The ” long in the tooth ” Tamiya 1/35 M41 Walker Bulldog
Hello folks, my name is Justin Rogers and I have here for you my second build of my very first armor kit I ever built since my return to the hobby.. Certainly everyone knows how " long in the tooth " the Tamiya 1/35 M41 Walker Bulldog kit really is and I'm always kinda delighted when I see others build and post their works in online modeling groups..
Since I was building this kit for the second time in about a three year span, I wanted to take the time and try an improve this old kits soft details.. I did quite a few modifications, starting with upper hull, I added a scratch built pioneer rack with individual hand tools rather than the kit provided pioneer rack with molded tools.. I also added tow cable and tow cable hooks along the the left side.. the headlamp gaurds we're also replaced with scrap photoetch to thin down the scale and look more realistic.. adding a weld bead on the front glacial plate joint with some stretched sprue and melted with extra thin cement and given the weld bead appearance with the back of a hobby knife, I decided to creat some battle damage with a blasted out chunk there too.. Bent fenders for wear and the tracks are indeed the kit provided rubber band style tracks from Tamiya..
The turret was a lot of fun. I started with replacing the optics guard with spare photoetch metal to appear thinner, then added the weld bead around the front half of the turret just behind the mantlet.. liking the idea of a dust cover for the mantlet, I decided to give it a go.. I first tried to work out how to give the appearance of the accordion shape of the dust cover where it would need to flex for the barrel to move up and down.. The answer was to use stretched sprue wrapped around in four or five rows from behind the mantlet back to the weld seam I had just created.. then using adhesive foil form the dust cover.. to frame it out I used more scrap photoetch.. all the grab handles on the turret are also made from lead wire and I lost the .50 Cal machine gun so I found a .30 Cal in my spares instead.. added some texture to the top of the turret with Mr. Surfacer 1000 and then primed in black stynlrez.. White highlights layer after that and then paint and modulation with Ak interactive paints for arbrush.. weathering with artist oils and pigments from Vallejo.. I hope you enjoy it as much as I did building this old " long in the tooth " kit classic from Tamiya..
Welcome aboard, Justin...anything with the Tamiya name on it can't be bad - and this build is certainly proof of that. Nice job, sir.
Thanks, my first article.. glad you like it, I'm still trying to learn to navigate through this forum..
Justin, no need to navigate, just set off and see where the iModeler winds blow you. Great M-41 p, she looks nice and ‘heavy’ - I’m not sure how (some) armour modelers get that effect of the tank ‘sitting down’ but this has it.
‘Liked’
Great job and article. I have always liked the look of the M-41, and you did a super job capturing the look. I am fairly new to iModeler and was reluctant to post my first article, but you will find everyone here is very positive and supportive. Looking forward to your next article.
Awesome build, and welcome to the site!
A very fine tooth it is too - lovely work Justin!
Silk purse from a sow's ear, superb job!
Very nice Justin. Welcome to the group. I've had that kit in the stash for a long time and wondered what could be done to/for it. Now I know. Excellent job!
fine looking model
Welcome to iModeler, Justin!
Your Bulldog looks outstanding. I've never made a 1/35th version of the M-41 (only one of the ROCO HO scale versions.) I've always liked the Walker Bulldog and it seems to have been the first tank made in the "new" style, rather than another Sherman variation.
Outstanding work! Bravo!
🙂 … Greetings … 🙂 :
Welcome to the forum Justin, I trust you will have a good time here. Your first post here is really a very nice modeling project. Got to love those TAMIYA kits, they build up great. The pictures look good, thanks for sharing them.
Hello Justin,
Welcome on Imodeler.
Thanks for the time and effort put into your article and accompanying pics.
Although you mention that you have been away from the hobby for some time, the skills are still there. Your M-41 represents all this.
Regards, Dirk / The Netherlands.
Just bought one of these today - Black Friday = $22.20NZD so would have been rude not to. The M41 was my first ever Tamiya kit back in 1979, so forty years later, time to take a drive back-down memory lane.
Love how your has turned-out, Justin. Will be very happy if mine comes close !
Best from NZ.