So, I got some more done this weekend. I used bondo glazing putty to fill a seam in the rocket to get it ready for painting. I also painted the right gauntlet oval piece black and made a hole large enough to install it.
I had a hell of a time with the testors gold spray paint. It came out all gloppy and made a huge mess, but I somehow managed to get an even coat on the end of the rocket. I also painted and attached the green piece of plastic (you can see it behind the flamethrower). This is so I can attach the three cables/cords from the flamethrower to the gaunt. I haven't figured out how to do that yet, but that's what TDH for. I need to look it up.
I also darkened my MoW ammo belt using Deathproof's idea to use a leather and vinyl spray. I started by taping off the threads with the thinnest tape I could find. This was a touch tedious, but need to be done to keep the threads white. The pic below is part way through the process.
Here's a pic while i was spraying and it shows the can of what i used. The brand is Meltonian and it's called Nu-Life Color Spray. The color is 644 Russet.
The tape protected the white threads, but it was also too wide, so after removing the tape, I had to go back and use a brush to get the stain closer to the thread. The pocket on the left is after I applied the brush work to the front and the one on the right is after I pulled the tape off, but before I used the brush. It really shows the difference in color.
Here is the final result. I'm still undecided on how much weathering to apply (done by sanding), but I like the new color a lot better. The MoW belt is just too light. I'll take another look at the reference pics and figure it out.
I just realized that I put the pockets on in the wrong order. I got the sides mixed up. Doh. Easy enough to fix.
So, once I attach the cables/cord to the back of flamethrower this week, I'm going to to do a test fitting and take some pics, so I can get some feedback from you guys before I take my 501st submission pics on the weekend. I'm still hoping the part for my EE-3 arrives so I can put that together in time for the shoot as well, but we'll see.