Andy – Agreed; your build is a show-stopper for sure!  Those figures are some of the best I have ever seen. I think your weathering was spot on; not too much… Heck, one of the best builds I have seen in here…. Cheers

Armor86 – Great work on the details, love the texture.

Marc – Camo job looks great, so does the name plate.

M duke – primer job looks great

PS – Started with my two Panther IIs, just wheel clean up, etc; LOTS of flash, mold lines, etc…  Coming from the “Light Side” (ships, some a/c), I get a tad OCD about eliminating mold lines and smoothing joints.  Will post pics later this weekend.

PS 2 – Maybe next GB could be a DAK one, or Pz II ?? I am in either way…

JMart - Eric - Andy - Any details on the Afrika Korps GB - German / Italian / British vehicles / armor vehicles - I have several kits in the stash PZ Is, IIs, IIIs, and IVs - other vehicles - started a DAK/North Africa GB on another Website - couldn't completed the vehicle before it ended thou. It's still half complete Pz III Ausf. G - Primer ...   Armor86

Hi armor86. If it were a true Afrika Korps build, then the Brits, Italians wouldn't qualify. Just Deutche armor. 

I think I'm seriously game for it. I was trying to push for the Afrika Korps GB before this one, but the votes won out. I want to try something a little different. I was looking in my stash and the Panzerjager I caught my eye. Yep, that one is leading the pack, unless I do my Marder III, but I'm thinking winter scheme for that one!

Armor86, I think your Pz III is a bit too advanced, at least according to my guidelines. I have a Panzer III J that fits the bill as well. . I love Pz III's!!!! Decisions, decisions.

I'd be in a DAK GB! I've been looking for an excuse to build a Pz IV, recreating Tony Greenland's build from his book. I have most of the parts and AM decals already, I have the base kit and a good handle on the scratched items...

M/TB379

Bob- Thanks...appreciate it!!!

Eric- I am really up for it... maybe instead of DAK or Afrika Korps GB we can just say North Africa GB or something with more sexy name just like you did for very successful France campaign GB.  So that way we can keep door open for those who wants to build Allied armors.  Oh man, I am so ready for that... LOL

JMart- You are way too nice!  Appreciated reading what you said... it was fun!  

Armor86- You can atleast finish it and start second build for the new GB considering one and half build. 

For sure, an Afrikakorps GB would be great, though I can't think of any sexy names.  The fighting in North Africa was also referred to as the Western Desert Campaign, and was also considered a Gentleman's War.  Another idea is Rommel vs Monty.   With the plethora of new British kits coming out, having a separate Desert Rat GB after a dedicated DAK theme is also quite possible.

Currently just finished cleaning up all the road wheels for my Tiger.  Also started assembly of the tracks.  They are individual plastic links set from AFV Club.  So far about a third of the pins have broken - they are suppose to snap into place.  So yea, more extra work.

regards,

Jack

Eric - I have the Dragon #6230  Panzerjager I 4.7Pak(t) other kits that would fit the DAK theme would include - Bison II 15cm s.IG33 (Sfl.) Dragon 6440 - Pz.Kpfw. II Ausf. C (Dragon 6432)  or Ausf. F

Have some different Panzer 1s

Pz.Sd.Kfz 265 - Kleine Panzerbefehlswagen l (Dragon 6222 3in1)

Pz.Kpfw. I Ausf. B (DAK) (Dragon 6207)

Have several other Panzer IIIs - recent additions

Pz.Kpfw. III Ausf. J (Tp) Dragon #6543 and the Pz III (5cm) Ausf. H Dragon #6642

Armor86

Armor86, if you're building the Panzerjager I, then I'll build something else. I can't compete with your builds. LOL

Ok, so there is all ready a lot of interest in an African build. Hmmmm.......

DAK GB or Afrika Korps GB

Rommell vs Monty

North African GB

Western Desert Campaign

The Battle for El Alamein

I'm kind of leaning towards the Western Desert Campaign, so we can include Brits and Italians. There have been many cool new kits released.

I think an African themed GB will be the next that I  will run. I will fire it up for the first of September again and probably run it for 6 months. Looking forward to trying something different.

Yea, so many kits to choose from .... hmmm ... could have everyone build one of each allied / axes ... Armor86 aka Dan

That would be interesting that each member build something different. With a broad-themed build such as that, it's fairly unlikely to have too many duplicates.

Armor86 & Eric – I have a few kits that would qualify for a NA/Western Desert GB: old Tamiya Matilda and Pz IV, old Tamiya 88 NA, some Dragon kits including the CH orange kit Pz. Panzer III Ausf G and Pz.Smart kith Panzer III Ausf N, and couple others Im sure. Also have a British Army Sherman; and couple Italian armor vehicles.  What can I say, I really took advantage  of Sprue Brother’s super sales last couple years….

Hey fellas, lots of great work going on... love it. Great to see all the progress. Something I haven't had much of lately. Duty calls.

Anyway, I was able to do a little this weekend. I think I've solved my ball mg problem to my satisfaction.

As a refresher, here is a picture of Italeri's "lazy" design. I say this because it looks like they just added a hollow bulge for the hull without changing the Panther D slit design.

I found a plastic bead that was approx the right size and drilled a couple holes in it (one for the gun and another for the gun sight). I used a left over "bulge" from the dragon kit, added some putty zim and modified the hull so it would fit and...

The zimmerit will have to be massaged a little to make it a little prettier, and the Aber mg doesn't hurt over the solid plastic jobbie from Italeri, but it looks a ton better than the hollow housing design before.

Hope to be able to get back to my usual weekend bench time next week. It feels like ages...  

Dave-your Panther is looking good-very nice touch on the machine gun opening.

Eric-all great themes for a GB, but I would be more inclined for both Axis/Allied GB.....of course, I would also be inclined to push for allowing those 'wingie' things, but that might be pushing it.....

Dave: Good save there, looks perfect to me.

Eric: I'm still on the fence with any future GBs. I have a few British vehicles and an early Tasca M4A1  that was based on a vehicle used by the US Army when we got involved at the end of the African campaign.

FOUND the lost loader's hatch. The figures are mostly glued the base, nearing completion. Should have got some photos- sorry.

Glad to hear of the save Cliff.

I'd probably be for opening it up to all combatants in the Western Desert.

Thanks Eric, I'd just finished painting, washing, and drybrushing the loader's hatch I stole from the old Tamiya kit to match the new Dragon one so I knew the old part would magically reappear.

Modeling Rule #5: If you buy or scratchbuild a replacement part, once you're done the old part will reappear...

Disappointed in myself. I was going to spend the entire weekend modeling, but got hung up yesterday and only got a couple of washes on. My goal of finishing by the end of the month might be too ambitious. Granted, I have the time to finish at my own pace.

Got a little bit done on the Panther-

First in red oxide primer:

Now with the first coat of dunkelgrun:

I noticed some spots that I missed and it seems that the Krylon primer soaks up the MM acrylic paint.  Not sure if dunkelgrun was correct-seems that there were many different paints used in the closing days of the war.  After some touch up with the dunkelgrun, I have to decide if I'm going to with the camo scheme depicted by the box art (and there are sources that argue that the scheme should be primer/green or add some brown striping.  Probably won't get anything else done the rest of the week.....oh well....maybe by the end of March?

Bob, Malone, Dave - all looks good on the progress on each of  your respective Panthers.

Eric - I hear ya about planned bench time going astray.  It's already Monday by the time some main colour was laid down on my Tiger.  The khakibraun RAL 7008 is ModelMaster brand enamel from an Afrikakorps paint set they had issued many years ago and is the first time I'm trying them.  First thing I noticed was the strong smell after having used acrylics for the past decade or so.

I thinned it about 50% with a generic store brand lacquer thinner.  I'm not sure what caused it, but in the close up pic one can see a rough look to the paint surface - some gentle sanding should take care of that.  Same thing had happened earlier with my primer coat with Tamiya's German grey.  Must be something with my airbrush skill, or lack of.

Anyways, the barrel still shows grey and will be painted properly next round along wth the road wheels.

regards,

Jack

Thanks Jack.

Your Tiger is coming along nicely....looking forward to seeing more progress pics.  I don't see too may Afrikakorps builds here in the forum....pleasant change.

Jack: the Tiger's coming along nicely.  I did notice a gray (bare plastic?) spot at the base of the cupola....above the port pistol port.  I luv the Afrikaner Tigers.

Bob - diggin' the base coat. Really looking forward to the camo scheme. I thought I had a picture of 421, but couldn't find it...

Jack - I've had something similar happen when spraying acrylics thinned with alcohol. I figured maybe too high of pressure and the paint was drying too fast? At any rate, I kinda like the grungy look it created on your fenders. The color variation is neat too. If it were me, I think I'd try to work with it to make it look like naturally deposited dirt, etc. But maybe it's just the pics... Obviously up to you.

Gamera - Glad you found the hatch. It IS the way modelling law works isn't it?  

Hey Jack, I'm working on a DAK Tiger as well, using an older 1/35 scale Tamiya Tiger I Initial Production # 35227 - using a lot of PE to update the kit, along with Friulmodel Track (ATL-25). I'm going to finish it out as No. 732 - I have a few photos and will use them to detail - noted the problem with MM Paint - have the same stuff, however, I have decide to use AK Interactive Airbrush acrylic paint - Afrika Korps Colors - (AK-550) ... last armor tank (Pz III) finish very well using AK's German Dunkelgelb Special Modulation Set. The AK-550 set provides RAL 8020, 7027, 8000, 7008, 7021, and 7008. The paint is similar to the Vallejo Model Air brand. Armor86

Dave - Won't use Alcohol to thin acrylics paint - with Vallejo you would use Distilled Water. Armor86

Guys, thanks for the comments and insight to paints and application.

Yes, the grey on the copula is the primer still showing, and in the same vicinity is another correction that needs addressing; a section of the resin weld bead has lifted.

Must of been a too high pressure causing the grainy surface, so I'll try thinning the paint a bit more next go.  Thanks for the heads up on AK's paint set.  I've never tried their airbrush paints, but do have some of their weathering effects and powders.  For acrylics, I've had good results thinning with mostly future and a few drops of water.

regards,

Jack

bobbaily

Got a little bit done on the Panther-

First in red oxide primer:

Now with the first coat of dunkelgrun:

I noticed some spots that I missed and it seems that the Krylon primer soaks up the MM acrylic paint.  Not sure if dunkelgrun was correct-seems that there were many different paints used in the closing days of the war.  After some touch up with the dunkelgrun, I have to decide if I'm going to with the camo scheme depicted by the box art (and there are sources that argue that the scheme should be primer/green or add some brown striping.  Probably won't get anything else done the rest of the week.....oh well....maybe by the end of March?

I think an Olive-grun would be correct for a late Panther Bob, if what I've read is correct. By that time of the war, they may have used whatever was available.

If you're going to August, I'll add a Cyber-Hobby Tiger I "Early Production Operation Citadel." Never done a tiger or panther. About time to start I suppose.

Eric

Thanks Eric-from what I've read, it's all over the place-camo schemes of primer/green, all green as the base, different formats-nothing uniform.  I also had a pic of 421 in the primer/green scheme, but the writer also stated that green/yellow was also possible in this time period.

fwiw, I do have a bottle of olive-grun and it does need a second coat......

As an aside, the Dragon instructions call out Khaki Green....it's never easy, is it? 

Jack: Despite the rough areas there she looks fine to me!

Bob: Nice work! Are those two red LEDs in the SW corner in the second photo? Are you going to light her up too?

Hey Dan, I guess I should have explained a little more. I've had very good success in thinning Tamiya acrylics with isopropyl alcohol. But spraying at higher pressures will produce the effect Jack is seeing on some occasions.

I absolutely agree that Vallejo should not be thinned with alcohol. I have used distilled water as you mention above, and even had pretty good results with Windex. (For cleanup, Windex works way better than water...)