Since the early 1970s and perhaps even before that, there have been 'how to' books for modelers. Kalmbach books are the first ones I can recall purchasing in the late 1970s and it offered hints and tips for improving ones modeling abilities through a rather wide range of subjects. All of this in about 48 pages. Then things began to specialize until today we have books that are concentrated on just building one kit. To me, this is overkill, but to others it is just what they have been seeking and I guess they sell fairly well.

More useful in my mind are those that concentrate on a genre and provide a lot of high quality images covering multiple aspects of building in that genre. That is what this book does. In fact, so much information has been provided that it is divided into two volumes. This is the first one and it concentrates on construction.

The book starts on an introduction to the subject with a number of different smaller sections including building for competition, why clubs are important and so on. Then we get 62 pages of gallery builds. This is undoubtedly to encourage the builder by showing what can be done with enough skill and practice. It then goes into choosing a subject and starting construction. Not surprisingly, the author leads the reader away from what are short run or mediocre kits and to those that are on the top of the heap like Tamiya.

The next chapter is a five page summary on how to best remove parts from a sprue. This is followed by a section on what is known as 'cladding'. Frankly this is the first time I've ever heard of the term, but it basically means filling large open areas one can find in armor kits, such as the area above the tracks where one normally does not look.

It then moves on to replicating welds and then to a section on zimmerit. I found both of these a fascinating read. Readers are probably aware that Dragon has produced a number of AFVs with zimmerit already molded on, but in the arena of top level armor builders, this is not enough as the tank has to look used, and that means missing sections and uneven application as well as a variety of patterns. These two sections also include a number of photographs to help the builder duplicate the technique.

Moving on, there is a nice section on replicating impacts of all calibers and then onto a part where the use of metal bits and photo etch is discussed. Apparently the author does not use super glue for p.e. but solders it all. I have tried this and do not have the skill needed, but it does seem the best way to do this. Scratch-building using sheet copper is also covered in this section as well as prepping the model for painting. That is where volume 1 ends as the second volume covers painting and weathering.

Though I have been building for many decades, I've not been concentrating on armor and have to say that I found this edition not only quite readable, but I learned a lot in the process. The author generally offers a number of alternatives to achieving results and this very much falls in line with most modelers' experiences. There are tons of photos, both archival and of the various processes discussed in the book. I thought that perhaps some of the 'how to' images could have been larger, but overall the size of the photographs was sufficient to get across the ideas and techniques presented.

It makes for an excellent book on the subject that provide inspiration for the modeler. Some of these techniques can easily be carried over to other types of modeling, but are not as intensely used as in armor modeling. Highly recommended.

December 2015

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Review book courtesy of  Casemate Publishing, where you can order your copy at this link.

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