1/48 Armor GB - 2007

Dave,

Nice build on the firefly.  Shermans are cool in general.

The Panzer IV is going together well, and the aftermarket stuff fits it like a glove.  Funny thing, Tamiya put patterns in the directions for making the schurzen plates.  Why not just include them?  They included the curved plates for the turret.  I'm thinking of adding 1 or 2 to each side with thin brass.  Why not?  I want the full multi-media experience. 

Grant 

Waikong: Thanks, and thanks for starting the group build. Being part of the GB was a great inspiration and a good way to get back into building models. The timing couldn't have been better.

Buff: It's painted in Tamiya Acrylic XF61 - Dark Green and it's been heavily dusted with a couple of different shades of earth tone pastel chalks. I tried to get forward facing surfaces to look the most dirty, followed by the engine deck.

Dave

 Nice work one and all. I continue to be amazed by the detail that people put into the builds.

315rooster: I'm curious to see how the Panzer IV works out, I have one on the bench for later in the year.

 As for my groupbuild Firefly, I'm declaring it finished. Sometime in the future, I hope to re-visit it and try to work it into a diorama...but not right now.

Thanks for all the comments and suggestions over the last 6 months. I've learned quite a bit along the way, especially some things to avoid on the next attempt. I still need to play with stowage, tarps, ropes, tow cables, stretched sprue antennae....but I intend to be at this for a while yet. Enjoy.

Dave

(and yes, the commander and loader ARE wearing gloves!)

(edited picture links)

Great looking progress Buff and Invertman, both your builds are looking excellent.

Progress wise on my T26E3 I have actually got the thing started again after a few months of gathering dust.  As a by the by I am also doing an OOB Cromwell Mk/IV & a Panzer III with the Voyager PE set.  I'll post some pics when there's something to see.

Cheers

hey guys,

got the upper hull base coated and i painted the camo this morning.

it came out ok i guess.

Looking good Invertman.  Can't wait to see some paint.

 Here are my next set of progress pics.  I got the basecoat down.  I used Tamiya Dark Green lightened with a bit of Buff for the base, then lightened it again for some variation.  It looks a little light now, but the last time I Futured over Dark Green, it darkened everything, and flat coating didn't lighten the color.  This time I thought I would make it a little paler and see what happens.  With any luck I'll get it Futured by tomorrow night.  Thanks for looking. 

whats up, everyone.,

just wanted to drop a post on the progress of the jagdpanther.upperhull is

almost ready for paint.

I just picked up that kit myself not too long ago. I've built the Ausf B and that was great, looking forward to your build.

Well, I'm certainly guilty of a lack of participation....I'll be changing my entry from the M-10 and Hetzer to a Tamiya StuG III G. And I'm going to work on it.

Everybody's builds so far have been looking good! 

Still-learning wrote:

The Hobby boss kits are amazing for price and detail, and the way they position the ejector pin marks is really well done. Hats off to them.!

My etch bender has been hijacked by a friend so I can't work on my HB M4A176 Sherman.  Let me know how this one works out.  I'm interested in the overall fit and finish.

Welcome to the group build.

Welcome to the GB, I have one the HB t-34 kits too. Its amazing the interior details you get for the low cost of the kit. You'll definite get yours buillt before mine, so I'll look forward to seeing your work.

Bit late, but sign me up,

 Hobby Boss, T-34/85 angle jioned turret OOB. i've started to build it and i'll have pics up soon.

The Hobby boss kits are amazing for price and detail, and the way they position the ejector pin marks is really well done. Hats off to them.!

Darren: Thanks, I thought it turned out pretty well. The figures definitely need a matt coat before they go aboard.

Waikong: It could be that the pictures are showing up dark on your monitor. The loader and driver hatches are both open and waiting for crew. I thought of trying my hand at a diorama but it will have to wait until the nice weather goes away!

Grant, thanks for the info. I guess for me, that price would be a bit more than I would want to play for aftermarket zim. Its okay, more incentive to try out doing it from scratch.

Dave, the firefly looks good, looking forward to the finish model. Except for the commander's hatch, everything else is closed up - how are you planning to position the figures? Or will this be part of a small dio?

Waikong the Sherman looks excellent, great job

Buff the T-34 is coming along really nicely and I think your PE work looks just fine from where I'm sitting. 

Jason looking forward to some pics of the shagpanther

Grant sorry to here about the T-34, but the Panzer IV looks cool.  I really like the resin Gaso Line hull btw, it's too bad Tamiya couldn't mold that kit with Zimm in the first place.

Dave the Firefly is a real beauty and the figures will really make it.  It may be just the camera flash (or they're not finished) but the figures seem quite glossy, maybe a matt coat to tone them down a little.

Cheers

Not quite done but I need to show it off just a little. I give you my first model in a long time with my first attempt at a lot of techniques I'd never heard of before January. It's a Sherman IC Firefly and represents a tank of 2nd Canadian Armoured Brigade, 27th Canadian Armoured Regiment (Sherbrooke Fusilier Regiment) as it might have appeared in late 1944. For total accuracy, a VC or IC Hybrid might have been more appropriate but I'll take it as it is.

On a rainy day, I'll still need to fit this bunch into their hatches. 

Constructive comments always appreciated.

Dave

The T34 looks nice.  While starting to paint mine, I noticed a few missing parts and a few broken parts (all of the hand holds are still good).  Apparently, while on vacation, one of my parents dropped the kit.  It wouldn't have mattered so much if they had not cleaned up after themselves...you know...throwing the debris/parts in the trash.  Lets just say that I'm starting my Cromwell in its place. 

Grant

Jason, thanks for your comment, looking forward to your Jad.

Buff, the T34 is looking good - those handles looks like a bear to keep straight. I'm sure I'll wind up bending or breaking those things.

waikong,

your sherman looks absolutely awsome!

i hope my jagdpanther comes out half as good.

jason

I'm sorry I haven't been around.  April, May and June are my busiest months at work.  I thought I might be able to squeeze in a little bench time every so often, but it just didn't work out.  I'm doing the Tamiya T-34/76, although after seeing how well Karl's came out I'm a little hesitant to post pics.  I'm using the Voyager set for it as well, my first go at a/m pe.  The quality of the pe is really good.  Very easy to work with, not like the crap Dragon puts in their kits. My work with the brass needs to be sharper, but I'm happy with it for a first time.  I replaced most of the hand holds with brass wire.  I also replaced the tie downs for the extra tracks.  They are included in the pe set, but of course, they're flat, so I figured I'd just make them with 0.010 brass wire.  Trying to make them the right size and near perfect copies of each other was major pain in the butt.  I installed and tore off 3 or 4 complete sets before I decided enough was enough.  I'll make some straps and put them on later.  Any comments or criticisms are more than welcome.

Thanks guys!!

 waikong-- it isn't all to shabby-- there isn't an entire interior in there...basically just what you see in the pit there-- gun breech, seats, a couple sets of shells in storage...that's about it.  The front only has two seats-- no transmission or radios or the like...

 piwi is doing a much better job on that end of the build!

darson-- once I get more work done on the base and get the figures installed, I will take more pics.  As I mentioned above-- there isn's a whole lot visible other than what is in the pit there...

Yes! All those accessories are from Tamiya too! Glad you like it! :)