Steel Penguins braying

[Steel Penguin]

cleaned up a load of Ainsty resin scenery yesterday  fencing, sci fi cargo pods, ISO containers, temple dogs and a Budda statue and 4 28mm Saracen apcs, at leas one and possible all will be for Berlin block ( giving either 2 or 5) and finished off a steam punk tunneller bursting from the ground ( id managed to drop it and snap the tip off so ive put some filler on the underside of the drill and some clump foliage on the very tip to make it look like its surfaced through a bush).
and what a change of weather, its grey wet cold and horrible...

[Steel Penguin]

not a lot happened, got the black on the Saracens for the wheels and the plastic card cut for the bases for them,  but this weekend being the Aldersly wargames show, my youngest brother is up, so after a wonder into town, this evening was out for a Chinese meal, so im currently a very well fed Penguin and tomorrow will be a walk round to the show and then a walking round the show.

[Steel Penguin]

picked up a little wargaming stuff yesterday and during some free time ( working round the paint drying on the Saracens)  im scratching a turret for an original GW predator that I got second hand some time last? year it has the las cannon sponsons  on but no "frying pan" turret so a couple of circles of plasti card and a couple of resin blocks as the centre the 1:48 gun of a academy Challenger 1 ( its either from the AA version or the AVRE conversion I did), the turret back / bustle is a couple of tool bins from a 1:35 Honey,  and the main body / glacis  will be humbrol putty.
so it should look vaguely T72/ chieftain / original turret like

[Steel Penguin]

a Question gents.
the humbrol filler is roughly shaped and drying  but looks like it was put on with a cake spatula, aside from sanding is there any way of smoothing it out?  or something that can be applied to the tools when applying it to make it smooth?

[NARSES2]

AFAIK sanding is the only way.

As for putting the stuff on. I use an old scalpel blade and then the good old Mk I thumb or finger

[Steel Penguin]

thank you Narses, tis what I feared,  will splodge sand and smooth with liberal brushings of humbrol liquid poly then. 

[PR19_Kit]

The old Revell putty used to come with a softish polythene spreader attached to the tube by an elastic band. They almost invariably fell off and thus LMSs ended up with some of them just lying around. I've got a couple of them that I use to this day and I've recently seen very similar spreaders included with packs of 2 part epoxy glues like Devcon or Aladite.

Well worth looking out as they give a nice smooth finish, and the epoxy can be used as glue too, or so I've heard. 

[Hobbes]

a Question gents.
the humbrol filler is roughly shaped and drying  but looks like it was put on with a cake spatula, aside from sanding is there any way of smoothing it out?  or something that can be applied to the tools when applying it to make it smooth?

When you're applying the filler, you might be able to use acetone (e.g. nail polish remover) to soften and smooth it. I sometimes use a cotton swab with acetone to clean up after filling a seam.

[Captain Canada]

I always use my fingers too.....easier to conform to curves especially the wing joint.

[Steel Penguin]

turrets as good as...  so im adding hatches and vision blocks, need to do some smoke dischargers, also a goodly way along a Sarrisa scifi pod / module, sprayed grey, and 95% assembled, the last few bits are just gluing, after that itll need a little bit of paint to finish.  also stated on the 4ground hotel that I got for crimbo,  33 boards of parts, im soooo glad that I did the 2 smaller buildings first, they gave me the practice I need, and an idea of how the instructions are.
slowly progressing on the Saracens as well, im now on the brown, and its slow as its the last colour of the main camo ive got to be careful with the lines,  the Panard AC is slowly coming along as well, tyres are black and the main green in on, need to do lights vision blocks, an ink wash and probably some graffiti.

[Steel Penguin]

Predator turrets finished just needs varnishing now, Panard ac is finished and based, just needs varnish, the Saracens are slowly moving frwd, they need optics, lights and smoke launchers finishing, some ID codes put on them and basing, then varnish and finish.  The hotel is slowly moving fwd, glue a couple of parks,  let the PVA set, glue a couple more
45 figures  3 pieces of scenery

[Steel Penguin]

Saracens done and based whew, berlin block is a great idea, till you do lots of it.
49 figures 3 pieces of scenery

[Leading Observer]

There's no subsitute for a wet finger, quoting SHWMBO

[Mossie]

a Question gents.
the humbrol filler is roughly shaped and drying  but looks like it was put on with a cake spatula, aside from sanding is there any way of smoothing it out?  or something that can be applied to the tools when applying it to make it smooth?

When you're applying the filler, you might be able to use acetone (e.g. nail polish remover) to soften and smooth it. I sometimes use a cotton swab with acetone to clean up after filling a seam.

I read once that Humbrol filler rubs down nicely with 'alcohol', although the modeller didn't state exactly what.  I tried it with Methylated Spirit to no affect, I've always meant to try some IPA/surgical spirit/rubbing alcohol but I've never get hold of any to try it.

[Steel Penguin]

32" of ainsty resin fencing on the go, paint GW bestial brown, add a back / brown ink wash, ill highlight some of the planks in a mix of lighter browns with the odd touch of green I think