Komatsu 1/48 Japanese Bulldozer
This is the Tamiya 1/48 Komatsu G40 bulldozer, built a couple of years ago. It's the second 1/48 Tamiya armour kit I've done and I can't say enough about how nice they are. This is stress-free modelling at its best: every piece just slots into place as it should, detail is sharp, the tracks are one-piece styrene mouldings and the whole package exudes quality.
After just a couple of evenings the model was ready for the fun stages, painting and weathering. I used the salt technique for the random, organic rust on the blade and the patchy paintwork on the hood, but most of the chipping and scratching was just painted on with dark-brown Vallejo acrylic and a fine brush. Pigments, a silver pencil and watercolours were also pressed into service.
This little gem cries out to be part of a diorama. I love the weathering. Absolutely SUPERB !
Thanks Morne. I like the idea of a diorama but then I'd have to paint... figures.
Looks really sweet Mike.
As Morne pointed out, it would look great in a diorama.
Cheers Simon!
Well done, sir...well done indeed.
Thanks for your comment, Craig.
Looks ready to go to work Mike.
Very sharp.
Cheers Al 🙂
Oh my! Everything that runs on caterpillar tracks pulls my strudel! If I wasn't a mechanical engineer, I probably would have liked to operate some kind of modern counterpart to your model! Lovely!
Regards
Magnus
I agree, caterpillar tracks are cool, as long as I don't have to assemble them link by link. Thanks for commenting Magnus.
Incredible.
The shield looks almost like you have supernatural powers, Mike.
Haha, if only 😉 Cheers Halvar!
Amazing! That is unreal! You certainly have a talent Mike!
Thanks for the kind comment Richard.
Great weathering Mike. Looks like she did her share of hard work.
Very impressive.
California Steve
Cheers Steve!
Thats awesome, Mike, look like a real one, GREAT !
Thank you Bernd 🙂
Great job, excellent weathering application!
Thanks Mike.
Really neat looking little model, like the others have said, the finish and weathering if terrific, but, it definitely cries for some kind of diorama setting.
Thanks George. As I commented to Morne, the diorama idea is great but I'm hopeless at figure painting.
Outstanding Mike, superb finish
Thank you Rick.
Great job Mike!
Thank you Milan!
Very realistic. Those tracks are posed perfectly, look just like the John Deere 350 Dozers I used to work on.
Cheers Bill, that's all Tamiya's doing; the tracks come moulded as complete, one-piece styrene parts. It's probably the easiest kit I've ever built.
Bill,
A beautiful little model. It looks almost real...
Except for that paint bottle.
I love the paint chipping and the rust. Outstanding work. Makes me want to buy one and build it!
(It's interesting, the model manufacturer molded in the name "KOMATU" instead of "KOMATSU". Copyright workaround?)
Built and weathered to perfection!