Back in the day...

 Back in the day before resin add-ons, photo-etched brass, pigments and all the other 'essential' model must haves we have today - things were simpler. just plasticard, stretched sprue and humbrol enamel paint were the modellers best friends. No endless how to manuals or websites or you tube videos on weathering techniques - just a few sketchy photos and the will, skill and determination to produce create something we could be proud of. So I present to you a few photos from my archive - many of these models have succumb to the ravages of time and no longer exist so these are the only record of the time and effort I put in over the years in a hobby I still enjoy today!

No such company as AFV Club then - scratchbuild Scorpion using M113 wheels and tracks!

Original release Tamiya Stug III - out of the box - no frills.

Again out of the box Tamiya Type 74 - with articulated suspension and baking powder snow!

Out of the box Tamiya SDKFZ 222...

...on a custom made frame.

Academy M48 - out of the box with a 'gasp' - resin figure from Verlinden.

Italeri SDKFZ 234 - with homemade accessories.

Building was custom-made too as I was too tight to spend money on a Verlinden version
- so I just copied it! - Rubble was cat litter.

Tamiya Sherman M4A3 - nothing fancy - out of the box

The 'height of fashion' at this point was 'pastel weathering'.

Now this Tamiya Chieftan was a bit special - it was treated to the 'on the mark' photo-etch set, but other than that it was a straight forward build.

I had just been on the Salilsbury Plain training grounds so this model reflected that visit.

Dragon MLRS - bored with all the first Gulf War coverage of the American use of the MLRS at the time - I opted for the British Version. Again photo-etch starting to appear now so I used the Airwaves set on this one.

Commander figure came from the first version of the Tamiya Challenger tank.

This was one of Dragon models first releases the BTR 70 - nothing fancy - out of the box with the same companies soviet motor rifle troops

This was built before anyone knew where Afghanistan was.

Hope you enjoyed a trip down memory lane - let me know what you think.

All the best - Simon Dean