Yes, the deadline has been extended and I had the badge amended to reflect that.   Good thing too as I haven't done anything for two weeks (only three days off in that time frame).  At least that future coat applied to my home made decals should be completely cured by now.

regards,

Jack

Well, I'm almost done except that I put some chips and scratches on her and I don't really like the results. I dunno, maybe I should let you guys decide before I try to paint over them though...

Yes Ernest, as Jack pointed out, it has been extended. Maybe, I'll finish by next month. Been slow going, even for a Tamiya kit.

Don't feel bad Eric-the only thing I did productive this weekend was to move the model from the upstairs paint room (my office) to the downstairs work station-the kitchen table-where it still sits....maybe this evening I'll get motivated to glue something...

Thanks for the update guys!  I have been working on the Panther F kit, but haven't had a chance to post anything due to being on vacation for a few days down in Los Angeles and then getting caught up at work.  I have some photos I took earlier that I'll put together for an update!

OK, I'm finally getting involved in the GB and posting some update photos!

As usual work started on the suspension.  The torsion bar arms are all separate so I made a jig out of styrene to ensure they were all lined up straight.

Looking good!

Wheels n' stuff all cleaned up!

The hubs for the outer wheels all had sinkmarks that needed filling and sanding.  8 total, but only 4 in the pic:

The idlers arms are keyed to the mounting hole which allows only one position - straight down.

So I'll modify both the arms and the hole to allow the idler arm to adjust.  Should make it easier to get the right sag with the tracks.  Unmodified arm to the left, modified arm to the right.  I cut off the peg, drilled a hole and glued in a longer length of styrene rod. 

So I got all the wheels in place and found this......?????  This just doesn't look right to me!!   Not only are the center wheels too close to the outer wheels, they are way off center  and won't fit correctly in the double row of horns on the tracks!  I suspect the torsion bar arms are too long.  The outer wheels also don't fit all the way.

 So using my trusty JLC razor saw I trimmed the arms to the lengths in the photo:

HEY!  That's much better!  At least the center wheels are centered now and the outer wheel sit flush!

That's all for now.  I need to trim the arms on the other side and then start working on the tracks.  I didn't expect all this extra work, but I should have known these things would happen when working on an older kit like this Dragon Panther F!   

Marc

Looking over your weathering progression. Your kits are all trumps so there's nothing to knock. But there does seem more than one road to perdition or salvation in weathering armor so I've got a couple of questions.

1. When I did my first German tank I decided to take a trip down memory lane and made a DML Pz38(t) according to the methods developed by Tony Greenland some years back. Mega dry brushing. He was an early advocate of oils all over and ground chalk (now we'd spend lots of money and call them pigments) on the wheels. The whole system was designed toward simulating shading - Greenland specifically avoided "weathering" saying that he modeled German armor not the mud they fought in. Different time. He did however suggest a satin coating on the upper hull and flat as flat can be underneath. Since I've seen this approach advocated by Gary Edmundson and more recently by Adam Wilder and Mig Jimenez. (The Spanish School guys recommend a little gloss clear in the base coat.) I've used the satin/matte formula on all my armor (all six kits or so) done since then but am not sure what to think of it. It does add an extra layer of work for the eye and does give a kind of visual interest which is good. But armor was painted matte and it was a rare AFV that wasn't dusty even if it was only a few hours old, so it's hard to argue that an AFV actually looked that way. You ever tried it the satin/matte or do you flatten your surfaces as a matter of course?

2. No mention of pigments. Don't you use them at least on the wheels? Does the last oil stage intended to evoke the dust a tank would pick up crossing a football field?

Eric

Test:

Don't seem to be getting emails to this GB forwarded. Let's hope this will cure it.

Eric

Ernest, that is weird for sure. Is there enough room between the inner two wheels for the guidehorns?

Ernest-thanks for sharing those tips-I would have probably thrown the thing across the room when I discovered the 'out of tolerance' condition of the road wheels.

Haven't checked in for a while. Still some nice work here, and the front page is looking good.

Eric - Yeah I knew something was wrong when the roadwheels didn't sit flush with the arm flanges!  I'm still not sure about the spacing of the outer overlapping wheels...check out the photos below.

Bob - I actually ran into this problem with another kit, just can't remember which one.  I've noticed a few problems like this with the kit, but its an oldie so I can forgive them!   

Bish - This is a MONSTER GB and I'm glad its still going on for a while!  I just hope I can contribute something worthwhile!  The work so far is just outstanding!! 

I mentioned that I'm still not sure about the outer wheel spacing.  I fitted some assembled Fruil Panther tracks on just to see how the wheels and spacing looked:

Looks good from the side!!

However, when view from the rear (or the front for that matter) I the outer wheels seem to sit too far apart from each other and from the dual inner wheels.  Also, notice where they contact the tracks and how just a bit of track extends beyond the edge of the wheels.

I couldn't find any clear photos of steel wheeled Panthers to confirm my suspicions.  Most photos are of the standard rubber rimmed wheels which are "dished", not flat like the steel wheels.   Can any of you Big Cat experts out there help out?  I was thinking of adding a shim to the inside wheels and trimming a bit of the inner hub to move both wheesl closer to the guide teeth, but I don't want to waste time if it isn't necessary.

Oh, where did those Fruil Panther tracks come from?  Well after taking a hard look at the kit I realized that quite a few parts could stand to be replaced, so I started looking at spares and other stuff in the stash.  Turns out I had quite a few AM parts stashed away in other Panther kit boxes!  Just a few of what I found:

I bought these YEARS ago and I figured it was just a waste of $$ for them to sit in a box so I decided to use them.  When I opened the Fruil box there was a partially assembled run already done!!  I must have done that 4-5 years ago and totally forgot! 

I'm also stealing quite a few spare parts from a Dragon Early Jagdpanther and an older Dragon Panther A!  I knew that stash would come in handy some day! 

Here's what I'm doing to the rear engine plate.  The kit stowage boxes were OK, but the Panther A boxes are nicer and won't be used for that kit.  The kit exhausts are OK, but I really like the look of the curved engine exhausts on the late Panthers so I figured I would use these unused parts from the Jagdpanther to spruce up the Panther F!

Ernest, they just don't look right to me, but I can't verify it. I would think they would hug the guidehorns.

Ernst, i just checked my Panzer Tracts, and there a pretty decent photo in there. The outer road wheels certainly do look closer to the horns. I have got to shot in a min, but i will try and scan it tonight so you can see what you think.

Ernest: Weird, strange that the tracks wouldn't line up better than that. Still now that you've found all the extra aftermarket parts you've squirreled away you have to use them, it's fate or destiny or some such!

Hey bufflehead, looking just fine so far. Like the jig idea for getting the torsion arms to line up correctly. Very strange about the wheel fit/spacing. I found this link on planet armor of a Panther F that Adam Wilder built 5-6 years ago. There are some pretty good pics of the wheel/track relationship starting on page 6. Looks like he took some artistic license, but you can see enough to get an idea - at least how he built it.

http://planetarmor.com/forums/showthread.php?t=4423

Hope that helps, and looking forward to more. 

Ernest looks great and really dig the jig.  Those tacks would be all over the places with spacing like that. I think a little adjusting is in order.  

Eric, good comments there.  Touches on the changing styles from basic wash and dry bush to oil washes, streaking, dust, color mapping... and a host of other techniques to the goal, in my mind anyway, of adding  multiple layers of tonal variation.

The dead flat to some sheen has been discussed time and time again.  When I shoot the pics I do so in a way top minimize reflections.  There is a slight sheen on the surface, not dead flat.  I found a photo some time back in which you can “see” how thing the paint is and tell its painted metal.  I know it’s an aircraft but I think it applies to many subjects.  Look at the area just behind the intake.  A dead flat aircraft but there is some sheen to it.

The wheels have since been dirtied as they were definitely too clean and looked out of place once the base was finished.  I like to use real dirt for this.  Dabs of very dark brown paint sprinkle the dirt and tap off the excess.  Some light pressure with a brush brings some of the damp paint up to show for a damp mud look.

Now here is the vehicle on the base and where I am with the figures.

Dave - Thanks for the link!  I wasn't aware of Adam Wilder's Panther F work, its fantastic!  It's very similar to two other builds I came across and one style I'm envisioning for my build: 

http://www.track-link.com/gallery/7767 

http://armorama.kitmaker.net/modules.php?op=modload&name=SquawkBox&file=index&req=viewtopic&topic_id=179814&page=1

The other build that I'm thinking of emulating is this one:

http://mammoth-studios.blogspot.com/2012/02/built-135-panzerkampfwagen-v-panther_13.html

The first two are rather ambitious for me, but the third one is closer to my style and would actually match the Sd.Kfz.251 "Uhu" I built a few years ago.  A Panther F in this camo style would look very nice next to the Uhu on my shelf!

Whichever style I decide to go with I need an IR set, so I ordered this Great Wall Hobby set from LuckModel a couple of weeks ago and it arrived today along with an E.T Model PE set for the Panther F.  LM had both on sale so I decided to splurge while I was on vacation!

 Well, no matter which route I choose I still need to take care of those darn roadwheels.  Thanks again Dave, the photos of Wilder's Panther F seem to confirm that the wheels should be closer together and  I agree with Marc in that otherwise the tracks would be whipping around!  Looks like a bit more surgery is required on this big kitty!

BTW Marc, NICE work on that big KT , although the headlesss riders are freakin me out a wee bit!!

glad to see things are still movingm along...  tigerman i have been working sporadically, and not just layin' around...  just about got her done.  should have some pics up by monday...  keep it rollin' fellas!

Good to hear Duke! I have been idle during the week and only work on the weekends. I hope to get something positive done this weekend.

Got the track down with a bit f gap between the rubber-bands. Well, what are you going to do?

No update on the Panther F today fellas.  Instead I'm posting some model pics I took at the Silicon Valley Scale Modelers' 2013 Kickoff Classic.  I decided to make the 60 mile drive to Santa Clara this morning and take a gander what this yearly modeling convention had to offer.

Sadly, armor was poorly represented with only a few builds to grace the event, in all scales.  Here I'm only posting Steel Cats that were on display.  A grand total of 3 builds and 2 dios.....

1/35 King Tiger (H)   I like the dirty, streaky look, but I'm not sure if this is supposed to be a faded winter whitewash look.  Might just be the flash, I recall this having more color.

1/48 Panther G  Nice Camo!

1/25 Tiger I  The biggest, baddest kitty there!  Though I don't get why there's split shot hanging from the camo netting on the 88mm gun...??

1/35 Tiger I with faded winter whitewash in a gritty combat dio! 

1/35 Panther G, Panther A and Jagdpanther in a verrry cold looking combat dio!  The display card said that the Panthers were from different divisions that happened to hook up in combat around the Kursk area.  They joined forces, protecting each other and passed a Jagdpanther which had knocked out earlier by aircraft!

 I apologize for the quality of the pics.  The lighting wasn't great forcing me to use the camera flash. 

I would have posted more pics, but that's all the Steel Kitties that were on display.....

Some nice builds there Ernest. The Panthers were around Kursk? I'm not sure about that one.

Some nice builds there. I was thinking the same as Eric, Kursk was in July, and no Panther G's. Maybe he meant the Buldge in Belgium.

I agree.  Although the card said the Kursk area, but I doubt there was any fighting in that area after summer 1943.    Maybe the modeler meant the Korsun Pocket or surrounding area, there was heavy fighting there in Jan/Feb 1944.

Good point Ernest, thats probably more likely than the Ardenne. Though i think that would rule out the Ausf G. But still a nice dio anyway.

Needed a bump. I guess we're running out of steam.

Nice looking heavy metal at the show.

And no worries Eric.  It was superb and really running at full tilt for a longtime.

Now with the figures done and mounted the "multi-stage finished" picture are really done this time.

Looks great Marc - Bumping along with the DAK Tiger - finished with the PE stuff, 'added bolts to the side fenders' ready to prep it for paint ... hoping for some bench time this weekend, post some photo once it's primer. Armor86

Hey Marc - my long lost PB... That is really a super build. Top notch all the way around. It was an honor seeing your 4 builds come together here, and very beneficial to all of us.  Cheers! *Tips low-ball MM glass*  (Not really, it's 8:00 am on a working day, geez )

Only constructive criticism would be to try to make the KT look "heavier" on the base. It looks like it's riding a little high on the  track marks. But really well done. Gonna try your base work technique this summer sometime. 

I'll be checking-in to your WWI GB to see what you're up to. Take it easy.