The OFFICIAL Panzer III and Its Variants GB

Hi guys,,,  been meaning to stop in and see what's been going on,,  wow,,, some awesome work by all...  excellent!      I am glad to see our GB Chief (yes Andy,, that would be you) has extended the timeline.......  makes for some great completions!!

Sorry its taken a while to look in,,,,  been a busy spring / summer so far.....

Bill

tigerman - Never used the 'hairspray' tech / method ... Googled and found a video to watch on "how to" and will likely give it a try with the lower hull and areas on the vehicle where crew members would wear the paint ...

Updated photos of the Late J 'Vorpanzer' Turret almost complete with just a few details left ... looks like a Mark III now ... decided on replacing the storage bin clasps.  Armor86

armor86:  hey man that 3 is looking bad- arsed...  i'd like to steel your idea for my future builds of throwing that black in all the nooks and crevices, especially on those armored engine plates....  on both my builds i forgot to address that issue and both have buggered me,,, at least on my last one it got covered with primer, but on my first one it took me a couple of nights to get all the grey primer covered through=out the chassis...  and on the turret skirts...   cant wait to see you get started on the painting...   i'm saving up so i can get a suitable build for a dak tank...thanks for the inspiration...

Bill- Thanks buddy!  Hit any hole in one recently?

Malone- Glad Greg could help you out.  He is very good at this.  Looking forward to your update! 

armor- Really like the look of the turret!  Can't wait to see it painted soon!

Greg- Once again thank you for helping others... we are happy to have you here.

Always a pleasure Andy,,,  nope,, no hole's in one lately. Big tourney coming up in the beginning of August though,,,   always a fun 4 days.

Malone duke - Thanks for the note - I usually paint other areas where the dark/black paint help ID spots requiring more attendance with seams and surfaces ... had a couple of seams with the rear adjustor assemble (Return Wheel) and low hull. Little more work left with the turret ... Armor86

Updated Photos - Turret - Vorpanzer 5cm L/60 gun turret final details: lifting hooks, Hatch stopper, Rain gutter, crew handle, looking forward to the painting phase - first time using the AK Interactive (AK 002) Special Modulation Paint Set (German Dunkelgelb). Some close up photos ...  Armor86

WOW!  New forum look... gonna get used to it.  

Armor86- Turret looking real good!  I have to add that to my growing stash one day... looking forward how your panzer comes out using AK color modulation set.  I plan to do the same on my Pz III K soon!

Andy, The information on the modeler who did the Panzer III K is here www.dishmodels.ru/gshow.htm - Website - Armor86

                             Wow more changes.. 86 the panzer is moving right along. As you all know Andy is MIA,that is on vacation,again! .Anyway I have just been tinkering with the locations for various tools and equip. on the berge..Theres alot to add when you consider the many different aspects of what these crews were capable/expected to do !

                         Any comments and or suggestions welcome

                                                                Greg"Detailfreak"Rowley

bump,LOL

JEEZ!!!  What a major change here!  And it happened while I am gone for a week.  Gonna get used to this.  

Armor86- Thanks for the link to the Pz K pics!  That's what I am planning to do... the kit offers two decal options... #01 and #02.  I think I am going for number two!  

Greg- YES!  Looking real good with stowage.  it is getting much closer to the finish line!  Very nice touch with the mud footprints on the hull as it looks pretty realistic.

Update on Pz III Ausf. J Late Vorpanzer - First coat of paint (AK 003) Armor86 

Back from a week long conference in Louisville!  

Ogrejohn- Thanks for the info about that great hobby shop in Louisville.  One of nicest shops I have seen so far.  Brought several AK Interactive and Vallejo paint sets.  

Armor86- Happy to see your panzer primed.  I hope to have mine primed real soon.  Can't wait to see it painted next...

Hope the new forum hasn"t scared off the a few people,was looking forward to seeing how the tracks worked out for malone, when you mix manufacturers one must be prepared to make adjustments and modifacations.

Deafpanzer - On vacation this week thru July 17, should get sometime next week to finish paint .... visiting Dallas and San Antonio TX. Order the new Dragon kit 6543 (Pz. III Ausf. J early Tp version) Armor86

wonder if that kit has the tropical airfilters that sit out on the fenders I believe.

Greg- I wondered the same.  Forums have been very slow since the BIG change.  Figured a lot of us may be away on vacations or busy since kids are out of school.  

armor86- I had to check the kit you ordered and it looked real nice!!!  Even molded clasps on tools have nice details.  That's something I'd like to add to my stash if I see it on sale.   Have a GREAT vacation!!!

Deafpanzer - Both projects used on the Pz III GB have the same molded clasps for tool & equipment fasteners (Smart kit / 2 in 1) however I found the need to thin them some to get the scale right - only different noted in the new kit is the added tp engine filters and engine deck has them reorient for the earlier J models ... to bad it comes with only a short 50mm gun barrel noted the earlier version did have the long 50mm (L60) gun .... aftermarket ... the kit also includes Vorpanzer armor plates too!  .... Ordered the kit through the local hobby shop .... Armor86 

Armor86- I know how much you love Panzer IIIs... now I am curious if you have built all variants by yourself?  I don't think I will ever be able to do this.  Maybe yes for all of the StuGs as I have built two already and I have few in my stash.  

Little update on my Panzer K... I was going to have it primed then I realized I forgot to do two things.  

Muffler- Applied texture to the surface using Mr Surfacer 500.  Love this stuff!!!!

Spare tracks- Used leftover Friul tracks...

I also had to order star antenna because I broke the kit part into three pieces.  It arrived all the way from Poland...

Hope to have it primed soon!!!

Deafpanzer - Yea I have acquired several Dragon / DML, Tamiya kits over the last 8 years, focusing on the early Panzers which saw service in 1939 - 1941 and North Africa theater (Pz I, II, III, and IV) ...only one Pz III completed (GB early J) started a 'G' and currently working on the late J.

I started the hobby - scale model building when I was a teen, however, after entering the military and moving a lot - I had to put it on hold until I retired in 2002. With two jobs currently I get only so much time on the bench ... some day in two - three years plan to hold one job.

Since retirement (USAF) I have built up my stash to around 50 armor kits mostly German Panzer Is, IIs, IIIs, and IVs, some half tracks and armor vehicles (221/222/232) and a couple British vehicles. Kits are mostly of Dragon / DML. or Tamiya. 

The first finish kit since getting back into the hobby was a Pz I (Dragon) smart kit in 2010, 2nd was an Imperial DML Panzer IV Ausf. F1 (9044), took a lot of extra time and a lot of after market (Photo). Started a Panzer III Ausf. G (Imperial 9032 / Cyberhobby kit) which is mostly built and has it's primer coat ... I will try to get back to it sometime later this year. Just finished the J mention above.

Would like to built each version of the Panzer IIIs' and have picked up the Ausf. E (smart kit), Ausf. G (Cyberhobby) (Photo) started, Ausf. H (smart kit), Ausf J early version - completed (smart kit), the Ausf. J late (Vorpanzer) in work (smart kit), Ausf. L (TP) - Cyberhobby, Ausf. L Tamiya, Ausf. M (Imperial), Ausf. N (DAK) - (cyberhobby - smart kit), Ausf. N w/Schurzen (6474 -smart kit). Love to find a Ausf. D - Armor86

WOW!  You are that old?  Just kidding... didn't realize you have retired from USAF but you are doing panzers instead of those wingy things. LOL 

You sure have a huge stash of early panzers.  I believe I have about five early panzers in my stash.  I have built Pz I and Pz IV.  I am building Pz III now and my next build will be a Tiger.  I am hoping to do Panther Pz V so that way I can show the evolution of German tanks during WWII within a year or so.  

Your panzer looks real good primed!!!   I did the same thing to my panzer last night.  But I forgot to add a special feature that were only available on command tanks.  

Now primed...

Main reason I like to have my builds primed... it helps me find places that needs to be cleaned up like this side of the barrel. 

Boys are gone at a week long camp so hope I will have more bench time!  Thanks for looking...

Deafpanzer - Yea not building airplanes ... just targets for airplanes to drop bombs on .... !  Back in town and plan to apply next coat (Dunkelgelb shadow) of the AK interactive modulation painting process ... 

Did some research while on vacation on German DAK RAL Base / Disruptive colors ... RAL, RAL, RAL, RAL ...  and I'm left somewhat confused on the subject ....  the vehicle (Pz III Ausf. J late - Vorpanzer) likely saw service around the summer of 1942 ... according to photos and written articles which would call for RAL 8020 'Gelbbraun Base' and RAL 7027 'Sandgrau' 1/3; however some say that vehicles may also have been painted RAL 8000 - 'Gelbbraun' and RAL 7008 - 'Graugrun' with remaining paint stocks due to shortages ... needless to say the AK stuff is RAL 7028 'German Dark Yellow' (Dunkelgelb) looks close to a match to color illustrations in 'German Panzer IIIs in North Africa and what I found online with color samples all looked different or match the 'Dark Yellow' AK paint .... any thoughts ... could add some color to the AK stuff - possible ... I'm planning to finish in a two color camo 2/3 base and 1/3 disruptive .... Armor86 

Progress Report - AK Interactive Modulation - Dark Shadow - Panzer III Ausf. J Late (Vorpanzer) ... Armor86

Looking real good... that's first step of the color modulation procedure.  I am hoping to do the same tonight... keep it coming!

deafpanzer

 

Andy , what is that basket thingy ? Looks like a cup holder

Another Update - Airbrush AK Interactive Modulation - German Dunkelgelb - Step 3 - Dunkelgelb Dark Base with photos below - Panzer III Ausf. J (Late) Vorpanzer. Note: I added about 1 part Satin Varnish to 10 parts base paint and 1 part water ... shot at 15 PSI  - dual airbrush. Armor86

Carl- It came with the kit... it was used by command tanks to hold maps or messages from other tanks.  Of course if that tank was mine, I would have used it to hold my beer.   I will post a picture of actual Pz III K with "beer" holder when Photobucket is up and running.  It is down for maintenance right now.  

Armor86- We have been busy painting our panzer tonight.  I spent three hours applying three different stages and I really like the AK Interactive modulation set very much!  At first I didn't like it but finally got a better hang of it especially mixing right amount of thinner for better spray.  

Did you thin your paint too?  Or straight out for he bottle?  

I will post pictures when Photobucket is up and running...