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

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

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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.