Post-Flu update and FINISHED PICS page 5--NeoGrade Bergepanzer III WIP

doog,

That is really sweet!  I really admire your courage (and credit HvH for the inspiration) to tackle that interior - although I think you coulda got away with a recliner, widescreen, and bowl o' pretzels...

Looking very good so far! Love the scratchbuilding!  As for the seat, save it for another project, as I highly doubt you can even see it, without the use of hightech spy-equipment

One thing however...

the doog wrote:

In 1944 all remaining Pz III's were ordered to be converted to Bergepanzers.

You sure about that? I doubt all Panzer III's were converted... And I don't mean that as in 3 were left original.  But here in Norway, even Panzer I tanks were left with their original MG turret till the end of the war. As I've said numerous times, Norway isn't suited for tank warfare (Todays Norwegian Royal Army got just 10 Leopards, other than that, some IFV's) and the only German tankdivision that was stationed here was the Z.B.V. 40. There were another one, but they left summer of '42.

So I'm asking, hence the Z.B.V.40 left even Panzer I's alone troughout the war, were all Panzer III's converted?  Or did these tanks in Norway get some kind of exeption?

Looking forward for more!!

-Lasse

Thanks, guys!

Manny-- I think I'll just go with the resin pieces--I actually like the grain on the parts. Plus, oneof them has some kind of wire/rope on it that has a certain look I like.

Thanks, too, Jim and Boyd!

Bill--they DO have soe nice stuff, huh? I am tempted by some of their other offerings as well! Thanks for stopping in! 

Huxy--Bill is correct; of course, there would be some Pz III's left "as is"--in fact, probably a mojority of them---but the order was given--not necessarily carried out in full.Thanks, Bill, for your input!

Well, I've laid down some paint inside--black, then neutral gray for an undercoat.

Then white in the panels and from the right, "top down" angle.

I tried to think of the natural light diminishing in appropriate places,and painted accordingly, eathering it to black toward the front of the hull. Honestly, most of this you'll probablynever see...

I'll be finishing the weathering tonight, I'm sure. And adding some things like fire extingusher, and yes, the seat will stay.

Stay tuned for more!

Great looking conversion project so far, doog, gotta love the scratch interior! Dang these small companies that produce conversion and aftermarket parts seem to spring up like weeds, never heard of NeoGrade.

Outstanding idea, even if I do say so m'self, Doog.. I love the sound of scribing & snapping styrene in the mornin'... Looking forward to this one..

      Karl nice to see some more of the work horse panzers getting built. I've got the Bergtiger E that I plan on doing soon.

   The interior really is well done its to bad so much will be hidden. Looking forward to seeing what you have in store for us in terms of cammo.

  Don't know how some of you guys can work so fast. 

Karl,  Inspirational stuff !!  Just Great !!

I have seen some NeoGrade stuff on e-bay, notably their IV Lang and Ferdinand 1/16 kits.  But, at $500 + its a bit out of my league.

Thanks guys, to all who have taken the time to comment, and who are following this build!

I worked on some of the weathering for the interior last night--I think I'll call this "done" and start working on the outside. Weathered with MIG oils--not much really; a lot of it was a result of the painting helping portray the look you see here.

Thanks again for looking in guys!!! 

That is very, very nice!

Hope this model is a gift to me for letting you get to this magnificent country to play?

Hi, Karl, the build looks great so far. Nice bit of scratching. Should have saved quite a few bucks there.

Terry.

For a scratchbuilt "quickie" job that thing looks amazing!  I am grabbing the popcorn and getting ready for this one.....

Brian

Thanks again, guys!

Huxy---ha ha, sure bud....NOT! lol! I appreciate the thought though....I think?!

Terry, thanks sincerely for the nice comments yet again!

Andy---ha ha, you crack me up! It's funny; that's the same thing I think about you when I see your 1/72 diorama over there in Dio's! Excellent work!!

David--YES!!! BRRRAAAAP!!! I really do want to get out there! I'll be looking for somewhere to rise for sure! Thanks for the kind words!

Brian, thanks for looking in and taking the time to comment!

Awe scratchbuilding and painting Doog.  I can imagine how the rest will turn out. Looking forward to seeing this model progress into another masterpiece.

Rob

Hans von Hammer wrote:

So is this one a display model or are ya gonna "put it to work" in a dio?

Very nice work, Karl.  Your modest "I threw this together" belies the talent you posess.  Really, the building, and amazing painting of an area that a careful veiwer MIGHT get a decent look at, is a testament to your dedication and amazing ability.  Thank you for constantly being in sharing mode.

Really intersting subject, too.

Bill

  Good!

Rather see 'ya building a nasty 'ol tank than a "Stooka".

(Oh what the heck, it's good to see you build anything!) Such astuteness. Looks like another great workout here doog.

Thanks Bill and Steve! Glad you guys are enjoying this build!

Well, I had a busy week, but I'm plugging away here. I have assembled much of the hull--there's no turret to speak of, of course. Did some mods here and corrections....I had a weird problem with the molding on the muffler, but fixed the flange here with some sprue. Sharp-eyed readers will also notice that I deliberately put the towing pintle on at an incorrect 90' angle, just to sharpen my corrective skills and provide a little more "interest"to the build.... (Yup, had topry this off and correct it later! )

Unfortunately, (as a cost-cutting measure I'm sure) the instructions have you cut off the light bases, which leaves a horendous mar on the fenders. Ah, hell--I probably could have gotten PE fenders for it, but for now, I'll just put ye ol' venerable "Oily Rag" over the scar; this IS an engineer's vehicle, after all...

I deceided to try something different here with the lights. Figuring that maybe a tow at night would have needed more light, and the lights maybe having been uncorked, I decided to try to fill in thelights to make them look a litttle more realsitic. I bored them out with a Dremel tool..

....painted the interior Chrome Silver...

...and hit each one with a drop of epoxy.

Not a bad effort? You have to make sure that you sand away all the molded-on details if you do this--the real light "cans" were featureless, smooth, round-ish half-cups.

I had to reinforce the bottom of the box, becasue the resin molding was so thin between the boards that the boards actually started to sag from being "loose" on one end.

A bummer--one of the inner box's walls were too short--it wouldn't match up flush with the outer wall. You would be able to see the perimeter of the "toilet hole" going to the hull there under the box once assembled, so I had to lengthen it with strip. I also took the liberty of engraving "woodgrain" into the strip as well, to match it. I also had to add verious ittle spacers and whatnot to get it all to look sano.

Once assmebled, you can see that it's passable...I can always occlude this area with addeed junk inside anyway.

The box so far. I'm thinking that I might leave the box unglued, and paint it separately from the hull? Have to see how that will figure when the crane is assembled?

Sadly, you can't see inside the hole, really!

That's it so far! I don't know if I'll get much done today-it's the first day that it's above 80 degrees here and I'm going BRAPPING!!!!! 

bbrrrrRRAAAAAAAAPPPPP!!!!

Hey Karl, looking good.

I am curious what epoxy you used for the headlight.  My next armor build will probably be the 1/35 Abrams I bought, and it comes with 2 figures that I was thinking of trying to make lenses for the goggles for.  I think boring the goggles out a little and adding some epoxy might be just the ticket.....

Brian