The OFFICIAL Panzer III and Its Variants GB

Hey, thanks guys! Definitely going to try to get some better ones. I'm assuming Mia's new camera has a macro setting (as does mine - it just doesn't work!), but I haven't played around with it at all.

Dupes,,,,   the stug looks great. Shame about the camera (Christmas is a-comin,,  maybe Santa can bring you a new one ?)

Actually there are a load of great buys on decent cameras out there. . . .    hope to see some more pics of your stug

Chazz,,    best of luck, hope all goes well

Stay in touch

You got it Chazzer And thanks for the images !

Andy and all, Thanks for your words. I picked up some Archer decals for the Stug A, B and C/D. They are awesome. I hope to finish tonight with the decals and try to do some weathering. I just started Dragons Panzer IV Ausf C, kit number 6291. I hope to do a WIP but I'm not sure when I can continue due to the surgery tomorrow. I also have  Dragons Panzer III E kit number 6631. That kit is in the bullpen.

This might be my nurse.

OR

Allright its time to hit the bench. I will miss it.I need Postive thoughts and if you pray send a prayer my way and if not ,again, think positive because I'm scared $hitless. No false bravado.It feelslike I haven't slept in a week. Thank god for my wife and this great hobby.

See ya guys.

Scott

Nicely done StuG Marc. I like the wear on her.

dupes

Yes on the limited bandwidth...hoping one of these days I can get that fixed.

Let me see what I can do about getting better pics. Going to take a stab with Mia's new camera - should be an upgrade for sure!

I wish Dragon would crank out the Pzbeobswg in Smart Kit form - these Imperial Series kits, while buildable, are starting to show their age.

Does her camera have the "macro" stting ?

dupes

these Imperial Series kits, while buildable, are starting to show their age.

I cant vouch for a Smart kit as I have not yet built any of the few in my stash that I could afford. But yes, the Imperials are no 'shake n bake' builds. Not 'dogs' or 'unbuildable'. But they do require bit of effort on the model builders part.

Yes on the limited bandwidth...hoping one of these days I can get that fixed.

Let me see what I can do about getting better pics. Going to take a stab with Mia's new camera - should be an upgrade for sure!

I wish Dragon would crank out the Pzbeobswg in Smart Kit form - these Imperial Series kits, while buildable, are starting to show their age.

Tojo72

Stik,what a mess,  looks good !! nice effect on the LAV

Stik- Agree with Anthony's comment! 

Dupes- Beautiful work!  By looking at your StuG, it gave me chills... so cold!   Yes, I'd like to see more pictures when you have the chance.  I recall you have limited internet access where you have to be careful with bandwidth usage? 

I am so glad you signed up so we get to see your work.  Looking forward to see your next build.  We are hoping to close as many gaps as possible. 

Very nicely done Dupes . I'd like to see more pics .

Calling this one done. Unfortunately, I can't seem to get my camera to focus on anything I point at - think it's been dropped one too many times over the years. For now, this one lucky shot will have to suffice (I'm happy with this one for the page one summary). Hope I can get some better pics later in the week.

Going to be a bit before I crack into the Pz.Beobs.Wg, but I will definitely get to it before the end of the GB!

Dupes,  Stik,  Chaz,        Things are looking very good,,,,   

Chaz,looks good and still plenty of time.

Stik,what a mess,  looks good !! nice effect on the LAV

Gotta love those Vargas girls

Well I took a few pics of the stuff after it dried. It is fairly durable, but comes off without too much problem. More duarble than pigments, less durable than the paint/bug powder cocnoction I had previously used for mud texturing. I can remove excess with a firm finger swipe or a tool such as a file or toothpick...

I think the paint will really lock it down pretty good....

check out here how it looks on the bottom of the LAV...perfect efffect...

I am gonna put more on my Mk III before the paint goes on, but I think it is gonna really do what I want.

Chazzer , i really appreciate you posting the great pictures That plastic model is good also .

Chazzer- Oh man I am sorry to hear about this... you better have speedy recovery.  Wait a minute... bench time?  OK just take your time and fake your pain if you have to so your wife will allow you more time modeling.  I am now tempted to add the pin up book to my Christmas wish list. 

Good thing GB is going for a year so you still got time to finish your StuG.  It is almost done... all it needs is weathering and female figures. 

Please do keep us posted after the surgery.  You will be in my thoughts this week

Hello Brothers, I haven't been to active lately. I have been a bit sick with lots of hospital visits. I am having surgery on Wednesday to remove 3 tumors. Also there is the potently to have partly foot amputation due to some tumor activity in my foot. What a fargin bummer. I can't seem to wrap my head around things. I may not be very active on the computer but I hope to spend time at the bench during my recovery. I have a few picts to show. The Stug B needs decals and I may leave it as is. Anyway here is the Stug B, remember I am still in a medically induced fog but here goes.

OOPS....sorry!!!!

this is the Stug:

This just showed up. I swear I didn't post it... 

                                                                                                                 .

Work bench:

Seriously, I will lurk from time to time and hope to return full speed in a month or so.

Scott

Ever since I was a little boy I have enjoyed playing in the mud. It is really looking good on the LAV I am working on.

Guys- I apologize for my absence... errands for Christmas for the whole weekend.  My wife's laptop has finally died so she has taken my laptop.  That's why I am going to get her a new laptop for Christmas.  Definitely an Apple... screw PC!   Pleased to see alot of activity here... you guys have been GREAT!

Dupes- LOVE the white wash!   Spot on!  Like how you did the chipping especially on the front hull.  

White paint then Panzer Grey on same spots?  Hope I can do the same.  I recall you or your buddy Boyd host Winter GB every year?  Of course I am rooting for the Lions! 

Stik- Looking real good!   Haven't done that method and I am interested to see how it goes.  Your Pz III looks like my car right now... from alot of rain recently.

I had talked with some guys in the local IPMS and AMPS Chapters about using sifted garden dirt instead of pigments. And then I had read of folks using pigments with stuff for mud so I thought up this concoction. I am also adding it to an LAV that I am finishing up currently. So far so good for the experiment.

Stik , interesting technique

That is what the Future is for. To add tack to the stuff rather than just plain mud which would blow off under the next airbrushing. I may have to go for a higher ratio of Future to water if too much comes off. Pure Future with dirt makes a solid clump very quickly

Interested to hear how that works out for you, Stik...especially how well it adheres, and how painting it after the fact works out?

This here StuG will be done sooner rather than later. Tools are all finished, rustall is drying on the exhausts, just need to do some pigment work mostly on the undercarriage/tracks so I can get all of that put on permanently. Hoping to get it done during tonight's NO/Det game.

I resumed work on my Mk III this afternoon and decided to try a new technique. Since I am going to spray the suspension area with various earth tones, I decided to add some"texture" first. Here is the"new" technique: First I took some dirt from the garden and sifted it thru a screen into an empty Altoids tin. This gave me some pretty fine grained dirt. Then, using an old film canister lid for a mixing pallet I blended water, Future for binding, and the sifted dirt until it was at the consistency I wanted. Then using an old nylon #3 brush I applied the stuff to the lower hull around the running gear. It will be covered with paint so I am not worried about the color. I tool these pics while the stuff was still drying after application.

I think it will need another heavier application in certain areas, but I like the effect so far.

                          Looks pretty convincing so far Dupes.

                                                          Greg"Detailfreak"Rowley

Painting the tools at some point might be a good idea as well.

Thanks, fellas!

Calling it a night after going back through with some Vallejo flat white (I DID have some flat left) to highlight the chipping, as well as apply a few very thin actual white washes to break things up even more and make it look a lot less monotone. Other than a couple of spots that look a bit too stark - which I should be able to tone down a bit with some more weathering - I'm really happy with how it's looking so far. Need to pull out my diffuser box - these spotlight-on pics aren't doing it justice.

Hey Dupes thats some really good looking preshading and winter camo .

Lookin' good, dupes.

Alrighty then, a quick recap of where I am right now. I'm not very good at remembering to take pics after each step, so I'll try to fill in.

Couple of days ago, construction finished:

After a basecoat of Xtracrylics Panzer Gray (wanted to try something different), Tamiya German Gray to highlight the center of the panels + a bit o' modulating, and the 5 kit decals.

Multiple layers of thin Tamiya White (I ran out of flat, so I had to use gloss - it wasn't thin enough as a result):

And finally where I am right now after a couple of rounds of pinwashing and a lot of chipping-the-whitewash with the original base color.

More to come!