Panzerjager GB (March 1st - June 30th, 2011)

Attention Gentlemen:

By my count, 4 are finished and 5 are known to be actively working. Would anyone mind, especially those that are finished, if we extend the deadline to at least mid July? I've been through some duress this week and next week is Father's day and July 4th is coming up. I really want to get done and this would give latecomers such as Dupes and Bufflehead a little extra time.

Thanks.

I'll look thru the pile of plastic humanity ...........

Hahahaaaa...got any good early-war tanker figs?

I have a pile of figures also ...............but they shall ramain a pile !

Didn't get much done last night, long day at work had me pretty tired, but then I threw in Restrepo - there wasn't going to be any modeling getting done while THAT was on. Great flick.

Yeah, they're tough...and I haven't done many myself (I think I have one I'd call "complete"). But you gotta start somewhere!

Maybe this will get me in the groove so I can start reducing some of those figure piles down.

dupes

I don't know why, but I've got this craaaaazy idea that I want to crew the Sturer with a pile of figs...will have to dig around tonight to see who's eligible.

If I decide to do that, I'll finish the build by the deadline and tack them on after if I can paint up some decent likenesses.

I think it's the HUGE drivers hatch that got me started...that, and the need to fill up a bit of space in the crew compartment on this beast.

Thats the one thing i havent tried to do ..........figures .

dupes

You should be! It looks great!

Don't know if you mentioned this, whose dunkelgelb did you use? Looks much browner (and less greenish) than some of the other ones...especially model master. Theirs is REALLY green.

Dupes its my own mixture . I used Model Master enamel FS 33531 sand (75%) FS 30266 mustard (15%to give it the yellowish tint) and then FS 36076 panzer gray (10 % to tone down the sand color ) .

I don't know why, but I've got this craaaaazy idea that I want to crew the Sturer with a pile of figs...will have to dig around tonight to see who's eligible.

If I decide to do that, I'll finish the build by the deadline and tack them on after if I can paint up some decent likenesses.

I think it's the HUGE drivers hatch that got me started...that, and the need to fill up a bit of space in the crew compartment on this beast.

You should be! It looks great!

Don't know if you mentioned this, whose dunkelgelb did you use? Looks much browner (and less greenish) than some of the other ones...especially model master. Theirs is REALLY green.

I looked at it this AM and it looks better now ........................i'm cool with it now .

Shellback

this is the first time i tried it Eric ...................not sure i liked it at first , spraying over all of that freshly painted camo was difficult !

It really does blend it in, otherwise the camo comes out looking too stark and new. I was scared the first time, now I just lay it down thick.

It's hard to get used to, but it really (at least in my mind) makes it look much more realistic and "battle-weary".

Don't know how thin you went with your mix, but you can go SUPER thin (like 5%) and build it up in layers if you're really worried about overdoing it.

this is the first time i tried it Eric ...................not sure i liked it at first , spraying over all of that freshly painted camo was difficult !

That's what I do on my camo job s too Carl. It really helps to tone it down.

Some more painting done . This time i added a little green to the camo and misted a light coat of sand color to tone down the colors for that ever saught after scale effect .................i think thats what its called .

Thanks Rob. I already primed and sprayed the tracks my usual way on last weekened. I think I'll just go straight to the pigments, because the wash pretty much gets obliderated by the pigments. IMO.

Panzerwaffle - Heh...I'm just glad they're done!

T-man - not much cleanup at all...just opening up a few of the guide horns. Other than that, I would have thought they were REALLY well-molded plastic.

Getting a lot of hull/interior stuff done, really need to stop to take some pics for you guys. Tomorrow for sure!

ERIC - Advice already given about the tracks is the safe way for sure.  Usally do mine as so: Spray MM (always used enamel) Burnt Sienna as a base and then lightly overspray them with MM Burnt Iron non buffing metalizer then drybrush with MM steel or use #2 pencil.  For weathering use artists watercolors thinned heavy with Wendex and give it a wash or just pigments or both pending on the look trying to acheive.  Never had any problems doing it this way.

For the tow cable, I say paint it.  When the vehicle is weathered think it looks out of place (too shinny) with natural metal.  Can use the same process on the cables as with the tracks.  Sometimes substituting the burnt iron with MM Engine Gray.

DUPES - I'm not jealous anymore with all of those wheels.  Nice work with them and the tracks

CARL - I LOVE THE CAMO!!!  AWESOME!!  That cap made an excellent mask, wheels look great.

ERNEST - Good luck, hope its a smooth move.

tigerman

That's a clever way to mask the rims Carl. Worked very well.

Thought i'd share the idea .........................................

deafpanzer

LOL!  You sure got me... thought it was pre-shading!  You see what just happened?  I was fooled by a good job camo and it worked. 

Well , you know i can see where it looked like pre-shading so i can see what you were talking about . I've never done well with the whole pre shading thing so i do my shading last ..............guess that would be called post - shading ?

Thanks for  your comments .

That's a clever way to mask the rims Carl. Worked very well.

LOL!  You sure got me... thought it was pre-shading!  You see what just happened?  I was fooled by a good job camo and it worked. 

Painting der veels und tyres .

Makes getting 9 of completed easy

Marc, those tracks do look awesome. Was there much cleanup on them?

Carl, you're driving into the home-stretch with the camo laid down. Very nice too.

Ernest I don't envy your situation at all. When I moved here 10 years ago, there were hardly any models left. However, I'm thinking ahead. I want to downsize when my daughter gets out of college, thus one more move is needed. I'm deliberately putting off some of the more complicated builds until after that. 

Ernest - indeed they are workable resin tracks! That, and they just click together, too. Go here to check them out:

http://www.perthmilitarymodelling.com/reviews/vehicles/lionmarc/cl30007.htm

Luckily I have a set for my other Sturer, too. Hey - good luck on your move! Be careful with your babies!

bufflehead

dupes - Looking good!  Are those WORKABLE resin tracks??  If so, wow!

Carl - Smart looking camo on the 234!  I think its camo....Andy's comments makes me think its actually pre-shading?

Eric - I think the pigment approach on the tracks will work great for you!  As for the tow cable, Carl's advice seems good, but I've never tried washes or pigments on bare metal...  Can't wait to see that big monster of a tank all painted up!

No more work/updates on the Hetzer until next week.  The move is coming down to the wire so I'll probably be vera, vera busy for the next few days!  My biggest worry is transporting all my finished models safely to the new house!!   Wish me luck!

Its camo but i can see where it looks like preshading ...............pre-shamo ???

And good luck on the models !

dupes - Looking good!  Are those WORKABLE resin tracks??  If so, wow!

Carl - Smart looking camo on the 234!  I think its camo....Andy's comments makes me think its actually pre-shading?

Eric - I think the pigment approach on the tracks will work great for you!  As for the tow cable, Carl's advice seems good, but I've never tried washes or pigments on bare metal...  Can't wait to see that big monster of a tank all painted up!

No more work/updates on the Hetzer until next week.  The move is coming down to the wire so I'll probably be vera, vera busy for the next few days!  My biggest worry is transporting all my finished models safely to the new house!!   Wish me luck!

It looks great!  I am a big fan of pre-shading.  I normally use black paint for pre-shading so I am very interested to see yours come out.

Hows this look ?