Panther Ausf A late 2-20-10 I'm calling this one DONE!

You can get AM cuffbands in either decal or PE form, but to be honest, in 35th scale I'd just paint a white stripe, then black down the middle and put in some "goobligook" in white for the script and they'd look pretty good to the naked eye--that's what I do in this scale, anyway---some of the kitted SS figs sometimes have the bands molded on that make placement easy...

Manstein,

Thank you for the additional info.  Very nice examples by the way. I remember there is a company that sells the arm bands.  Archer if I remember correctly.  No work at the bench today.  Brutal night at work last night. It is now time to sleep.

Cheers

Dave

hughes2682

Manstein, Thank you so very much for the info and the pics. An excellent starting point! Question : would the tank riders attached to the Wiking division have the arm bands? Are there any details specific to that division? Cheers Dave

It would be VERY uncommon to have a mix of Heer and SS units intermingled as you are now portraying...good news is that it isn't generally too hard to convert Heer to SS, even though their rank system was not even close.

SS designation and rank was confined to two boxes (tabs) on the collar where you would normally find the Heer insignia. The shoulder tab insignia was identical to the Army up to the rank of full Colonel.  These tabs on the collar were originally black but often field or mouse grey later in the war. The actual SS runes and rank where a dull aluminum color which I usually depict with flat white in 35th scale. later, these could also be seen as a very toned down grey color (usually on the grey tabs)...Also, there was a death's head in place of the Heer cockade on caps. Also, the national eagle symbol was moved from the right breast to the left upper arm. I don't have a rank chart scanned right now but here are some of my figs painted as SS that you might get some ideas from. SS generally wore more loosely fitting camo garb but was often seen in conventional uniforms like your are in.

These SS camo tank wraps usually did not have rank tabs but did have shoulder insignia:

A Heer example:

Looking good---really nice Panther and the figs are also looking good...one thing to note is that the Tank CO looks to be SS but the riders are Heer...

Bill,

Thank you for the comment and support.  There is a BIG emphasis on slowly.  Yes they are surely coming along.  If I'm not wiped out after this shift ends (yes I am on break) at 0730, I may get some more done.

Brian,

Thank you for stopping by and the compliment.  Of the five figures the TC was actually the easiest and quickest.  The four riders, I felt needed some tonal variation but not looking like they went through a cartoon paint booth.

Bob,

Thank you for your enduring support on and off the forums.  Thank you my  brother. for the wonderful tips on the pea pattern.  Vallejo is the bomb!

Bufflehead,

Thank you for the compliments sir!  I am going to hold off on flat coating the figures until I am done with my work stretch and have fresh rested eyes.  When the paint detail work is to my liking then I'll get them flat coated and pigmented.  I do not want to rush this with everything I've put into this project.  The hull top got flat coated several days ago so it'll get the pigment treatment when the figures do.

Cheers gentlemen

Dave

Man, Dave those are some nice looking figures!!  They're going to look sweeeet on that Panther!

Dave.................SCHAAAAAAAWWWWWWWEEEEEEEEET!

Got to love Vallejo brother

Bob

Oh by that figure's camo must have been maddening to do....but it paid off.  He looks excellent!

Brian

Making good progress Dave, figures are coming to life slowly but surely.

I was able to get some highlighting and shading done last night, with the exception of the hat. I also need to go over certain areas with the 4/0 brush and some Dark German chocolate Brown.  It won't happen tonight as I just got called into work.  Here's what I've gotten thus far.

Cheers and thank you for stopping by

Dave

Dave you are very welcome.

I found those while doing a search of cammo patterns on the net.

Steve,

I just realized that I failed to thank you for all the various camo patterns. Where ever did you get those?

Bob,

Thank you brother!  How are those Vallejo paints working for you?

Indy,

Thank you for the compliment! The riders have yet to be flat coated as they will be receiving some MIG pigments to dirty them up a bit. I have a pic of my eldest daughters riding boots that are pretty close to these the boots of these figures.  It makes a great weathering reference pic.  Unfortunately it is on my computer that is in the shop (again Arrrrrrgh). I should get it back this coming week and then I'll post it.

Cheers

Dave

Hey Dave ! Can't claim I've bee aware what was going on here or following before now.... But Man.. I am liking where this going 

I'm lovin the look of these tankriders---this is going to be stellar Buddy--steady as you go!

Looking beautiful Dave my brother.

Bob

Eric,

Thank you for the compliment!!  Almost to the finish line with this one..  This may be a shock to some but, I really am sports illiterate.  I did watch the Rose Bowl game at my sisters house.  Funny thing is she knows more about the sport than I do..

Steve,

Holy smoke thank you! I've been following your Pz I build.  Suuuuuhweeet!. I'll pass on the thanks to Schnobs (AKA Edmund, aka Sir Edmund Figgy, aka the man who has a "thing" for road wheels), as he passed it on to me.  Isn't that toot fantastic.  It'll breath some new life into those old DML figures.  Woo hoo. This one is getting ready to draw to a close.  Or I'll see one more detail that has to be just right.  I high lighted, shaded, five o'clock shadowed the TC since the last post.  I'll try and get some pics posted here soon.

Cheers and thank you for stopping be gentlemen

Dave

  Dave I'm really impressed with the time and effort that your putting into this build. I just got caught up on this and it just keeps getting better and better. Thanks for the link to the figure toot by the way. Very informative.

 If your looking for some pics of the different cammo patterns here's some that I use.

Coming along sweetly.

OT: How about those Duck signees? Rose Bowl again?

I finally gave the pea pattern a go on the TC.  I have not done any shading, highlighting, or painting of the wee details yet.  I got him painted and I wanted to give it a day and then view him with fresh eyes to see if I like it.  Any thoughts, constructive criticisms, tips are most welcome, as I am not that up on German uniforms.  Bob, thank you for the info you gave me as it gave me one heck of a good starting point.  I found a pic of a pea pattern that had the dark green in it.  Unfortunately it is on my other computer (yeah the one that digested it's second power supply a few of months ago. Now it's something else).

Cheers

Dave

IBuild148,

Awwww, and all I had to do was ask?  LOL . I hear ya about "life" kind of keeping the pace down.  Looking forward to seeing the pics.

Dupes,

Thank you for the compliments and stopping by.  I'll be checking on your build right after this.

Rafthart,

Thank you for the compliment.  I just realized that I have yet to flat coat the hull top.  After repainting the top, life happened and then I went right into building/ painting the figures.  The top still also needs some pigments.

Cheers

Dave

Very nice figures and tank

Dave...those are looking mighty fine!

Dave,

My Canon Digital is going down hill and I need to buy a new one. But I will take "pics" of my hobby room / current builds and post them under the heading, "fair number of irons...because Dave asked!

The F-16C Block 30 along with my other builds and then work and other interests keeps at slow pace. Some day I hope to just build but until that time I can vicariously live through you guys here at FSM.

I will post pics. Matter of fact the 1/48 Bandai Nashorn should be done today nlt tomorrow!

Edmund,

That is high praise indeed, having seen your projects.  I know I've said it before but, here it is again.... thanks again for the VB toot.  That was one of those leap moments in modeling for me.

More to come this weekend!

Cheers

Dave

Hey Dave!

Your figures are looking great my friend!

Well Done!!

Bob,

Thank you dear brother of the Northern Hinterland.  (again, the giggling from under the bench).  This is as close as I am allowed to get in the re-enactments of Vlad the Impaler. . PM inbound.

Cheers

Dave

Dave the look stunning brother.......However it must have been a bad day on the battle field getting skewerd with huge lances like that...................LOL

I have to call this weekend to discuss Vallejo paints....I need help.

Bob

IBuild148,

You have a fair number of irons in the fire sir.Do you have postings of the F-16? The other builds? I've built Tamiya's Block 50 and that was a sweet kit! Let me know about those other postings if you've got 'em. I would like to see them.  Thank you for the compliment!

Well I did get further along today.  Not leaps and bounds but I did work on the shading of the faces and worked on their 5 o'clock shadows.  The gun stocks and entrenching tools got oil washes today. The look much improved.  At least I think so.

More 5 o'clock shadow on one of the Hornet heads

This was the best shot I could get showing the oil wash on the K98's.

I posed them up for a group photo. I know the tooth picks sticking out is rather macabre but, it does minimize the direct handling of the figures and, there has been a fair amount of time put into each of them.  I just haven't gotten to the level of "cranking out" figures.  Yeah, I know the guy kneeling down is not the most stable pose but, I figure, there is always at least one yutz out there that you know that you think, "Something bad is going to happen to that one".  Right?

Cheers

Dave