Red Storm on the Reich GB - Sept. 8, 2008 - May 9, 2009

Very cool time lapse pictorial of your T-34 SMJ! 

Beautiful work on the ISU 152 Erik, I've always loved the brute force look of those things! 

Today (January 12, 1945) the Vistula-Oder Offensive began.  This successful operation took the Red Army all the way from the Vistula River in Poland all the way to the Oder River (2 February 1945), just 70km (42 miles) from Berlin! 

Alright I got some painting done last night. Next up is weathering and detail painting.

Looking good MF. Correct me if I'm wrong, but shouldn't the interior be buff instead of panzer yellow?

More pictures of my ISU can be found here /forums/1073449/ShowPost.aspx  I'm going to take better pictures tonight ad post them there.

Erik

brownii/Anthony2779/Espins1: Thanks guys...I will be posting a few more WIP pic's within a few minutes.  Not trying to show you up Anthony, sorry I don't recall how's yours is coming along...are you done...post me a pic' OK?

Geist: REALLY nice!!!, Did you add those weld seams too?  Love those mortar hit marks...and the markings are excellent!  Were those done by hand?  All the work on all sides of the turret is exemplorary work, perfect weathering!!!

Still a good bit of time left in this GB (almost 4 months), thought maybe if anyone hadn't decided yet on a build or was looking for some appropriate markings you might like these:

http://ausfwerks.com//store/bison/35072/T.html

a newish set from Bison at Ausfwerks.com, 8 different vehicles all from Berlin '45. Looks pretty cool!

SMJmodeler wrote:

Geist: REALLY nice!!!, Did you add those weld seams too?  Love those mortar hit marks...and the markings are excellent!  Were those done by hand?  All the work on all sides of the turret is exemplorary work, perfect weathering!!!

The weld seams were already molded on surprisingly. The markings were done by hand. Thanks SMJ. 

Erik

Totally forgot to post these yesterday! [:O

This is the DML 1/72 'Armor Pro' pre-zimmed Jagdtiger. Pretty nifty little kit, went together well, decent detail for the size. I find weathering to be very difficult in this scale - very easy to "over-scale" any effects...also much more difficult to take sufficient photos. Sooo small!

Fairly satisfied with how she came out. Shoot me any comments or suggestions!

Guys:  Here's one picture of my completed T34/85.  I have added two to the time lapse sequence on page 27 of this thread.  I also have walk-around pictures in armor if you care to see more detail!

Finally catching up in here....

Lofweir - I really like how your road wheels came out. Great tip also, will keep it in mind for my Panthers.

"Who would have thought, eye protection for model building" border="0" width="15" height="15" />?!?!?...I guess it's just one of the hazards of our occupation...."

Eye protection is a MUST for PE work... just think what damage a flying sharp small brass piece can do to your cornea....

Glamdring - Panther looks great... you are right about the MGs..nice!

Modelfreaks - nice start Look forward to the rest of the build. Marder coming along great! One thing about the pics.. many are focused behind the model, making the model blurry. I had the same problem until I switched to a plain neutral background or took the pics at a higher angle.

Dupes-  camo paint job came out great, as usual! Love the build... and having tried my hand (and failed!) at that scale, you get a sharp salute from me! Looks real nice....

mmc  - Nice job Marc! Can you add some "snow" to the tracks? Love the outdoors shot!

Geist  - ISU looks great Eric... that thing is a brute! And yes, those markings give it some extra life. I like the damage detail, I am planning on doing some on mine, looks great! I also thought you had made the weld seams, nice detail.

SMJmodeler - T34/85 looks great! I gave mine away as part of the Armor Secret Santa, so have to live the build thru yours!  Great progression, love the textures....  Once I catch up here Ill head out to the armor forum to read (and study) the whole WIP blog. You know what would be cool? Cobble together your progression as part of the same GIF file and make it an animation.

Scott - I would like, if possible, to change my build. I gave away my Tamiya T34/85 in the armor secret santa (hey, that's what the man wanted, and Santa cant be a grouch!).  I have a Tamiya 1/35 Panther A, the old Panther kit (will look up the kit # later). I want to build it a tad on the beat up side, with some visible damage. I will try 3-tone camo for the first time; if it goes well, what I really want is to add some ambush scheme, since many Panther As were used as "mobile arty" that late in the war. I am doing a bit of research to see if I can find an exact battalion or company example I can use..will post reference pics and kit sprue pics in a few days. If approved, Panther A (and a Panther G for the Endgame GB) will start occupying my workbench in 2-3 weeks, once I clear couple wingy thingies and a 1/700 destroyer  that are on the paint stage  : )   

I have been reading Armageddon: The Battle for Germany, 1944-1945 by Max Hastings.. I truly and STRONGLY recommend that book...  really pulls away the curtain of many of the myths and fables surrounding the US/UK advance, and really puts in perspective the Russian/eastern front.

Cheers all and happy belated New year!

dupes: IT"S A WALL OF ZIM'!!!!!...., Man that's a lot of zim' on that side shot!

I can imagine the difficulty of the "overscale" effect at this scale...it's somewhat apparent when I look at the green camo on the back of the turret...but when I look at the sides I don't notice it at all, those look great!  The cross jumps out at me a bit in the first and third photos.

I REALLY like the work on the back of the hull!  The weathering on the muffler covers, wood block, jack and tow cable hooks is TOP NOTCH...especially at 1:72!

This baby is a bit dirtier than normal for you...I even see some dirt on the underside of the hull ...maybe 1:72 "overscale effect" was a good experience for you for future endeavors...hint, hint...

Hey, on a scale 1-10 (10=love it, would never go back to 1:35) how do rate 1:72?

JMart wrote:

SMJmodeler - T34/85 looks great! I gave mine away as part of the Armor Secret Santa, so have to live the build thru yours!  Great progression, love the textures....  Once I catch up here Ill head out to the armor forum to read (and study) the whole WIP blog. You know what would be cool? Cobble together your progression as part of the same GIF file and make it an animation.

Thanks Jmart, sorry you had to let yours go...DEFINATELY for a good cause though...gotta' "take one for the team" once in awhile.  This thread has most of the progress pic's (see p27)  I have a bunch of coordination of pic's and notes to do before I finish the other thread.  I may have bit off more than I can chew!

espins1: Is it OK for me to grab the badge?!

Dupes - Nice work on the JagdTiger, I can't believe that's 1/72nd!  I'm really digging the texture of the zimmerit, the painting and weathering are top notch!  Looks awesome! 

SMJmodeler - Another great pic of another great build!  I really like the weathering on your T-34/85.  And yes, you can grab the badge.  In fact, anyone who is actively working on their build can display the badge. 

JMart - Sure, no problem on the change of kits.  I'll update the front page now with your Tamiya 1/35 Panther Ausf. A.

JMart and Scott - thanks guys!

SMJmodeler wrote:

I REALLY like the work on the back of the hull!  The weathering on the muffler covers, wood block, jack and tow cable hooks is TOP NOTCH...especially at 1:72! This baby is a bit dirtier than normal for you...I even see some dirt on the underside of the hull ...maybe 1:72 "overscale effect" was a good experience for you for future endeavors...hint, hint... Hey, on a scale 1-10 (10=love it, would never go back to 1:35) how do rate 1:72?

SMJ - the back part there is definitely my fave as well...mostly because there really isn't much else to look at on the rest of this monster - know what I mean? "Big walls of zim"!

Yeah, I tried to do a complete weathering job (meaning the underside and backs of the roadwheels). Used several different methods of skankifying the JT!

Hmmm, 1-10, I'd probably go with a 5 or 6? While it is satisfying to crank out a quick build, the detail level just isn't there. Would lean next toward 1/48 (those Tamiyas are super sweet!), but ultimately won't be leaving 1/35 permanently any time soon. I suppose if I were more into 1/72 scale aircraft I'd tend to build these more...but 1/48 is my scale of choice in that arena (or 1/35 in helicopters!!!).

Thanks for the comments, bro. 

dupes: Glad to hear from ya'!  I have way too many 1:35 wants to even consider 1:48 let alone 1:72!

Just shot you a PM too!

Hey Scott!!

Count me into this...  I join in the last months off this GB, with my newly aquired Italeri 1/72 Sd.kfz 234/3! 

It should work, as the 234 is a late war vehicle and a few were produced...

May I join?  

Got a  few other things to do first tough, but it should do OK!

-Huxy 

Huxy wrote:

Hey Scott!!   Count me into this...  I join in the last months off this GB, with my newly aquired Italeri 1/72 Sd.kfz 234/3!    It should work, as the 234 is a late war vehicle and a few were produced...   May I join?     Got a  few other things to do first tough, but it should do OK! -Huxy

Sure thing, as long as you model yours as one in the Defense of the Reich in the East you're good to go.  I'll add you to the roster now. 

Thanks alot!

I think it'll be on the workbench in the end of Feb...  

Looking forward to your JS2 scott!

and welcome to the build Huxy!

My Panther is on the queue for maybe a Feb start....

Scott-Good to see you starting on the JS-2 .

I hope to start on the King Tiger late Feb/early March.  I'll be doing a KT of s.SS-Pz Abt 503, destroyed outside Potsdamer Banhof.  This is one of the vehicles on the Berlin '45 decal sheet from Bison.

Man, this JS-2 is a brute!  It is very long, and the turret and super big gun must have been a bit intimidating to the defending Germans! 

I just need to attach the hatches and handles, I'll have some update photos tonight. 

Looking good Scott!  I can't wait to see that one done....

I really need to get back into my Panther, I haven't touched it since my last update.