hazucha
It's gaining traction quickly! Great chillout build choice after the grisly behemoth you just finished😉

Rui S
Nice project. I'm in 👍

Andreas Koziol
Thanks Slavo & Rui and yes, this build is to come down!😉

Andreas Koziol
The gluing work is done! This was my fastest assembly so far. Except the one bracket and a few holes were missing, I have nothing to complain about this kit. How good (or bad) the vinyl tracks are will show up later.

Dave Flitton
Watching to see how you paint this little puppy!

Rui S
Does the real exaust pipe had that seam line? Or is it going to desapear with the base coat?8)

Andreas Koziol
Thanks Dave and also Rui aka Hawkeye - I will fix it!😉

Andreas Koziol
A small size comparison between Tiger & Leichttraktor.
Now I know why they call him the "LOLtractor" in World of Tanks. 😄

Andreas Koziol
Now we come to the paint and I need your help! The tank will get a classic 3 tone camouflage (for me the first time). I actually like the Box Art Cover most. In the instructions, the colors look very different again and the recommended color selection (Revell & Tamiya) also gives completely different colors. I have now put together the possible color combinations I own - Tamiya is my favorite. What do you think about that?

Andreas Koziol
Tamiya is as you can see the most realistic color combination in my opinion. I also like Vallejo but it is much darker and stronger in color. And what happened with the Ammo of Mig colors? I have absolutely no idea! I used the color straight from the bottle without any thinner. The yoghurt cup has been given a light gray primer before use. What do you say about what could have happened and which color combination would you take?

Martin Oostrom
Ammo doesn't like to be brush painted. Airbrush only

Slavo Hazucha
While Mig created a nice abstract artwork, I´ll side with Tamiya - all 3 colors seem to be the best matches... But maybe I only saw too many tanks painted with these 🙂

Augusto
@Matin Oostrom Not entirely true. I recently painted a Rafale with Ammo and brush and it worked just fine. The secret is to apply the first coat directly over the primer, with no dilution. The next coats can be thinned down.

Rui S
Interesting comparition 👍

Andreas Koziol
thanks for your opinions mates. ammo colors are suitable for airbrush & brushes. i have NOT use any thinner and shaken it sufficiently beforehand. i just think ammo colors are not good for brushes. at the end maybe i will take a color from every combination. 😄

Thomas K.
The Ammo Colors will be in light layers. a primer ist to do always! a Video is in youtube about handling the color; When you have understand the colors they are really nice!😉

Andreas Koziol
Thanks Thomas, I know how it works with airbrush, but the bottles say also for brush, and want to paint this test cup quick with a brush.😉

Random Penguin
Ammo is good for brushes, you just used a very THICCKK layer 🙂

Andreas Koziol
yes this was a thick layer, the same thick layer I use with tamiya & vallejo. when I use a thin layer, I have zero cover.😉

Jos Jansen
Ammo is superb for brushes, but before applying use a good primer...I use the primer of Alclad, master!

Andreas Koziol
I used vallejo surface primer. I test it a second time with longer shake and thin layer, at the end I must say, the Ammo of Mig colors works very well with airbrush, but not with a brush.

Martin Oostrom
We all have our experiences and our preferences. Luckily there is choice enough to get a favourite for everybody 👍

Andreas Koziol
WORD! 👍

Andreas Koziol
After the whole back and forth which color combination I take now for the camouflage, I decided for the crazy variant. I take from each manufacturer the color that I like best - let's see what comes out. I started with a light gray primer and the first color dark yellow - both from Vallejo.

Mike Kryza
Why not... (🙂

Andreas Koziol
Before we come to the next two colors for the camouflage, the Leichttraktor get his first chipping.

Martin Oostrom
Nice chipping. I really ought to try that myself. Once. Someday.

Andreas Koziol
Poooh, that is a lot of work to prepare a tank with masking putty for the upcoming camouflage paint. My first time! 😄

Andreas Koziol
The second camouflage color has now found its way onto the tank. It's the Ammo of Mig color with which I had my problems before with the brush - with the airbrush it covers without any problems.

Martin Oostrom
Two tone camo looks great already

Mike Kryza
Really a nice progress!

Andreas Koziol
Thanks Martin & Mike, the third color comes tomorrow.

Holger Kranich
Was ist denn mit dem gelb passiert? Sieht ziemlich mitgenommen aus, als hättest Du die Farbe auf nassem Grund gesprüht... Oder soll das so?

Andreas Koziol
habe die grundfarbe schon gechipt!😉

Andreas Koziol
The third and last camouflage color has now found its way onto the tank. This time the brown Tamiya color with the most matte finish of all and ~ 25% thinner. A little thing I wouldn't do next time: draw the camouflage with a pencil! I used a soft pencil for it, but it's very difficult to get it erased!

Andreas Koziol
It's time to take a little care of the tracks. This time after a long time again vinyl tracks. Although these tracks save a lot of time during construction, but they usually don't look very nice. I glued them together with superglue in the normal way. After that came a black primer on it, then a tire black as color and in the end I gave the contours a metallic gloss with a soft pencil. I left out the mud & dirt because I have not yet decided on the final weathering.

Andreas Koziol
And it happened once again - from a planned light washed out camouflage pattern has become a strongly washed out camouflage pattern. I simply do not yet manage to find the right measure during weathering. The real chipping comes now the days and is applied with a brush.

Holger Kranich
Die Ketten sitzen aber noch nicht richtig, oder?
Hast Du mal chipping mit einem Schwamm versucht? Geht bei mir besser als mit einem Pinsel.

Macht richtig Spaß dabei zu zusehen, wie Du dich entwickelst.

Hister Farjas
great

Slavo Hazucha
This youtube channel has some insane (I think, not my key focus area) chipping and weathering tips & techniques... 🙂

m.youtube.com/channel/UCNM5EknY1XBA9buLmJqYLdw

Andreas Koziol
@Holger Nein die Kette ist nur lose drum gelegt. Ja Schwamm-Chipping habe ich schon getestet, gefällt mir auch sehr gut, nur das was ich hier gemacht habe soll mehr abgewaschene Farbe darstellen (wie bei Wintercamo). Das richtige Chipping kommt noch.😉
Thanks @Irving and @Slavo I know Nightshift and follow him, an absolute brilliant modeller.

Andreas Koziol
Time for the decals.

Andreas Koziol
I'm working on chipping!

Andreas Koziol
Today was the exhaust on the program! He always gets a dark brown base color, then pigment fixer, on which I then dab two different colored rust pigments with the brush and that's all.

Andreas Koziol
So slowly we come to the end! I'm now at the final weathering and the last steps to complete the Leichttraktor. So that it stays a bit exciting at the end, I'll show you only small sneak previews before hopefully soon the final photos can be taken.😉

Holger Kranich
Ja, so sieht das doch schon nicht schlecht aus...

Slavo Hazucha
Nice job Andreas! I really like the 3D-effect on the chipping and scarring of the tanks surface - you have truly created a plastic surgeons nightmare there😉

Andreas Koziol
Thanks Holger & Slavo! 👍

Tim Heimer
Looks good!

Andreas Koziol
Thanks Tim! 👍
The next and the last preview picture.
I think I've overdone it a bit with the weathering again, but what the hell! 😄

Thomas K.
no comment😉

Andreas Koziol
Thanks Hans! And Thomas I had to laugh! 😄

Stefan Schacht
very nice, i like the weathering 👍

Andreas Koziol
It's done, the little tractor is finished! I am quite satisfied with my eight tank project in which I put a total of 28 working hours spread over a month. More photos & details will follow the next days. Constructive criticism is welcome - I hope you like it too?

Frank Krause
👍 Looking really good, Andreas!

Agustin Prellezo
Great job with the weathering!

Mike Kryza
Hat was... 👍

Nathan Dempsey
Love the scratched up paint.

Neuling
This is another top build. Weathering, rusting, metalizing and dirting are fine. Chipping is not overdone: a heavily used vehicle actually can look this way.

Slavo Hazucha
Great outcome, the weathering looks great, I really like your personal style and use of techniques, the wet/dry mud contrast & the plasticity just look great. 👍 Nice little "bridge build"!😉

Andreas Koziol
@Frank @Augustin @Mike @Roland @Nathan @Neuling @James Thank you so much for your kind words! 🙂

Andreas Koziol
@Slavo And I like how you analyze finished models. Thanks! 👍

Andreas Koziol
@Hans I know exactly what you mean. But I did some research and these rubber tracks hardly get any dirt. In addition, the dark pigments I have used for the dirt and mud, barely offer contrast to the black tracks, so it looks like at the end then, as it looks.😉

Andreas Koziol
Here are some more detail pics of my Leichttraktor, 1/35 from ICM. As you can see, I left out the railing around the turret and the two headlights. Why? simply because I don't think it fits well with the overall picture and I also don't think that they had been in use for a really long time.😉

Andreas Koziol
Here are some more detail pics of my Leichttraktor, 1/35 from ICM. Come closer!😉

Holger Kranich
Wenn Du bei dem Tankdeckel jetzt noch mit dem selben Zeug, nur 50% verdünnter, noch ein mal um den Deckel gehst, dann kommt der "Sprit-verkippt" Effekt noch geiler.😉

Holger Kranich
But in the end a really nice Model. Maybe you give the tracks some light dusty pigments, so they blend more into the vehicle?

Andreas Koziol
@Holger gute Idee mit dem Sprit-Effekt. Wobei wäre schon geil wenn man irgendwie diese lila Ölschlieren nachproduzieren könnte.

Slavo Hazucha
When you find a method, let us know! I can very well imagine a Soviet derelict airstrip scene with some contamination...😉

Andreas Koziol
Slavo I have a first idea...give me some time...and some more money! ;D

Holger Kranich
Hmm... Some water and real oil?

Andreas Koziol
That's right, in terms of logic, that would be the simplest solution, but I think you have to dilute the oil so much to be able to process it that the end effect is barely visible. maybe you have the smell!

Andreas Koziol
Since it is my goal in model building to be able to design a beautiful diorama at some point, or for the beginning just a base, I tried my hand at it. Nothing special, just a little landscape. What do you think of it?

Holger Kranich
The Leichttraktor in ist natural Environment! Looks great!

Nathan Dempsey
Great shot. Looks like it is awaiting prey behind the tall grass.

Slavo Hazucha
Very nice romantic postcard theme 👍 Fields, meadows & light tractors...😉

Andreas Koziol
Thanks @Holger @Nathan & @Slavo. Fun fact: the background image is actually from Kazan, so from the area in Russia where the light tractor was tested at the time.

Slavo Hazucha
So that's why the picture had that "Bayern München in the Allianz Arena" feeling to it!!

Holger Kranich
Bayern who???

Andreas Koziol
😄