Hey thanks Bitbite. I posted it here but it was years ago.

I've got the DML 1945 "Tokyo Bay" Buchanan - a Gleaves class as were most of the DDs at Normandy. Rick Davis, DD guru on Model Warship, says that the fittings of that kit (things are never simple with ships) make it a good match for Forrest, Corry or Hobson. Hobson was at Utah (picked up Cory's survivors) and did some proper shelling and then again at Cherbourg. (So that means it missed the E-boat festivities by a day or two, but there in spirit.) It also sunk a U-boat as part of a Hunter Killer Group. That gets the nod for now I think.

Think I'll try the "Pledge bath" technique (recommended by FS Editor Aaron Skinner) for tricky decals. I used on my last kit - a JU-52 with very irregular surface and it worked pretty well. Obviously this is a place for a stencil - but I'm not putting the project on hold.

Eric

Eric: Nice work so far!

Cliff: That Cromwell of yours Looks awesome!

Clemons: Hey thanks! Old model though, hope I learned a little since then.

Eric: Sounds cool, it's been a learning experience watching SP build the E-boat, I'd love to see another ship here, it's one thing I really need more practice with.

EBergerud

I've got the DML 1945 "Tokyo Bay" Buchanan - a Gleaves class as were most of the DDs at Normandy. Rick Davis, DD guru on Model Warship, says that the fittings of that kit (things are never simple with ships) make it a good match for Forrest, Corry or Hobson. Hobson was at Utah (picked up Cory's survivors) and did some proper shelling and then again at Cherbourg. (So that means it missed the E-boat festivities by a day or two, but there in spirit.) It also sunk a U-boat as part of a Hunter Killer Group. That gets the nod for now I think.

Think I'll try the "Pledge bath" technique (recommended by FS Editor Aaron Skinner) for tricky decals. I used on my last kit - a JU-52 with very irregular surface and it worked pretty well. Obviously this is a place for a stencil - but I'm not putting the project on hold.

Eric

I have been wanting to build an Omaha destroyer for many years now

http://cs.finescale.com/fsm/modeling_subjects/f/7/t/131444.aspx

But EB, you planted the bug in my head about something to shoot at my Schnellboot. Yesterday I started researching that a bit and this kit will fit the bill nicely I think...

BTW, here is now my turret roof star turned out with the techniques that I mentioned on my Cromwell a few years back... I still love this kit! Probably one of THE BEST 1/35 armor kits out there.

Here's the first progress pics of the Panther which was started on Thurs. This is the kit I am doing, its the first time I have done one already Zimmed, I usually add my own. I am not sure how I will add the tool brackets so they are in the zimm rather than sat on top of it.

It comes with a metal barrel and DS tracks, and while I am not that keen on those, they are nicely detailed so I am going to use them. So I only have an Aber PE set which I don't think I will be using much of.

So far, the turret and lower hull are complete as far as I go before painting.

So next up it will be the upper hull before I bring the two together. 

Moving along quickly there Bish. Nice!

Thanks Stik, ye, there not that much on these two parts. I decided to get these out of the way and then tackle the upper hull. Of course, there's still the running gear to add, but I do those after painting.

Aside from the suspension there, nothing there looks too complicated. But once those roadwheels start going in place...

I have been nickle and diming progress on my Schnellboot over the past few days: first I painted the bare wood portions of the deck

then I did the painted metal portions

and the weapons and other fittings such as the life rafts

and not to be forgotten, the props and shafts

then the upper and lower hulls placed together for a couple photos

and posed with my Revell 1/350 Type VIIC U-Boat for size comparison

I still need to add the aft railings, do touch up on the hull white, and then glue the upper and lower hulls together, gloss coat, decals, wash, and flat top coat. But the finish line is in sight. I have one aft railing in place, glue drying right now...

Bish: You are moving along extremely fast there, mate! I love the Panther (almost as much as the King Tiger), so I'll be following your build with great interest. I have Dragon's Ausf.D and F (with the experimental turret) in my stash and they are both right on top of my armor build list

Stik: That's an impressive amount of details for such a small boat. Very impressive!

The suspension has a bit more to it that other brands of kits, especially with the torsion bars, but they are pretty realistic and they work. But we will see how they handle it with the weight of the full kit.

Ye, its coming along SS. believe it or not, this is the first in service Panther tank I have built. I have a Panther II done, the old Dragon Imperial series, and the panther w Pz IV turret. I have quite a few other Panther in the stash, including the Ausf F, but not a D yet, need to add one of those.

It is well detailed indeed. Kudos to Bronco for such a nifty little kit! I was half tempted to use some thin wire to add the guards around the bow 20mm gun, but thought better of it. Keeping this one OOB.

That's looking sweat Stik. What colour did you use on the decks.

Thank you Bish.  I used all Humbrol enamels on the decks: the wood parts are a mix of 2 parts 71 Oak to 1 part 110 Wood. The metal parts are 67 Tank Grey.

well I got the after railings on... I used Gator Glue, which has minimal tack, so it was a bear to get these things to stay in place while it dries. I will go back tomorrow with a damp brush to remove the excess glue. Thats the ony real advantage to this stuff.

and a couple shots of how it will mostly look once its all done

Stik,

If that Eboat is half the size of a 1/350 U-boat my DD won't be able to see it much less hit it. I built AFV Club's Type IX in 1/350 and was startled concerning its miniature size. But it's looking good.

I'm trying to draw some inspiration for the Cromwell from Mike Rinaldi's Vol II of Tank Art (Allies). Rinaldi is a brilliant modeller and makes kits that to my eyes look about as real as a model can be made to do so. He hung around with Mig Jimenez, Adam Wilder and others in the Spanish school, but his latest work is pretty distinct. Heaven knows he's innovative. The bad news is that his techniques are evolving (good) but the techniques illustrated in one chapter can be dramatically different than those in the next (not so good if going down the wrong road could wreck your model). I think his stuff would be better appreciated by top modellers and he doesn't do as good a job as Mig does at assuming the readers know very little - a very important starting point for instructional material. And some of his stuff is very time consuming, so I'll be taking bits and pieces. But this promises to be an interesting build.

I poked around the net trying to track down a good version of British OD (SCC 15) and decided to blend Tamiya Olive Green about 50:50 with Tamiya Olive Drab. (Over a base of NATO Black, which is over Vallejo Primer. All the paints are so good that very little detail is obscured..) Used Mr Levelling Thinner and it goes on remarkably well. But to follow Rinaldi's bouncing ball, a water based acrylic has to be used to lighten things - so I'm back in familiar Vallejo Model Color territory. Here's what we have so far:

As noted earlier this will all be covered with netting and foliage - good idea if there Bish is building a Panther.

Good idea indeed Eric, the Panther is coming

 That's looking really nice.

And great work there Stik, can't wait to add that to the front page.

That's some great looking work on that boat Stik.

Stik, great job on that boat.  I haven't had the "boat-bug" bite me yet.  But watching your build may change that.  It's a cool looking little kit.

Eric, your armor is coming along very nicely.  And yes, judging by Bish's last post I'd say you better do a very good job on camo!

SP: That is some nice and quick work- looks like you're almost done there.

Bish: Looks good, getting to the good part though- the five zillion road wheels to clean up!

Eric: Great work there, I love the colour modulation.

Going to be an interesting fight between the Cromwell and the Panther since neither of them have wheels I guess they'll just have to shoot from a stationary position!

Don't I know it. But will be keeping that for much later, after the paint is on.

MMM, now there's a thought, but I don't think they had Panther-Stellung in Normandy, would save some time though.

EBergerud

Stik,

If that Eboat is half the size of a 1/350 U-boat my DD won't be able to see it much less hit it. I built AFV Club's Type IX in 1/350 and was startled concerning its miniature size. But it's looking good.

Eric

Eric, it is at best 2/3 the size of a Type VIIC U-Boat. Here is my Revell one posed with it for a size comparison the other day

BTW, your Cromwell is looking very sharp so far... but that photo Bish made with your Cromwell in the crosshairs.... YIKES!

68, Schmidty, Gamera, thank you. This is a fun little kit. With the Trumpeter kit of the same subject (less PE to deal with), and a bit more planning & foresight, this could be a fun & easy weekend project. Even so, 1 week in and I am almost done with it. Then I can return focus to the Marauder. If the boat bug bites, get a simple kit like this and run with it. That is exactly what happened to me here.

Hey Bish, what do you call a Panther with no tracks and  no wheels? Nothing, he can't come anyways 

I was looking at my S-100 today, and I was surprised at just how big it is.

LOL, that's a good one. Have you ever seen someone tack both tracks off an AFV?

Not at the same time Bish... LOL! Yes, the S-100 is a good sized boat indeed. But now EB has planted a bug and has me looking at RN Destroyers for something to build at a later date.

stikpusher

Not at the same time Bish... LOL! Yes, the S-100 is a good sized boat indeed. But now EB has planted a bug and has me looking at RN Destroyers for something to build at a later date.

We nearly had someone do it, jus managed to stop them in time. Though I guess we should have let them carry on and then let them try and move it. Its amazing how someone else can give you a bug for modelling certain subjects. I have a few ships in the stash but am still to build one. I think I might try my hand at one of my Airfix ships soon.

Odd about ships. Almost all plane fans build some armor and vice versa. But lots of people don't touch ships. The rigging maybe. But the drummer ship fanatics march to is somehow really different. (For one thing, there's no rivet counter like a ship rivet counter - some take the quest of detail to incredible lengths.) When I look at the best work on Model Warship it's intimidating. For one thing the ship gurus are often remarkably skilled at elaborate dioramas. A visit to their extensive gallery is something like a pilgrimage.

My brother is a serious duffer and from the way he describes it, building ships is a little like playing golf. There are times when when you question your own sanity for freely spending time and money on ulcer making activity. And other times there's unusual reward. About a year back I spent five months rebuilding an ancient 1/255 scale USS Oregon (star of the show at the Battle of Santiago in 1898). I'm not a heroic modeler and scratch building is usually something like replacing a lost aerial. When doing Oregon I rebuilt the entire superstructure as well as making a very large hulled vessel into a waterline. There were times when I wanted to chuck the thing out the window. In the end, I think it was probably the best model I ever made.

So I keep coming back for more despite knowing that I'll never be more than an average ship modeller. Of course that's also a good reason for building planes and AFVs in between bouts of madness.

Nuclear subs are perfect for beginners. Just a big cigar with a few projecting items here and there. But anything else begins to get elaborate and trigger those "What was I thinking?" moments. I actually have about 2 dozen or more ships in my stash now. And that is slowly growing as new kits are released.

Bish, I easily have that bug for a new build planted. I read a book, see a movie, talk to somebody, or come across an internet article and there I go, thinking it up.

EB, that is a gorgeous Oregon! And yes, we have a few of those ship master modelers here in the local IPMS chapter. Their work is stunning and their subject knowledge even more so. And this GB is so perfect for ship subjects. Everything from famous battleships and cruisers, to destroers, minesweepers, transports, anonymous numbered assault craft and midget submarines.

Ok, gonna be making a course correction on my Schnellboot. In my research I jumped the gun. Thinking that Cdr Hoffmans sortie was in Schnellboots, I kept doing web and image searches for the boats in question involved. Well it turns out they were torpedo boats, and not schnellboots.  Arenth they the same thing , like a british MTB or US PT you ask? No, the German Navy had another type of surface combatant boat aside from the Schnellboot that was tasked with surface attacks using torpedoes.These boats were bigger, being over 90M long. Hoffman commanded T-28 an Elbing Class T-Boot, and the other two were Jaguar, a Type 24 or Raubtier (Predator) Class, and Mowe a Type 23 or Raubvogel (Bird of Prey) Class. Mowe and Jaguar were subsequently sunk on June 14 by an RAF raid on LaHavre harbor, but T-28 survived the war to be turned over to the RN. Not to worry though, the Schnellboote were active against the Invasion armada after dark on the nights following the landings.  So I guess I can use the "hello kitty" markings (just kidding, it's a black panther and looks way cooler) of the 4th Schnellboot Flotilla after all. ;-)

And it appears that Heller does a 1/400 kit of the Elbing Class ship. It is 255mm long when built.... Not in time for the GB here with my Marauder and other commitments.