Dear All,
IMHO, tools (shovels, barrel cleaning rods, fire extinguishers etc:
German armor models usually carry plenty) that are provided
with most of the plastic models do not look very cool. What is more
upsetting, all the clasps and clamps that hold them in place are
already molded on. If you want to use nice photoetched clamps to
hold the tools (and that's what I'd want to do), you have to remove
the molded ones which is a dangerous procedure. However, if I look
at the photos in Tony Greenland's book I can see that he uses some
very good looking white metal tools. I'm just wandering: do these come
only as part of expensive high-end resin kits or can they be purchased
separately? It seems that many panzer modelers are using Tamiya's
Pz. Kwf. IV set but it has all the problems mentioned above. I've done
an extensive reseach at Great Models store website but I have found
only very few cool aftermarket tool upgrades (no axes, shovels or
hammers whatsoever). Elephant makes some nice metal barrel rod kits
which look great (I've got one for my Stug IIIB) but that's about it.
I would really appreciate more advice on where other cool looking
tools can be found or, maybe, how to scratch build some of them.
Thanks,
Serge