The model is set aside once again for 24 hours for all thinners and toners to dry out completely. Then the model is given a good strategic dusting with dark earth followed by sanding by using very thing taint of buff.

 

Model air and pastel dusted concentration at the body and less on turret as explain in the next plate

TThe front view of the dusted model. Note the dark earth and buff washed up only at the front, little on the sides and some solid dust at the rear of the tank? There is less dust on the turret as its further height and frequent movement pushes the dust to the sides of the turret and its rather smooth and horizontal top face gathers little dust.

 

Final Touches

Final touches are added to the model once it is dusted. The wheels are given some raw umber and black oil colours drybrushing to produce burnishing effects.

Burnishing gives tank a used look, uneven burnishing suggests differing age of wheels.

 

The tracks are dry brushed first in raw umber, next in black oil paints and set to dry for 24 hours and later slightly dry brushed and highlighted with silver and pencils. Note that modern tracks are made of magnesium alloy to save weight and they do not rust!

 

Front of tank with traces of mud stuck, noteworthy is that it has to be very minute as this is a desert tank. Tracks given a good thrashing look with pencils and silver on the leading edges and top surfaces.

 

Exhaust rusted and finished with final coat of black oil drybrushing

 

The model is given a thorough run through to make sure nothing is left out. At this stage, the exhaust is “sooted” with oil drybrushing, the oil tank areas are accentuated with glossy oil spills and the tracks are given a good thrashing finish.

 

Oil spills and the drips and drabs around the area, not the vertical streaks and how it coagulates the dust at the kinks of the fuel cells? The engine area is dabbed with some wash material to add on the “busy look”

 

There we have it, the model is packed and shipped to a waiting customer for his collection that will be given to Latrun Museum in Israel in the not so far future. 

The work involved in this model is very exhausting but the finish is very rewarding as it is one of its kind and there is not a second one anywhere. Most rewarding is that it finds a special place in a collection frequented by armour enthusiasts from around the world. Nothing beats knowing this at the back of my mind, and if I am asked if I would attempt the same project again, with tongue in cheek, I would reply that I would be needing some serious encouragement! 

Only problem I have with the whole project besides the Verlinden fitting problems is that I packed the whole model without taking a shot of the completed project! My Goodness Gracious!