Thanks G. The damage does seem a bit odd with just that fdrack, i have not seen anything like it before, but that is how it looks in the pic.

I am showing it in German hands, with the driver doing some repairs to the engine. When it was captured it was in an open field with a StuG. But maybe my scene is just a few hours before and maybe the driver didn't do his work properly which might explain why it was adandoned in one piece.

Wow, very cool camo Bish and I love how you replicated the damage to look like the photo.

Are you adding German figures to her? Personally I think I'd add Canadian infantry, I'd be a cool contrast and add something to the base about how they captured the APC.

I spent this last week painting and decalling. Its been a bit of a drawn out process and has taken all week. The vehicle i am doing belnged to the 2nd SS pz Div and was captured by Candian troops in Normandy. I first saw a photoof it in Squadrons book on SS armour many years ago. the book also has a colour drawing of the vehicle. O had originally intended to do that scheme. But then a couple of years back i got the Nuts and Bolts book on the /9 which has a close up but blurred photo and a colour plate of the same vehicle, but the scheme in the colour image is coimpletly differant from the Squadron one. Manageing toi find the same photo online, i took a close up look and despite it being blurred, its quite clear the Nuts and Bolts image is the correct one.

So i copied that scheme as best i could which is large areas of brown over the DY and small areas of green over that. I then did one pass with a very thin coat of DY to soften it a litle. I'd also noticed that the left side width indicator was bent, so i bent the metal one i had used. The bent one on the right was an accident and has been corrected.

While this was drying, i took a more closer look at the photo and noticed a few other things. The rear mud flaps were not fitted so i removed the PE ones. Also, the front left area above the wheel was more damaged than i thouht. Not only was the width indicator bent but the light was missing and there was a crack in it which bent the front down a bit. There was no sign that this could have been battle damage and tehre were no dents. I of course have no idea when this occured, it could have been just before capture. But despite me showing it in German hands, i replicated this damage.

The decals were a long process all by themselves. Both colour images i have seen have red numbers. A few years back i got a set of Bison decals for some Pz IV markings but they also had decals for this 251, only the numbers were in black. Its quite clear from the photo that the nubers are lighter than the black cross belw them. But i was not sure if this was because they were red or simply because the differant angle they are at was catching the light differantly. In the end i decided on red. The onyl problem was getting the numbers in the right style. The Dragon 251 kits include several decal sheets one of which has lts of nubers in differant colours. Though similar they were not exact. So i ahd to trim the number 4's, changing the angle of the long up stroke. The number plates also come from Draons 251 sheets and had to be pieced together, including the 2 piece Sigrunes. There is not pic of the number plate so i just made one up. The Div insignia and crosses were from the Bison set.

I have also got to work on the base. After staining and varnish, i started on a hedge along the side of the track. I am useing a similar method as i used for making trees, buts of wire twisted together. This were glued into the base and when set started on the celluclay. Once this is dry, i can finish the hedge.

And thats it. next up will be some minimal weathering and i need to start on a motorbike that will be added to the scene. O ye, and sort out some figures.

Thanks, I'll take a look tonight.

Steve, IMHO, it depends whats underneath.If its textured, like the rest of the hull floor, i would remove it and just fill the holes. If not, leave it.

I know what you mean about the seats. The Ausf D ones were not that good, and that kit is 20 years younger than yours.

Speaking of not knowing any better,

Bish, should I remove the water tank?

I need to add a little love to the drivers seats I think.

Steve: That looks really good! When I did mine thirty years ago I built her right outta the box (in my defense I was in my late teens/early '20s at the time so I'll plead not knowing any better). 

Nice job on those bins Steve. I did build this kit many years agobut don't recallany of the detail on it. Going by the water tank and lackof side bins, i would guess this kit, was originally based on the Ambulance but then turned into the APC but with out adding the interiour. That would account for the lack of detail inside.

Bish,

I added some compartments to the 251 as well as backrests. This Tamiya kit is about as detailed as a garbage can. I'll toss some items of interest in them.

Thanks G, and fortunatly you can still see quite a bt with the top on. Can't say the same for the drivers compartment though.

Looks good Bish, love all the extra goodies in the engine compartment.

Time for me to do a bit of catching up. First job on the list was to get some paint on. German dark Yellow of course.

Then a bit of light weathering. I was reading the article of the nashorn buld in the latest issue of the mag and liked the effect. So instead of dot filtering i applied a light overall wash useing MiG Brown Wash. This was followed with some dry brushing and light chipping.

I also got to work on the engine bay adding the PE from the Verlinden set.

This was given a coat of German red primer.

And finished off the rear seats.

I did some test fitting on the engine as i did not have high hopes it would fit well, and it didn't. So i trimmed it down a bit before painting.

Almost ready to get the top on, just needed to add the finbal parts to the inside. I used the radio frame from the Verlinden set. It seems a bit big, but the Eduard one was to smal for the kit radio and i don't like the PE one they supply, its just to flat. So i will live with the larger one.

I used some AK engine oil and engine grime on the engine and in the bay.

Then time to put the lid on and mask up for more painting.

And i got to work on the base as well. I used some strofoam to build up one side, covered with paper mache and put the edging on so its now ready for staining.

And thats all for now. Hopefully won't be so long again.

I do like what you have done with that castel, really nicework.

Hey CN, like the look there, I've never been good at getting beat-up to look right. Nice work!

Coming together...or maybe about to fall appart??

Some times thats the best way. I can see why you doing it like that, it looks ready to be brought together.

Normaly I follow the instructions, step by step, rarely jumping ahead by more then one step, maybe two if needed. With this one however, I am somehow all over the place...Built a bit of step  X, then move to step Y, then back to step Z etc etc. Chaos and dissorder . Yet however, the whole thing is comming together somehow.

You cerainly can Terry. Plenty of time to run and its just picking up the pace. Let me know what your bulding and i'll add it to the roster.

Can I get in on this?

Terry

O thats right, i forgot about that G. Thanks for the reminder.,

Hey guys, I think I posted this way back at the start of the GB, been awhile now. But the 75mm GMC version doesn't come with either type of track but these wierd molded in one piece ones. I'm not sure about the regular APC version of the halftrack but since this kit does contain parts for it I'd guess it does too.

Poaably. Will be interesting to compare Gamera's Dragon tracks with the Dragon ones i am useing on my 251. The Dragon 251 tracks work by putting the two links together and thengluing the track pad to one link and that holds the other in place and makes them moveable, if glued right that is.

Bish

Fortunatly for me both ties i used DS tracks were on pantehr kits so the top of the running gear was hidden by the side skirts.

I think i would go for the larger Tiger/Panther type tracks. The 251 tracks are easier than Fruils but still very fiddly.

 

The tracks for 251 are bigger then say the US halftrack I'm going to do I think.  The tracks for the US halftrack do seem a bit "tiny".

Eagle90

Gamera

I actually really like the new Dragon 'rubber band' tracks but then again you guys know I'm a little weird...

They look fine on American AFVs with the tight 'live' tracks but it's hard to get the sag on the loose tracks used by the UK, USSR, Germany, Japan, well frankly about everyone else right without the link tracks.

On starting out Eagle I'm not sure which would be simpler, a half-track of course would have less links to put together but they're tiny. As opposed to something like a Tiger where there are much more links but they're big and easy to handle.

 

I hear ya.  The Dragon kit was pretty darn detailed.....would be scared to see what A dragon kit with individual liks would look like....it would be a year long project for me!  LOL!

Maybe I could trade my individual link kits for some Italeri ones!  LOL!

Eagle90

Fortunatly for me both ties i used DS tracks were on pantehr kits so the top of the running gear was hidden by the side skirts.

I think i would go for the larger Tiger/Panther type tracks. The 251 tracks are easier than Fruils but still very fiddly.

I actually really like the new Dragon 'rubber band' tracks but then again you guys know I'm a little weird...

They look fine on American AFVs with the tight 'live' tracks but it's hard to get the sag on the loose tracks used by the UK, USSR, Germany, Japan, well frankly about everyone else right without the link tracks.

On starting out Eagle I'm not sure which would be simpler, a half-track of course would have less links to put together but they're tiny. As opposed to something like a Tiger where there are much more links but they're big and easy to handle.

Bish

Eagle, basicall yes.They have nicer detail than the old Tamiya rubber bands. You either love them or hate them. Best to check reviews as without picking up the box before hand, its hard to know what you will get from kit to kit.

 

Got it.  Might have to get a set to try them out.  Thanks!  (Here I go, diving deeper into the abyss)

Eagle90

Eagle, basicall yes.They have nicer detail than the old Tamiya rubber bands. You either love them or hate them. Best to check reviews as without picking up the box before hand, its hard to know what you will get from kit to kit.

Gamera-I've only done a couple of tracked pieces, and they all had the vinyl tracks.  I checked my stash and low and behold I have some of those individual link tracks....OMG! Uhhh, I like vinyl!?    Wow, that's a lot of small parts.  Now I know why you hear of guys using jigs to do tracks!  Woah.

Castelnuovo-  Tedious is an understatement!  I'm not sure I'm ready for that yet! 

Bish- So DS100's are "upgraded" vinyl tracks.    Might try those before individual links.  LOL

Eagle90

Gamera

'Magic' tracks are individual link tracks but they come in a bag so you don't have to clean up each and every one. If you want to go with individual links they're far and away the simplest way. 

 

Eagle, some people hate them, and Dragon has been swaping the Magic Tracks in some of their kits for DS 100, basically glorified rubber band tracks. But i have found them to be the best indy link tracks that i ahve use, partly because of the lack of clean up needed.