StuG. Group Build. 1/1/2011- 6/30/2011

Thanks, Dale, should be heaps of fun -- my Academy (Tamiya) StuG IV should be coming in sometime in the next month or so and I look forward to doing my first ever Wehrmacht 3-tone scheme, maybe with windblown leaf spots for that real "Ambush" look!

Cheers, Mike/TB379

I'm in.  Either Tamiya's StuG IIIB with the aluminum barrel and PE screens or the StuG IIIG Early Production from Dragon Expo 08.  Decisions, decisions...

Good to have ya guys!

Mike,  That an affirmative on entry?     First Wehrmacht 3-tone sounds like something to look forward to!

Decisions like that one are always good though Matt. Welcome aboard!

What scale are the kits?

Dale

I reckon, Dale -- I built one of those last year and it fell together -- maybe not as detailed as modern kits, and I had to box in the sponson on the right as I wanted the loader's hatch open, but the finished model looked pretty darn good and was heaps of fun to do. I'm looking forward to another, and the Academy boxing from the early 90s has markings for an Ambush scheme with the schkurtzen off, so that'll be the one!

Cheers, MIke/TB379

Gotcha down on the roll call Mike, and glad to have ya along!

Always thought the Ambush camo was one of the best looking

Dale

Im in with this kit

http://www.tamiyausa.com/product/item.php?product-id=32540

Your in ww2psycho

Glad to add your name bud... That kit is going to be nice to follow along with.

Dale

 Dale, I'm in with the 1/35 Tamiya G.

 Mo

You've got it Mobious 

Thanks for joining in

Dale

Here it is Gents..... the 1st of the new year... Well, there's still an hour and a half to go where I'm sitting.

Hope you all have a great New Year, complete many fine kits, and have fun.

StuG Group Build is on!! 

Dale

please add me to the list, I will be building a StuG III Ausf.B in 1/48 tamiya

Gotcha dostacos.

Welcome aboard bud!

Dale

Man I would love to get in on this but atm i cant afford another kit..lol If things change in the next week i'll let you know.

For now i will be watching this =D

Ive started mine, but Im focusing more on the Mig15 for the Korean War GB before I do anymore, nothing worth sharing really.

TigerEp1, something might turn up for ya soon bud. Keeping all fingers crossed.

ww2psycho,   I'm sorta in the same situation... been busy as can be at the shop with 1/1 paint work. Haven't even done anything on the Panther A in a week and a half.

Still lot's of time in the GB  ....  And I still have to get my StuG. started at least

Dale

Dale, Here's a shot of the Stug in the box,

[View:/themes/fsm/utility/:550:0]

 The plans are to included a few aftermarket goodies from the vaults of the Bunker. Cavalier waffle pattern zim, lion roar PE, and a couple of figures if possible.

[View:/themes/fsm/utility/:550:0]

 I'll try to post a photo of the vehicle I'm trying to model. It will be more of a culmination of vehicles from the 276th Stug Brigade than any specific one. Some of the reference material I've been researching.

[View:/themes/fsm/utility/:550:0]

 Hope that a small dio is ok. Things are kinda busy in the Bunker at the moment, try to post updates when possible.

 Mo

Looks as if your geared up Mobious!

Gonna be an impressive build to follow. Looking forward to watching this!!!!!

Dale

dont count me in yet. If i do it i will do the trumpeter 1/72 stug III. If i do join, i should have it finished around early march maybe late February.

Ok,here it is. I will try to keep it oob. One of my refs

Looks like i will be able to join this as well, thanks to a certain someone...

I will be doing the Dragon 1/35 Stug Ausf. G Mostly OOB with the exception of some Eduard PE (plus the PE and aluminum barrel included in the kit. )

I still have a panzer to finish as well..lol

pic of the kit, ill get more after i make room ...lol

Heres what I have so far. Still need to do the wheels, drive sprocket, and tracks. Most everything else is done. tools will be painted seperatly and put on later. I'm hoping to get the wheels done this weekend, tracks next weekend.

detailfreak, TigerEP1, got you guys down on the roll call

Welcome aboard

ww2psycho, looks like you've been busy bud! Coming along great

The deep wading StuG is supposed to be on it's way.. Gonna see what's in the box for sure before deciding on PE or not, lol. May have to grab some A.M. Zimm though. Did some home made Zimm on a Tiger before but that's a bit different than a StuG. But until then, a "teaser"

More later

Dale

Atak,and Cavalier make some really nice resin zimm sets,I've used both. Looking forward to seeing this build.

Dale,

I just used the Cavalier set on a Tiger 1 Mid Production for an Armorama campaign.  That stuff is REALLY nice.  Also came with a resin mantle and resin turret escape hatch pre-Zimm'd and a tool to make your own for connecting up the resin pieces around the hull.

got most of the wheels done, i'll finsh them tonight, thinking tracks over the nxt week, might start some priming too.

looks like you've just about got this onein the history booksww2psycho, any plans for crew members or stowage?

DetailFreak and TigerEP1 -- hey, I got both of those! The F/8 is about half done and some PE is on order...

Cheers, Mike/TB379

Good TB perhaps you can tell me why they molded the damn idler wheels the way they did...LOL

Ok anywho IT HAS BEGUN:

Parts layed out

6 done

12 done...phew!

More to come, for now i am off to soak in a hot tub with a good friend =D

Tiger -- the idlers? Argh! Who knows? Just some engineer being clever, I guess... PITA

Do you paint the whole wheel black, then template the outer hubs? That's a lots quicker than templating both ranks of wheels back and front, but every time I'm faced with it I get the feeling I'm cheating if I don't paint the backs of the wheels the hull colour as well... Call it AMS!

have fun in the hot tub, I know i would!

Cheers, M/TB379

detailfreak

looks like you've just about got this onein the history booksww2psycho, any plans for crew members or stowage?

Ill be honest, Ive never painted a figure before. Ive been meaning to get into it but havent. Any idea where to start? best paint? techneqes (spell check)?

Hi guys:     Is it to late to get in on this?

<a href="http://s409.photobucket.com/albums/pp179/harleyd53/?action=view&amp;current=001.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://i409.photobucket.com/albums/pp179/harleyd53/001.jpg" border="0" alt="Photobucket"></a

Monty

M,

I tend to do just that spray or hand paint the whole wheel then hand paint the rims the chosen color. Im pretty meticulous when it come to it..lol

ww2psycho,

Figures are a new level of shading, but they are quite fun, even tho i really only paint miniatures i am sure that a larger fig will be a nice change. I usually use games workshop colors for my figs but any acrylic will do, just paint like normal, base coat then darkest first then build up to the highlights.

Monty,

to get the pic to show copy the IMG code from photobucket then paste it here should help.

Pretty sure you can still jump in as I joined it yesterday =)

So slight snag in the Stug. While getting the return rollers built i noticed i was missing the back half of one. I did not lose it it simply was not on the sprue or in the box anywhere. none of them were attached very well and i imagine that it must of gotten lost before detailfreak sent it out.

its such a small part I cant even be upset, just means that i wont be able to complete the wheels till i can get a replacement as they are very different from any other return rollers i have.

I do have a set of 6 ones that he sent with the kit but they are tiny compared to the ones called for and im afraid the track wont fit in between them.

It's part E1 that is missing, if anyone has a spare please let me know =D

Ill post pics in a few to show what it looks like.

EDIT: here are the pics

I have looked at what ref photos i can find and the ones on the left seem overly large for the stug (in width front to back) compared to the more commonly seen right return roller.

Suggestions?

It's not too late Monty, this is an "open ended" sort of build

But which one? Followed your pic link to post this up

Looks like some good choices to go with...

TigerEP1, I thought I had a couple of those return rollers in the parts bin but I don't. I'll check the stash and see if any rollers are marked as spares. Maybe we'll get lucky.

Dale

I think this one will do...........Monty

I was certain that I saw one of the return roller pieces rolling around the bottom of the box. The all steel return rollers replaced the rubber tired ones to conserve rubber so the rubber tired rollers are ok. Do you have enough of them? also look to see if you have the back wall of the fighting compartment.

ill check again DF, and yes i do have the rear wall :)

What i was missing was the entire I tree dealing with the rear lower hull, the one you provided works but i already lost a key part i think its one of the rear tow points? it attaches to a piece that goes on the rear hull and slips over the spring bolt thing that faces the back of the tank. Wish i knew what it was called..lol

Ill snap a pic (btw those pieces were the worst pieces i have ever dealt with, i had to flip the order around to even get them to work and they still look weird to me.

Ok so heres were we are at atm:

assembled the cupola, not attached yet.

Assembled the gun:

heres the piece i lost (notice the one on the left only has 1 )

And now to introduce Fred the anti social road wheel:

Fred did not want to be a team player and decided to give me a fuss:

None the less after a slight attitude adjustment with a file and a scraper i got him to conform. He is now happily playing with the other wheels.

=D

I'm quite certain that I never removed the sprue for the rear,but the kit was purchased on evil-bay. I am currently searching to make absolutely sure I don't have it,who knows my mushy old brain could have accidentally tossed it in the wrong box

lol wonder if deafpanzer got my parts

the rear wall of the fighting compartment is a hair too wide it leaves a gap around the roof whic is annoying. in fact the whole compartment is kinda off whack, but ill figure it out.

turns out its the roof...lol not the compartment some sanding fixes that. turns out the roof is a bit short on 3 sides, ill fill them and things should be all good :)

Your on the roll call Monty, thanks for joining us

Double check the description of your kit though...- (1/35 Cyber Hobby 10.5cm Sturmhaubitze 42 Ausf. G w/ Zimm) ???   cause the pic sorta cut off the top of the box, just to make sure I have it right

Glad Fred decided to play nice Tiger... But these two always come as a team, gotta watch out for Frita 

LOL!!!!

Dale

I don't think there's one of those steel return rollers here Tiger, but........

There is a spare set of those tow points that came from a Panzer III G I have here.  Ya want me to send 'em up to ya?

Dale

Dale,

Let me tell you Frita is lurking in the shadows wreaking havoc with the fighting compartment fit,  heres what i have noticed after some sanding:

Front to back the sides are too long, this is causing the assembly to bow in the front slightly creating gaps at the front base of the compartment where it mats with the side skirts.

the roof is seems short due to this extra length, whats funny is this s the correct compartment for the kit i think, so its just bad molding on Dragons part if so.

I know DF swapped some parts out so it could just be a issue with 2 kits not being 100% ill figure it out, its nice to have a challenge, but this is a test of willpower..lol

EDIT YES PLEASE PM me when you get a chance!

Tiger, Iknow the roof is a tad small as it came from Dragons StuG early smart kit. Had to sand the late roof to fit the smart kit. Sure hope this kit does'nt scare you away.

Not at all DF not at all, just really wanna do a good job on it.

Do you remember if the actual compartment was from the original kit or the smart one? it seems a tad long.

UMMMMM, Also have a spare one of these....

It's a little different than the one you have, but may fit better?

Yours if ya want it bud 

PM going to be on the way

Dale

Tiger the roof plate is not the original but the one that slightly altered has pictured is ,note the gunners hatches open to the left and right ,this is correct for the late stug g you have.Also note the muont for the remote mg,the round plate just ahead of the gunners hatch .And the other further forward is the close defense weapon.

DF,

Thanks for the info it will come in handy =)

BTW i am assuming you cannibalized my machine gun as well? I dont have one that i have found yet, its missing from my A tree =P

Might have that too Tiger...       If so, it'll be coming with the parts

Dale

EDIT: Yep, got the gun, mount, and shields. Also found the original commanders cupola for the top with the hatch, and both doors for the top (over on the side there)

So your all set up

Hi Dale.........Its a 10.5cm Sturmhaubitze 42 Ausf.G   It still a stug right??          

Monty

Far as I know it is Monty, sure enough looks like one, lol.     gonna be a welcome addition to the GB too bud

You'll have to give us your full impressions on the Zimm this bugger has.. How does the quality and accuracy look?

Dale

So snag # whatever im at now..lol

The exhaust vents (part B10/11) on either side are incorrect they are from a Panzer ausf. j and therefore angled, they fit and look good, but i have no grills as StuG vents are straight so the PE wont fit or look right.

i think i can fix it if i can find some mesh and get some styrene strips for the frame, just have to poke around.

Ill have pics of my progress on the rest of it soon later today =D

LMAO man i am retarded, perhaps if i actually paid attention to part placement i would have realized to ROTATE the part ...ahahahha

All is well, pics soon...

Thats funny they should be the correct ones for that vehicle . Are you certain that they are installed correctly? Dragon instruction have a way of miss identifacation and placement errors. My refs state the all seven thousand StuG III G's were based on the panzer III J chassis.

PIC TIME!

So heres where i am at atm, while waiting for the parts from Dale:

Lots more to do, lots...lol

Looks good Tiger!!  Shouldn't be more than a few days and you'll have the other parts in hand bud.... cause their inbound to ya

To keep you motivated though, focused or what not, LOL   some teaser pics of what should be the same model as yours with a Saukopf mantlet. 

Showed this one before but it fit's better here anyway

There's still a couple mods-fixes to be done on it.... antenna and MG

Dale

Hi Dale............The zimm looks good tome. The kit is going together pretty good...

She is going to look good.. I hope.....Monty

Good to hear Monty, thanks for the critique on it. So many StuG's need the Zimm coating on 'em, it's good to see some being brought out that way now.

Looking forward to watching yours come to life

Dale

Sorry about that............Monty

Here's another one.Its going to be a good build...............Monty

Got a little more done and by little i mean tiny ******* parts!!!

Enjoy!

Quick question:

Why is it the StuG had no lights? I assume that single one one the front is some sort of light but not sure, would it be a bad thing to add  a light or 2 to the front fenders?

That is the only light they were equiped with Tiger. Have you decided to finish the kit as on of the vehicles in the painting guide?

Hey Monty ,looks like you are off to a good start yourself. That molded on zimm looks pretty good from what I can see in your pics.

DF,

Not 100% sure yet, im a fan of the darker color personally, tho i really did love the Afrika corps colors. So ill have to think on it. Maybe i could paint the panzer and stug from the same company?

Small update, got the rest of the fiddly bits on except for the tools which i will paint separately. Painted the periscopes and tinted the "glass" blue, hard to see in the pic but it's there, ill get better pics after. BTW they are not as rough as they appear this is due to the gunmetal/silver dry brush and the light being right above.

Also in the last pic, why does this have 2 holes when only one was shown open in the diagrams? the other should have been a indent of sorts.

Enjoy =)

Hey TigerEP here are the two StuG books and two good ones on the panzer IV.


Also if my memory serves me correctly I do not believe there were any StuG III Ausf. G or Stuh 42 in North Africa.

Tiger, The optics look cool!

Thanks Mobius!

 ill have better pics of them soon. On another happy note, the parts from slightly altered arrived so i can now actually get some paint on this. but first i have dinner with a good friend so pics later tonight me hopes =D

Great to hear they finally showed up Tiger!!!  Took longer than I expected though

Everything look like it's in order and such?

Dale

Yeah, all here, cept you sent road wheels and not return rollers...LOL no worries im gonna use the rubber ones.

Small update, been working on the tools, heres where we are at atm:

Painted in my usual fashion, black base on the metal, brown on the wood, followed by a wash of dark brown on the wood with a touch of black, and a wash of black/brown on the metal, then a drybrush of silver. hard to see in the pics as my camera hates small parts..lol

More to come!

Enjoy!

Ok now that i see the pics they are terrible i am gonan try to get some better ones, i also have acouple of questions:

1. on the end of the shovel, is the ball wood or meta?

2. what color is the damn fire extinguisher?  I have seen so many option im not sure whats even remotely correct!

Ok as promised better pics, still hard to capture them ill get better ones once they are on the stug =)

Base colour applied, came out really well considering its a rattle can, but it is tamiya so not really a surprise :)

Got some clean up and touch up to do but over all I am happy so far. lets just hope i don't completely fubar this..lol

Still have to paint the wheels, which i will be doing by hand as its easier for me.

looks as if you've about got this build wrapped up already. Waiting to see this one after it's finished!!

I've been working on the wheels to get them out of the way.

Monty

Wheels wheels wheels and not a drop to drink.

Dirty wheels still go round and round.

Tony Lee

Monty,

Wheels look fantastic, cannot wait to see the whole thing!

Quick StuG question:

In this pic is a captured Syrian StuG Ausf G with some added armor over the mantle , i have not seen this before and was wondering if anyone has any info /pics on this as i would like to recreate it.

FOR REFERENCE/DISCUSSION ONLY:

Thanks in advance,

Dave

To me it appears that is a sheetmetal cover to keep the weather and such from entering through the gap between the mantlet and the fighting compartment roof. There also appears to be some sort of sheetmetal sorrounding the cupola area.. Any better pics? I believe the syrians obtained a large number of tanks that were confiscated from the third riech.

DF,

I have not been able to find another pic of this but i agree with you , i am sure i could make something. The one around the cupola would have to have slots for the periscope/vision blocks or it would kind of be pointless..lol

Ill see what i can do :)

These builds are really looking good guys 

Tiger, on the sheet metal addition for your StuG, have you worked with metal foil before? It's scale thickness is approximate for 1/35th, and sorta easy to work over.    Just an idea

Dale

  Hi Guys................This is the progess so far....

Monty

Here's where mine is atm

The tracks are not done nor are they attached atm, the hull is also not attached as it will be easier for me to add the tracks etc.

Still lots more to do I'm thinking this will be a city bound stug that has seen heavy rain for long periods of time, possibly something from  Stalingrad or the like.

Thoughts, comments etc?

Just a few more shots added the decals and finally added the wheels except one which is being retarded and will have to be beaten into submisson...lol pastels to come!

Hi..........You are doing one fine job . I have enjoyed watching the build......Monty

Monty,

Thanks for the compliment, your StuG is coming along very nicely and i look forward to more progress from you =)

 Monty, Progress is looking good Like the cut away fender and the figie on top. Looking forward to seeing updates!

 Tiger, Wow, nearing the finish. The added stowage looks cool. Looking forward to seeing weathering updates!

Hi Dale,

I'm DEFINATELY in - I'm a big fan of the StuG III & IV's and have just picked up my second one.

My first was the old Dragon Wittman StuG III Ausf A and I've just bought the Tamiya StuG III Ausf B as it's a superb looking kit with aluminium barrel supplied and some nice PE with a detailed interior too! Not a standard Tamiya kit!

I'll be building OOB (hopefully) with only a bit of stowage added as extra. The kit does only come supplied with one piece vinyl tracks so I'm going to try them and see how they look. I can imagine that they won't look great so in that event it will be Friul or Modelkasten time!

I'm looking at a used and abused dusty build on which I want to try some new methods which was the main reason I bought this kit in the first place.

I'm currently completing my WIP Tamiya JSU-152 which is very nearly there so I'll give you a start date of 12th January. 

Kind regards,

Ben

Hi Guys                Got alittle color on it..............

     Monty

It's takin on that look Monty.

Tony lee

Hinsky,

That's the build I'm going to be doing as well, the new release Tamiya IIIB.  It's a REALLY nice kit, had it for a while.  I bought it after building the 1/48th IIIB which was a dream to build.  Wouldn't be surprised if they used those molds as the basis for the 1/35th version. Haven't started on it yet, as I'm just finishing up an extremely busy month at work, but have some down time scheduled to get friendly with my Stuggy...

Hi Guys...........Heres a few more pic's.....still got alot to do......

Monty

Hey I see you hung your bike on the back so when you get to the camp grounds you can run to the Quick Stop and get a loaf of bread and beer.

Lookin Good Dude

Tony Lee

Monty that bike addition is fantastic! shes coming along nicely!

So heres my minor update, finally got that damn wheel on..lol and started rusting the sides back etc. Lots more to do but wanted to show something.

Thanks Tiger.............Are you going to put side plates on yours?  Looking good...........Monty

Thanks Monty!

The kit did not supply any side armor, just the mountings which i find very odd. If i can find a good reference I may attempt to scratch build some.

Hey buddy,

She does look like a really good kit and I had no idea that there was any sort of interior detail so you can imagine my surprise on opening the box.

I'm putting the finishing touches to my current WIP JSU-152 this weekend and I'll be starting this StuG III next weekend. I do love my StuGs and any German SPG really but the squat little 'thugs of the battlefield' really do build up very well.

I'm thinking that an aftermarket set of tracks will be needed as the vinyl tracks supplied just won't be up to the job (imo).

ATVB

Ben

Well i wanted to get some better pics and i think i did. Still tons more to do but will be slow over the next 3 days due to work. Oh and i added .... A BUCKET!

lol

These are really looking great guys!!!!!

There should be another one starting up fairly soon here, just have to get a couple things done at the shop the next couple weeks... Busy as can be still

Dale

Well am finished with my stug.....enjoy

monty

Well, I actually got time over the past few days to start up on my Tamiya StuG IIIB with the teeny weenie aluminum barrel and all five PE pieces.  I know, I'm such a rebel.  Anyways, the kit is typical Tamiya, although there is an issue with the periscopes' mounting location.  The instructions would have you thread it through an open hatch that it can't possibly fit in, but they have a correction on their USA website showing where it should be.  Actually it's a no brainer, as there is only ONE hatch it can properly fit through. 

Another thing to watch out for if anybody is building this.  Sprue "E" is actually attached to Sprue "A" as there are two of them.  Sprue "E" contains the correct movable suspension parts, not the ones on Sprue "A". 

Enough about that, pretty basic build, no major gaps, but I did have to squeeze the front half of the lower hull to mate up with the upper hull, maybe a tiny bit of warp, but I've had the kit for six years in various temps through three moves, so could be all on me.

On to the photos:

For those of you who like free things to help with your modeling, I present the "Velveeta Cheese Mini Parts Holder":

Tried to use liquid masking film on the interior to show some wear, but I think it's a bit overdone.  I used a toothpick on some smaller foot traffic area to show through the Panzer Interior Buff in some other areas more effectively.

Still have quite a bit left to do.  Road wheels, sprockets and idlers need painting, haven't started on the tracks yet, and looking for a couple of misc items to throw on the back as it looks too empty.  Also waiting on some Hornet replacement heads to show up for our fearless commander.  The Tamiya kit head looks horrible.

Great looking build Monty!!! Everything you've done works together to make it a stunner bud. Really like the chipping too Looks well used.    Please grab your badge my friend, and thank you for being a part of the Group Build. Hope to have ya join in again on another one.

Terrific work going on BigSmitty.  Yours is another one I've been wanting to get ahold of, so you've got my full attention.

Dale

Hi Dale,,,,Thank you...I enjoyed it...and you can count on me to join the next build.....Monty

Hi Dale.....How I do get the badge......sorry to have bothered you...........Monty

PM incoming Monty 

I think I got it.........Monty

Hi Dale,

I would love the opportuinity to join in on this build, I know I'm late but its a great subject and reading through is brilliant.

Now as for the finish date, i can try my very best to complete on time but I could need an over run, If this is not possible I can fully understand, as I'm late and its your build.

The kit I'm propossing to build is  the following Dragon kit,

As you can see it's a limited one from Dragon EXPO '07 Europe. It's the Stug commanded by George Bose.

I would propose to try a hairspray technique for the Whitewash camo.

Anyway if you want to contact my I can be reached at the following.

terry35@gmail.com

THanks for taking the time to read my post,

Regards,

Terry.

I posted this in the 8th AF GB as well. Unfortunatly my mine is already shifting to paintball this summer and loosing interest in model building until next fall/winter. I'm not saying I'm 100% out, the only time i'll have to work on any models is weekends if there isnt any overtime, and every 3rd week since I wont be on 3rd shift. I can hopefully get it done before the end date, I got a lot of construction done and would hate to quit now. Time will tell.

btw, everyones stug looks amazing!

Getting closer to the finish line with my IIIB.  Here are some photos of "Big Brother, Little Brother" or my current 1/35 build and the 1/48 Tamiya StuG IIIB I did a couple of years ago for a Weekend GB here on FSM:

On to Big Brother now...  I got everything basecoated either Panzer Interior Buff or German Grey yesterday.  This morning before I left for work, I gloss coated with Future, so I could let it cure during the day.  Pioneer tools, jack block, tool box and jack were added after decaling and painted separate, with the exception of the tool clasps and the tool box, which will be painted a thinned German Grey before a second sealing coat of Future and I can start the weathering. 

I found an interesting mix for the wood handles.  I took three drops of Vallejo Model Color Leather Brown and one drop of Vallejo Model Color Wood (which is a translucent yellow) and came out with a pretty realistic faded wood color for the tool handles. 

The tracks are the kit vinyl rubber band tracks.  They have been brushed with Vallejo "Oily Steel" with a drop or two of the Vallejo Black Wash mixed in.  For kit rubber band tracks, I think they turned out pretty well.  Guess we'll see how well they hold up after the washes and rust applications are done.

I also found a Floquil color at my LHS this afternoon called "Tarnished Black" that is a dead ringer for Testors enamel "Rubber".  Used it on the cleaning rod cover instead of the Tamiya Flat Black as called out in the painting instructions.  Just a couple of cool little nuggets, I guess.  On with the WIP photos!

Thanks for looking.  I may end up with some extra StuG crew figures if I go back and pick up the MiniArt set over at the LHS.  They had them "red stickered" on clearance for $7.00.

Good afternoon Gentlemen!

This is only my second ever GB so I'm really looking forwards to it!

After the success of my Russian JSU-152 I've set the bar high (for myself) on this Stug III - along with the Marder III's it's my favourite of the German SPG's.

It's the same kit as BigSmitty's above which he has done a BRILLIANT job on so far  Obviously it does have an interior which I will be fitting and painting but only very basically as it's going to be buttoned up and no part of the interior will be visible.  The single Periscope at the front will be visable but that's it. The gun assembly looks very good so I'm going to build that up and paint and detail that part of the build just for practice really.

I'm going to use markings for Vehicle No.3, 1st Kompanie, 192nd StuGAbt (Assault Gun Battalion), Poland, June '41. I may yet use the red skull which indicates second company.

It's should be a nice simple build as it looks like a typical Tamiya kit! I'm going to try some more 'advanced' methods of weathering and may pick a couple of guy's brains for some assistance (if they don't mind)!

I'm builing OOB as it comes with some PE and an turned Aluminium barrel (I'l probably have to use Friuls or MK's though as it comes only with one piece Vinyl tracks - YUCK imo).

I'm going to start now so update later!

ATVB & thanks for hosting this GB, Dale

Ben

Hey guys,

BigSmitty has just informed me of a small flaw with the kit! I was going to have the single periscope in use but apparently that's not possible so I think I'll have the build with the main hatch open and the twin periscope in use.

That means I'm now really going to town on the interior as it will be very visible. It's not a massively detailed interior but it will do the job!

BTW: Can anyone recommend a good 'Off White' Colour for the interior please? Either Tamiya or Vallejo?

Thanks for the heads up Smitty - that saved me a headache!

Off to work on the StuG now!

ATVB

Ben

Hi guys,

A nice start but nothing worth showing in a photograph! I'll make the real progress tomorrow - at the minute all the suspension arms are on as it the rear vent and exhaust panel.

One thing that I just could not get to work was the 'working suspension'. It's a bit like the Tamiya Pershing in that small lengths of wire with a loop at each end are fixed into place and allow the wheels to move up and down when pressure is applied and removed to the tank. Only the front and back road wheels are 'sprung' like this - the others are supposed to push in behind a section that sits flush with the inner tub walls. This section is supposed to stop the suspension arms dropping out so you don't need to glue them in place thus allowing the arms to move.

Two arms on one side and three on the other just wouldn't stay put no matter what I did? In the end I decided to glue the arms in a fixed position - I'm not going to play with this model or put it on a diorana so no problem.

WIP update tomorrow,

ATVB

Ben

Gentlemen, supurb building so far. 

Monty, is that the Eduard PE or Cavalier zimmerit? It's so hard to find waffle zimmerit.

Excellent.

  Hi guy,   it was molded that way.........''Monty

Cool, thanks Monty.

So I was down at the Rochester MN IPMS show today, and someone had that StuG with the waffle Zimm as a "built for sale" kit.  He has built the Tamiya IIIB, the IIIG from Dragon and this one.  He said the 10.5cm StuG with the waffle Zimm was the best of the lot.  Great.  Now I gotta go get THAT one.  Also picked up Monogram's StuG IV in 1/72 for $5 on a table.  Figured what the heck right?

Just a quick update, as today was a day for the significant other, and not my poor neglected Stuggie.  However, I did manage to get a few shots of it.  My Dragon Magic Tracks will be here tomorrow, so I'll finally get a chance to get them on, and start weathering and dusting up this guy.

I dirtied up the interior some with a black/umber flat wash that I didn't clean up so the compartment had that "lived in" look. 

Here's a shot of the kit tracks, they turned out OK, but were MURDER trying to get them to lay flat across the return rollers up top, hence the Magic Tracks I got for a few bucks from Armorama...oooh, can I say that?

Side view with the lid on the StuG.  I don't know if I'll CA it in place or leave it removable.  It all depends on the quality of my figure painting skills down the road.  Still have to mist a highly thinned base color to blend the markings in, and then the washes and some road dust (this is a June 1941 Poland machine) before a final flat coat.

That's the update for tonight.

I'll be interested to see if the Magic Tracks work well on your StuG. I have one in the stash and might want to upgrade the tracks, even though I'm not a big fan of indies.

OK, so I did a bit of research on my particular vehicle and the markings, showing the time period was June 1941 in Poland.  This was either just prior to, or in the opening week of Operation Barbarossa.  Poland in June averages 70cm of rain during the month, but reading more on the operation the weather in June 1941 was a rainier than normal June.

So, do I mud up the lower hull on my StuG or not?  It belonged to one of the initial army groups that made the push east from Poland, but I don't want it to look out of place.  Mostly because I'm not going to be mounting it to a base.  I think if I do some darker dirt along the bottom, and work upwards with a lighter shade, it would be fine.

What do my fellow StuG'gers think?  Oh, yeah, the tracks didn't make it in today.  Probably why I'm wondering about mud instead of assembling the tracks.

Second page?  Cripes!

Anyways, I swapped out the kit vinyls for some Dragon Magic Tracks.  Then I realized I'd already glued the road wheels on.  Luckily, the idler, drive and return rollers weren't glued.  Oh!  I got my two sets of Vallejo Model Air in yesterday so I shot the tracks with some Black from the "Extreme Tank Modeling" set.  Went on like a dream with my old Badger 100 and cleaned up easier than any other acrylic I've tried in the past.  On to the updates!

First time with indy tracks.  A bit time consuming, but man, they really turn out sharp.

I've seen the tracks come off in one big piece like that, but they look so fragile.

I left a "separation point" at the idlers on both sides.  They are fragile, especially these little Pz IV tracks.  Around the drive sprocket I only attached the tracks on the center locator, where all the other links are glued in on all three points.  I will say that spraying them at 30psi (for the Model Air line, that seems to work without thinning) they were waving around a bit, but nothing an examination gloved hand couldn't handle.  We'll see how they turn out once I try to get them back ON.  That's the trick, I would imagine.

Good looking progress folks!!!!

BigSmitty, I'd say mud 'er up the way you were talking about, dark on bottom, lighter towards the top. Seems to me StuG's always look their best sorta "abused"

Dale

Hello Stuggers!,

Okay - making progress

Today I have:

• Assembled the fighting compartment roof and fitted all hatched apart from the one where the single Periscope will be poking out. The rof isn't glued in place yet.
• All lights fitted, small ones on the rear, Notek and main headlights with PE covers up front.
• Fitted the PE screens on the engine deck.
• Antennae rest thingy and antennae base (I'll stretch sprue for a half fully erected antennae later on as the base is at an angle.
• Fitted other bits and bobs like grab handles and fender ends.

Tomorrow I will:

• Fit fine wire going from the headlight rears to the Notek light, small front side lights and loudspeaker as imo it's little touches like this that make all the difference!
• remove the single Periscope as it isn't sitting properly - it's leaning forward and to the side so it will foul on the hatch in front of it. I need to snip it off neatly and glue it back on so it's standing up straight.
• Fit the final two hatches where the single periscope currently is.
• Prime the vehicle ready for painting next weekend and assemble the rooad wheels & Idler/Drive wheels.

So far so good - I hope you like her. Still not anything great to look at yet but I just need to get some paint on her! It's a nice easy build that should weather up well as I love working with plain old Panzer Grey. I'm going to put some Friuls on her as the kit tracks are pretty poor and won't have a hint of sag in them.

WIP update tomorrow!

Thanks for looking folks,

ATVB

Ben  

Getting closer to the finish line with this one.  A great kit, one even I couldn't really screw up too much. 

One hazard of having your model shop in the laundry room is the inevitable dust and lint that spews from the dryer upon opening.  Luckily in two months I will have my own dust free, lint free, spouse free room to conduct my model builds and my office work from.  Anyway, here are some update photos:

I used indy track links to get the sag on the return rollers, like I've stated before.  Went together prettty well, only had one break in each section (both on the lower half of the runs).  First time using any type of pigments for weathering.  I tried for the very wet June 1941 Poland, but turned out a bit too red.  Used Vallejo pigments (only ones available at my LHS) and knocked off the excess with a pair of old stiff brushes.

On the right side of the vehicle I ended up with a floating roadwheel, the next to last on the track.  I plan on dropping this guy on a base with some groundwork (and a figure or two), so I'll be able to push the track flush with the unruly wheel. Hopefully I will be able to use that base and groundwork to darken up the lower hull to a more appropriate mud color.

All in all, for my first "almost" completed model in close to three years, I'm pretty happy with the results.  Having a good kit to start with really helps.  At least now I know what pigment mix I need if I ever do a Vietnam kit or diorama, as I think this color really matches that soil (or the north Georgia/western North Carolina soil) really well.

Just a quick update GB'ers:

Looking VERY nice Smitty, I'm loving that pigment colour on the chassis! What is that?

The whole build has been primed with Vallejo Grey Primer. wires (5 amp fuse wire) has been fitted to add detail up front to the lights etc.

The Fighting Compartment roof isn't fixed yet btw.

All the tools are ready to go and are cleaned & painted up. The road wheels have been assembled but need painting so they'll get done next week with the circle stencil & air brush.

Moving along nicely now! I'm thinking about making a change from the original markings as Smitty and I wouldn't want identical StuG's (imo). I think it would be nice to show StuG's from different arenas of war with different markings.

Sorry about this terrible photo! At least you get the idea!

Thanks for looking folks,

I'll be going all out for a solid finish, now that the overtime barrage has ceased!

Have a great week chaps

ATVB

Ben

Hey guys,

those are looking great BigSmitty,  Hinksy!!!

Mud application really brings out some personality BigSmitty... With it being too red for ya, have you tried adding a wash to the mud to alter its color a bit?

Dale

Ben,

No problem on the markings.  That Tamiya kit has five different variants.  I picked mine as I now have identical IIIB's in both 1/35 and 1/48 scale.

The lower hull is my first attempt at Vallejo pigments.  Over here they are about half the cost of MIG pigments, and are stocked at my LHS.  I think I used a bit too much of the reddish hue (Burnt Sienna) and not enough of the darker brown hue (Burnt Umber).  Once I figure out a base for the StuG, I'll figure out where to go with fixing the underside of the hull.

As for the spare wheels, I've only seen them on the later variants (F/G and StuG IV) as the rear of the upper hull is different (for one) and is designed with engine covers and a fixed location on each rear corner for spare road wheels.  I have not seen many of the early variants with very much in the way of clutter on the rear.  Maybe it was because they were used mainly at the beginning of the war and the supply lines weren't as stretched as they were in 1942 or 1943 during Barbarossa.  Just a guess, though.  I'm no expert.

Hi guys,

Smitty: I've found out that on the two 'A' sprues there are two tri-cornered bases with pegs that stick onto the rear engine covers inbetween the tow cable loops. There are suplied pins too and two spare wheels these push onto the pegs. Check out the picture that Wildman put onto my WIP thread on the armour section and it shows exactly where to put them (if you want to use them).

A quick update:

Pre shade attempted again and it's nearly worked. Off camera it looks good but the photos haven't picked it up very well. Basecoat on (a 6 part XF-63 German Grey to 4 part XF-18 Medium Blue Tamiya mixture)

All tools have been re-painted in better colours and will be overcoated with Clear Orange tomorrow which makes them look great - I'l add some woodgrain effect too.

Tomorrow I'm working from home in the morning but I'll have time in the afternoon to add gloss where the decals are going and get the decals on with Micro Sol followed by the addition of the tools. I'm going to try Karls recommendation of avoiding an all over gloss coat and use Gloss just for the decals. I'll seal them in with Matt varnish once finished and see how I get on as I'm going for a weather beaten and battered looking StuG so messy washes will be fine and I'm hoping a matt surface for weathering will help with this look.

Here's today's work! I hope you like her! So far so good:

Thanks for looking guys,

I'll post an update tomorrow.

ATVB

Ben

Erm,

Righto - a slight problem.

I've got up this morning to find that our fairly new Labrador pup who is teething had soehow managed to get into the Living Room last night and had proceeded to munch, crunch and totally destroy my StuG

To say I'm gutted is a big understatement as I put a lot of work into her yesterday. I'll have to get another as I've got all the tools and Friuls ready to go (they are fine).

So, this blog is 'on hold' until I get a replacement kit - being skint doesn't help!

So, unfortunately - I'm out

Cheers,

Ben

Hey! Heres where Im at for the StuG.

Everything has been primered since this picture besides the tools and tracks. Other than that, thats where it stands, well sits, right now.

Looks just about ready for some assembly there bud!!! 

And looking great too!

Dale

Update! Heres a pic of it with primer, and first coat of yellow on. I used Tamiya Red Brown (XF-64) for primer then painted it Dark Yellow (XF-60).

This pic I have painted the camo scheme. Its not accurate what so ever in my opinion, but I didnt want to go over my head for my first attempt at something like this. Its Dark Brown again.

Heres a pic of what the instructions show for the camo
http://www.tamiyausa.com/product/item.php?product-id=32540
Obviously you can see theres suppose to be more of the lines but like I said, I didnt want to go overboard for my first time.

Over this week I'll hopefully be painting the black on the wheels and get some of the tracks done. Then just the little tools and decals need to be done.

WW2psycho -- good work! I know what you mean about simplification, and feehanding softedge camo can be an intimidating job. It looks good from here,

I've been expecting my StuG IV for ages, it's been on its way from the US for 23 days so far... The postal delivery could be at any moment!

Cheers, M/TB379

Thanks thunderbolt. Ive always liked these tanks with the side skirts, and the only one that had side skirts in the instructions was with that camo scheme. So sorta staying with it I didnt have a choice if i wanted it somewhat accurate.

Hi guys,

After considerable delay, my Academy StuG IV arrived today. It's a simple easy-build kit, being a 1987 licence production of Tamiya 35087, one of which I built not much more than a year ago, so know it inside out. I should think it'll go together quickly, then I can get to grips with my first full-on 'ambush' scheme.

Cheers, Mike/TB379

Hi all,

I've made a start on my Academy Stug IV (ex-Tamiya, copyright is 1987 -- when they optioned a batch of old Tamiya molds to get their range going while they were developing their own products). Here's their box art:

The colourscheme looks a bit muddy and iffy on the box, but it'll be a fall '44 Ambush finish when it's done. The old Tamiyas were designed for ease of building, and they just about fall together. After two or three sessions, this is where I am:

I've used 74 parts so far. It may be the age of the molds, but the stern plate of the upper hull doesn't fit the way I remember it doing the last time I built one, and you can see the .010" plasticard shim needed to close the gap between the transom and engine deck. i've blanked off the hull appertures, I need to fill them with scrap plastic and sand them down. I'm not planning on boxing in the sponsons on this one, though. I may do the gunner's hatch closed, as I did it open on the last one, and I did zimmerit last time, so again I'll do it differently this time. The only addition I can think of is the missing grab handle on the driver's hatch, though there's probably plenty I could look at.

Hopefully I'll have basic construction done by tomorrow. I'll have four armour kits ready for their tyres to be put into NATO black, so I could consider it a major spraying session.

Cheers, Mike/TB379

More progress today, not quite as much as I'd hoped for but not bad. The appertures in the lower hull are filled and dressed, all six of them, the cupola is attached, along with hatches and periscopes, I used a mounting bracket from the unused skirts as a grab handle for the driver's hatch, then added the radio mounts, rear fender springs and one of the two small lift lugs on the forward hull... I'm afraid the carpet monster looks like it got the other. The mantlet and gun well were sprayed dark yellow, then the gun was mounted.

Joining the upper and lower hulls is the last major (structural) task, and there are a batch more dressing parts to go on, then it's time for colour. The roadwheels may get their black tomorrow, and I might do some painting on the tools.

Cheers, Mike/TB379

Today's progress -- but for two small detail parts on the rear end, main construction is done. The tools, including the jack, jack block and tow cable, will go on post-painting, as always, along with the running gear (of which some masking was done on the wheels today and they should go into black tomorrow.)

One oddity, the rear hull plate differs from the Tamiya original in having the idler axle mounts moved inward by 1.5mm, creating an inexplicable gap... It's not there on Academy's rendition of the Pz. IV H mit schurtzen, either. Very strange... I filled the gaps with some strip styrene and shimmed the axles with slivers of styrene tubing, not precisely accurate/true to the original, but better than a yawning gap:

After that point, I joined the hull top and bottom (superglue in its element...) and pressed on with the dressing parts. As she stands now, she's ready for main masking:

Tomorrow I'll get the axles masked, and install tiny squares of tape over the locator holes for the pioneer tools and other external fittings. The wheels will be sprayed using the template method, assembled and weathered off the model. I'll have a quick browse online for StuG IV decals, but unless I spot anything worth hanging around for, I'll go with the ambush scheme in the box side photos and wing the unit decals at some point in the future.

Cheers, Mike/TB379

Anyone still working on theres? I got the wheels and tracks painted and put on. I'll have pictures tomorrow. just the little things left mostely.

Yep, hoping to finish mine next weekend...

M/TB379

Believe it or not ww2psycho, I'm in the same situation Thunderbolt379 was in... Waiting!   My StuG was back ordered, then substituted, waiting, waiting, waiting! AARRGGGGG!!!!

Panther is almost done though, LOL, not that it counts for this GB but it might be ready for the model show here the 30th.

Dale

So my Stug should be finished today or this weekend. got everything on except the decals and the commanders hatch. all is painted.

Hey guys,

There are some great looking builds on here - I just love my StuGs!

If you remember I was well on the way with my entry when our new puppy managed to get at it during the night and destroy it - literally! See my post at the base of page 9.

Anyway, I started building a Dragon Marder III from my stash but that wasn't going great so I put that on hold, bought a new StuG (I still had the Friuls and a box full of StuG spares from the last destroyed build!

I didn't know this GB was running for so long or I'd have re-entered. Obviously I'm not expecting to re-enter with this but just wanted to thank the host, Dale, and to let everyone know that this build turned out great in the end!

This second build turned out so well I almost thanked the dog! I went with the Poland Summer build (dry and dusty)and marked the vehicle for 2nd Kompanie, 192nd StuGAbt (Poland June '41).

I managed to get a pre shade to work properly for the first time which was a great achievement for me!

Below is the last page from my blog so far - I thought you'd like to see it and look at the photos. I've got a small Walnut base to make up but am waiting for a figure that a friend in Austria is painting for me before I get the scenery in place.

My next build is for Andy Deafpanzers Panzer III GB where I'm entering the Tamiya Panzer III Ausf. N.

Ben --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Below is the last set of writing and photos taken from my rebuild blog!

Anyway - I think I can say that the StuG is COMPLETE!!!

I've just done some final touch-ups, added the pins on the spare wheels, put the additional spare track links on between the headlights (I saw a photo of a StuG III where a second row had been added and I liked the look), some final rust on the mufflers to give that flaky, layered appearance with light and very dark browns that rusty mufflers always take. I think sometimes they get painted brrown in to 'uniform' a manner so they don't really look rusty, just painted flat brown.

Finally, some extra Dragon tools wedged in along the fenders to finish things off (a pick and large shovel at the rear and a sledgehammer up front behind the jack block).

Another coat of Vallejo Periscope Blue on the Periscope lens and a touch-up on the rear lights with some light soot dusted on the muzzle has finished it off nicely.

I've still got the base to come which is on order and will be built up next weekend with some grassy Summer scenery and the figure that my friend is building me too so it's still essentially a WIP but the StuG itself is done and I'm really, really happy with her - take a look

Spare shovel (shovel head can be seen below the skull) and the sledgehammer poking out from the jack block:

Pick axe head behind the jack: 

Chains in place:

Mufflers looking good and rusty: 

Remember, although the StuG is finished it's still a WIP until the base and figure are all completed so any advice, comments and critiques etc all highly welcomed and I'd be very greatful.

Thanks to everyone who has helped me and provided assistance to me whilst  I was working on this build

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Thanks guys - I hoped you liked her in the end!

Dale, I hope you don't mind my posting of this on here buddy

Kind regards,

Ben

Heres mine, its really done but I guess I forgot to take pics. Only thing missing in these pics are the hatch cover where the commander is and the decals.

I really like the white-washed Stug. any more updates on this build?

WW II psycho, that's a nice catchy camo job. One note though, the MG mount could only stand up if the hatch was opened and propped against it. HTH

Too bad this GB kind of died out. I love the topic and there are many different variations.

I'm still hoping to finish my Academy -IV, it's ready for paint, it's a question of finding time. I've been heaps busy in the past three or four months, and have just got back to the bench, I'm currently finishing three kits simultanerously, hopefully by next week I'll be onto a new batch of completions, but the StuG probably won't be among them -- maybe the batch after that!

Cheers, M/TB379

 I'm hoping to finish the drywall in the spare bedroom and reestablish the modeling bench there soon. The Tamiya Stug III has been packed away in the garage collecting almost as much dust as I have. 

tigerman

WW II psycho, that's a nice catchy camo job. One note though, the MG mount could only stand up if the hatch was opened and propped against it. HTH

Too bad this GB kind of died out. I love the topic and there are many different variations.

Thanks, I was kind of thinking the same thing about the MG after I put it together. I'll have to change that the next time I build a StuG.

iraqiwildman

I really like the white-washed Stug. any more updates on this build?

If youre talking about my StuG, I just airbrushed white over the dark yellow.

This one's been over for a while but I thought I'd like to report that after a long hiatus dogged with real life and other projects to complete, I just gave my StuG IV a coat of dark yellow and worked on the muffler -- there's hope for me yet!

M/TB379

Needs pics Thunderbolt. Glad to see your back.

Yo! Tigerman! Longtime no hear!

Pics will be forthcoming, I'm looking forward to doing my first three-tone ambush scheme on this animal. I have the templates for the wheels set up (a different size for each side of them, how persnickety/daft is that? The tires were sprayed long ago, and most construction is done, so if I'm not too fancy with what I'm doing and the AB behaves itself, I could probably turn in a finished StuG before too long.

Cheers, M/TB379

Hang in there. Camo schemes always intimidate me. It's not unusual for me to respray a pattern up to 3-4 times.

Ouch! The only one I remember respraying pretty much from scratch was the LAH Tiger I I did for Big Cats, that was an issue about pattern tightness and overspray (not just switch down to the fine tip and needle, but bang the flow up to about 30psi, the opposite of conventional logic!) Well, I'm paritcularly pleased with the Isherman I just finished so I'm all fired up do some more armour.

M/TB379

Pic as promised:

Everything is into Dunkelgelb barring the skirt hangers and gunshield. I did the wheels today using photoetched templates, and cleaned up and repainted the sprue gates on the edges. Camo is not far away...

Cheers, Mike/TB379

Looks nice Mike. I need to try a template someday. I just hand painted about 40 wheels for my Semovente. Fortunately they were small.

Mike, Looks good! Looking forward to seeing the camo applied. I have to get a set of circle templates for myself and give it a try. I've been hand painting road wheels far too long and with not so nice looking results[*-)

Thanks Tigerman, Mobious -- I started using a plastic drawing template years back and even if they're not quite the same size they get you close enough for brush touch-ups to go quickly and with a minimum of drama. The PE templates are by Alliance Modelworks and are GREAT, you get a snug fit and a low profile, and there's twenty-something models catered to on the three frets. I wish they would do more of these sets, for instance a contemporary US set. This set is expressly German WWII but you can  usually find something close to what you're looking for and touch up from there. They really make the job fly, and I'd have to say this particular batch has gone like clockwork.

Today I'm looking at wash-weatheringh the wheels, and getting the gunshield and skirt rails into yellow, respraying the tracks (I mixed too dark a shade previously), and maybe starting to paint the pioneer tools. Then I need to bite the bullet, adjust the AB and go for the camo. Or maybe the shade coat under the fenders first.

Cheers, Mike/TB379

Hi all,

Progress on the Academy StuG IV: The wheels were wash-weathered and the shade coat under the fenders and behind the running gear went on yesterday: today I tackled the three-tone camo. My AB behaved very well and the job was done without dramas, including precision touchups of the dunkelgelb and rotbraun. Here she is, all bright from the sprayshsop:

Next, the 'blowing leaves' will be brush painted (I'm pretty sure I'm not up to cleanly airbrushing spots that small, and I'm sure they would have been brush painted in the field much of the time anyway). Then the fade coat to start to lock it all together, and on to the oil washes.

I resprayed the tracks yesterday also, and found one more difference from the Tamiya original, the bearer bar that holds the spare track at the bow seems to seat differently. On the original the spare track just dropped neatly in, on this one I had to grind the back of the track part on sandpaper down way thin to get it to go.

I'm thinking of doing something special with the barrel, such as primer red on at least part of the length, and a filthy muzzle with dirt streaked back into the primer -- might be interesting!

Cheers, Mike/TB379

Mike, The Stug IV looks great. The "ambush" scheme is my all time favorite pattern.Glad the AB was working in your favor. Looking forward to seeing updates.

Nicely done on the camo Mike. I too on my Panther just brushed thinned down paint with a fine-tip brush. Worked well.

Thanks Mobious and Tigerman!

Here's today's progress -- leaf/dapple painted, and fade/dustcoat airbrushed. First the dapple:

Then the overspray of highly diluted XF-60 to tone things down and draw the camo together -- not sure how well it shows up in the pic.

Tomorrow I'll start the first round wash weathering and possibly get the tracks washed and drybrushed. This one is moving along nicely, and the scheme makes me think how much fun it would be to finally do that Tiger II (Porsche turret) in ambush scheme over zimmerit...

Cheers, Mike/TB379

Quick update (no pic...) I've done a fair bit more oil wash work, it's close to done, plus sprayed the skirt hangers into camo and faded them. If I can get the wash done soon I can wash/weather the tracks, hangers and tools and  start bringing this one together at last.

Cheers, Mike/TB379

Hi all,

I pushed the Academy StuG IV along today. I washed and drybrushed the tracks yesterday, today I did a last round of rust/wash work (I may still do another, I'm spotting bits that my gut tells me should be rusty), went ahead and mounted the running gear, and have about half the external tools/fittings done.

Here she is with the wheels fitted:

The wheels were an extraordinarily tight fit, tighter than I remember the Tamiya original being. I had to file the axles a bit and apply a lot of force to get them into place. The drybrushing, or most of it, is done, I feel I might have gone a bit heavy in a few places, the penalty of working in light that is not the best in terms of angle.

And here she is with the tracks and a batch of fittings mounted:

I'm hoping to have her finished tomorrow. There's precious little to do -- jackblock and barrel cleaning rods, two tiny parts that go on the back end and I usually do last to avoid them disappearing, decals, fit the items you see here, plus the fire extinguisher which has temporarily disappeared on my bench, a round of dust, paint the periscopes, sights and convoy light, add a radio mast...

My next update shoukd be the gallery shots.

Cheers, Mike/TB379

Glad to see that you're plugging away Mike. Almost to the finish line.

Thanks, Tigerman!

She's almost finished -- a handful of jobs to do, such as rust/scrape the skirt hangers, paint the radio mast and splash some dust around the running gear. I should be doing the gallery photos tonight.

Would love another Tigers GB... A year long, and knock out two big cats!

Cheers, Mike/TB379

Finished! She goes in front of the camera tonight...

M/Tb379

Here she is, guys, Academy's knock-off of Tamiya's StuG IV, and my first Ambush project. I reproduced the scheme in the box photos but the markings for that one (the StuG Brigade of the Grossdeutschland, going by the crest) were not on the kit sheet. I did some research and checked the sheet from the Tamiya original and chose the crest of the 251st Assault Gun Battalion, which, if I'm reading sources correctly, was in the west in late '44 and is thus a good candidate for wearing the ambush scheme just prior to the Ardennes offensive. It's a guess but one I'm fairly happy with. The crosses are from the Academy sheet, the tactical and divisional markings are from Tamiya.

The dust and dirt don't seem to show up very strongly in these photos, the exposure may be a bit harsh, but it was extensively shaded, faded, wash weathered and dusted with pigments. The fire extinguisher has not shown up yet, it'll be attached when it does. And the periscopes are not painted, I need to devise a good technique for them and apply them to several models waiting for this aspect.

I hope you enjoy it, and all comments are welcome.

Cheers, Mike/TB379

Thunderbolt, Awesome finish. Nice job on the Ambush scheme. Only thing I noticed is the return rollers and drive sprockets need some paint scrape/wear. Overall, a great finish!

Very nice Mike. I too think the camo came out really well. Great pictures too. I still suck at taking them.

Thanks Mobius and Tigerman. I spotted the return rollers last night and realised I had forgotten to graphite them for wear. The drives and idlers were drybrushed with silver for scraped paint but for some reason it didn't show up in the pictures. I figured dark rust would be incorrect on the contact face as abrasion against the track would keep it clean, albeit unpainted.

Glad you liked it, I had fun getting this one to the finish line. It's eight months after the scheduled end of this GB, so I won't be taking a badge!

Cheers, Mike/TB379