Dragon 1/35 Elefant - "102" 1/653 Italy - WIP

the doog wrote:

espins1 wrote:  the doog wrote: Hey, looking real nice there, espins1! Looking forward to the weathering completion and a flat coat! Only thing I noticed--you might want to take a needle file to the seam behind the gun mantlet there--did you miss that spot with the airbrush too?!  Thanks, and you're absolutely right about the area behind the gun mantlet.  I've been so focused on the camo and everything else it's like I didn't even notice the seam and lack of camo in that area.   After looking at my references, the camo pattern was indeed sprayed in that area.  It will be easy to correct that fortunately, thanks for pointing that out.  Isn't it amazing how digital photos can reveal things that your eyes might completely miss in real life scale? Glad you're managing to correct it in time, before it got 'inconvenient"!

No kidding amigo, I was just about at the "point of no return"   I had resurrected this build after stowing it away in a box for about 3 years, back when my skills were still pretty basic... before I even worried about things like seams, gaps etc.  It's amazing the flaws you can see with a high resolution digital image!   

espins1 wrote:

the doog wrote: Hey, looking real nice there, espins1! Looking forward to the weathering completion and a flat coat! Only thing I noticed--you might want to take a needle file to the seam behind the gun mantlet there--did you miss that spot with the airbrush too?!  Thanks, and you're absolutely right about the area behind the gun mantlet.  I've been so focused on the camo and everything else it's like I didn't even notice the seam and lack of camo in that area.   After looking at my references, the camo pattern was indeed sprayed in that area.  It will be easy to correct that fortunately, thanks for pointing that out.

The seam has been removed from behind the gun mantlet, and I also took the time to fix the obvious gaps between the sections of the Cavalier Zimmerit where the ends meet at the cornes.  A quick blast of some Dunkel Gelb, a touch up or two of the camo colors, quick touch up wash and I should be ready to do the chipping and seal this baby up!

Thanks again for everyone's interest and feedback. 

the doog wrote:

Hey, looking real nice there, espins1! Looking forward to the weathering completion and a flat coat! Only thing I noticed--you might want to take a needle file to the seam behind the gun mantlet there--did you miss that spot with the airbrush too?!

Thanks, and you're absolutely right about the area behind the gun mantlet.  I've been so focused on the camo and everything else it's like I didn't even notice the seam and lack of camo in that area.   After looking at my references, the camo pattern was indeed sprayed in that area.  It will be easy to correct that fortunately, thanks for pointing that out. 

You really make me want to go out and add one of these to my collection Espins1. Great work! Can't wait for more updates

Dale 

Hey, looking real nice there, espins1! Looking forward to the weathering completion and a flat coat!

Only thing I noticed--you might want to take a needle file to the seam behind the gun mantlet there--did you miss that spot with the airbrush too?! 

Looking great, Scott. Really love the camo. Your at the stage i love now. Weathering. How are the Fruils coming along? Still at em? That is a monster of a kit.

...Guy

Here are a few photos after I did the dot method oil wash to make some streaking.  It doesn't show up all that well in the photos, but I think that will change once I get a flat coat on it.  

So far I've only used Burnt Umber for the overall washes. 

I picked up some other colors to try to do some streaks, two shades of green, another shade of brown, white, med blue, yellow and a dark red.  I've never done the dot/streak method before, so I'm going to start off very conservatively.  My focus will be to put down some redish/brown streaks to simulate rust streaking down from the bolts on the superstructure.  That will hopefully give me a good idea on the technique, then I may do some other random streaks with the other colors. 

Looking awesome, Scott!!

Quick question - Maybe I missed it, but what colors are you using for your oil wash?

I meant to post these last night, but got sidetracked with a nice BBQ steak dinner with my wife. 

Here are some photos from after the oil wash treatment of burnt umber oil paint mixed with turpenoid.  I think it brought out the details very well, especially on the wheels, zimmerit and weld seams. I applied the wash twice to each of the areas. 

Here we are after the 2nd application of the wash on the left side.  I really like how the zimmerit detail popped out after this 2nd wash.  The key is not to go too heavy with each wash.

Thanks again guys, I appreciate the interest and the comments. 

Here is a quickie shot about 30min after I applied the first oil wash to the left side.  As you can see, all the detail is starting to come alive! 

Now I'm off to make a dump run to get rid of the last of the old bathroom cabinets and counter top from the remodeling.  As long as I don't somehow injure myself, I'll have more progress pics later. 

Looks fantastic Scott. Really starting to come together. Like everyone else here, i cant wait to see this thing done. Great photo BTW of the exploding Borgward.

...Guy

Hello espins 1

Like very much, and the info.  I have 3 of this baby, 2 already finished and 1 waiting in the production line.

Greetings

Thomas

panzer88 wrote:

Beautiful work, I built the same one years ago.Was my first try at using cavalier zimm, turned out good. Yours is looking great, can't wait to see the beast finished. Just a question, what references are you using for all your "Ferdy and Elephant" facts, very interested in possibly acquiring?

Thanks, I appreciate the comments. 

These are the best of my Ferdinand/Elefant references.  The first two books are from AJ Press Gun Power #22 "Ferdinand Elefant Vol.1" and Gun Power #23 "Ferdinand Elefant Vol. 2" both by Tadeusz Melleman.  These are the best that I've found that cover the development and technical aspects, along with some brief history.  Highly recommended.

This book has a wealth of photos and historical information.  "The Combat History of German Heavy Anti-Tank Unit 653" by Karlheinz Munch.  I need to get my hands on the 654th book as well.

Elefact of the day

In most cases (assuming these brutes were deployed properly) their armor protection was perfectly able to assure the crews survival on the battlefield, despite both enemy artillery and anti-tank fire.  On July 8 1943 the 3rd company of the 1/653 encountered their Soviet counterparts..... the SU-152 tank destroyers, armed with a 152mm howitzer capable of firing a 40kg (88+ pounds) armor piercing shell.  Three Ferdinands were hit and lost in this encounter.

Build update.... it's oil wash day!!!  I'm going to start by laying it on it's side, then applying the oil wash to the wheels, sprockets and sides.  That should really bring out the zimmerit, nut and bold detail.  I'll have pics this afternoon. 

JMart wrote:

Catching up with this thread....amazing work! Maybe in a few years I can build something half as good as that! Enjoyed your "fun facts" by the way... What did you use as backup for your pics? The black backdrop shows the elephant in nice stark detail. This thread also made me think, maybe some of the machines we see in museums/bases have been "decorated" (painted/refurbished) a-historically Great work!

Thank you, I appreciate the kind words and am glad you're enjoying the "fun facts".  There are so many interesting things about these vehicles which I'm very passionate about, so I figured I'd share them here.   

The backdrop came with the portable photobooth and lighting that I found from a great vendor on e-bay.  It came with two backdrops, one black and one white.  Each one has two sides, a velvety side (which I like) and a shinier nylon looking side. 

Here are several photos of the Elefant all glossed and decaled.  This particular company of Elefants had their conversion work rushed (when the Ferdinands were being upgraded to Elefants, so to speak) so they could be sent off quickly to Anzio to counter the threat of the Allied landing there.  They carried virtually no markings.  Elefant #102 had tactical numbers on each side of the fighting compartment and a Gothic Script "U" on the upper right hand corner of the rear of the fighting compartment. 

Now on to the weathering! 

Catching up with this thread....amazing work! Maybe in a few years I can build something half as good as that!

Enjoyed your "fun facts" by the way...

What did you use as backup for your pics? The black backdrop shows the elephant in nice stark detail.

This thread also made me think, maybe some of the machines we see in museums/bases have been "decorated" (painted/refurbished) a-historically

Great work!

Ferdinand/Elefant fun fact of the day.... 

As you can imagine, maintenance work on these brutes was difficult due to their extreme weight.  A 16 ton crane was required just to lift the superstructure off of the hull! 

Edit: Here is a photo

The decals have been applied to my Elefant, only three markings.  The tactical # on the hull sides "102" and a Gothic script "U" on the upper right corner of the rear hull.  The vehicles in this company had their conversion updates (from Ferdy to Elefant) completed very quickly so they could be rushed to Italy to help deal with the Anzio beachhead.  There wasn't even a Balkenkreuz on this Elefant. 

I'll be sealing up the decals tonight, weathering begins tomorrow assuming my wife's surgery goes well.

Thanks guys.  I need to post a picture of my Tiger sitting next to the Elefant so you can get a perspective on just how freakin' huge an Elefant is!  I'll do that once all the wheels have been attached to the Tiger.

Now for the Ferdinand/Elefant fun fact of the day..... 

During Operation Zitadelle, one Ferdinand ran into an exceptional streak of bad luck.  It was destroyed by a friendly PzKpfw III tank that "fell out of the sky".   

A direct hit from Soviet heavy artillery triggered an explosion of a Borgward carrier that was just starting out on a mine clearing mission.  (The Borgward carriers were loaded with a 350kg explosive charge, sent into a minefield via remote control from a controller tank, a PzKpfw III, then detonated so as to cause any mines in the immediate area to be detonated).  The explosion was so powerful that the PzKpfw III Controller tank was torn apart and most of it's hull hurtled through the air directly at the Ferdinand.  The falling tank cracked the gun tube and wrecked the engine grating, tearing apart the fuel tanks and starting a fire which consumed the poor hapless brute. 

That has got to be one of the must unusual double kills (triple if you count the Borgward) during all of WWII! 

edit: here is the pic

Very nice big boy, Love the scheme. Hurry up and finish it. What are you playing at man

...Guy

Looks Fantastic Espins1!!! ...I love the camo!

Most of the pictures I have of Elefant #102 in Italy show it to be very dusty, so I put down an initial dust coat to start toning things down a bit.  I'll do another one in the final stages of this build. 

I'm currently prepping it for its markings.  Once those are on and sealed up a nice series of washes should bring out the zimmerit and bolt detail very nicely.  That's when it's really going to start coming alive.