DIORAMA BUILD
M24 CHAFFEE
DIORAMA BUILD
M24 CHAFFEEhttp://www.airfi xmodelworld.com 27FIGURE IT OUT
Wargaming and figure manufacturer Wee Friends’ figures added plenty of context
to the diorama. An evening was spent positioning the crew on the tank to achieve a
convincing and natural appearance.illustrate the Chaffee’s diminutive
size. A set of five white metal Wee
Friends 1/72 World War Two US
Tank figures (www.henk.fox3000.
com/weefriends) were acquired
for the build; these required
minimal neatening and their poses
were altered slightly for a more
natural appearance. All five were
painted, but it was decided later
that just three seated figures
would be used.
With a deadline looming, all
major sub-assemblies, such as
the .50 cal machine gun and
turret stowage were attached
to the hull. Extra stowage wasOnce a suitable arrangement was achieved, small adjustments were made for more
lifelike poses. White metal’s malleable nature made this relatively straightforward, with
the tank commander’s arms being repositioned easily.With the alterations completed, any imperfections
and seam lines were filled and sanded. The use
of an Optivisor magnifying tool proved
essential during this process.A variety of manufacturers’ products were used to paint the crew. The excellent
Vallejo 70.119 Face Painting Set (www.creativemodels.co.uk) was employed for skin
tones, while various LifeColor shades (www.airbrushes.com) were mixed to match
reference photos for specific uniform colours.FIGURE IT OUT
Wargaming and figure manufacturer Wee Friends’ figures added plenty of context
to the diorama. An evening was spent positioning the crew on the tank to achieve a
convincing and natural appearance.illustrate the Chaffee’s diminutive
size. A set of five white metal Wee
Friends 1/72 World War Two US
Tank figures (www.henk.fox3000.
com/weefriends) were acquired
for the build; these required
minimal neatening and their poses
were altered slightly for a more
natural appearance. All five were
painted, but it was decided later
that just three seated figuresWith a deadline looming, all
major sub-assemblies, such as
the .50 cal machine gun and
turret stowage were attached
to the hull. Extra stowage wasDIORAMA BUILD
M24 CHAFFEEWargaming and figure manufacturer Wee Friends’ figures added plenty of context
to the diorama. An evening was spent positioning the crew on the tank to achieve aillustrate the Chaffee’s diminutive
size. A set of five white metal WeeTank figures (www.henk.fox3000.minimal neatening and their posesnatural appearance. All five wereadded to portray a suitably
busy overall appearance to the
tank. Squadron’s Green Stuff
putty (www.squadron.com) was
shaped and then pressed onto the
model’s surface to conform with
the hull contours for various items
of the crew’s kit; these were left in
place to aid the painting stage.As long as it’s green
Once final assembly had taken
place, Tamiya’s 97026 Grey
Surface Primer (www.hobbyco.
net) was applied, followed by
a pre-shade/shadow coat of
LifeColor’s UA735 Deep Cockpit
Grey. The latter added contrast
to the monochromatic primer
and provided a foundation for the
subsequent Olive Drab scheme.
As the instructions gave nodefinitive indication of which paint
shade to use, online research
revealed Tamiya XF-62 Olive Drab
was a close match for a vehicle
of this era. A heavily diluted mix
was duly misted onto the model,
aiming to cover the grey entirely
but allowing some of the darker
tone to show through.
The next step was to add XF-4
Yellow Green to the base hue,
which was airbrushed selectively
on the horizontal surfaces to add
colour modulation to the finish.
Once the paint had cured
overnight, Alclad’s ALC-310-60
Klear Kote Gloss (www.alclad2.
com) was sprayed onto the
surface, in readiness for decaling.
Unfortunately, the standard US
Army insignia and tank name
markings proved somewhat With all the different smaller assemblies complete, everything was attached, including
last-minute additions such as the PE headlamp guards.