Panzer 1V Ausf.H Up Dated 29/11/11

Hey Kenny, very credible job doing your own zimmerit. The rear plate and the plate above the transmission should also have been zimmed up also. It looks pretty darn good though.  Clever idea with a stamp.

The camo looks fine. The drawing appears to be a soft-edge and it looks like you hard-edged yours. Not a big deal really, as long as your happy with it. Congrats on a fine build.

Kenny,

First off kudos to you for doing your own zim! The idea of the stamping tool looks like it paid off and created a good pattern. The box art is not entirely accurate as there should also be zim on the glacis plate as wee as some of the rear hull plates but you couldn't know that if the box art was your only guide. The zim does appear to be a little thick in places as you mentioned...but I can't offer any advice on how to improve on that using Miliput as I've never attempted that method myself.

On the rear hull it looks like the main muffler/exhaust is out of position and is too far to the right...not sure if that's a kit issue or something else. The two curved trays were the covers for the actual exhaust pipes exiting the hull into the muffler and the alignment is out of whack the way they are installed. I would recommend finishing the muffler in a rust finish vs painting it with the hull color and camo pattern, they were made of sheet metal essentially and exposed to constant heat and temp variations making painting them impractical (paint would just flake off) so they typically are seen with a rusty patina even on new vehicles.

I like the way the camo came out and would never know of your struggles with the tracks if you hadn't mentioned it. As you know, the forums here are a great way to connect up with fellow modelers and get help and advice...for future builds if you post more in-progress vs at the end that help can be offered while you still have a chance to fix if you desire.

Tigerman, thanks for your kind remarks.

And to you Bill, for your helpfull remarks; I'v looked again at the muffler and support brackets and that is how they are shown even on the box art, but ,perhaps I should do some research instead of just following the manufactures indications.

Regards the Zim, the box art shows the Zim only where I have placed it, so once again I should do some research...cheers....Kenny

Yeah, nice work.  For the zimmeret?  My first and only experience with it was a long time ago.  I used Squadron green putty, spreading it on with a pallet knife, and 'notching' it with a small flat-blade screw driver.  I thought it came out nice, but never finished the model.  I still have it, and plan to finish it one of these days. 

As others have mentioned the soft edge camo.  I used to cut patterns out of 3X5 index cards and hold them close to, but over the subject and spray the paint from a rattle can.  It accomplished the pattern I wanted with the soft edges.  Nice work, though. Cheers!

Gene Beaird,
Pearland, Texas

Kenny-  Great job on your Panzer IV!   It is now one of my favorite armors after building one recently.  Clever way to make Zimmerit and I agree with you about the kit schurzen as it was way too thick so you scratch built those while I was too lazy or too scared that I bought PE set. LOL

Camo job is the best thing I like about your build.  Did you apply flat clear coat to tone down the shininess? 

I am with you about not having local modeling friends... they are clueless what I am showing or talking about.  That's what FSM forum is for... thanks for sharing!

Deafpanzer, yes I have used a dull cote...cheers....Kenny