[quote user="snapdragonxxx"]

Thanks for the posts guys.

the red oxide is Vallejo's RAL 8012 from their  Model Air range Unlike AK and the rest it is shade accurate to original chipsets and as you can see gives a remarkable realism to the interior.

as to the ammunition!

most of the colours are AK's Xtreme metal range which don't like being handled or masked. Also I believe that I used too fine a grade of sandpaper on the cases and heads and so the Stylnrez primer couldn't stick properly.

this means that actually handling the ammunition and then test fitting painted ammo into racks took both paint and primer back to the metal off!

with this I have decided to take all the paint off both heads and cases and start again and review sanding and painting and handling procedures. I may also contact Eureka XXL and purchase some more heads and cases as a reserve.

while this has put me back overall, I am sure that followers will realise that a full load of ammo and the case colours of the parkerisation process adds greatly to the finished interior and needs as much attention as the rest of the kit!

If anyone has ideas then please post and let us work out a way that will benefit all of us!

James

James, just out of curiosity, how many brass AM rounds did you need to have a full load out? 50? 

Thanks guys.

I have the Initial turret kit and interior (Porsche) which, apart from the turret is just the same so that will appear on my bench. I will have to get some Friul tracks as the kit tracks are the link and length (which I don't like at all and also incorrect for the initial turret Tiger II.

The correct tracks are available from either Masterclub or Friul and it wil be a coin toss.

I have been playing with Rye Field Models' Panther G with clear upper hull and turret and masking tape to see how it will look once together and my potential display options. I also need to get some night vision devices as the Panther I am recreating is a very late G (no zimmeritt, April 1945)

There may be some fancy masking and painting to do and I do like to get feedback and thoughts from members as I do like to get them invioved with the build and ask questions and offer advice etc. It's what this forum is about!

I will be putting up a new thread and discussing my display options so don't be afraid to offer ideas and opinions.

James

I empathize.

I've tossed 2 expensive (for me) kits in the trash in the last 18 months although the reason for each loss was not an accident/bad luck as in your case. For me it was, embarrisingly worse. I simply screwed up so badly that each kit was not recoverable (by me at any rate).

Since it's supposed to be the process and not the end result that keeps us model builders motivated (although I've had more than my share of #&*@#! issuing from my larynx when things go wrong), beside the $ involved, I don't really get too upset anymore... I just buy another kit (If I liked it well enough and have discerned where I made my mistakes) and start again.

You were doing so well that I do think it's really a pity that the accident happened but, upward and onward.

Ok.... Panther G it is!

I will need to get Friul tracks and XXL Ammo so I need to go through the kit and works out which types and how many they have included. I will also need to go and sit in a very dirty and smelly tank for some reference stuff..... PHEW!

I do have a few  other kits to finish so I think I may do that first!

Aw !!! I hate it when  like this happens! 

Sigh, well looking forward to your Panther build now! 

Oh that's terrible! Sorry about that. It would be great if you did a WIP on a full interior Panthe.

I'm sorry about a lack of progress but I have been very busy away from the bench.

However, I have to report that I am having to scrap this build due to an accident. I accidentally knocked over a bottle of thinners whilst cleaning my airbrush and reduced the engine and parts of the lower hull to a molten mess!

As you can understand I'm not happy at all and there were lots of words issued which cannot be repeated here!

I will replace the kits and I have Rye Field Models Panther G clear edition and Mengs Tiger II Initial turret plus interior set. I just need to track down their Zimmeritt set as I want to do a Normandy Tiger. All initial turret Tiger II had Zimeritt. It is a bit of a pain to put onto the kit, but when under paint looks fantastic.

The Rye Field Models Panther G is a fantastic kit with parts to build either a 1944 or 1945 G variants along with parts to produce a Panther G built in July 1945 by the British army for testing purposes.

There's a lot of parts in the box and so lots of detail and alternatives. I will more than likely get a full metal ammunition load and Friul metal tracks for this. I will be producing a PzD Munchenberg Panther which was built in April 1945. I keep on going into the box and try and work out how I want to paint the upper clear hull to show both the camouflage and interior.

Sorry about having to scrap this build!

James

Thanks for the posts guys.

the red oxide is Vallejo's RAL 8012 from their  Model Air range Unlike AK and the rest it is shade accurate to original chipsets and as you can see gives a remarkable realism to the interior.

as to the ammunition!

most of the colours are AK's Xtreme metal range which don't like being handled or masked. Also I believe that I used too fine a grade of sandpaper on the cases and heads and so the Stylnrez primer couldn't stick properly.

this means that actually handling the ammunition and then test fitting painted ammo into racks took both paint and primer back to the metal off!

with this I have decided to take all the paint off both heads and cases and start again and review sanding and painting and handling procedures. I may also contact Eureka XXL and purchase some more heads and cases as a reserve.

while this has put me back overall, I am sure that followers will realise that a full load of ammo and the case colours of the parkerisation process adds greatly to the finished interior and needs as much attention as the rest of the kit!

If anyone has ideas then please post and let us work out a way that will benefit all of us!

James

Yeah, that ammo looks fantastic!

That's some painstaking work on the ammo it's amazing. What red oxide paint do you use?

Thanks, Gamera.

Just a small update in which I want to pass on how I am dealing with the AM ammunition.

Here's a photo with some blurred cases etc. I took this with my macro lens, but you will get the scale of what individual painting of a fill ammunition load takes!

First of all, everything... cases, shells etc has to be given a sand so that primer will grip. We are dealing with brass cases and aluminium projectiles. I used 50,000 grit paper which is perfect for this job as it roughs the surface but not that you would notice and doesn't gouge the surface leaving big scratches.

The primer I use is Stylnrez grey and with the amount of shells and casings I have split the workload and primed 10 at a time. The last 20 cases are currently curing on cocktail sticks before the last couple of colours are done.

For those wishing to duplicate the parkerised case colours, here is the list I have used, which apart from one are exact matches to the paint colours used.

Vallejo Model Air 71.095 RAL 6011 Pale Green

Vallejo Model Air 71.047 U.S. Grey (just a bit lighter than the original, but close enough. the original colour doesn't exist in the moden RAL catalogue)

AK Xtreme Metal

Gold

Brass

Steel

Copper

Bronze

These are applied directly to the stylnrez primer and allowed to cure for 24 hours.

The projectile colours are:

Vallejo 71.057 Black

Vallejo 71.078 RLM 04 Yellow

Vallejo 71.019 RAL 6007 Cam. Dark Green

Again, the process is the same.

Each case and projectile well recieve a coat of AK's intermediate gauzy shine which will protect the paint (especially the AK Xtreme metal which doesn't like handling much - or masking!) After that the decals will be added and another coat of the Gauzy shine.

The shells above have been assembled to show the colours and are waiting their first protective coat.

With a kit like this Meng one (and the new Rye Field Models' Panther G), it is worth the while and expense in going that extra mile. It is extra work, but you would have to do it with the kit ammunition too.

Friul metal tracks sit on one side of my bench waiting their turn and the wheels are ready to be masked and finished!

There is some paint repairs to do in the fighting compartment, but I want the ammunition finished first!!

Comments and questions anyone?

James 

Oh wow, some fantastic detail there!

Thanks, Clint

I noticed that some of the photos were repeated and I have fixed that issue!!

Tonight at my bench I have been concentrating on the Ammunition. Stay tuned for another update!

Here's the latest update.

I'm sorry about the delay, but we have had some fantastic weather here in Yorkshire, as well as the Tour De Yorkshire so I have been away from my bench and out on the motorbike enjoying the good sun and clear blue skies as well as the heat. Normally our bank holidays are cold, wet and miserable and the BBQ are held inside!

Gamera - Sometimes you do have trouble with AM brass turned shells and it is always wise before any painting process that you fit into racks so see if any alterations to the racks are needed. Most times it is just a bit of sanding to the rack holders to make sure the shells sit snugly and allow for a few coats of paint on both ammo and rack!

A cocktail stick with some 50,000 grit stuck to it will do the job!

Now, much interior progress has been done and the lower hull is looking very cramped. One of the pieces I carefully painted seems to have gone AWOL, but if it turns up it will go in!

The firewall in this vehicle is completley primer colour with no demarkation for the interior colour. You have to bear in mind that this was an April build Tiger II and just on the cusp of the last change so it features some march modifications and some April mods. Most builders wouldn't know about these as they are not apparent unless you have original build order references and OKW cleared changes.

Firewall build, painted and decalled, ready to be fitted. I was hoping to be able to use som dry rub on transfers, but the only ones available from Archer have the 9001 background, which was not appropriate for the vehicle. I had to use the kit decals and I didn't want to go through the whole clear gloss/matt varnish faff! They do show as decals on the above photo bu when in place on the kit....

no problem. It's just the light reflecting on the film!

Seats are in!

Gearbox and drive in place along with other components.

The grearbox and drive could be either red oxide, Green (RAL 7009) or blue/grey (RAL7016).

Battery boxes and turret drive motor etc installed.

Getting quite cramped now!

In my persuit of getting a propper clean line around the nose of the APCBC Ammo which should have a white painted nose I was having much difficulty as white is a very notorious colour to deal with.

After some thought I decided that taking the paint off back the the engraved line would be the best option as it shows as polished aluminium which at the normal viewing distance of these models and with the different coloured cases which will keep the eye moving they will pass for white with a clean demarkation line!

The full load of shells for this build cost me some money, but they, for me, are proving a good investment. More of the ammo at a later date, although they are taking up a considerable amount of time in preparation and painting which is ongoing!

So, you're all up to date on this build.

Questions and comments more than welcome

James

Those look great!!! 

I'm working on some 85mm turned brass Soviet ammo. It looks way better than plastic shells but I agree it does take some work to paint and detail and isn't a simple drop-fit.

Thanks for the support and kind comments, guys.

A little progress has been made and I have been concentrating on the ammunition.

The German military didn't use brass cases. They had learned in WWI that brass was a valuable comodity and usually in short supply so in tthe 1930's switched to steel cases with a protective parkerised coating to prevent rust etc.

There were many colours used with green, grey, copper, steel colour, gold, bronze being common with a clear laquer coat over the top.

As I am replacing the kit ammunition with a complete load from Eureka XXL then there is a lot of work to be done.

First I have to sand everything so that primer will grip and stick I'm using 50,000 grit on these. I have then to prime. Painting comes next with shell and case being painted seperatley the the decals need to go on and then lastly a coat of AK's intermediate shine enhancer to give the parkerised effect.

The painting can be a 3 or 4 stage process with a day between everything to let it cure before touching it. Metal ammunition can greatly enhance a model as the detail is much crisper and there are no seams to deal with.

I have done a few AP and APCBC to see the colours and also to fit into the rack I have already installed.

Just the painting has been done. At this moment I have not added the decals or the shine enhancer.

It doesn't like much work has been done, but there has been lots of time spent. I'm not rushing this build at all but I know that the ammunition will be a great time factor as it has to be and look right.

The colours I am using are either actual colours for the cases or as close as I can get them!

I'll be using more Eureka XXL Ammo for the Rye Field Panther G I have and the Meng Tiger II with initial turret when that becomes avaialble and I get it!

Comments and questions welcome

James

EPIC BUILD!!!

Here's another update

Pictures say lots of words!

The replacement etched mesh fret arrived and so I replaced the broken stuff...... carefully! It is incredibly detailed!

Once some archer transfers arrive I can finish this little bit!

The Tiger II has two first aid kits. this one which is next to the firewall and one behind the radio operator. Meng only provide one!

A little too far here! Won't be able to get the firewall in!

Will need to make some paint repairs now!

Firewall ready to be painted. On the Munchenberg Tiger II the entire firewall is red oxide!

That's all for now. Just need to find one half of the fire extinguisher that I dropped last night!

Don't worry, Gamera, I have spent a very long time deciding on the finished look and interior views. You need to watch and wait becaue I haven't revealed what I'm going to do.

Meng have obviously thought long and hard about the display options when they designed the kit and it does show.

I'm also jeeping my eyes peeled for their initial turret kit(s) when they apear too as they will sit great side by side!

Oh wow that looks good! I wonder how much you'll be able to see though the hatches though. Or were you going to show the interior and I missed it? 

Thanks guys.

I have now identified the colour of the gearbox which is the same as the engine - RAL 7016.

very early this morning saw me crawling around the very smelly interior of the tiger II considering if I should add all the hydraulic lines and such to the torsion bar suspension.

after a good look around and spending time hanging upside down in the engine bay with a torch and going through manuals and diagrams I decided that the extra work would never be seen not to do it.

I do have my eye on Mengs latest when it gets released which is the initial turret. My experience so far with this kit and the display options it provides is far more positive than Takoms' offering.

They'll sit nicely side by side.

A lot of nice detail. I got to get some of that Xtreme metal steel

Progress has been made. A little slow, but the interior is very slowly beginning to fill up.

A replacement Fret for the mesh has arrived and I am waiting for some interior stencilling stuff to be sent from Archer Fine Transfers.

As those of you following will know, I am using my own recovered Tiger II from the Munchenberg Panzer Division for colours and equipment etc so I am replicating a real thing from the bottom up!

First things first.

Getting the shock absorbers ready and the brake drums and covers.

I primed and then painted the uncovered piston area with Xtreme Metal Stainless Steel. Now this stuff, contrary to manufacturers claims doesn't like being masked but I reckon this, and Vallejo's Metal Color are the best on the market at the moment and both sets are on my workbench.

so, to protect the paint I put a generous coat of AK's Intermediate Shine Enhancer. It piuts a protective coat onto the metal and adds just a little extra gleam.

Once all that had cured leaving it overnight I then masked the area taking off some of the tackiness of the tape on the back of my hand first.

Once ready it was time to let loose the RAL 8012 and then once cured, remobe the tape. No damage to the metal paint was done!

The brake discs and covers were painted and it's time to start fitting stuff!

The sides were added. Ther are a very tight fit and hardly any glue was needed.

On with fittings!

The next lot for priming and painting!

That's it for now. I have lots of priming and painting to do with all the suspension bars etc to do as well as the pile above!

This is an epic build.  I'll be keeping an eye on this one.