Thanks guys! ![Smile [:)]](/emoticons/icon_smile.gif)
Here is my completed German entry for this GB. It's the ancient, but fun 1/35 Tamiya Pz.Kpfw. II Ausf. F
With each build that I do I try to push myself a litte more and try new techniques as I slowly build up my modeling skill set, in this instance paint chipping and weathering. I also tried Tamiya pigments for the first time and tried my hand at creating some stains around the gas caps. As always, I really tried to pay attention to seams and parts cleanup. That can be time consuming but is essential. This kit required more cleanup than any Dragon kits I've been working on, but then again this kit has been around for a long, long time. I think most of us remember building this one when we were kids.
I used Tamiya acrylics exclusively. The road wheels were done using the "template" method. The body color was done with XF-60 Dark Yellow and a bit of Tamiya buff added to lighten successive applications on the upper surfaces... the places that would have been bleached the most from the harsh effects of the desert sun. I put down a thin layer of Future both before and after the decals to help get them to stick down better, minimize silvering and then seal them up to protect them during the subsequent weathering.
The paint chips were added using a mix of Panzer Gray, tamiya buff and tamiya thinner all mixed together in a pepsi bottle cap. I added the tamiya thinner as it has a retarder which helps to slow down drying which gave me more time to work with the mix. I used a small bit of packing foam which I cut off a huge piece I keep on hand just for chipping. The technique is similar to dry brushing in that you just barely dip the foam into the paint, then dab it like crazy on a clean piece of paper until there is barely any paint at all coming off the foam.... just like when dry brushing. I then dabbed the foam all over the tank, concentrating on raised areas of the tank (hinges, handles, corners, lights) and any areas that would have been heavily worn by the crew climbing on and off and when performing maintenance.
I finished everything off with a coat of Future mixed with Tamiya Flat Base X-21 (4 to 1 ratio), and did one dust coat (10% Dark Yellow, 90% Isopropyl Alcohol).
I used orange rust Tamiya pigment on the muffler, but if I had to do it all over again I would have applied it before attaching the muffler to the hull as it is difficult to apply the pigments in the really tight spots. I created some fuel stains around the two fuel filler caps by making a mix of Isopropyl Alcohol with Future (roughly 10 to 1 mix) and applied a few drops, waited for the alcohol to dry, then a few more, some on the existing spots and so on and so on until I built up varied stains. I'm pretty happy with the results and will experiment more on my next builds.
My vehicle served with the 10th Panzer Division in Tunisia. Here is a brief history of the unit from Wikipedia:
The 10th Panzer Division was a unit of the German Wehrmacht during World War II. It was created in 1939, and served in the Army Group North reserve during the invasion of Poland of the same year. Participated in the invasion of France (1940)(where it captured Calais during the Siege of Calais (1940)), and in Operation Barbarossa with Army Group Center (1941). After taking heavy casualties on the Eastern Front it was sent back to France for rehabilitation and to serve as a strategic reserve against potential Allied invasion. Rushed to Tunisia after Operation Torch (1942), it participated in the Battle of Kasserine Pass (1943), but was later lost in the general Axis surrender in North Africa in May.
Unlike many other divisions destroyed at this point in the war the 10th Panzer Division was never rebuilt, and thus permanently disappeared from the German order of battle at this date.
I wanted to take the pictures in natural sunlight outside, but it was waaaay too windy when I got home from work last night. This little tank would have just launched off the deck and probably would have cleared the fence. ![Shock [:O]](/emoticons/icon_smile_shock.gif)
![Laugh [(-D]](/emoticons/icon_smile_newlaugh.gif)
Here are some pics that I took last night in my photobooth. I'll post a few more later taken outside if any of you are interested the Pz II in natural light.
