Gentlemen, thank you for the kind comments re panzerspahwagen . I am also happy to say that my Katyusha will be published on FSM website in the next week or so . I guess I am doing something right.

Best wishes for a quick recovery to Jester's wife...As a physio student I can't resist to ask what is broken?

Cheers...

Jester, hope your wife makes a quick recovery, so you can get more bench time in.

Jester, that goes for me too, so sorry I didn't spot your comment about your wife last time I was on!

Okay, promised progress pic time:

Apart from two tiny parts on the rear end that I always leave off until just before painting because they are too fragile to stand handling, every last part is on now that can be there at this point. The axles and locator holes for tools not overpainted are now treated with rubber solution. Next comes scratchbuilding -- the rack on the tail, applique armour under the bow, laminated armour in front of the driver's position, a few dozen missing bolt heads, wire grabhandles over the hatches and a cinch around the barrel that holds the antenna deflector.

I'll be ordering up paints and thinners from AK Interactive, including primer, and some extra decals from Archer (helmet flashes and other insignia). Hopefully the Verlinden crates will show up in the months ahead too, and if I can find a few kitbags I'll have the stowage complete.

Cheers, Mike/TB379

Armor86, tigerman, SchattenSpartan, Gamera, Pordoi, Jgeratic thanks for the kind comments.

Armor86 - Nice job on the lights.

Jester75 & Thunderbolt379 - nice progress.

Quick question. The Scout has 3 mounted machine guns. What is the best way to realistically paint these? Any favorite paint colors for them (acrylics if possible).

Thanks in advance.

Thank you all for the comments on the build but moreso for the wellwishes for the wife!

Castlenuovo, she broke her fibula at the very bottom. It broke clean through at at angle from top to bottom, outside to in. Luckily there wasnt any surgery required and the doctor just put her in a removable hard boot!! Oh, and congrats on getting published in FSM!

Mike, your PzIV is looking nice! I too am looking to order some AK stuff and give it a try to hopefully move my weathering to the next level. Can't wait to see all the additions you are fixing to add to it.

Jester: Looks good! And best wishes for a swift recovery for your better half too!

CN: Congrads, I'll be looking for it!

Alan: Lots of different ways to paint machine guns. I generally go black and then rub a little pencil graphite/lead on them to get a metallic look, add this after you add the flat/matte coat though since it will kill the metallic sheen.

Alan, I pretty much do it like Gamera, except I drybrush steel over the black.

Mike/TB379:  Your PzIV is looking might fine.  Sounds like there will be a lot of extras added to this.  I'm curious about the AK products and how they perform. 

Alan:  For painting MGs, I have used Tamiya Gun Metal acrylic, which gives a finish that probably looks very similar to painting black, then dry brushing with steel.  I have also used Tamiya metallic gray  which gives a lighter metal color.  Really up to your preferences. To illustrate the difference, in the photo below the jack mounted on the back plate was painted with Gun metal, and the cupola MG with metallic gray.

Don

Thanks, guys! There's certainly a lot to do and I'm looking forward to bringing it together. I need to get some fine hexagonal rod to represent bolt heads, I need to ring the LHS and see if they have it in their rack. I'll use the Chopper II to cut it so I'll hopefully end up with slivers that are regular in angle and thickness. Then it's 1mm and .5mm sheet stock for laminate armour additions, some stripstock for the cinch round the barrel, and so forth.

AlanF -- I usually spray gunmetal or a darkened silver, then drybrush with silver and use a dark wash on the details, but all the methods mentioned will give a very realistic look. I love working with graphite, too!

Cheers, Mike/TB379

Wow, I have a lot of catching up to do!

Greg, I guess the color is kind of chocolate brown. Its Tamiya XF-10 flat brown.

Thanks Jack,Eric,Gamera,Spartan,Don

caslenova, Your panzerspahwagen looks great!

Alan, Keep up the good work. Same goes for you Mike on the PZ.IV

Jester, Hope you wife recovers quickly!

David

Today I measured up some of the superdetailing and sent away for some Plastruct hex rod. It's a long weekend here, but I'll get the order for the AKI paints away in time to ship Tuesday. I also ordered some decals from Archers, providing the helmet insignia for the "coal scuttles" among the planned stowage. I'll probably start the extra detailing with the barrel cinch, and get the mast deflector into place.

M/TB379

I had a fair day on superdetailing, I got more done than I expected to. The barrel cinch is done, with the exception of bolt heads on the raised lugs, and I also made some good progress of the jerry can rack. It came together quicker than anticipated. I cut and bent the six formers from etched steel, made the base of the rack from .020" card and edged it with strip. One more piece of strip will form the top rail about half way up the uprights. Tomorrow I'll mark up the back of the base with the locations for the verticals. I'm unsure if the original would have been steel sheet or timber, but as the stowage will completely hide it, it's no big deal. I also assembled the Italeri jerry cans which will ride the rack. Here's today's work:

Tomorrow I'll install the barrel deflector under the cinch, and hopefully complete the rack.

Updates as work occurs...

M/TB379

Eric: Looking really nice. I'm sorry about your wife.

Mike: Some nice scratchbuilding going on there!

Yeah, looks good Mike!

Can't believe we have 2 completed builds already, great work guys.

Jester, nice work on the Bison, I'd like to get one of these myself, so nice to see one coming together. Give your wife our best regards.

David, never seen my namesake being built before, its looking good.

Alan, some really nice work there, love the dashboard.

Mike, looking good. I am rather getting addicted to scratch building myself (I never thought I would be saying that).

Thanks, Bish and SS!

Today's progress: Antenna deflector added under the barrel cinch; grab handkles over the turret hatches added from formed .020" rod (more accurate than the kit parts -- not in love with the starboard side one, I might replace it); and the welded laminate armour added under the bow from .020" sheet.

The rack is underway, with the six metal uprights now superglued to the base, but the fit is not terribly strong, they fall off if you breathe on them. I might have to do a bit of artistic-licence work under the rack to make things more secure.

More tomorrow,

Mike/TB379

[/URL[URL=http://s1346.photobucket.com/user/kingtiger11/media/Panzerfunkwagen/DSC00028_zps3b6b15b9.jpg.html][/URL[URL=http://s1346.photobucket.com/user/kingtiger11/media/Panzerfunkwagen/DSC00026_zpsb174b3f0.jpg.html]

Tigerman, here's my completed Panzerfunkwagen, if you need additional shots please let me know. I had serious thoughts about building the antenna at full extension that's almost 12" off the ground but I wouldn't know where to store it.   

That looks great Jibber. Did you do the hairspray method for chipping? One comment, it looks like you have a naval flag rather then the traditional swastika draped over the rear.

Mike: You are doing an awesome job on your Pz.IV!

Jibber: Thats a great looking Funkwagen you got there! What did you use for the flag?

Tigerman I think your right about the flag, I have a couple different ones and it never occurred to me. I used Heavy Chipping by AK. I've tried hairspray and other "chippers" but I like the AK. It's a little more work but I think you can control the amount you take off better.

Thanks, SS! Jibber, marvellous job on the 8-rad! I like the chipping, I have the AK heavy effects fluid and look forward to using it. Did you airbrush it on, or apply it with a brush/stipple method? The flag is very realistic -- did you make it from scratch? I'll be taking a shot at an air ID flag on the Pz. IV, another new technique to try!

Cheers, Mike/TB379

Thanks guys, I brushed the AK on. I've tried it both ways and what I've found is that when I airbrush, it doesn't cover evenly so I brush it on the areas I want chipped. I ordered a set of flags from a small company Bish recommended in England. I picked up a set of German, Japanese and US, they were a little pricey about $40 total to Michigan all in 1/35. I thought about it for a while and decided I can't make a flag that good out of tissue or from a decal (I tried both), because these are printed on cotton and each package comes with a dozen or so assorted flags. More than I will ever use but I think they're very realistic except this one is a Kriegsmarine. Sorry I chose poorly.

I'll get the link and post it.    

I have to admit that this build was a real challenge. Eight wheels with articulating suspension and all the different angles for the body and fenders, it drove me crazy. I spent way to much time with the interior and didn't realize none of it would show even if I'd left all the hatches open. But it's a different type of  vehicle, very cool.

www.realityinscale.com/.../en_US

Thanks Bish

Jibber - great job on this unique recon and communications vehicle.  

I like the flag, and I can see the benefits of that particular product.   As for being naval, it can be explained away as being picked up while transported across the Mediterranean.

regards,

Jack

Thanks, Jibber -- I have an Su-85 underway and will be using the AK fluid to try my first winter scheme -- I'll stipple it on, and maybe try flicking it from a stiff brush to create random sprays in specific areas, if that makes sense. If it works, I have a StuH 42 awaiting the same technique.

M/TB379

Thunder, you can just brush it on after the primer's dried without affecting your top coat. Wait for it to dry, often times I'll let it sit overnight but thats just a guess on my part. To start chipping it, just brush on water and let it set a few seconds to penetrate then use a stiff brush to start. Very simple. I also use a toothpick for scratches.    

Jibber -- do you mean you let the chipping fluid or the topcoat dry overnight? It sounds pretty straight forward, I can see me using this method to good effect if I can get it to play! Russian armour, German armour, I imagine it would work for aircraft where the paint is through to bare metal -- Japanese planes, for instance, or the leading edges of US planes in the Pacific...

Thunder here's my technique. First is a primer coat that I let dry, then I brush on the Chipping fluid to the areas I want chipped or you can brush the whole thing. I let it dry for several hours then spray on the top coat. To start the chipping, I brush on luke warm water to the areas I want chipped and then use a stiff brush to the area. Sometimes you have to work the brush a bit but stay at it it'll start coming off. Thats what I like about the AK fluid, it comes off slowly and I can control it better. I think this works on any kit.  

Mike, I love the scratchbuilding! Its nice to see the multimedia material on a kit before paint like resin, etch, and different colored styrene!!

Jibber, I hope to be able to achieve that chipping effect as yours looks great! Going to have to try some of that AK stuff.

I have a question for anyone that may know.I have the gun and carriage built (will post some pics later this evening). One problem I can see is that the gun cannot achieve 0 degrees elevation. I have built the carriage according to DML's instructions, which we all know really does not mean anything, and can see no way of reversing any parts in order to get it level. Most pics I have seen show it at about 10 degrees and that is about what the kit will sit at but the box plates and a very few pics show it level. I am wondering if this was the case on the real deal or if this is an engineering flaw in the kit???

Eric, there is one pic on Acthung panzer which seems to show the gun at 0degrees.

www.achtungpanzer.com/sig33.htm