Tests and practice

Spanjaard
Very nice welded lines, how did you do it?

Joerg R.
Wel(d)l done 👍 Yes, I would be interested too😉

EnsignExpendabl
Looks realistic, both the seams and the colour!

Mark Farrugia Autor
I use Vallejo putty 401 to make the beading, then I cut a syringe needs length wise for maybe 3mm to have half of the tube (shape of a crescent) then after a few minutes, when teh putty starts to dry, you start forming it with this needle tip, as for the color its a complex process (which to be honest I don't remember myself either) its the first time I tried this.

Holger Kranich
Unbelieveable! Thats MOST realistic! Yeah, how did you do that? 👍

Spanjaard
Thanks Mark

Martin Oostrom
👍

Robert W Martel
Mark, that's using the old noodle ! Good idea. 👍

Mark Farrugia Autor
does the gun barrel look metallic enough for a plastic kit one?

Robert W Martel
I think so.... maybe a bit of color, weathering, etc. should look great.

Mark Farrugia Autor
color? what color?

Holger Kranich
For me it looks metalic enough! But isnt it not too shiny for a barrel?

Mark Farrugia Autor
well how would a barrel be off a lathe?

Holger Kranich
Ah you mean a fresh factory installed barrel! Yeah this one one looks like coming directly from a lathe.

Spanjaard
for a freshly installed barrel, and being a plastic one, it looks absolutely fantastic.

Robert W Martel
Same color as the rest of the tank.
Off the lathe, yes it would be shiny metal, steel or some alloy.
It wouldn't have been left bare metal from the factory and shipped to the battlefield (would it?)??, it would have been painted. The paint may have become worn off, burned off, whatever during use, but I don't think it would have ever gotten to be completely bare metal. If it did it would have rust all over it. Bare steel will rust overnight if left outdoors. I don't think I've ever seen a picture of a battlefield tank with an unpainted barrel.
Maybe someone else here with more knowledge knows better. ????

Spanjaard
very nice acetylene bottles. all scratch?

Mark Farrugia Autor
yes all....

Spanjaard
excellent 🙂

Rui S
And nobody comment the great old wood in styrene? 🤔

Spanjaard
quite nice actually

Michael Hickey
The welds and scratch built gas bottles are extremely nice, but that plastic wood looks just like the real thing, wish I could get results like that in the same league as that. Your scratching & paintings skills are of a very high level, well done.👍

Choppa Nutta
nice work 🙂

Olivier
You could start a business with those very well detailed items.

Mark Farrugia Autor
Thanks for all your comments, Olly, changing a hobby into a business sometimes turns out to get boring, because you will have alot of deadlines to keep

Alexander Grivonev
"changing a hobby into a business sometimes turns out to get boring, because you will have alot of deadlines to keep"
So true, it would totally kill the joy and relaxation factor. I build models to TAKE A REST from my work.

Spanjaard
somebody told me once, "find a job you love, and you will not work a day in your life", have not found it yet.

Spanjaard
cart, cylinders and regulators look fantastic by the way.

Rui S
@ Spanjaard, Did you spoke with Confucius? hehehe 🙂 👍

Spanjaard
HR Manager actually, but sometimes sounded Chinese to me anyway 😛

coporado
Fantastic work Mark! May you share a short How- To for the cylinders and regulators you scratch built?

Mark Farrugia Autor
sure, you can see them here in their bare state.

facebook.com/marksca../?type=3&theater

Cylinders where made out of solid aluminium rods filed down on a hand drill.
regulators are all bits and pieces, rods and tubes glued together.

Not sure if this helped 🙂

Christian W
This Looks very good!

coporado
Thanks for sharing Mark!

Mark Farrugia Autor
Coporado, No problem, I try to share what I learn so that others can learn just like I do, I'm not a pro I am a beginner so no great expectancy from my work 😄

I will keep posting my progress and there are more updates coming soon enough.

Ingo F
Awesome details. 👍