Gentlemen!

Finally, the project that should have been finished a month ago is finally done. So, next up, the Matilda! Pics soon to follow.

Hi to all, 

JIbber... awesome details!, lots of zimmerit and you are making a very good improvements to the kit with all those added parts and wires. The "mesh" over the motors gives it a lot of very welcomed reality to it. 

Bish, you are almost done! wow does it looks nice under the first applied paint. Looks like you will be our first one to finish. I have always liked how after all the mess and scratches, with a coat of paint everything ties together and gives it a "Factory" primed look. Ready to be "weathered" and give it is own personality. 

Rob, I knew you will be on this GB and Im very happy to have someone very skilled and with lot of knowledge both on the hobby and in real hands on experience. 

You already have gotten to a good start, Im very curious to see how everything comes out.

Hopefully I will have some update pictures of mine tonight. All that PE is making me crazy. 

Ssasho0: Either that FT-17 or the Mark V sound awesome, looking forward to you starting.

Rob: I remember seeing that conversion set in the Squadron flyer back in the '80s- very cool to see it put into action.

Tim: Looking forward to Matilda to cruise or waddle  (I don't think they were very fast) into here!

Gamera

Tim: Looking forward to Matilda to cruise or waddle  (I don't think they were very fast) into here!

Waltz. I believe Matildas waltz.

Hey Tim,

I need to know what color the Free France Jagdpanther G2 was in order to get cracking.

Thanks, Conky

Gamera

Rob: I remember seeing that conversion set in the Squadron flyer back in the '80s- very cool to see it put into action.

The Lo Models conversion is a mixed bag with some parts being very good quality, others not so. I know I had used one to make an M60A3TTS and some parts to make an M48A5. I gave away the M48A2GA2 from the first set years ago. Considering I spent $7 on this conversion in the late 80s and got the Patton at Michael's with a 50% off coupon this past year or so and the Leopard parts and decals came from a parts box someone passed onto me a few years ago; this is a fairly inexpensive project.

Conky

I need to know what color the Free France Jagdpanther G2 was in order to get cracking.

I think this is the one you're talking about.

Do any of you armor vets have a hunch what the base color on this Jagdpanther is? I thought dunkelgelb, but you guys are WAY better at assessing these sorts of things. 

And while we're at it, the tricolor is on the side, but what colors are used in the Cross of Lorraine on up front? It looks like the cross itself is on a bifurcated field. Maybe similar to this:

And by way of introduction, Conky is one of the younger members of the FSM Forum family. This is his first group build and his first AFV. What other models have you finished recently, Conky?

When you get a chance, upload pics of your kit and build.

Tim, on the front glacis plate, there do appear to be darker areas, but these could be shadow or wear. If its not DY the only other option would be OD. But I don't think its dark enough.

But one thought on this. Does anyone know how long the French resistance were active. I was thinking this could have been captured and used by them. But given the lack of Zimm and the look of the trees, that photo must have been taken in late 44 and I am not sure if they still active by then.

garzonh, thanks. I should have some pics up tomorrow before adding the yellow. I just need to get the tracks finished and fitted first. Just not sure how much mess to add before putting on the DY, the vehicle in the pics looks pretty clean from what I can tell.

Hey all! Great work and builds everyone! Sorry I got a bit late of a start, kinda stretched thin. I got quite a bit done last night on the Pakistan BTR - about half the suspension and much of the hull items that won't be knocked off easily!  

And, BTW - I'm not very fond of white for a styrene color!

As Bish said already, the color of that Jagdpanther is most likely going to be dark yellow. I think there#s actually 3 possibilities for the color though. It's could've beenrepainted in OD, but it really looks too light for that. The other too options would be the obvious Dunkelgelb (dark yellow) or Olivgrün (olive green). The second color was used at the factories to paint several German tanks including the Jagdpanther AFAIK. I could be wrong about the Jagdpanther, but I recall something like that and I know of tanks primed in Olivgrün... It's hard for me to tell from that picture, but Olivgrün isn't that likely either because of how light it looks in the photo.

Bish

But one thought on this. Does anyone know how long the French resistance were active. I was thinking this could have been captured and used by them. But given the lack of Zimm and the look of the trees, that photo must have been taken in late 44 and I am not sure if they still active by then.

According to Wikipedia:

"By September 1944, the Free French forces stood at 550,000 (including 195,000 French from North-Africa and 295,000 Maghrebis)." Source: Philippe Buton, La France et les Français de la Libération, 1944–1945: vers une France nouvelle?, Musée des deux guerres mondiales, Universités de Paris (University of Paris), 1984, p.95

Terry: Looking good! You are a lot braver than me for tackling that Miniart building!

Cliff:Oh boy those track links are tiny, not to mention the pins erquired to "properly" assemble them... I would've gone the "easy" route too and simply glued them like you did.

Bish: Magnificent work on all that PE! You really know how to spice up an old kit!

Rob: Looks like you're off to a good start!

WW: Same goes to you, looking great!

Thanks!

Congrates & welcome, Tim!

Tim, by French resistance, I was thinking more of the Maquis rather than the Free French army that landed in Normandy. I was wondering if it could be being used by them.

Tim Kidwell

Gamera

Tim: Looking forward to Matilda to cruise or waddle  (I don't think they were very fast) into here!

Waltz. I believe Matildas waltz.

Well played, sir. I salute you.

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Some PE work on the King Tiger, including some cable clamps, jack block mounts and a rack for an extinguisher. Also a couple tow cables consistent with my reference photos in gauge and type. I've also added a couple brass clamps and in my opinion they're money well spent. Terry

Very well played indeed, Tim!

Looking good, Terry!

Hi to all,

Yes, this MiniArt buildings are a nightmater, I just came out of a diorama and definitely Miniart has to come out with better engineering to assemble both halves. THIS  (<--- click) diorama took me 6 months from start to finish.

Phew..... 

Some updates for the Hummel in Russian Markings...

A lot of PE, it may not look that many parts but cutting, bending, gluing all the small parts takes a lot of time. Also, had to make some damage to the fenders, which actually are composed of 6 different parts, to look similar to the photo I found.

Let me know what do you think...note, I currently do not own a PE tool..have to do it using pliers and fingers...ouuuch. .. yes, I know, I need to buy one, but they are very expensive... 

Anyway, hope you like it.

The back part is not glued yet, just "presented" to see the alignment, looks good!

Nice work on the Hummel, that's what I like about PE fenders, being able to damage them.

I bought an etchmate 3C a few years back. I have hardly used it. I still use my long nosed smooth pliers. The only thing I have used the etch mate for are long pieces like the fenders, but I think I could still have done it with pliers.

Garzonh those fenders look great, large pieces of PE are so much easier to work with and a lot more realistic.  The Hummel's coming along nicely.  

Aaron Skinner

Tim Kidwell

Gamera

Tim: Looking forward to Matilda to cruise or waddle  (I don't think they were very fast) into here!

Waltz. I believe Matildas waltz.

Well played, sir. I salute you.

Indeed!!! 

Terry: Very nice work there on the small parts and those tow cables look really sharp. 

Garzonh: Yeah, like Bish I bought one of those PE bender tools but frankly a pair of pliers and a hard surface seem to work better in 90% of all cases. 

Thanks to all, and yes I'm using pliers but still need to practice more on how to do it correctly. I might better buy some long flat pliers as you recommend.

Garzonh, that PE work looks stunning! I have a small bending tool as well and I really like it. It helps a lot with bending larger parts. For the tiny stuff I use my tweezers though...

Tim:    Could I change my group build model to Dagons 1/35 Stug III. Aust G. (Early Production)???

Aaron:    I read your book "Essential Skills for Scale Modeling". I may try some of the tricks in there on my model, such as the mud trick

Everyone: Can enamel or tamia spray paint go onto the vinyl tracks suplied before putting on or bending around????

Welcome aboard Conky!!!

I use 'bumper' paint from the local hardware store to prime my rubber tracks for painting. Not sure if you need to use it but it's worked well for me in the past. I know some sorts of enamel paint won't dry on rubber type plastic but not sure what sort it is. Generally the paint won't flake but you might still need to touch up a few places here and there.

Welcome, Conky!

I got a bit more done at lunch today.  I have to stop looking at the dumb photo I have – I keep finding things to correct or add.  This time, I realized the fenders in the kit are wrong.  They appear to be the quaint, Studebaker skirted type.  Out came the knife and I whittled away one side to see if it would look right.  Close enough…

By way of review, here’s what I’m working on (I think this was Bish’s idea…I like it…):

And the re-worked fender (with the standard paperclip):

Keep the posts coming guys - I'm enjoying all of them.  All you guys with the heavy PE workload, I'm glad I'm not in your shoes...

wow I go away for a couple weeks and everyone is so far ahead. Even Tim and Aaron have a head start on me.

Great work being done by everyone. So I finally opened the box to my little stug III and realized just how small it is in 1/72 scale.

but I am not going to jinx it by saying that it is going to be a quick build.

Thats a cool little guy, looks like fun.