Buildings and AFVs

This is an SDV T72 tank based armored recovery vehicle in HO scale.

I showed the kit being built a while ago, but it's finished now.

 I think it turned out well, despite some rather vague instructions.

The figure is an Orion Modern Russian Federal soldier circa 2001.

A few more SDV models with two identical dollar store houses, painted differently, Marx toys trees.

Painting Dollar Store Buildings

I used the Ludus Bellum Luxury Acrylic Paint Starter Set to paint up a couple dollar store buildings.

They come partially painted, but mostly the roof shingles are all that is left of the original colors.

Much of the buildings are unpainted, particularly the sides.  I usually paint the windows gloss black, as seen here.

The color coverage is excellent, big flat open spaces show up poorly if the paint is not good.  Any errors are mine as I am not a great painter.

I did do some dry brushing over the original dark wood, and shingles and did some touch up as well.  I think this is a good set of paint.
 

Paint

I got a free sample for writing a review for this product.

As you might guess, it's paint.

It comes in a great package.

Each color nicely labelled and stuffed into a little pocket.

The package is so good, I kept them in it, rather than use my normal system of paint storage.

These are mostly fantasy, wargame, role playing colors.

They are easy to get out of the package and go back in easily too.  I like the paint and will have some examples of what I painted with them soon.
 

Painting Selenites

In the movie there is a Selenite called the Grand Lunar who is in charge.  He has a bigger head.  So I decided to cut the head off of a praying mantis and another one from a larger cricket and use them as the basis for a Grand Lunar and a Lessor Lunar.

I wanted a sticker glue so I got some of this E6000 premium.

It seemed to work better in a big glop on the soft plastic figures and based.

Here everyone is on their base ready for painting.

I did not prime them because I am using spray lacquer and it seems better without it. 

I paint one side.

Then flip them and do the other side.

In this case standing up.  Note the Grand Lunar with the big antennas and the impressive staff.  And the Lessor Lunar with the thick antennas and almost as nice staff.  Red figure has the praying mantis head and the black has the other bigger cricket head.
 

Hulls and Droopy Barrel

The Roco T54 tank often has problems with the upper and lower hulls staying together.

So I have had to use both medium and very large clamps to hold them together while they let the glue dry.

Here is a medium and small clamp.  Sometimes that is enough.

The main guns on the T54 suffer from droopy barrel.  The turret cheeks are very thin and often get bent out of shape.

So I glue a very thin plastic patch to make the space a little smaller and it seems to work.

By taking up some of that space the gun is usually no longer droopy.
 

Selenites In Progress

So this guy is the prototype.

I used this E6000 glue in a big glop to hold the figure onto the base.

Each base got sanded with P220 sandpaper.

Then a little touch up around the edges with P400 paper which is a finer grit.

Crickets ready to become Selenites.  Their extensive conversion consisted of trimming their behinds so they will stand flat.  It takes about a second.

Sanding the base.

The base is done.  Looks good enough to eat.
 

Mass Production

This blue thing is a bit of sprue from some Eagle Games figures.

I always figured those figure sprues would be useful, that is the little circle / disc thingy would be.

Selenite with all the stuff needed to make more.  A bit of solid plastic rod shown as a while line.

Airfix 1/72nd scale WWII USAAF MP with an Airfix WWI British Infantry head conversion to a US Army MP 1917 to 1945, standing next to a Selenite.  

I gathered up all the yellow ones, and trimmed up a bunch of those little Eagle Games sprue discs.

This should be enough Selenites but since they are easy to make, who knows?
 

Selenites

Here is a Selenite from First Men in the Moon.

He started off as a little bug from the dollar store.

About 30 years ago I got a couple bags of about 100 of these.

Long term planning is essential in this hobby.

Now I am finally using them.
 

Moon Cow

In the book and movie, First Men in the Moon, by HG Wells the men discover a large caterpillar creature.

I discovered this one at Dollar General.

It's pretty plain and more a worn then a caterpillar but in my universe this the moon cow.

He looks like he needs a happy face drawn on the head.  I probably won't do that.

It's a very big creature, probably work fine for 1/72nd scale, 60mm and maybe even GI Joe.

Batman in 1/72nd scale.

The tail looks just like the middle.

Moon cow and Selenite.