How to Improve Your Scale Models | Refurbishing Old Kits

[@frankw7266]

Awesome job, but I'm really torn on doing something like this. I have some older builds that I kinda cringe when I look at, but to me they're a reminder of where I started and are a great mark of how far I've progressed in my skills.

[@davidferrara1105]

balancing act I guess....

[@longlance67]

Great video mate! Reworking old kits to give them a new lease of life is some much fun. I'm currently restoring my Sherman Firefly at the moment which has been a blast to do as it was one of the first Shermans I built

[@SpruesNBrews]

Thank you so much! And that's awesome - is it your Irish Guards VC? Loved those videos 👍

[@longlance67]

@@SpruesNBrews Yes it is indeed! I am surprised you remembered it off the top of your head as it is an old project! I was never too happy with its finish so I took the plunge and stripped it all. Its gonna be a Canadian up-armored VC once done I hope lol

[@SpruesNBrews]

Nice! I referenced those vids a lot when I was building up my IC a few years back - can't wait to see it all spruced up! Thanks again for watching 👍

[@torrentialgamer199]

wow nice weathering! enjoyed watching this cool refurbish and seeing all the techniques.

[@SpruesNBrews]

Thanks so much! I appreciate it - thank you for watching 👍

[@stevemahalko1146]

Hey….took your advice. Took a old M-41 Bulldog….cleaned it up and redid as Winter Cammo for Korea. Really came out nice. Had a few Buds while I did it lol lol ! Thanks bud.

[@SpruesNBrews]

Awesome! Sounds like a great project! 🍻

[@elimhousesteve]

Absolutely splendid I appreciate your videos and long May you continue with them , greetings from England 🙂

[@SpruesNBrews]

Thank you very much! I really appreciate it 👍

[@tomkrug5348]

Just found your channel and really liked this video. I’m kind of inspired to take up some old kits from my blunder years. Thanks! Subbed.

[@SpruesNBrews]

Oh that's great! Thanks for watching & enjoy the refurbs! Happy building 👍

[@unpretty7112]

Great video! I took your advice and repaint my T-90A. Now, fully painted with proper colours, adjusted decals, some panel lining and lightly dusted wheels/tracks it looks so much better. The only thing that stayed are clear yellow painted reflectors because while I was trying to clean them I just made them foggy.

[@sreggird60]

When I was a kid my older brother was the model maker in the family. When he would do a tank he always asked our uncle who had been in the 3rd Armored during the war his advice on how well it looked. Someone who had been there knew how it was supposed to look.

[@SpruesNBrews]

Wow! Very cool memory - thanks for sharing!

[@sreggird60]

Uncle Matthew said they were asked if anyone knew how to drive farm tractors and since he was a farmer he did. So he ended up a tank driver.

[@edhorst7212]

Great tutorial again painting or repaint. Hobby store find was a Sherman kit returned at an “old school price $5 out the door..

[@SpruesNBrews]

Oh that's a great find! Enjoy 👍

[@The12348567]

Glad I found your youtube site. Awsome work. Also like the fact that you let us know where you get your products that are used. Also the timeline for the refurb. Overall a great site. Congrats on 10k subscribers.

[@SpruesNBrews]

Thank you very much! 😁👍

[@normansmith8184]

Hi Hank, I'm currently building an Fw190D-9 with JG54 colours. Primed with citadel chaos black. But oh, deary me, I just don't like what I've done with my first use of Mr. Color lacquer light green. Then I watched this video and so, what the heck I'm rubbing it all down otherwise I won't have any panel lines left! Start over' I really enjoyed the vid. Thank you from this dozy old limey.

[@jakobp8020]

Good Video. Weil explained. I Always had some critical thoughts about refurbishing my models, just because they indicate your Progress and Show your mistakes back then. But you convinced me to just try this out. I mean Look at your finished m10. Looks fantastic. Keep doing Videos like That.

[@SpruesNBrews]

Thank you very much! I know it can be a hard decision, but I've always found it rewarding!

[@wesfos]

I am amazed at the end results of the tank...I am new to the hobby but I am shocked when I figure how much the cost of the aftermarket accessories and specialized products cost to do this ...BEAUTIFUL WORK

[@SpruesNBrews]

Thank you very much! And I know... it's amazing how expensive things get! It takes a while to build up all your supplies, but fortunately there are ways to save some cash once you're all set up 👍

[@orangelion03]

Great video! I've recently returned to regularly modeling and in between new kits, have been pulling older models off the shelf and sprucing them up or updating them using newer/better skills (some were not ever quite finished, started as long as 25 years ago). I particularly like this video because I will soon be working on a tribute model for my sister in law...her father was a M10 driver with the 823rd...and I like your methods and techniques.

[@LeveretteJamesClifford1955]

I have an old Italeri M4a1 76mm that I built about 40 years ago and every 5-10 years update it which is perhaps more fun than a new build. Putting on new tracks, and a lot of the new 3-D printed parts and updating painting. However I have a newer one, maybe 20 years older updated with Formations parts and I might just have to have at it again! about 3 years ago I started putting some barely noticeable things going on with vehicles, starting with a Tamiya halftrack, by turning it into an medical detachment kit, not an ambulance, and put a canvas top from Blast, and the corresponding cloth straps to the sides, and inside, there is a driver and a passenger, and the passenger is talking to another who is just barely in view sitting behind the front seats. And the older M4A1 now has a co driver/machine gunner who is closing his hatch, you see his head peeking out from under the hatch and a hand lowering it. It adds more interest for me.

[@Eds_PanAm]

I have a couple models I had never finished, painted, but not finished....whats your recommendation for cleaning the dust off of already painted model?

[@jonroberts493]

New to the scale modeling scene. I'm very particular about what kits I build. But in the other side I'm big into historical war gameing and am trying to apply these tips to a smaller scale. Thank you for the ideas

[@SpruesNBrews]

Great! Thanks for watching - happy painting! 👍

[@LeveretteJamesClifford1955]

PS, the "spare track racks"are actually grouser racks. But you know that and were just talking fast!

[@georgemartinwinship7246]

Thanks Hank, Back after a 20 year break. Enjoyed your videos.

[@SteveJonesScaleModellingSite]

Just discovered your channel and subscribed as a fellow You Tuber. Looking forward to seeing more of your videos.

[@SpruesNBrews]

Thank you very much! 😁

[@BrailleScale]

Awesome video! Love the cast texture look and you really bumped this one up to your growing standards

[@SpruesNBrews]

Thanks man! Really appreciate it! 🍻

[@brzeczyszczykiewicz4476]

Very good video. I have a semi-related question. I had an initial attempt at weathering my StuG from Tamiy but AFTER I've applied the final matt varnish I noticed that some bits on the hull just look dirty rather that weathered. How would you approach fixing that? Just painting over with the usual dunkelgelb or use some solution get rid of some of the varnish somehow?

[@GregReilly135ScaleModels]

Nicely done I do like the M10 nice colour choices for the refurb. I have a couple of kits that i would like to refurbish thank you for the great idea

[@SpruesNBrews]

Thank you! And that's great - happy building! 👍

[@sabrekai8706]

I'm in the process of redoing a Tamiya Kubelwagon I built in college, winter of 73/74. I may yet do the Tamiya Tiger I built at the same time. Trying new things, making up the seat frames from soldered brass, duckboards for the floors, and generally adding more refined details.

[@SpruesNBrews]

Very cool! Sounds like a great project! Good luck & happy building 👍

[@jasongardiner5965]

I did this recently with an old Dragon M270 MLRS kit I built back in 1992. I had brush painted it at the time as I didn't own an airbrush. I started by lightly sanding the large surfaces to get rid of brush strokes, then airbrushed it using colour modulation and weathered it properly. Looked a million times better than what I did in 92!

[@SpruesNBrews]

That's great! Sounds like a really good project - I'm glad it went well! 👍

[@JuanGarcia-up2gz]

Awesome work my friend keep up the good work

[@SpruesNBrews]

Thanks so much! 😁👍

[@davidpolak5189]

nice video. one tip for that casting structure: you can improve the look with sanding the surface lightly with 800 grid to even the surface and remove little spikes

[@SpruesNBrews]

Thanks - and that's a great tip, thank you! 👍

[@crabtreyanimations7148]

Will mineral spirits work for enamel thinner

[@tomfowler4501]

Loving your vids I am brand new to tank modelling and think I have made a complete hash of trying to paint my Panzer iv, I have not put it all together yet, would the process you just went through work

[@tomfowler4501]

Ps I don’t have an airbrush yet hopefully get one soon

[@Marauder623]

believe it or not, I don't refurbish my old kits, not because I can't be bothered but because I like to look at my progress from a few years ago to now, I think it is very interesting and helps any new people to the hobby to not worry about being amazing when I show off my bad models.

[@SpruesNBrews]

Yeah that's totally fair! I just like to sometimes because I can save a little cash & not pick up a new kit if I've already got one built up that I'd like to improve 👍

[@Rex84199]

Nice video. But that anti slip paste dossent give a very realistic look, idd recomend you wacht night shifts video on cast steel texture, his video shows in very detail how to doit and i think ill improve your models a lot like mine. Thanks for such a cool video cheers!!

[@SpruesNBrews]

He does a great job for sure!

[@lukasspitz-chapman2647]

Looks great! After seeing this, I might refurb my Tamiya panther D that I did a year ago. You might want to try ammo/ak dark brown wash for green, or their wash for dark yellow. I find that it looks a little better than dark wash. Also, I personally think that rubber is usually dark grey rather than black. I like Vallejo black grey or dark grey, and I sometimes use ak 3rd gen German grey for my rubber parts.

[@larrybrown1824]

I use either Vallejo Black-Grey for older tires and Tamiya Rubber Black for newer tires.

[@SpruesNBrews]

Thanks for watching! And give it a go - I cleaned up my own Panther D a few years back & it's so much better now 😁

[@skunkworks2059]

Just re painted a Sherman using your techniques. I’m much happier with the results.

[@SpruesNBrews]

Oh that's great! Fantastic 👍

[@MikeyRumi180]

I love you brother. Your models inspire me. They are amazing.

[@SpruesNBrews]

Too kind! Thank you!

[@gregpedras3401]

Are you using AK Gauzy Agent Glass Coat or Shine Enhancer?

[@SpruesNBrews]

Shine Enhancer! 👍

[@edwardkennedy5680]

Couldn't agree more Hank , and lovely job by the way , very interesting shade of olive drab - like it , different ! Where are you from as a matter of interest , USA! Best Edward ( Ireland).

[@SpruesNBrews]

Thank you! I appreciate it - and I'm in the Boston area. Sláinte! 🍻

[@edwardkennedy5680]

@@SpruesNBrews Good stuff Hank , I wish I had a couple of hundred real Tank Killers , I know where to send them to Kviev to support the freedom of the Ukrainian people against a tyrant from Russia . Long live free Ukraine. Best Edward ( Ireland)

[@michaelpreston7472]

You guys make it look so easy. Here’s a laugh for y’all. I’m 56yrs old and last model I attempted I was 12. I’m “thinkin’” about getting the Tamiya 1/35 Sherm to SLOWLY get back into the hobby. Am I crazy?!?

[@SpruesNBrews]

That's a GREAT place to start - a fantastic & very user-friendly kit. I think that's a great plan. Happy building! 👍

[@michaelpreston7472]

@@SpruesNBrews thanks, appreciate that. I'll let ya know how I feel in a few months. 😜

[@johndesalvo7738]

Ur not crazy yet but you will be! 😂😂

[@unsuisseegare1291]

I will probably do that on my old tamiya pershing

[@SpruesNBrews]

Nice!!

[@user-wf2lm3vi7o]

Did the old decal raised nature come through, appears as it doesn’t?

[@SpruesNBrews]

It wasn't bad at all! 👍

[@C.Brown5150]

Cool video Brother. The rebuild is awesome, I think it's just a little bit better than the first build. Nice work and I really appreciate you sharing your tips and tricks.. I find them very helpful and useful for sure. 👍🇺🇸

[@SpruesNBrews]

Thank you!!

[@larrybrown1824]

Two other ways to get the rough texture: a:) soak the part with liquid glue, give the plastic a min to soften, then stipple with a stiff brush. b:) mix a touch of flour in to any color paint and glob it on with a stiff brush. The flour trick also works well with making rust spots. Edited to add: the refurbish looks great!

[@SpruesNBrews]

Thanks & thank you for watching! I've tried the glue approach in the past & didn't have much success with it, but I hadn't heard about the flour technique. That's an interesting one - I'll have to give it a go!

[@luisfranciscosoto]

Nice work, I like your channel!

[@SpruesNBrews]

Thank you very much!

[@josecesar8657]

Super well done paint work and weathering.

[@SpruesNBrews]

Thank you very much!

[@Bstuchlik]

This vid gave me some inspiration/ motivation to rework a couple of my old builds! Got a couple E8 Sherman’s that will go on the chopping block.

[@SpruesNBrews]

Awesome! Good luck & happy building! 👍

[@nikoladze77]

Bravo! It look way better than original one. I had a couple of refurbishing moments but that comes only with weathering techniques. Had a fear to ruin the model starting almost all over again😊

[@SpruesNBrews]

Thank you!!

[@phoukj]

How do you avoid visible brush strokes?

[@SpruesNBrews]

For brushwork, it's very helpful to use thinner paints (acrylics are usually already in good shape, but adding a bit of water to the mix can help) & to use the smallest brush strokes you can. The thinner the layer of paint, the better 👍

[@texmurphy5611]

I love this video! I refurbished an older AMT X-wing I had built when I first started the hobby, cleaning out the mistakes I had made back then, as well as detailing the cockpit and surfaces using the 1/72 Bandai kit and web pics as references. It was such an enjoyable experience making the kit look so much better - thank you for sharing that concept with others!

[@SpruesNBrews]

Thanks so much! I appreciate it 😁

[@crossbones8956]

I started with tabletop wargaming a couple years ago. I’d never painted minis before and just jumped right in. Some say not to redo your old stuff but I really wanted to update my paint schemes to my current talent. I have four Sherman’s that I plan to add stowage and weathering to give them some more depth and realism. I’ll certainly use some of these tips.

[@SpruesNBrews]

Awesome! Sounds like a great project - good luck & happy building 👍

[@douglasstreet7304]

AWESOME !

[@SpruesNBrews]

Thank you so much!!

[@adamstein5773]

Great video! I learn a lot from you so thanks for taking the time and sharing your expertise.

[@SpruesNBrews]

I'm really glad to hear it - thank you so much!

[@camilleguillaume9206]

Thank you for this great video. I have old kits that I had painted with enamel paints. Now I will finally be able to paint them 🤗

[@SpruesNBrews]

Great! Happy painting! 👍

[@Supacoopaofawesomeness]

0:01 Hey! 0:20 100% agree

[@SpruesNBrews]

Glad to hear!

[@chrisjones5969]

dos nai pop

[@SpruesNBrews]

sorry I'm not sure I understand!

[@MGB-learning]

Great video!

[@SpruesNBrews]

Thank you! 👍

[@announcerspeakerboxbfdi4966]

i would but i hate to ruin the decals

[@SpruesNBrews]

Yeah you have to sacrifice the existing decals, but if you have some spares you can put those on after the repaint! 👍

[@announcerspeakerboxbfdi4966]

@@SpruesNBrews do i scrape them off or just paint over?

[@KiloHertz]

where can I get after market decals?

[@SpruesNBrews]

Check out spruebrothers.com or www.eagle-editions.com/product-category/aircraft-decals-for-the-modeler/ Those are a couple of my go-tos! Happy Building 👍

[@KiloHertz]

@@SpruesNBrews thank you, cheers and a happy new year

[@jerryrichards8172]

Hi hank !

[@yourmodelsucks9050]

You could improve your scale models by letting someone else build them

[@SpruesNBrews]

Ohhh that's a good one! Very clever. You know every comment you leave just helps the algorithm, right? Cheers 😉🍻

[@yourmodelsucks9050]

@@SpruesNBrews i wouldn't wan t to miss anything