I know this is not a typical WIP pic, but here's what I intend to use to finish up the Marder, give or take a few things. I haven't decided on the track finish yet. 

Clemons, instead of the Vallejo acrylic gloss varnish, could I use Pledge Future and you stated that you used Alcad Gloss, but which one?

I guess I'm a little confused on this seal coat, should it be a gloss acrylic or an enamel? The latter seems to make more sense.

Here are my layers? Base primer, Tamiya acrylics 3 tone camo, the"clear coat" then Tamiya acrylic white.  

Jibber: You're making a serious dent in that thing now! I love those little clear pieces for the vision slits though I always have trouble masking them.

If I may jump in here normally you'd use an enamel clear coat if the top weathering coat is acrylic. In fact I think you'd have to if you're using thinner to remove the whitewash as Clemons does. However I used the same Vallejo clear with the hairspray on mine. It seems to have stood up fine.  

I think just to be safe, I'm thinking an enamel gloss clear coat. I think its risky throwing on a thinner that could get right into the camo. I had trouble once before and now I'm thinking thats what I did, used this acrylic and it was a mess. i haven't done one since until this build. Thanks

Cliff pretty much explained it all very nicely (thanks for that, mate!).

The clear coat has to be enamel or lacquer based - ACRYLIC PAINT WON'T WORK - to keep the normal camo safe. I used Alclad's "Klear Kote Gloss´" (ALC 310). I'm not sure if Future is going to work though, so you might want to test it on a pice of plastic sheet first.

Tamiya paint might not be the perfect choice for the white either. Tamiya's solvents are kinda "hot" so they can eat through some clear coats if they are not tough enough. I used Vallejo paints because they use the least agressive solvent. Vallejo's white doesn't have such a nice spray pattern as other acrylics too which helps a lot in recreating the uneven and worn finish seen on most whitewashed vehicles. i only used their normal airbrush thinner though (the premium stuff is more agressive).

So to be completely on the save side i'd suggest the following layers:

Primer -> Tamiya 3-tone camo -> Lacquer/Enamel Clear -> Vallejo Air White -> Vallejo airbrush thinner

Got it thanks. I just returned back from my LHS and picked up a Model Master Clear Gloss Lacquer. I also have the Vallejo Air white paint so I think I'm okay for now. Can't wait to try it but I have a few things first.

Thanks to both you guys.  

Jibber.      Well that answers my question about the black. I was looking at your photobucket album and that little blue vice looks really handy. I hear you about the amount of Dragon parts. That's why I decided to do the academy stug 4 for a warm up first.

My stug is coming along just fine mostly done with the only  wheels painted. I have spent a lot of time filling pin marks !

I'll post the pics as soon as I can it's fine scale modelers fault but there trying to figure it out.

Gammera.  The M-10  is coming along nicely. I would like to try a white wash at some point. Looks challenging.

I don't remember wherein/when I came across the vice , it may have been Micro Mark but what I like about it is that it doesn't damage the plastic and it'll make a seal on a flat surface for stability. I think it was pretty cheap and its one of those things I use all the time. I think it was under $10, and actually I wouldn't mind having another one. You could use them together to hold a part from both ends, I haven't seen anything like that before.

What Stug kit do you have, I hate pin marks but mostly there in those areas that won't be seen.  

Jibber: Sounds cool, looking forward to seeing how she comes out.

Blackdog: Thanks! The Stug sounds pretty cool! The whitewash is pretty easy if I may I'll link Clemon's article here again where he explains step by step how to do it. 

BTW guys- many of the whitewashs both Axis and Allied seem to have been applied by dumping buckets over the vehicle and then using something like a broom to spread it around. Neatness is not an issue here- the more sloppy the more accurate it looks!!!  

Yeah, that bucket "technique" was the fastest and easiest method to get that white paint where you wanted it. That's why Vallejo's white is perfect for the job: It is easy to remove (the main reason for choosing it) and it sprays downright horribly compared to, let's say Gunze's white paint. That creates a blotchy, slightly messy looking layer of white paint...

Jibber.   I'm building the academy stug 4 as my first build for this GB something to warm up before I take on my second build here which is the Dragon marder 2 .

Yep that vice would be nice and like you said 2 would probably be better.

Gamers.  Thanks for that thread I saved it for later. I think  that model just won an award not long ago.

This is the closest vice I could find compared to mine, I found it on Ebay for $24. I thought I picked mine up from Micro Mark for $10 or so but I still can't find it. This one actually looks a little nicer, built stronger and it rotates. I think I'll pu one myself. I have a couple of the flexible claw end types that I use on occasion but this one I use quite often. I just used it tonight after painting the main gun for my Marder III.

Terry 

Sorry here it is

[/URL[URL=http://s1346.photobucket.com/user/kingtiger11/media/Marder%20III/Marder%20III%20Dragon/DSC00206_zpsff20469d.jpg.html][/URL[URL=http://s1346.photobucket.com/user/kingtiger11/media/Marder%20III/Marder%20III%20Dragon/DSC00207_zpsb9c4cdf7.jpg.html][/URL[URL=http://s1346.photobucket.com/user/kingtiger11/media/Marder%20III/Marder%20III%20Dragon/DSC00201_zpsbd850836.jpg.html][/URL[URL=http://s1346.photobucket.com/user/kingtiger11/media/Marder%20III/Marder%20III%20Dragon/DSC00202_zps405add87.jpg.html]

I'm going to look for one of those vices. I have a assorted collection of claps a helping hand. A vice would be nice.

The marder is looking great.  What color is that you used for dark yellow ? I went with model masters panzer dunkelgelb 1943 which has a strong over tone of green.  My first completed model in the last 20 plus is the fw-190d I just finished over in the fw-190 3013 GB,

That's why I started on the academy stug4  first.  Something easy so I don't destroy my Dragon kits. The Dragon looks intimidating but looking forward to starting it.

Jibber: Looks good! Seems like shes ready for you to mount the gun and shields.

Sorry I'm falling behind a little here, but the tracks on the M10 are giving me fits. Maybe I should have sprung for some replacement ones since the kit ones seem about two or three links too short and I have to stretch them to mount. They're the glueable kind but keep breaking - I may end up stapling them in the end.

Thats unbelievable they could sell a kit shorting you on track, that would drive me crazy. I still have some painting to do before I'm ready to build. Getting there...  

Blackdog a lot of guys use MM Dunkelgelb, but I prefer to spray with Tamiya acrylics. You can thin out  Dark Yellow (XF60) or add another color like Lt. Grey (XF66) or some Buff (XF57) to it in small amounts. In this case I added XF66 at about 25% to my Dark Yellow (XF60) 75%. I believe theres no perfect color for all vehicles and that they vary quite a bit, so I like changing hues a little so all my vehicles aren't exactly alike. You can't go wrong with Dark Yellow (Dunkelgelb) in either acrylic or enamel.      

On the Dragon kits, study the plans and get familiar with the parts. They can be complicated but if you know what you want to do ahead of time, you usually have a couple options on a particular part or subassembly. Just do it, whats the worse thing that could happen, destroy a $40 kit, who hasn't??

LOL that's true I destroyed  a few in the past.

I did a test on the bottom of my stug using the model masters dunkelgelb and and 2 tamiya dark yellow and I think desert sand. I picked the greener one dew to I'm only going to use olivgrun as camo over the top. I'm trying for a spring or early summer greenish look.

But I also plan on using different ones to break up the look on the shelf.

20 something yrs ago or more in modelling if it was german your options where dark grey and light grey.

I remember as a kid watching Patton and in part he tells his men lets go get those green clothed  bas...ds !  I was thinking german green cloths what the heck is he talking about.

Even in all the old movies dark grey. Or light grey.

Jibber: It's not terrible just I'm having to pop off the rear idler wheel and cement them. Then when dry Istretch them over the wheel and the glue joint keeps popping loose. Being US tight track without any sag they should be tight so they look ok I'm just afraid of them bending stuff out of shape over time.

Never had much trouble with Dragon kits just that there are so many extra parts triple check to make sure you've got the right part before cutting it off. I've bought Dragon kits where there were enough parts left over to almost build a second model!

Any chance of moving the idler in just a little bit, it would take a some work but it might give you that extra space and not affect the look of the M10. Just thinking out loud…sorry, what a pain.

The M10 is on my to-do list, I've been building german armor and my Soleil Royal ship for a while, I keep moving US AFV's back. I have a Firefly on the shelf too, but I keep building German armor, I'm just fascinated with their vehicles.

Gamera if they don't hold what are you going to do, I know you spoke of staples, but it may be easier just to pickup a new set? Can you post some pics? I'd love to see that beast, love the M10 what kit do you have?

Terry

Terry: This is the AFV Club kit. I pulled out the big hammer yesterday- the two part epoxy! If this doesn't work I'll try something else, I'm a little leery about cutting off the idler mount since it won't be as strong once it's re-glued. The vehicle does have some fenders extending down over the top return track runs so it doesn't have to be perfect.

Hopefully, I'll have a few more photos up soon.

Cliff

What a pain, you'll get it I'm sure.

I bought a set of friul replacements tor my Volverine. The AFV kit looks like a great model to build, but I absolutely dislike rubber/vinyl tracks. The only ones I like are the DS tracks supplied with some of the Dragon kits (only if the tracks didn't show any sag on the real thing though).

Hey Clemons, I like the Friuls but I'm too cheap to cough up the money for them esp when I can buy another kit for what they cost! There were a couple of different track types used on the M10, I assume it could run anything a Sherman could due to having the same lower hull and running gear. I've got a number of old Sherman kits in the parts bin I could rob the tracks from if things come to the worst.

Friuls are too expensive for my taste as well, but I can get them at a local model show for a decent price : 20-24 bucks for each set compared to the 34-38 I'd normally pay. I got myself some T49 tracks (same a s the kit tracks) because I really like the look of them...

Boy I agree with Cliff, these kits are getting so expensive then to throw another 30-50 in AM items is crazy. If I showed my kits, maybe, but a home collection, gifts and whatever, I think a $50 kit works with all the goodies on my shelves. For the price of a Fruil set, I can get more paint, oils, Mig and AK products that will take me through dozens of kits. I'm not against it at all, I just dot have the extra money for (1) item. Clemons, we don't have hobby shows in my area that Im aware of, I have 2-3 LHS's 30 minutes in every direction that are marginally stocked, I would love to get to a show and stock up on some things at more of a wholesale price, I might think about it if Fruils were $20.    

Terry

The show is once every year here in Vienna, so I usually buy a few sets of Friuls for the builds I have planned for that year. They are 20€ which should be around 25$, but it's still a lot cheaper than the retail price. I'm also lucky enough to have a great LHS about 30 mins from my place. They have all Tamiya, Vallejo and Gunze (only Acrylics) colors in stock as well as Alclad. They also have a huge range of 1/35 armor kits as well as some aircraft kits and if they don't have what you are looking for, the owner just orders it for you. I can get all the tools and Airbrush accesories/parts I need from them. I guess I'm a bit spoiled

You know I wouldn't mind driving a half hour if a store carried those type of items, I've driven to a couple of my stores for a particular item and they're either out of stock or don't carry it, after several of these trips I rely on my laptop. But in fairness to them, they can't carry everything and I did buy some other things to stock up on so it wouldn't be a wasted trip.