Captain Blood's Western Desert: P.125 - SdKfz10 half-track with 2cm Flak 30

[Plynkes]

I'm not really a Top Gear kind of person, by which I mean I don't generally get excited by automotive hardware, but I have to say I bloody love Tillies. When I was a kid my dad had a very rare Standard Tilly, and I have many fond memories of family holidays in the old thing. We traveled up Hell's Highway from Eindhoven to Arnhem in it in 1977 on a commemorative tour in convoy with loads of other vehicles, following the tyre tracks of XXX Corps. Luckily there weren't any SS Panzer Divisions in the area that time, and we made good progress. It was kind of bizarre, as it seemed the entire Dutch population turned out to wave flags and cheer us, as if they were actually being liberated all over again. Made quite an impression on me, though at the time I was much more interested in Napoleonics, and I remember buying a bunch of the 20mm Airfix figures in a model shop in Arnhem.

I also have a friend now who has an Austin Tilly very much like the one in H's picture, but sadly due to a recent seizure he's not allowed to drive it at the moment.

[Hammers]

I'm not really a Top Gear kind of person, by which I mean I don't generally get excited by automotive hardware, but I have to say I bloody love Tillies. When I was a kid my dad had a very rare Standard Tilly, and I have many fond memories of family holidays in the old thing. We traveled up Hell's Highway from Eindhoven to Arnhem in it in 1977 on a commemorative tour in convoy with loads of other vehicles, following the tyre tracks of XXX Corps. Luckily there weren't any SS Panzer Divisions in the area that time, and we made good progress. It was kind of bizarre, as it seemed the entire Dutch population turned out to wave flags and cheer us, as if they were actually being liberated all over again. Made quite an impression on me, though at the time I was much more interested in Napoleonics, and I remember buying a bunch of the 20mm Airfix figures in a model shop in Arnhem.

I also have a friend now who has an Austin Tilly very much like the one in H's picture, but sadly due to a recent seizure he's not allowed to drive it at the moment.

Didn't I see you fucking around with a RL Tilly in a pic you posted here on LAF? Sewing a new dress for it or something like that? I am sure I did.

[Hammers]

Okay, thanks Peder.
Hopefully you've still got my address. If not, let me know and I'll PM you

I made a brave attempt to find it but alas! Please PM.

[Queeg]

Meanwhile, the Humbrol seems to have finally dried and I have applied a base coat (Vallejo Iraqi Sand), then drybrushed that with a 50:50 mix of Iraqi Sand and White. Then touched in the stowage in various khaki colours... Need to paint in the tyres and tracks...
Next step is to settle on a camo scheme. Or just to go plain and simple, and head straight to the weathering... 

Yup looking good Richard, the light guards worked out well. I usually drill holes to fit things like that into to give them a little extra strength.

Camo next if you add it and if you do you could lighten that. Wheels, tracks next, pin-lining, shading and chip or chip and shade Often I shade, chip then re shade. I do a lot of minor shading ..... as you can tell I freeform things a bit The important thing is not to go too dark with anything, build it up, especially on light colour finishes.

cheers
Brent

[Captain Blood]

Got it! Thanks Brent 

[Captain Blood]

Camo scheme, wheels, tyres, tracks painted in and highlighted... Think that's all the basics done. Next up, all the weathering...

[Queeg]

Very smart ! Looks like you've got a really good base to work on Richard ..........

[fred]

Looking good.
I approve of the black camo! is it from a photo or an interpretation (aka made up!)?

[Captain Blood]

I looked at quite a few photos of the real thing. This is a representation of this sort of scheme. 

Very smart ! Looks like you've got a really good base to work on Richard ..........

Thanks Brent. I've just started applying some washes... I bought a few AK Interactive recipes. Not bad. They require a LOT of thinning though, otherwise they come up very dark.

It's an interesting camo scheme when it comes to the weathering, because you need to use a dark wash for the lining on the stone/light sand colour, but a light sandy coloured wash to reveal the detail on the black camo areas... The whole process is amazingly transformational... I have a nasty suspicion this could prove addictive! 
Just trying to keep it low key and not go too mad with it... 

[aircav]

Looking good Richard 

[fred]

It's an interesting camo scheme when it comes to the weathering, because you need to use a dark wash for the lining on the stone/light sand colour, but a light sandy coloured wash to reveal the detail on the black camo areas... The whole process is amazingly transformational... I have a nasty suspicion this could prove addictive! 
Just trying to keep it low key and not go too mad with it... 

There are many tanks and many schemes to tempt you...

[tomrommel1]

Looking very good Richard and believe me it is an addiction!

[Alfrik]

Something about tanks and rivets.... 

[Keith]

This is going great guns Richard ... looking forward to seeing the next pics.

[Captain Blood]

This is going great guns Richard ... looking forward to seeing the next pics.

Cheers Keith (and Keith) and all 
Here it is with the main weathering done. I've probably gone a bit too heavy - although the pics make it look heavier than it actually appears in the flesh, as it were...
I shall just tell myself this particular tank has just come through a particularly heavy and filthy bout of fighting!
As mentioned, I bought a few AK Interactive washes - rather impressive, although you really don't need very much, and it takes a bit of getting used to.

The next steps will be to paint in all details on the stowage, then spot varnish in gloss where the decals will be added. Then add the decals, then add a little more desert dust, then matt varnish and it's pretty much done, I think - apart from the addition of radio aerials and a dashing tank commander, who will be provided by a Perry plastic converted Desert Rat... 

Back with you in a day or three hopefully