Nice work there Tiger. Though the tracks do lookquite red, not sure if thats meant to be rust or mud. Could do with some bare metal on the cleats on the outer face of the tracks.

First let me say thank you to Gamera, Rambo and KC for your words of encouragement. I have some more WIP pics. The lower hull is basically done. The tracks and wheels were painted with acrylics, but weathered with oils and pigments. I'll tweak things as I go along. The upper hull has seen its first weathering process and the tools and some attachments have been painted. I checked the fit for the schurzen skirts but I'm not going to put them on since I'm using ostketten tracks they will rub against the inside of the skirts. I'm debating of putting a rack of jerricans on the back deck. So far I'm happy with how this Stug is coming along. As soon as its finished I'll start on the Alpine figures. I've also decided to put it on a base with an Eastern Front look to the groundwork. Wish me luck!

Tigerll that's looking good. I need to get started soon.

TigerII: Looks good to me! 

Well I was up late last night trying to finish the tracks. The right side were OK, but the left side had some flash and were a problem to put together. I got them together but I have to honestly say that I wouldn't recommentd Riich tracks. For my next tank I'll make sure I'll go back to MK or AFV Club. One of these days I'll try Fruil. Well now unto the next part of the build.

Hey G, good luck with your Leopard tracks. I know that track links can be a little time consuming but I just appreciate the way they fit around the sprocket. If that looks good then the rest is gravy. 

Well here are some WIP pics. The base coat is on and I'll start putting it together, painting and weathering soon. I found out that the Tamiya sprockets that came with the kit were wider than the Ostketten tracks and that's because the kit was originally a remote control kit so the sprocket and vinyl tracks are wider than the normal Pzkpfw III tracks. Luckily I had some spare Dragon sprockets for a Pzkpfw III and I was able to replace them. Luckily since I'm using track links I don't have to worry about the vinyl tracks pulling my sprocket off when stretched on. Also I found out that the engine intakes did not have neither plastic or PE grills. Considering how old the kit is I didn't expect PE grills, so I had to scratchbuild my own grills. I think they look pretty good. So far my first assault gun is pushing me to my modeling limits, but I've been able to overcome the problems. Wish me luck as I finish the track links and "possibly" add the schurzen plates.

Good luck guys! I don't like any of the link tracks. The Doog has an excellent tutorial around here somewhere on assembling them. It helps but I still find them really annoying. 

My Leopard came with them in the box. And a jig designed to help assemble them. Fingers crossed we'll see how it goes. 

TigerII

 

 

Rambo

TigerII my last build I used MK tracks figured ilI would give them a try being $20 cheaper than Fruilmodel. Won't do that again unless Fruilmodel just don't make the tracks I need.

 

 

 

 

I have never had any problems with MK, AFV Club or Trumpeter tracks. I tell you the truth, using a jig I've used the individual tracks that have come with a kit and they have always come out excellent. It's all a matter of where in the building of the model do you put the tracks together. Maybe one day I might try Fruilmodel.

 

The MK weren't all terrible, something about the way I weathered them made the pins come out on a few. The biggest headache was the two ejector pin marks that had to be sanded off every track that was a pain. But in the end they was alot better looking then the Dragon DS tracks.

Rambo

TigerII my last build I used MK tracks figured ilI would give them a try being $20 cheaper than Fruilmodel. Won't do that again unless Fruilmodel just don't make the tracks I need.

 

I have never had any problems with MK, AFV Club or Trumpeter tracks. I tell you the truth, using a jig I've used the individual tracks that have come with a kit and they have always come out excellent. It's all a matter of where in the building of the model do you put the tracks together. Maybe one day I might try Fruilmodel.

Well I'm all primed and ready to go. 

Hey Rambo regarding the Riich tracks, I find them to be "adequate". I have some issues with them. I should have looked on a modeling retailer site selling Accurate Armour or others, but these were the only ones on ebay, besides Fruilmodel 'metal' tracks. But I know that I'll get them together.

Archangel and Matt: Nice work guys! Great pair o' panzers.

TigerII: Love Alpine figures, little pricey but the molding is top notch.

Well I primed my StuG in white and I'll begin my painting, weathering and putting it all together. Today I also received my Alphine Figures for this piece. So far I'm very impressed with the quality of Alpine.

That monogram panzer is looking good.  Hope that my Panzer will look as good when I get to that stage.

Here is where I am at now:

Lower Hull

Untitled by matt pohlman, on Flickr

Untitled by matt pohlman, on Flickr

Upper Hull

Untitled by matt pohlman, on Flickr

Untitled by matt pohlman, on Flickr

Going to begin work on the turret this weekend.

<Matt

A few update pics on the Monogram Panzer IV. Laid down the camo paint and need to touch up a few spots before I go onto detailing the various tools and add some weathering. 

This kit doe show it's age when compared to other kits that followed her over the years. But not having touched an armor kit for some years now, it's good practice.

Thanks Clint, looking though the sprues it does look really good. Looking forward to a chance to get some serious work done on her. 

And she's here! Not sure when I'll get a real start on her though...

DasBeav: Super work there on the interior. 

TigerII: Wow, you're making great progress! 

Hey Rambo, I really liked the 75mm barrel, and no I've never used this company for track links. I usually try to stay with Modelkasten or AFV Club, but I've used Trumpeter for my T-72. But this was the only one offering ostketten tracks. Well I've got about everything ready for a priming, a painting and then when I'm ready I'll put the tracks together. They are workable tracks so lets see how they go together. BTW I haven't discarded all the Jaguar interior parts. I'm using their resin MG 34 machine gun, it has so much more. I'll probably order a couple of figures from Alpine that would look good with this assault gun.

Nice Start, RealG! Wish I could say the same about my SturmTiger. Somehow, someway way I screwed the pooch finishing up a Grant tank which took me away from the GB. Well, here's my Sturmtiger interior, so far.

Unfortunately I'm scrapping the interior build for my StuG. They were made for the later Tamiya StuG and not the motorized version. But that's Ok, since today I received my RB 75mm L/48 aluminum barrel (early) and my Ostketten track links. I was hoping for Winterketten tracks but then I wouldn't be able to put on any armoured side skirts.

Gamera

It's amazing to see how far modeling has come in just twenty years much less forty! 

I guess if you wanted the quick, cheap, dirty (literally) solution you could just add some dirty boot prints over the injection pin marks on the foot rests.  

Well, yes I could add some snow and frozen mud...  I suppose I should not get too bent up about it, since the figures will be above them.

It's amazing to see how far modeling has come in just twenty years much less forty! 

I guess if you wanted the quick, cheap, dirty (literally) solution you could just add some dirty boot prints over the injection pin marks on the foot rests. 

Thanks Gamera!  Yeah, this kit is FULL of little things to clean.  Most of the edges where the molds part have kind of like a sink mark with a sharp raised edge.  I call the phenomenon "part pucker".  Fit of the detail parts is not very good either, so 40 year old nostalgia is definitely clouding my memory!

So I figured that I'd have a look at how bad the quad gun was, and again, found the molding and fit somewhat lacking.  But this is all in comparison to 21st century kits like Tamiya's new Stuart (I can't wait for their new M551 Sheridan, slated for release next week).

https://flic.kr/p/23MjsHM][/url]Flak-16 by N.T. Izumi, on Flickr

https://flic.kr/p/QCsPJx][/url]Flak-17 by N.T. Izumi, on Flickr

Lots of ejector pin marks to fill.  A lot have raised rings of flash too, so trimming down will also be required - so much fun!  I am now rethinking my original plan of minimizing use of PE.  The kit gun shields are thick and filled with more of those ejector pin marks, but I am worried that the PE shields will be easily knocked off due to the precariously fragile nature of their attachment points.  Might be time to pick up a small soldering iron.

Odd that they left the canvas cover detail out there. Still, she's looking great! 

And I know what you mean, lots of old models I built years ago and was proud of and today I see sinkholes and injection pin marks over them...