Comet No 50. Re-fit.

[Mark Weddell]

Dear All,

I have eventually made my mind up to change the colour of my Comet, which is a Chris Fry build as a South African post war vehicle currently in a Sand finish, to S.C.C No 15 Olive Drab. On the way I am adding some extra detailing to compliment Chris’s excellent detailing work.

Next there are the two aerial bases as I wish to have aerials.

Mark.

[Mark Weddell]

And the other areas that have been done.

Mark.

[Steve Stuart]

Hi Mark
Do you have any drawings/plans that you made for producing the Bird Cage? I likewise have remade the searchlight bracket in brass so as to produce a more robust fixture, it has worked out well so far! Keep up with your re-workings, they are giving inspiration.
Steve

[Derek Attree]

Hi Mark
Nice upgrades you are doing there. I have made my searchlight bracket in brass too.
I am planning to do the bird cage again and if you have a drawing that would be useful
to have as Steve said.

Nice to see some action on the Comet thread again.

Watching with interest

Regards

Derek

[Mark Weddell]

Hi Steve & Derek,

The short answer is no, but if you can what a week or so I’ll measure up my effort and the remains of the ARMORPAX bits.

Thanks for the positive comments.

Mark.

[Tim Page]

Nice job Mark.
I can really appreciate the extra effort involved to get these upgrades looking so good.
Ive just been to check and i don't have any rear lights at all on 'Crusader'.
All of the lights look to be Armorpax parts which look fine but do not work.

I think i will definitely have to discuss a few bits when we next meet and compare our Comets.

Cheers
Tim

[Stephen White]

Mark, I've belatedly caught up with your post. You're turning what was already one of the finest detailed Armortek models by Chris into a real masterpiece. It's so good to see the Comet thread coming back to life with you and Tim. Looking forward to seeing your models in the flesh. As I start to see the finish of my Cent build sometime this year, I'm really looking forward to getting back to my dormant Comet. It's one of the best Armortek kits, great automotively and full of possibilities for detail and weathering. Pity there wasn't wider operational use.

Tim - you asked about antenna widths for the 19 set. I recalled seeing something on the HVMF Forum, here:

http://hmvf.co.uk/forumvb/showthread.ph ... na-lengths

Keep up the good work!

Stephen

[Mark Weddell]

Right! Where was I?

Aerial bases, I broke the ARMORPAX Number 9 base, however I had intended to have aerials and use the same pattern I had used on my M5A1 Stuart where they slid into a tube through the aerial base and to the turret base.
After researching the different bases and aerials used on British AFV of WW2 for design and length I produced these.
The Number 10 (British) with ‘Rod “F” 8’ aerial and the Number 9 ‘Rod “G” 24”. On my travels looking at aerial base’s I spotted that a rubber support base with cork washers had been used. These I reproduce using are a tap washer (correct size!!!) and two odd red washers I have had from some where unknown(!) but the right size also.
Both aerials made using brass and aluminium. The Number 10 I used two-part filler to form the rubber base profile, shaping it with a former, with the curves cut and filed into it, while soft. I made a second with a screw base to replace the incorrect base I had previously made for the M5A1 Stuart which is depicted as a British ‘Honey’.

The Number 9 base was a lot more demanding with the ‘cage’.

Both base’s have been bolted through the turret roof, the aerials, slid fit through their respective base inside a brass tube that then slide fits into a brass foot, which I have Araldite to the turret floor.
And painted.

Sorry I can not get some of the images to orientate correctly!

[Mark Weddell]

And following on.
Now we come to the subject of PAINT and which GREEN to use. My go to guru Mike Starmer and his book ‘British Army Colours & Disruptive Camouflage in the United Kingdom, France & NW Europe 1936-45’, S.C.C No 15 Olive Drab; Basic Colour. Not wishing to mix large quantities of paint from small tins and as I wanted continuity in colour, I looked for an off the shelf paint. Using the colour swatch sample page and testing I decided to use SMS (The Scale Modellers Supply) OLIVE DRAB SCC No.15. An extremely good match, ready to spray straight from the bottle (See images). Yes, it took 10 bottles.

So, to painting. Partly disassembled and cleaned, on a positive out of Covid, the alcohol wipes our company brought are great for cleaning and degreasing. Masked of other areas.
I have also added lenses to the periscope’s and added bump cushions to the Loaders Hatch’s, in leather.

Decided to utilise the sand yellow the tank was already in as a light pre-shading to the centre of panels and ware areas. Also used black to darken other areas of deeper shade such as under the track guards and air intake ether side of the rear deck.

Added Unit and other markings.

Then S.C.C. No 15. Followed by a coat of ‘Klear’ AKA ‘Pledge’ floor polish, pin washes on nuts and bolt heads panel lines, then brush washes.

Next steep one or two coats of Halfords Matt Lacquer to protect the paint and re-assembly.

[simon_manning]

That does look good, a paintjob after my own taste, very realistic, excellent Mark, regards simon manning.

[Mark Weddell]

Hi Simon,

Thank you.

[Tim Biersma]

Looks amazing.

When can I bring mine for a re-fit

Greetings tim biersma

[Mark Weddell]

P.S. To PAINT. I should also have added that I used ‘LifeColor’ U.S. OLIVE BRAB set and their matt black for shading and toning of the S.C.C.15.

Also used these for the ‘STUART’ with a base colour I brought from a Jeep restores in Kent.

[Adrian Harris]

She certainly looks good in green, even if you did snaffle the entire UK stock

Adrian.

[Mark Weddell]

Yes I did, unwittingly. But spoke to Frome Model at their stand at the IPMS show at Telford last month and they should be re-stocked in January from Aus.

Mark