Book Review: Modeling US Armor of World War 2 by Steve Zaloga; Osprey Publishing 2009; 192 pp. with illustrations and drawings; retail price US$39.95 (ISBN 978-1-84603-398-8)
Advantages: combines years of articles and tips into one single volume; binding says =93use me on your workbench!=94
Disadvantages: nothing to speak of
Rating: see text
Recommendation: for all modelers, especially armor modelers and US fans
When one thinks of American figure modeling no other name than Shep Paine is usually the first one to the fore; but when it comes to armor modeling, the same is true with Steve Zaloga. Having been modeling for well over 35 years and done some of the best and most innovative work in finishing, painting and displaying armor models, Steve has long been sought after as a seminar speaker for numerous armor shows such as the IPMS/USA shows and especially the AMPS International and regional shows. Most fans of his work know that it was one of the best reasons to subscribe to the British magazine =93Military Modelling=94 and one of the reasons it has been a top-notch publication for years.
In this book, Osprey has gone a step past their normal modeling handbooks =96 of which Steve has authored many =96 and created a new format which should be standard for this sort of work from now on. Printed on heavier stock than most, the book has a hard-bound cover but inside has a loose-fitting spiral bound backing. The result: a book which will lie flat on the workbench so the modeler can follow along, much as with a cookbook. The heavier stock also will resist minor spills and overspray as well.
Inside Steve has covered just about every aspect of armor modeling from the simple selection of tools, paints and a area to model in to how to build, detail, convert, scratchbuild, photo and even edit modeling photos.
He begins with an overview of how he got into modeling and shows some early efforts. Everyone generally starts out slow and progresses, and while his first effort seems crude by today=92s standards it is still a really good model for its time. =91
Chapter 1 covers basic tips and tricks for modeling, including when to =93roll your own=94 and when to simply buy parts and details. Coverage (of use to American and British armor modelers in particular) includes how to make and use scale rivets, casting numbers, and even how to replicate scale casting effects on regular plastic hobby kits. He also covers weld beads and how to fix problems with older kits in this area (too often modelers fix them with weld beads that are 3 to 5 times larger than scale). As it is for US armor, Steve also covers the bain of all US modelers, three-part single link tracks for light and medium tanks.
Chapter 2 covers painting and the various types of paint and paint modifiers available. That=92s right - modifiers. The major art brands such as Grumbacher and Windsor & Newton make both retarders and accelerators for paints, and when used with washes (=93filters=94 in today=92s parlance, but I am old fashioned) and oil paint mixtures can greatly assist in getting the =93right=94 look. He covers warnings on using adequate ventilation and proper protection. Coverage includes how to treat brushes (and the major types to use) as well as techniques (=93To paint or not to paint=94 is not the mantra, rather =93To paint assembled or to paint in sections/parts=94 which he describes as to when and why.)
The long tail of =93official US Army WWII Olive Drab=94 is once again presented along with reasons why it matters =96 and why it does not. Following that are his views and techniques for weathering with an eight-view presentation of a =93donor=94 M3 hull showing how the techniques build upon each other. =93Scale mud=94 and other crud is next. The last section in this chapter covers markings and techniques =96 when to use waterslide or dry transfers (=93decals=94) or stencils.
Chapter 3 is called =93Battle Bits=94 and covers vehicle =93kit=94 =96 sto= wage and tools. Steve covers how to use kit stowage or to how to create your own from putty and odds and ends. He also kills some myths about WWII tool colors (OD is the norm, not steel and natural colors). Another missed detail covered here is the use of air ID panels and what colors should be present. Also covered is how to deal with canvas dust jackets and tarps and machine gun colors.
Chapter 4 is =93The Human Factor=94 but here it refers to figures and how to get the right figure in the right place with the right look. Steve covers what he terms the =93Frankenstein=94 look of using a variety of different figures and materials (mostly resin and styrene body parts with putty or epoxy and styrene details). Most of the figures seem to prefer DML or resin bodies with resin heads, Hornet being a frequent choice. He also shows how to paint a perfectly adequate face for a figure to go in or with a tank as opposed to those for competition in figure society shows.
Chapter 5 is =93Setting the Scene=94 and covers base ground work for either simple display bases or dioramas/vignettes. Both commercial and dedicated bases are covered along with details that make the base =93pop=94 without overpowering or letting down its subject.
Chapter 6 is photography and shows that you do not need a large or expensive setup to do high quality photography. While Steve notes you do not need a high end digital SLR camera, you do need to plan on one which can meet basic needs as well as dedicated processing software (think Adobe Photoshop or at the least Photoshop Elements).
Chapter 7 is a list of further reading and covers more than 12 years of articles Steve has written for =93Military Modelling=94.
The book is dedicated to the =93usual suspects=94 from AMPS Ground Zero, our local club here in Aberdeen, Maryland, and once a month we all get together and swap techniques and our latest efforts. As a result, over the past several years we have all had the pleasure of seeing many of these models under construction or the raw photos of them before processing and Steve=92s Photoshop wizardry. As one of those =93suspects=94 I must say that I feel flattered and honored to be a participant in seeing these develop, and am sure many modelers will appreciate the sharing of so much useful information in one place and the very useful presentation from Osprey.
Thanks to Steve for the review sample =96 a generous gift in this case.
Cookie Sewell