LionHeart Hobby has partnered with Bradley Becker of Vandalay Models to bring you the The Vandalay Box!
The Vandalay Box is a "one-stop-box" with all you need to basecoat and weather the new 1/35 Tamiya Panzer IV Ausf.G. Whether you are a beginner or seasoned modeler, the Vandalay Box is full of paint and products to help bring your vision to life of a Panzer IV serving in North Africa. Not only do all these included paints and weathering products work on this kit, but are also universal enough you will find yourself using them again and again on other builds.
First, we have the centerpiece of the Vandalay Box:
Bradley says, “This new offering from Tamiya is a homerun of a kit. Gone are the days of rubber band tracks. As with other new offerings from Tamiya, the 1/35 Panzer IV AusfG has delicately molded link and length tracks. Five very nicely molded figures (four crewmen and one soldier) are included which adds life to your build and serves as the perfect foundation for a North African diorama. Though the lower hull is recycled from a previous release the rest of the kit is newly-tooled, and it shows!”
Next we have:
“Adding armor texture is an often overlooked technique that will add a lot of depth and detail to your builds. Stippling on Mr. Surfacer 1000 followed with light sanding adds a very realistic texture to all the armored plates. When thinned with Mr. Leveling Thinner, Mr. Surfacer is also my go-to primer. Mr. Surfacer makes for a tough, durable surface for further painting. Mr. Leveling Thinner self-levels and helps achieve a smooth paint finish when added to other paints such as Tamiya.”
Speaking of Tamiya, we have included two paints from their recently expanded line:
“These offer up the perfect tone right out of the bottle for early and late DAK color schemes. Tamiya paints are my favorite to shoot through the airbrush and impart an awesome finish. They are also very forgiving, making them perfect even for those who are attempting airbrushing for the first time.”
Once the base coat is complete and it’s time to paint all the odds and ends, the Vandalay Box has you set.
“When it comes to detail painting, I always find myself gravitating towards the Vallejo Panzer Ace line. If you’re looking to add rusty segments to your build. I particularly enjoy wet blending with these rust colors over parts like the muffler to give a worn, tarnished, rusty finish.
“The track primer offers a nearly perfect representation of metal and I use it for everything from the tracks to metal tools.”
“Lastly, the Panzer Aces Old Wood is an awesome, subdued wooden color for the tool hands and Jack blocks.”
Once on to weathering, we’ve included the perfect set.
“AK enamels are quickly becoming one of my favorite weathering products. The DAK Weathering Set includes three premixed effects: a filter to add faded/dusty finish to your base coat, a wash to add shadows around details, and streaking grime which can be used for everything from vertical streaks to general grime build up.”
Next up, a good enamel thinner is required when using the AK enamel weathering products. We've included Bradley's choice in the Vandalay Box.
"Cleaning up an enamel wash is made effortless with a touch of this enamel thinner on your brush. Add some streaking down the sides and turret by applying vertical streaks with the enamel weathering products. Refine your streaks with a brush soaked in AK's Odorless Thinner. Pro Tip: If you're not happy with the effect you can remove it entirely with this odorless thinner and start over."
Finally, you need a good brush to hold up over the long-term. We’ve included two of these for you:
“When working with enamels I like to have two of the AK Round Brushes handy. One I will use for the application of the enamel effects and one ‘clean’ brush moistened in the Odorless Thinner to refine the effect.”
