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

And when I woke up it looked like this

OK, I did that

Thanks Taps.

We got paint!  It's a mix of hull red, red brown and some black to get to a sort of raw umber look.  Dark yellow next up.

Ben & Marc...

Both builds are looking pretty darn good. Very impressive

As for mine, been busy at work so I'm hoping to get a good bit done this weekend.

Hey fellas! Some great work you're doing here....hope to get in on the fun myself next week.

For now I've been marathon building a 1/48 C-47A TRYING to get it done for Valleycon this weekend - hope I make it!

Great progress Marc. You just flew through that StuG. I'm not the weathering expert, but I tend to go raw umber. Black might be more suited to a darker paint.

Ben that Pak 40 looks very nice.

Amazing what can be done in 2 days of really good bench time.  In the previous photo the upper hull was just dry fit.  Now fenders have been added and everything is all glued up and the hatch pooped right out for an easy fix.  I've done magic tracks many many time but this times i guess I did not put enough glue.  As I was putting them on a link would open,  Fixing that, another would open same place else.  That happened a few more time then it came apart in a few pieces.  Back down on the tape it went with a good brushing of glue.  My wife saw my frustration and offered to hold the link together with tweezers while I patched the links.

Ready for some paint.  Since this will be an all dk yellow scheme I am going to try the technique of a dark primer coat and going a touch lighter with the yellow around crevices and angles to give depth.  What color do you think would be best... like a raw umber or black?

Hey Rob, I practiced the weld bead and it wasn't too bad, except I think I need to make the sprue smaller, especially for the part I will be doing it on.

Not much accomplished except for some painting on another kit and weld bead practice.

Thanks Thom. I'll be seing you Sunday at Valley Con!

Ben: really nice looking Marder you have there, it's coming together great! Don't let your dog near it.

Rob: You're motoring right along with your panzerjager, it's looking real good.

Nate

Ben:

The walls look great, be good to see you detail up the left side.

Keep it coming.

Cheers, Thom

Hi guys,

WIP update for today:

Today time was at a premium but I managed to get where I wanted to be come Monday night.

I've fitted a few little tiny add-on's but the key thing is the fighting compartment walls are fully assembled!

The RHS wall has the ammo racks fitted as that wall is pretty basic. The LHS wall will be left off so I can paint the radios properly and really get some good detail going on them with wiring.

Next weekend I'm hoping to get the DY basecoat down and then start on the radios.

The walls aren't fitted permanently yet as you will see - I've Blu-Tacked them for the picture!

So, gun and compartment walls assembled - she's looking good and I'm really enjoying this build!

I hope you like her!

WIP update next weekend.

Ben  

Rob, I like what you have going on there with the colors.

Ben that Pak 40 looks mean. The Marder in that state of finish reminds me a little of the ne RSO kit.

As I predicted, nothing got done over the weekend is except a little fertilizing of the yard. Perfect time to do it, because it was wet and going to rain.

Hi guys,

I didn't have a chance to update the WIP yesterday; I didn't manage to get the fighting compartment walls started as I've been pretty busy helping my parents with the loft extension.

I did, however, manage to get the PaK 40 assembled and primed to seal it all together - it looks very good.

There is a small seam on the muzzle brake which the primer highlighted so that needs to go. There were 3 different muzzle brakes to choose from so I opted for the round one - I hope that wasn't the wrong choice.

I'll get the compartment walls finished later so next weekend I'll be able to start the interior compartment detail.

WIP update later!

ATVB

Ben  

Thanks guys. 

Eric, the kits comes with 6 each used and unused smoke grenades.  The hatch turned to be a very easy fix The glue bond was strong enough to hold but it popped out with a little pressure. A Dremel sanding drum and some fine sandpaper and it was done in a few minutes.  I wash all my F-ups were that easy to fix.

Awesome work by everyone.

Nate: Nice build as always sir, will enjoy seeing you put some color on it and the figures as well .

Ben: Great looking build, and the tip on the tracks very useful too thanks .

Rob: Awesome looking interior and the instrument panel is really sharp, what size brush did you use to pick the details out.

Taps88: Great looking build super clean and fast .

TM: Really good looking build so far, very clean and the rear grills look sharp. I did find a Calibre set that has the waffle pattern zimm for a StuG IV so there must have been a version with it on it but I have also seen pics in one of my refs that shows the early without any zimm at all so time will tell if I do any or not.

Marc: Nice clean build and I know you will get the hatch settled out.

Well no progress for me at the moment except doing reaserch and looking in the box now and then, trying to finish up a few items for the upcoming show as Nate and dupes are doing as well. Hope to start on the kit after next weekend before traveling for work for the following two weeks, glad this thing does not end till June..

Cheers, Thom

ERIC - Thats some nice clean work!  The wheels look great and yes they are time consuming and not much fun but no floaters and the position of them look good too me   Nice job with the putty above the sprocket.  Must also comend you on the spare track hangers, I often find those to be fustrating trying too get them straight and in the proper place, yours are

NATE, TAPS88 - Thanks guys

MARC - You really put some work in this guy this weekend, shes almost ready for paint.  Looks great and I to like the one discharged smoke   From my research, one of the biggest complaints from the crew was how much these vehicles leaked.  Maybe one of the crewmen decided too fix the leak in the hatch

BOB - Hope the game was good.

Here is the up date.  Decided too finish out the hull completly before moving on to the gun.  So started with the road wheels, I too had to do a little work on these.  They came with a brass ring that had to be glued in place for both sides and on all wheels.  After glueing I then sanded and smoothed them out.

Went ahead and did some painting and decided on this for my base color or colors.  All the wheel boggies are dry fit for know.

Much left too do here but this should give me a good start.  I think the color on this one does look better in person.  next steps, will paint the front / rear lights, vent hose on the glacis, some of the wiring for the lights (also wired the front black out light just cant see it in the pic above), paint the exhaust and then get it's screen on and in place then paint it.  After that will do some weathering only on the lower hull were the tracks go, will save the top for when the whole model is completed and weather all at one time.  When the susspension is done will then put on the magic tracks.  Finally paint the tools and then move to the gun.  So still much to do.  The rest of the running gear parts are almost ready to put on, not a very good pic but here they are.

Hope to post threw the week but it will depend on how work goes.

Nice job Marc. Aside from the hatch issue, it looks like a good, clean build so far.

Nate

Nice progress Marc. Did you have an option for a fired smoke grenade?

Everyone's work is outstanding.

I finally have a enough done to show some progress. There is a huge glaring error that i have to fix.  I admit my concentration has not been the best but these CH instructions are really starting to frustrate me.  The latest for me was the hatch.  It done not fit in the ring.  so I figured taking parts from different kits they just didn't match up right.  So I added some strip to fill the gap.  Looks terrific except now I realize that the hatch sit down inside the ring so it is raised above the hatch in a circle.  Won't be hard to fix but a clear picture would have been nice. Yeah, yeah... I know I should have checked some refs but it's easier to put as much blame on them as I can.

Anyway, here is where I am.

Looking pretty darn good there, both Eric & Rob.

Roadwheels do take up a lot of the build, don't they? We're armor guys...we love 'em!

I've done the welds a few times and I really like the way yours are turning out, Rob!

Good progress guys. I like the welds Rob. All those little parts will add up to a great looking Jagdtiger Eric!

Nate

Thank you Rob. There is one piece on the mantlet  that needs a bead.

Here's a few belated update photos:

The wheels are not glued down.

Not sure how much if any will get done today. Kind of lazy.

It doesn't look like a lot is done, but 46 wheels and lots of little parts like the hooks and track hangers do add up.

TM - I'm using Testors liquid plastic cement (the pink label).  First, holding the sprue, brush on a coat of glue and let dry about 15 seceonds or so then brush on another coat of glue.  Right after that glue in place on the model and let dry on there for about 5 - 10 minutes, just long enough so that when you work on it, it does not fall off.  then carefully brush two more coats of glue and after about 15 - 20 seconds (really about the time it takes to put the glue up and get my chisel blade out and model in hand) start stippling with the chisel blade.  When the glue looks dry and the effect of the stippling is not working any longer, I just brush another coat of glue on and then continue the process.  I just keep repeating that until I am happy with the result. 

It does not take that much because on this PZ I the welds are tiny.  On a bigger vehicle with bigger welds use the same process but apply several more coats on before stippling the sprue to ensure it is soft.  In short I just apply glue and poke at it until I can get the plastic to start shapping.  Dont like to let it soak (many people do) because if it soaks to long I think it turns to mushy.  Hope that helps.

Hey Rob, how do you do the weld beads? I know you take stretched sprue, but how long do you soak it with glue before shaping it?

Hey guys,

"Take a weekend off from building" Bob? Yeah ok - when hell freezes over!

Actually I've had to take today off from building as it my parents are having the loft extension done and it's impossible to sit down anywhere in this house quietly at present and build so today:

• I went and bought my new Tamiya StuG III B (the one that the dog chewed up). That's my next WIP following completion of the Marder.
• I then decided to aid my diet (I'm not fat whatsoever but having a badly injured knee, working full time in an office and having model building as my main hobby isn't conducive to a trim waistline) so I bought a cracking new mountain bike which I can use for all the little local journeys that I'd normally do in my car. I'll save a lot of fuel and get fit and shed pounds - FAST! I can also take a ride round my local farmland where I do Fox & Rabbit control with my rifles (my other main hobby) just to check things out - the bonus being there are loads of great tracks that are perfect for mountain bikes.

Tomorrow:

• I'll start assembly of the Pak 40 which is a model in itself! After that I'll get the fighting compartment wall interiors built up with the parts that don't need to be left out for painting and wiring like the radio etc.

Monday (Days Holiday):

• I'll get the fighting compartment assembled and make a start on hand painting the radios and getting the wiring done.
• I'd like to be at a point come the end of Monday where I can lay a coat of my Vallejo rattlecan Primer so I'm ready for busting out the air brush next weekend.
• Sorted!

WIP update tomorrow guys!

ATVB

Ben    

Hey guys, nice work to everyone.

TAPS88 - Nice work and progress and fast.  Sorry about the airbrush but look forward to you getting your new one.

BOB - Great progress also.  As the others said, would not worry with the fender and pass it by calling it battle damage.  When you get to painting this would provide a perfect place to put in some heavy scratches, rust or just some heavier weathering.   It looks in one of the pics like there is good cast texture on the armor arond the fighting compartment.  Barrel looks good, nice not to have to worry about a heavy seam.

TIGERMAN - Ben gave some great advice with the magic tracks, I do them the same way with no problems.  When you do have a molded on fender or something in the way it doesnt matter.  What I do then is make the track into two sections so on final assembly there would be two glue joins.  You would have a top section and bottom section of track that way after they are painted and weathered OFF the vehicle you can work the top section back onto the vehicle then glue the bottom on.  This is what I will be doing with my Pazerjager I.

NICE (I think) we have Andy as a cheerleader.

Back at the bench for the weekend and hope to devote the rest of the day to getting some stuff done.  A few small things were accomplished through the week.  Here are some pics (Not much to show but think pics are better than words)

Starting to look like its part, glued the top assemblies in place.

Some more stretched sprue for weld beads on the front.

Exhaust bracket, weld beads and wiring for the tail light was added.

Wiring and weld bead on the other side

Found the wiring and exhaust bracket looking on the internet, came across (the forums friend) Tony's (aka: Pvt Mutt) build of the Panzerjager and borrowed his ideas.  Hope you dont mind.  Well will see what I can get done today..so until then.

Thanks all.  I'm happy with the kit and it's helping me conquer my feel of Dragon kits....now to tackle that Sherman Premium kit in the stash...

Greg-I'm out of town at the moment....gotta love travel youth soccer...but interior detail is limited to the radio and great detail on the cannon.  I guess Dragon wants to support the aftermarket folks.  I know that the Gerorg Bose Stug Cyberhobby kit has much more interior detail.

I will post some interior pics early in the week though.

Cheers and how about everybody taking the weekend off from building so I don't get too far behind?  Just a thought..

Enjoy the weekend guys.

Thanks for the vote of confidence Eric.

The Dragon kit has sponsons molded to the hull, so there will be less room to work. your method is worth a look though. I used to paint them on the sprue or tape and then glue to the wheels. Not very efficient. The latest I read is to glue one long run and wait an hour and then lay across the wheels and sprockets, remove, then paint when fully cured.

Bob: Nice progress on your Jagdpanzer! Looking real good!

Ben: Some good tips on indy track assembly methods, thanks!

I've had no further progress on my Marder as I've been using my time to touch up a couple of builds I plan on entering in an up-coming contest. I'll probably start painting around the first of April. In the mean time, I'll be watching everyone else's progress with interest. Keep up the good work guys!

tigerman

Thanks for the pointers Ben. Looks great. However, I want to paint my tracks off of the vehicle. I've never done them attached and I just don't feel confident painting them that way. I know it can be done, I guess it boils down to confidence and a steady hand.

Hey TM,

I agree totally! I have only ever painted indy tracks on a tank once and that was with that Panzer I but it was pretty simple!

When I built my big JS-152 I assembled the links in a similar way using the supplied jig etc but was carefull with the glue and didn't allow it to stick to the wheels and I didn't glue the ends together so once TOTALLY set I could remove the tracks and paint them 'off build'.

If I were you, in this case I'd still assemble the two upper and lower halves on each side as per my last post but let them set in place but don't glue the ends together. Paint them off the tank and then put them back on. You'll be able to bend them about a bit to pop them on and off so you shouldn't have any troubles.

Honestly TM, if I can do this (newbie) I certainly know that you can buddy! 

Have confidence!

ATVB

Ben

Sorry you can't join the party Andy, but if you find time, please drop in.

Ernest, hurry on up, the bus is all warmed up.

No progress tonight. I was watching March Madness. One of my wild-card picks went down tonight. Argh.

Hoping to get a base down Sunday, but unsure right now. I'll have to double-check and see if I missed anything. Sadly I glued the fenders together as one piece when I should have probably did them seperate. I now have a bit of a gap between the front fenders. I think puttying it would look silly, so I'm exploring my options.