Hull top and bottom joined with only the slightest gap at the front of the hull, filled with a bit of Vallejo Plastic Putty. Sadly a lot the detail is also hidden, but you know its there and that in itself is a sense of achievement.
Hull apertures sealed and ready for top coating with Lifecolor Olive faded Drab type 2. Note the Vallejo Plastic Putty and camera mount cover blanking off the fighting compartment; other manufacturer’s camera covers are available.
Several thin coats of Lifecolor Olive faded Drab type 2 are sprayed over the hull and now the M10 is now starting to really come to life.
next stage is to prepare the dull yellow stripes worn by this example. The edging coat is Tamiya Earth. I wasn’t too fussy with this as I imagine this would have been done in theatre and in the field, so would have looked very rushed.
The blanks between the lines are filled in with several fine layers of thinned Tamiya Desert Yellow paint. The Tamiya painted keyed onto the Lifecolor base coat readily, much to my relief.
Details can now be painted, note the exhaust silencers, tools and rust on the rear return rollers.
After the details are painted the M10 is given a liberal spray of Aircraft Colours Semi-Gloss varnish. Decals from Star Decals were then added, with plenty of Micro Set and Micro Sol washes. Once these had settled down another coat of varnish was added.
After the final sealing coat of varnish detail parts and the main gun were added. The last task was the addition of some Tamiya rolls and bags from their WW2 Allied Vehicles Accessory Set. These were base coated olive green before being dry brushed in a series of differing colours and shades. Once dry they received a coat of Vallejo Matt Varnish, which is amazing stuff.
Christopher Woolford says
My dad’s first trip abroad was as an M 10 driver/gunner. He rarely spoke of those days, but he did tell me that the metal trunking and waterproofing sealants designed to allow carriages to wade ashore had taken weeks to fit and check. Minutes after landing, batteries were marshalled off the Normandy beach into a nearby field. There, pairs of REME engineers, stripped to their waists and wielding sledge hammers, leapt aboard each carriage to bash off its trunking in a few noisy seconds. Men on the ground dragged the battered trunking to be flattened by arriving and departing carriages. Within minutes of landing, M 10s were ready to fight.
I have learned more about the M 10 from your great build than I knew until now. Thanks Ben. There might be an Airfix M 10 diorama in the offing for me.