Rommel vs Monty (North African GB 1941-43) Jan. 1 - Aug. 31 2014

Nice work Jibber. Love the weathering

[/URL[URL=http://s1346.photobucket.com/user/kingtiger11/media/M3%20Grant/DSC00035_zpse9efb782.jpg.html][/URL[URL=http://s1346.photobucket.com/user/kingtiger11/media/M3%20Grant/DSC00039_zpsdc9d9cb9.jpg.html][/URL[URL=http://s1346.photobucket.com/user/kingtiger11/media/M3%20Grant/DSC00040_zps21e01609.jpg.html]

:-) I know what you mean, Jibber! After working on a 2002 Trumpeter Abrams in which fit was a matter of engineering parts by file and placing ultimate faith in superglue, the Pz. IV just fell together! I'm not surprised you had this one done overnight. I really am a big fan of vintage Tamiya!

Cheers, M/TB379

I've done a few lately and theres a couple more on the shelf. You never know when you need one but they're still a lot of  work.

Well -- as much work as you can pack into a few sessions. Most structural work on the IV-D was done in three sessions stretched leisurely over a day each, the same with the Su-85 I have underway. the big thing is, these kits don't fight you.

M/TB379

I've never built an SU-85, I'd like to get one done this year. I look forward to seeing yours.

OK, I take care of necessary "other" chores around the house for a few days and I'm already 3 pages behind and trying to catch up and keep current!! 

jibber:  wow, looks like the M3 was built in a day and already ready for paint.  At this rate, you'll have half of Monty's armor built before I complete my PzIII.  And working backwards, thanks for the tips on chipping using the AK system... will have to try that real soon.  And finally, a really nice 8 Rad you built!  But moving so fast,... do you remember the one that I'm referring to?  

jester:  I wouldn't worry about not setting the Bison gun level.  Go for the other extreme; these guns could be elevated to about 75 degrees and used as mobile mortars.  How often do you see that?

TB379: looking great with the PzIV.  Nice scratch building additions.  I'm looking forward to seeing the rack that you're working on.

We had a relatively warm day in Louisville on Sunday and even though it was still a bit cool to paint in the garage, I couldn't resist to put a coat of Tamiya white primer on the PzIII.  Mission accomplished, so now, I hope to be able to spray acrylics in the basement and get this build going again.  Hopefully, some pics in the near future....

Don

The Tamiya kits are pretty straight forward just dealing with the sanding is whats taking the most time. I hope the chipping works well for you and thanks for the nice compliment.  

A lot of nice builds, continuing with the Tamiya 232 RAD 8 - hope to finish soon, so I can get started on what I signed up for - Dragon Pz IV Ausf. D "DAK" some photos. Armor86

A86, looking sharp!

Well, my AK Interactive materials were just delivered, I got thinner, grey primer, RAL 8020 plus white spirit for oil washes. Nothing is mentioned on the bottles about thinning ratios -- does anybody have any recommendations? The paint looks quite a thin formulation to start with.

The shade, gelbbraun, in the bottle looks nothing like the colour swatch used to advertise it. It's simply a very pale yellow, with none of the brown to orange overtones I was looking for. Unless it doubles its darkness as it dries, which is very unlikely, it won't be the final coat on this model, I'll mix something that gives me the visual depth I'm looking for. If anyone is familiar with AK, I'd appreciate your perspectives!

Cheers, Mike/TB379

PE work on your 8 rad looks great Dan! Did they use that huge ram on the front of them often (if thats what it even is)?

Chugging along with the Bison. Really neat kit and not quite as small as I thought it was. Considering it was lengthened by 1 whole road wheel station and also widened, its very near the size of the PzIII I am  building! Still have to add the radio's and boxes to the left side of the fighting compartment. The right side offered the option of a shell rack holding 2 shells or a large box, I chose the first. Almost ready for primer and paint on the interior sections. Will assemble them when done and then paint the outside areas with the help of some masking...

As you can see in the pics, the gun is nowhere near 0 degrees elevation yet it is as low as the carriage will allow it. There is a U shaped plate on the carriage just below the point where the barrel mates to the block that prevents it from going any lower. I am wondering if this was possibly removed in some of the pics to allow the gun to lower all the way or if its just simply a mistake on Dragons part. I dont mind the elevation as is on the finish kit, just something that keeps nagging at me. Truth be told, I may never find out with the limited data on these vehicles!!!

Mike - I have use the AK Interactive paint and weather materials and their paint doesn't need thinning. To get the yellow - orange overtones you will need to apply their filter - AK-065 Africa Korps Filter. Use their products for the first time with Steel Cats GB last year. Enclosed photos of my Tiger I DAK before the filter was applied and afterwards. Suggest using their Enamel wash for DAK vehicles AK 066. Armor86

Before filters were applied.

Filter after first coat.

Turret before filter applied.

Filters applied.

DAK Wash applied.

DAK - Africa Dust Effects applied.

Finished

Thanks Eric - I believe the frontal armor plate (Zusatzpanzer) provided extra protection from enemy direct fire, and was backfitted in the summer of 1940. The vehicles was used to scout ahead would likely encounter the road blocks, however the announcement warned that the Zusatzpanzer was not to be used as a Rammbock! Armor86

Eric, nice work on the Bison. Did you se that link to Acthung Panzer.

Dan, that's some really nice results with the AK stuff. I have the DAK weathering set, but still need to get the dust effects. If I can get a finish like yours, I will be pretty happy.

jibber, the panzerfunkwagen looks great, like the weathering.

That flag is the German Battle Flag, though it is also the one used on German ships, it not quite the same as a White Ensign. Though I can't say I have seen it used by German ground forces as an aerial recognition flag.

Thanks Bish, yeah I saw that one and I believe there is one more that showed it at 0 degrees. Going to drive me batty!!

Bish I should have spent more time on the smaller things and choose the right one. I did do a little research checking old photos but usually they're folded or laying on the vehicle and you can't pick up much. Anyway thanks for recommending the site, these are quality flags but I'll be more careful.

Dan, first class job on the Tiger. I also use a lot of the AK product line and find them easy to work with and "correctable" if necessary with outstanding results. I'm really looking forward to the finished Rad 8, I think you'll do a great job finishing it up. Love the seams.

Eric the Bison looks awesome, what a beast. Nice clean build, this is another one I can't wait to see it completed.

Great builds here.  

Tigerman, based on Bish's knowledge in this area, do you want me to swap out the flag for another. It's not that big of a deal and why spend all that time on a project and make a silly mistake like this. Please advise, I want your GB to be the best it can be.

Terry

Eric, it has been known on some Dragon kits for them to put in a piece of plastic to hold something else in place. I have not seen this myself, but I have seen other not realise and glue this in place, only for it to be pointed out by someone else, who had usually done the same thing.

Are you sure the piece that's stopping the gun isn't one of these.

jibber, I would not say its not possible, just that I have never seen it.

The thing about aerial recognition flags that they need to be quick and easy to identify by aircraft flying at several hundred miles and hour and several thousand feet. The Swastika on the national flag is larger and more central than the battle Flag.

But, as I say, who knows. I will bet someone has a pic of the battle flag being used for this.

Either way, its still a great build.

Pretty sure, the piece in I am talking about actually has bolt detail.

That's rules that out then. Dragon does have strange ways.

Eric, I found this review on missing lynx and one of the pics of the built kit shows the gun at 0 degress.

www.missing-lynx.com/.../dml6440reviewcs_1.html

I will snap a more clear pic of the offending piece when I get home this evening. This is really bugging me and I wonder if they left a piece off in a hurry to get a sample build together to get that gun at that elevation. Even looking at wbill's blog on this kit over on his site, his doesnt set at 0 either.

That's a good ;point, you could be right. Its a review build so a lot could be missing, never thought of that.

Here is the offending part!

You can even see where the gears rub against it when you attempt to achieve maximum elevation. At rest though, the base of the cradle hits this piece and that, from what I can see, is what is keeping it from being level.

Bish -- excellent link to a very useful feature and set of reference pics! I had a look at the Alan kit of the same subject last night -- it's a Russian firm and I've never built anything of theirs before so I wanted to have a look at their engineering, and the quality of the plastic. I was pleasantly surprised on both counts -- the parts look very nice, the detail is perhaps not as sharp as Dragon's would be, but it's not bad, and the plastic reacts very positively with cement. With some dress-ups bits from other sources, it should be a very nice addition to the collection.

The plans have no colour callouts at all -- does anyone have any insights? My impression as that the open fighting compartment would be painted the same colour as the exterior, which would be the early North Africa desert sand-brown -- RAL 8000???

Cheers, Mike/TB379

i have had problems with that part on my sIG 33, sFH 18 and 88mm. i left it off the the sIG since it has a shield,  the sFH since it is in travel mode and left it on the 88 because it was in a FLAK role so i didn't have to deprees the barrel. horizontally. i know some of us have problems with that ( i finally broke that habit when i decided the DANA cab would be completely closed up  so i didn't waste any time on it's interior). that was harder than it woild seem and non modelers would not understand why.

BEDFORD 4x4 and 6ib are primed before the snows come in tonight.

Terry, you do whatever you want to. I appreciate your wanting to keep everything accurate as possible. Like Bish said, who knows if there weren't a few of them used in that capacity.