Achtraden! 8x8 Group Build '09-'10

Nice work all around fellas. no pics yet as we ar emoving into our new house plus my camera crapped it pants. I have been busy though, as I managed to assemble italeri's 234/1 and Tamiyas 232 just have to get some paint on

 Expect pics in the new year around the second week.

Cheers,

Berttt

Good luck with the move Bertt.  Look forward to the pics.

Bob

OK gang got some more shots.  I was playing around with washes and refrencing a tutorial autherd by Doog (thanks Doog) and got a little further but no major weathering yet. 

In my prior post you can see the almost dead tan to the base color, I played around with some washes but just was not satisfied wth the result or the color.  So I grabbed the oils (502s) and thinned out some abt020 faded dark yellow and got this:

BEFORE

AFTER

Thats what  was looking for.  So being happy with that I attached all the little fiddly bits and have some dry brushing and weathering to go.

More to follow.

Bob

Awesome, Bob! That is SO the right effect! She's looking great, I think I'll be adding another build to the finished gallery very soon!

I'm presently fiddling the teensy handles onto the jerry cans. Tell me, without any positive location devices, how did you attach the cans? Did you scratch through the paint to reveal bare plastic, or pre-mask? I notice you also went with Panzer Gray for the cans and black for the jack and extinguisher -- I've just been chatting on 1000 Roadwheels on this very point, were the tools painted after coming from the supplier? In some cases it seems they were overpainted at the factory when they were mounted, and then got camo'd in the field along with the rest of the vehicle, so it's a real lottery as to what you'd see on any particular vehicle.

Cheers, Mike/TB379

Thanks Mike.  I did scratch through the paint to attach the cans.  I also sanded the mounting side a little flat for better adheasion.  I went with the grey thinking that in the field you have to remove the empty cans for refuling and in most cases just drop those and grab what was already full, so they could be any color.  The jack will get some drybrushing and some chipping, it is just easier to mount them and do it that way (imo). the extinguisher will get the same treatment.

Who really knows where, when the tools got to the front.  I would assume some got painted and some did not, its hard to say and no reall good pictures exist to compare and an photos I have found you cant tell anway, they are all black and white, some with no tools or cans and so on.  So  would say its a toss up.

Ill get some more done tomorrow and get some more pics up, lot of little detail stuff left to go.

Bob 

Bob

That makes good sense, Bob. They could be any color or vintage, whatever was in the stockpiles when gear needed changing. Sanding the backs makes sense, the open-backed one-piece parts look a bear to attach. I just glued on the first of those microscopic filler caps -- oh, for slide-molding! (But Dragon would probably do them separate anyway, unless it was one of their SmartKits).

I have the wheels mounted to large matchsticks ready for painting, I'm looking at spraying the tires overall first (mixed enamel), then doing a template job for the hubs (acrylic), squared up to the rims with a marker pen and a fine brush (back to enamel). We'll see how that goes.

Cheers, Mike/TB379

Thunderbolt379 wrote:

Awesome, Bob!  [snip] I'm presently fiddling the teensy handles onto the jerry cans. Tell me, without any positive location devices, how did you attach the cans? Did you scratch through the paint to reveal bare plastic, or pre-mask? [snip] Cheers, Mike/TB379

Hi Mike and others,

I'd paint the jerricns off-model. Drill a small hole where it won't be seen on the completed model, and mount them on a toothpick. Mostly, fuel cans would simly be swapped, full for empty, at fuel dumps, rather than filled individually as and when vehicles arrive, so a different colour - or differnt shade, at least, of colour - would be accurate. Also varying levels of wear and weathering, not all the same.

The jerricans on the Dragon '234s, incidentally, ae composed of five parts each - can halves, etched centre seam, handle and cap clip = the cao itself is moulded, in a wonder of slide-molding, integrally with one of the can halves.

Hope to start my Dragon Puma next week, or maybe late this week. Some tather nice Armor Tech turned brass 50mm shells arrived a couple of days ago, so I've now got all I need to start. I've a review build to complete, and another to get to the paint shop stage, before I can. Both should be done in the next few days.

Cheers,

Chris.

Hi Chris -- that makes excellent sense, there could even have been a few gray cans still around at forward dumps when the Puma was first fielded in September '43, even though a year had elapsed since the general order to replace gray with yellow as the standard base color.

I'll mask the attachment points and spray off the model for sure. Paint is getting close, one teensy filler cap left to go!

Looking forward to seeing your build!

Cheers, Mike/TB379

Done!!!!!

That's a fine job! Getting Panzergrau showing through worn Grungrau is not at all easy to do convincingly, and you've done it excellently! I tried to do it on a Tamiya '232 earlier this year, and made such a hash of it initially that I had to strip the model and start over. Even with my second attempt, I'm not totally convinced:

Cheers,

Chris.

TD and Chris, super jobs.  They look awsome!

Bob

TD -- SOO-POYB, as Bart Simpson said! The salt masking turned out especially well in the end, the scouring of the top coat of paint away from the edges due to windblown sand as this beast charges around North Africa is particularly evocative. Top work, you make me want to grab this kit myself!

I'll update the gallery with one of your shots -- I've taken the liberty of enhancing the image to bring up the lighting and contrast a bit.

Cheers, Mike/TB379

Well gang, ths one is a wrap!.  Fianlla got it where I wanted till its eventually in a dio.  I have an issue with the decal on one side but I can live with it.  I have totally enjoyed m first GB and a big thanks to Mike for allowing me to join.

Mike; when you start another GB it will be a pleasure to be part of it.

Im watching to see the rest of the group finish thier projects and I am waiting in anticipation.  GO GET'EM!!

Bob

Bob -- she's an absolute beauty! The oil filter weathering and dust treatments came out very well indeed, it's hard to credit that it's the old Italeri, it sure builds up nice!

I'm glad you've enjoyed this GB and I look forward to your participation in future builds -- rest assured I'll be hosting some great new builds during 2010!

I'll update page 1 with your second finished project -- many thanks for being aboard!

Cheers, Mike/TB379 (who only just got his tires sprayed today!)

Nice work Bob!

Nate

Nice job td4438

Nate

Bob- Loved your build especially its camo on the second build!  Well done! 

TD4438- Thanks for showing us how to do salt/chipping method... it helped me realize how easy it is.  One day I will give it a shot but not this time with my current build 234/1.  Loved your result!

Chris-Another beautiful work especially the tires! 

I plan to start building my kit tonight and I hope to complete as much as I can over the weekend since it will be 4 days weekend.  Happy Thanksgiving... try to go easy on the gravy this year! 

TD4438, thanks for the tip!  It really helps... I was wondering if water really hold the salt earlier.  Again, outstanding job! 

Guys, now I am REALLY ready to start to build my 234/1!  I think I am done with the German figures that I have been working on for a while.  You can check it at /forums/1163670/ShowPost.aspx if you guys are interested.

Bob,

          Another fabulous build! Looks great!!

Thank you all for the great feedback.

Happy Thanksgiving to all

Bob 

deafpanzer wrote:

TD4438, thanks for the tip!  It really helps... I was wondering if water really hold the salt earlier.  Again, outstanding job!  Guys, now I am REALLY ready to start to build my 234/1!  I think I am done with the German figures that I have been working on for a while.  You can check it at /forums/1163670/ShowPost.aspx if you guys are interested.

Guys, hope y'all had a GREAT Thanksgiving yesterday as I am still feeling stuffed. Finally started the 234/1 kit two nights ago.  Long weekend is going to help me accomplish as much as I can!

Zillions of parts... no question I will end up with plenty of spare parts! Broke two pieces already but no problem at all because there were extras. 

First page... probably most complicated part as it took me a while.

As of last night...

More pictures to come over the weekend for sure!

DP -- a nother Dragon stummer going together -- they're somewhere between intimidating and inspiring! Can't wait to see that turret go together with the PE screens!

I've made some progress on my testor/Italeri 234/2. Here's the turret ring masked:

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I altered some of the masking to better seat the jerrycans into place, and the cans are now sprayed off the model along with the jacks and fire extinguishers. I sprayed a lot of bits for my StuG IV at the same time. I had to get both models along to the paint stage simultaneously. While spraying the accessories I had some dark yellow (XF-60) left in the AB and put a quick coat on the turret to see how it covered over the dark gray plastic. Not too bad, as it happens, so I decided to forget priming:

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Here the hull is fully masked to the last locator point and axle stub, so she's ready for the main coat. Here are both models fully basecoated:

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I'll let the dark yellow harden off probably til tomorrow, then I have green for the 234 and redbrown for the StuG. Then fade coats, being dark yellow lightened and misted on, and a shadow coat under the sponsons of each, dark yellow darkend with brown. A little more detail paint to go and one or two parts to add.

Cheers,

Mike

Guys, I am back at my desk... my kit is offering several options such as closed or open engine vent and closed or open armored visors.  I plan to build a simple diomara with two figures refueling...

Would it make better sense if engine vents are open for cooling down while it is being refueling?  My reference book hasn't arrived... Amazon.com stinks!  It was confirmed for 2 weeks delivery then at end I received a notification that it is backordered and it will take another 4 weeks to arrive.  I cancelled the order and found similar book via eBay for quicker delivery.

I plan to have all armored visors open while it is being fueled if possible....

Deaf, that kit looks awsome, I have to pick one up.  I think I would leave the engine vents open for cooling as you suggested.  It would be a shame to waste all that good Dragon details. Open up the visors as well. 

Bob

Hi Andy -- Yep, that makes sense, a fuel dump would always be in a secured area, so the visors would be up for visibility and airflow, and the engine vents may very well be opened up for cooling. Go for it!

Cheers, Mike/TB379

A little progress to report on the Testor/Italeri 234/2 -- I sprayed the dust/shadow coat in the wheel wells and underside areas (dark yellow with a dash of brown), and used the template method to paint the wheel hubs both sides. I sprayed the small sealer hubs and the corner indicators off the vehicle to be mounted later, and did one jerrycan in Panzer Gray for contrast.

The jobs get more specialised now: fine the division between hubs and tires with a brush in tire color, spray the green disruptive scheme plus the fade coat, then it's over to oil wash weathering and dust.

Cheers, Mike/TB379