WIP Tamiya Sturmgeschutz III Ausf.G Build Log

  Thanks for cluing me in on "Simple Green". And being biodegradable is great!

  Yeah, I figured that everyone wanted the concrete inserts...but the photo I am using doesn't have them. Instead they use concrete pontoons (for lack of a better word) on each side. Then to supplement the concrete, they use one log added to each side.

  The reason I chose this picture, as a reference, was because of the tank...and get this...several Japanese officers watching the tank in action. Here the Germans and Finns were showing off a tank with concrete and logs to supplement armor. Not something to be really proud of, I would think.

  Also, having Japanese officers present, blew my mind. They traveled a long way to see a flawed tank design...supplemented with logs and concrete. A proud day for the Fatherland!

I will publish the pic when I put the diorama up.

  Anyway, I am looking forward to seeing your tank using the concrete, Doog.

Nice work on the camo again---"SImple Green" is what you want for stripping acrylic paint. It's like, ten bucks for a huge bottle of it, and takes acrylic paint off in literally 10 minutes, usually. And it's biodegradable too, believe it or not.

I just stole this kit off ebay for under $20! I"m a little bummed that you didn't use he characteristic concrete add-on armor on the hull, but that's ok--I will when I build mine, and it won't be the same as yours!  :)

WIth chipping, less-is-more until you practice enough to know what is appropriate for the look you want.

garzonh

Another kit with a dog...

Not sure why Tamiya is putting dogs in the kits, and they are not portrayed in the box or instructions.

Mm...is it like some kind of prize or surprise box?

Bison decals are generally very good quality in my experience. You shouldn't have any issues with them.

 I am thinking about adding back decals. To me, it kinda misses the point without the decals. Anyway, I am looking at a sheet from Bison.

 Question...how is the quality and register from Bison?

The weathering is looking grimy and dusty.  

Davja

Hi, third or forth post here, but the dog is from the earlier Stug 3G kit. I have one in my stash at home.

Thanks for that info...kinda threw me finding things that were not mentioned on the box  :)

  Almost ready for the diorama setting. Left off the hatch and stuff, so that I would not break them. Never made a diorama before, so this should be interesting...to say the least. The weathering was done with Vallejo acrylics...no oils. The mud residue was created with plaster and buff colors. Fuel stains were created with a brown color and Vallejo 'slow dry'. Metallic edges were created with graphite.

  Once the Stug is placed in the diorama, I will finish the tracks and some final weathering details.

Camo and dirt!!!  Yeah buddy!

Moving right along AE! Glad the return roller did the trick for you.

Looking very nice, I liked it more without the mud, but thats me...

Good work!

Absolutely beautiful weathering!!!

Thanks for sharing!!!

  I have been working on shading, chipping, streaks, washes and dry mud. Really toned down the chipping this time. Then used filters to change some highlights. Then added a couple of rust streaks and chips.

  Now, I have added a mixture of acrylic colors and plaster (with a little Matt Varnish) for the dry mud mixture. Tomorrow, I will be using white spirit to bring down the mud mixture. With the goal of leaving a dusty coverage on some of the areas. So far, I have been only using acrylic paint. Hoping to stay with acrylics through the entire process.

  Still a long way to go...but that's half the fun!

  wbill76, again thanks for the replacement. It worked and looks perfect. Without you, this build would not have been completed.

Thanks WBill...

  Now working on the camo...

Looks like round 2 on the paint is coming along nicely AE, hang in there!

  I think I have some of that stuff in my laundry room. Came from Walmart, I think. Thanks for that tip...at least I will be ready the next time this happens.

  Just a quick word on progress...

AE, sorry to see that your original paint job & weathering didn't turn out the way you wanted it to.  You aren't the first modeler to have to totally strip and repaint a model, I've had to do that a couple of times myself!!

As for acrylics, water alone usually isn't enough to dissolve the dried paint.  Windex is great for Tamiya acrylics, but not so much with other acrylics like Vallejo.  I think it was the doog (Karl), that suggested using something called Purple Power Cleaner to dissolve model paints.  Not sure if he diluted it with water or used it straight, but after soaking the model for a few hours the acrylic paint came right off without damaging the plastic!   I couldn't find Purple Power, but I found something similar called Purple ? and it worked good enough for me!

Hope your next paint effort turns out more to your liking!

Well...it turned out pretty good. Might have to do some sanding on the decals...but for now she is drying and will evaluate after that.

  I tried soaking the model in a bucket of water and nothing happened. So, the only thing I can think of is to repaint her with my primer. Treading new ground here...wish me luck 

  Who would guess that I would commit the common newb error...I totally went overboard on the chipping. And to be honest, I would like to tone back the wash as well. I do not like the streaking that I created with the wash.

  So, I need your help brother modellers  :)

  How can I get the model back to a point where it is ready to receive it's first wash?

  Any suggestions will be greatly appreciated...and I am not going to do anything until I hear what you guys have to say.

  BTW...the primer is Vallejo Acrylic-Polyurethane with Vallejo Model Color on top. The wash is Vallejo Acrylic and chipping paint is Vallejo Model Color, as well. I am not concerned about saving the decals (which have Future under the decal, but not covering the decal).

garzonh

Hi my friend,

US does not has an issue with this...it is allowed, but FSM being on the web and having users all over the world, I´m not sure. This is the reason you never see a scale model from any brand portraying the swastika (that I know of), just that they do not get sued if a model is sold in a European country or somewhere else where is forbidden.

Has anyone seen a swastika in the reader galleries?

 

The reason the kit manufacturers don't display the swastika is to conform with EU import restrictions primarily and to avoid issues with their products being marketed/sold in those countries with laws prohibiting the display. That doesn't stop them from providing the markings inside the kit for modelers to create the swastikas themselves (usually in the form of partial decals that have to be applied together or similar since the decals are 'printed' and therefore also fall under the ban in most countries against that type of use) if needed.

As a side note, the Finnish swastika was in use as a national marking and has nothing to do with the German Nazi party or even fascism for that matter. It uses different colors and different orientation/display on vehicles and aircraft. The 'hakenkreuz' was around long before the *** perverted it into their own symbol and is also still used in India and other cultures as a symbol of peace and harmony.

In all the years I've been here on FSM, I can't recall a single incident where the moderators instructed a poster to remove an image that had the swastika on a build. You see this far more commonly on aircraft that feature swastika's on the tail, such as this one: http://cs.finescale.com/fsm/modeling_subjects/f/2/t/156517.aspx

or this one http://cs.finescale.com/fsm/modeling_subjects/f/2/t/156280.aspx?sort=ASC&pi240=2

where the poster has a GB badge with an aircraft sporting one on the tail, even though he didn't include it on his own build. I point these out only as small examples of how things are different on sites hosted in the US and with a primarily US audience of viewers and users. That's not to say there shouldn't be a sensitivity to the laws and restrictions and of course cultural sensibilities of other countries, but it's not an issue for FSM per se to prohibit the display of models or model-related subjects that include the swastika. FSM's prohibition against controversial topics that include politics or religion of course would apply and rightly so.

Hi my friend,

US does not has an issue with this...it is allowed, but FSM being on the web and having users all over the world, I´m not sure. This is the reason you never see a scale model from any brand portraying the swastika (that I know of), just that they do not get sued if a model is sold in a European country or somewhere else where is forbidden.

Has anyone seen a swastika in the reader galleries?

  Sorry about that...it never even dawned on me about the Finnish symbol. To me, I have never associated the Finnish symbol with the swastika used by the National Socialist German Workers Party. It always looked different, to me, than a strict swastika. So, I never associated it in that way.

  But, I can certainly see why people would have a negative view of the Finnish symbol. Please, let me know if it is a problem and I will try to edit the photos.

  Quick question...I was thinking about a future diorama. In that diorama, I was going to create a flag out of lead foil to be used as an aerial marker (picture a flag draped across the back of a tank, so they would not be attacked by their own aircraft). These flags were almost always a German swastika. Would that be allowed here?

Looking good AE!

Strange how Finland used the swastika on their WWII AFVs, but Germany didn't.

Glad to be of assistance! Nothing worse than having a build stall out due to missing critical parts. As for the swastika, it's correct for a Finnish vehicle and the way they marked their vehicles vs. the German approach and once you get it weathered in with the rest of the vehicle it should look just fine. Garzon's right about it being illegal to display photos including a swastika in certain European countries (most notably France and Germany) but it's never been an issue here at FSM so you should be fine.  

Nice weathering!

Looking dirty.. very good...!!!

If i can comment, I just think the swastika is too large and sticks out too bright.

Also, be careful, those symbols are forbidden in some countries, someone may feel adverse to it and could request your picture to be deleted...

Cheers.

  I want to thank WBILL76 for the replacement return rollers. They are perfect big guy...I owe you big. Otherwise not sure how this thing would have turned out.  :)

  Decals have been applied and "Future'd". Base wash has now begun...