Jack: Great color modulation and nice, subtile weathering! I lovehow the exhaust and that backpack look!

Zvezda: Holy moly, that tank is tiny! Nice work so far!

Nice, that rucksack tucks in there just right. How did you do the exhaust, I like the look of that.

Gamera and Bish, thanks! - now that you mention it, for sure the white eagle crest does remind one of the Polish eagle, quite prominent in the later half of the war.

I'm nearing the home stretch now, the only item not painted are the tracks (and figures).  Past week been tackling the extra details:

Muffler all done up, the white area represents a section of asbestos.  This is a much nicer and detailed piece from the resin aftermarket.

On the other side at the rear, a resin knapsack.   I like how I got sort of a painterly look to it.

regards,

Jack

Zvezda -- a "palmtop" Panzer! I look forward to seeing how it goes together!

Guys, the Verlinden accessory set for the Pz.IV D is finally on its way from the States, I'm expecting it maybe the end of next week. This contains what I'm sure is the actual type of jerry can rack that Tony Greenland used 25 years ago in his build, and if that's the case then I'll probably use it instead of the rack I built from scratch. It'll be good to get back to armour, I've been slogging away on planes for quite a while!

M/TB379

72nd, now don't I feel silly. But looking again, I can see what I thought were clamps are pegs.

This is the Revell Panzer III Ausf.M in 1/72 scale and my first attempt in building anything without wings

i1281.photobucket.com/.../134879-11185_zps70468896.jpg

Wow that is small Zvezda but looks pretty nicely detailed.

Thanks Zvezda. This is a two colour scheme. But the colours were quite close even before weathering. I tried to weather it so as to retain at least some of it and you can just about make it out on top of the turret mostly.

Which kit are you doing again, I don't see your name on the roster. I know Eric has been away for a bit. I am guessing its a Tamiya kit, is that 48th scale.

Bish, the Pz.III  diorama is awesome!!! 

Not only the vehicle is perfect, also the posture of figures and overall scenery is ingenious.

Please allow me to ask, this is a one or two color camouflage you applied?

My little Pz.III has just started, I post a couple of photos just to catch up, More will be posted the folowing days.

Yeah Dan & Jack those are coming along great!

Dan, that's coming along really nice.

Jack, great work there. I like the eagle decal. At first glance I thought it was Polish.

Dan, looking great.  

By suggestions, if you mean how to cover up the openings before going to the spray booth, the guys gave some ideas on the previous page.  I also cut a foam sponge  to fit in the turret hole.    Cut oversized so that it fits snugly.

On hatch openings that have a lip, I found trimming some cardboard from the kit box works great.  Here you want to achieve an exact fit, snug enough so that no tape or other adhesive is required to hold in place.    

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Thanks again guys, glad you approve of the sand colour choice.

Here I've done some colour modulation with just the two paints I had posted earlier.  The overall look is dark now due to the gloss surface.  Turret decals are from an old Italeri M13/40 kit.   Only the white eagle crest is from the actual kit.  

The plate numbers I made myself on white decal paper, using the graphic below as a basis.  I could of just used the kit ones, but the style is in stencil form, while period photos show a solid font.  Also, to keep things honest, I felt I needed to change the sequence  a bit as those on the decal sheet were supposedly from a company command tank.

The markings I've cobbled together indicate this vehicle is no.2 from the 2nd company (blue rectangle), first platoon (single white stripe).

regards,

Jack

Looking good, Dan!

Jack - base coat looks good, I plan on having several hatches and access panels open and will need to cover / close off before air brushing primer and base coat. Finished assembling hatches. Test fitting engine access hatches. Any suggestions?

Updated Photos on Pz IV 'D', finish interior paint and weathering. Jointed lower and upper hull with fenders. Next up mounting tools and turret main gun with interior details. Will use a couple after market PE clasps / tool holders Griffon and Eduard sets.  Armor86

Jack: Base coat looks great! I don't know how you normally do it but I'd be tempted to pre-shade with the darker colour and then highlight with the lighter one.

And yes those Alpine figures look great, I love their stuff but am generally too cheap!

Those figures look very nice. I might have to look around for Alpine stuff... Your little tank is looking better and better, Jack! I really like the color you decided on!

Thanks Gamera, Schatten and Bish - good to see you enjoyed the quality of the Alpine figures.

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I'll be switching to an Alpine figure as well.  I just can't find any historical evidence of Bersaglieri crewed L6/40's (other than those sent to Russia).   Many appear to have been assigned to cavalry units,  Lancieri di Novara  being one of these.

If there is time, will add a second figure from Model Victoria, in the form of a traffic 'mover'.

Base coat is on, using LIFECOLOR acrylic set for Italian vehicles.  Their sand colour comes in two bottles: dark (Scuro) and light (Chiaro).  Some suggest combine the two to achieve the right tone, but the dark seems fine to me, and it will lighten up more with some dusting afterwards.

regards,

Jack

Thanks for the link, Bish! That Youtube channel also has a nice video series on painting a figure of a size similar to 1/35.

Jack, your work is fantastic as always! Now slap some paint on that beauty!

Nice work jack, I normally put tissue into open hatches and so on before painting.

gamera, I had not heard of them before, but I have seen they do a few nice looking sets. They pack a lot in as well. The cacti had 4 sprues and I used just one sprue for this dio.

Jack: Lookin' good! I'd guess you could just stick some masking tape over the hatches from the inside? It's how I've been masking a bunch of stuff recently.

Bish: Thanks, I've seen the Diopark brand but haven't bought anything from them yet.

Ready for paint, though will need to create masks to cover up the open areas:

regards,

Jack

That's sounds like it's going to be a big one. the largest I am aiming at is two vehicles. I have been doing Dio's for about 25 years and figures have always been my weak point. Its taken a long time, but thanks to the guys on here and some how to books, I think I have cracked it. I'll be looking forward to seeing how you get on.

Bish -- I'm thinking of starting small with some figure vignettes, then moving up to small vehicle pieces, then some square format street scenes maybe 12" x 12" -- and I have an idea for a couple of major projects, I want to do a pair of 88s firing in battery, with all the trimmings -- towing halftracks, command car, staff car, ammo trucks, dispatch rider, supplies, an AA detachment, support infantry... You get the picture! Well -- the best thing I can do is have a go at a figure with a tank as a starting place!

M/TB379

Thanks a lot guys.

The cacti are from a  company called diopark, I stumbled across them a couple of months ago.

jack, I also forgot to say thanks for suggesting those Alpine figures. They are really nice, amazing detail. I have been lining up some more I want to get, great suggestion.

Mike, space is an issue when it comes to dio's. So far mine have all be quite tight into the model, but once you start adding buildings and so on, things start to get on the large size.

Bish - terrific finish!  

Every aspect of your presentation ties in together very well.

regards,

Jack

WOW, great job all around Bish! Love the Panzer III, the figures, the columns, hell even the little cacti - wonderful job sir!

I imagine dioramas came become pretty hefty with all the gear on them! I've collected a number of the Verlinden ceramic building kits and they are certainly not light compared to plastic. I have a few projects in mind and hope one day to have space to display them.

Thanks buddy.

This is the link, I made sure I saved it to my favories. He users a large scale model for this, but it still works for 35th.

www.youtube.com/watch

She looks absolutely gorgeous, mate! Amazing work on the figures and base too!

Jack, would you mind posting the video Bish mentioned again? I really need to improve my figure painting skills and that seems like a good place to start...