Saturday 23 June 2012

M16-M3 Scale Comparison

Just in case it's of any use to anyone, here are a few pics comparing the 1/76 scale Matchbox M16 with its 1/72 Italeri M3 cousin.

When placed side by side, the M16 is definitely noticeably slimmer and shorter than the larger scale M3.  But it's not actually as noticeable as I thought it would be, and certainly not as dramatic as this!

Does make me realise that I perhaps need to go back and weather the M3s though!





Monday 18 June 2012

Matchbox M16 (4) Finished

The finished article.  This has been a great kit to build.  Assembly was easy, and there's a nice level of detail without being 'fussy'.  Still don't like vinyl tracks though!

A light drybrush with Khaki to bring out the details, stowage and some light weathering.  As I'm thinking Normandy, I didn't want too much wear and tear, so I've just settled for some subtle scratches on heavily used areas (doors, bonnet etc), and a light drybrush with US drab around the lower parts of the vehicle.



The close up shows how basic the detail is on the Hasegawa model I've used as a commander but he'll pass fine under the 3' rule.



Matchbox M16 (3)

Painting the parts before assembly has the advantage of being able to get at details that will later get hidden.  The downside however is that the paintwork can easily get damaged by assembly; whether the overspill of glue (which is almost impossible to avoid, try as I might), handling (which 'polishes' the paint in places), or trimming parts (which I didn't need to do much as this is a lovely kit to assemble).

Here you can see here the glue along the seams of the bonnet, and how some of the paintwork has become 'shiny'.


So the only answer is to mask off the details (wheels, cab, tracks etc), and give it another light spray of FoW US Armour to refresh the basecoat.  The stowage (from SHQ) got a quick 'undercoat' at the same time.


Stowage added and details refreshed.


Stowage properly undercoated, 'spotter' added (one of the many spares from the Hasegawa Jeep and 37mm gun set) and decals in place.


Considering the age of this set of decals (which must be a good couple of decades old), they were in good condition.  In hindsight I perhaps should have trimmed the top of the stars for the side, to make them look like they're under the lowered side flaps.  Getting the front star on was a bit of a trial, as the raised details make the decal 'tent' up.  Constant dabbing with a damp brush, combined with pushing it into the crease with a sharp hobby knife eventually got it right.  The result is it looks a little distressed, but that actually helps it look right (in my opinion anyway!).