Vindicator #3 - Day 13

I am on the very cusp of having this another finished Vindicator.  THE VERY CUSP!.

Day 13 was a bit slower paced, but productive never the less.  Most of my time being spent on the last of the details.  Day 13 was also a weekend day for me so the progress will be in the step by step form that I like, rather than the quick pics and done approach.

The treads have been washed with Devlen Mud and then some Balck Didi's magic Ink .
I find that for the tank treads, that the badab black just doesn't do the job.

I tried a new recipe for the orange lenses this time around and the results are very nice.
The same effect was achieved with less work.  A win for Lauby.

The headlights and indicators were a breeze now that I have a procedure down.

The tracks have been added and then touched up.  I think leaving the treads on the sprue is the way to go now that I'm three tanks in with the experiment.

Rust and grime streaking on the little bits.

Rust and grime streaking on the main tank.  Again, this is another area where working on a temporary glossy finish makes life a whole lot easier.  The gloss finish provides a nice and smooth base that makes blending the oil paint (burnt umber) a breeze.  This was given a couple of hours to dry and then spritzed with some Tamiya clear to seal it in .

A mix of Tamiya Flat Black and Red Brown goes on as the exhaust soot.  Love this trick.  Sadly, it requires an airbrush for maximum effectiveness.  

A light dusting of dirt and mud.  This is a two part process of a light spray of Tamiya Red brown followed by sponging on some P3 Umbral Umber.  Of all the many choice I've made in the paitn scheme, I think deciding against weathering powders was the best call.

And then we end the day with a tank name.  This time after one of Medusa's sisters.  A 005 micron marker makes this a breeze.  The end result isn't perfect here and I do see a letter or two that needs touching up, but it's more than satisfactory overall.  In the past I had been on a purist stance and insisted on hand painting this shit.  Duh.  The marker is so much easier it really makes me question my own intelligence.  

And there we are.  I'm 4 steps from this being done

1) a nice final sealant with some dull coat... that will almost assuredly come out satiny because of the underlying gloss coats.
2) Final chipping/dry brushing with the silver paint
3) a dab of gloss varnish on the lenses and other appropriate areas.
4) Assembly

I have a head start on step 1 already, so depending on how things look once I get home, you all may see another finished tanks tomorrow.