Tristar Pz IV Ausf B DONE 8/12 page 11

Please accept my appologies for the delay in replying. I was out of state with the tribe visiting family. Though I was still in a proper state of mind. Mostly. . We got in last night and I go back to work today. So the bench will be firing back up shortly.

Indy,

Thank you for the compliment and checking in on this build.

Disastermaster,

Thank you for "a watching" and the compliments.  I've been looking forward to getting back to the AVRE.

Edmund,

Thank you as always for your continued support, compliments and constructive criticisms. When I saw the tie I actually started giggling. Tanks and ties who would have thought?!

Bodge,

Thank you for your compliments on this build and for following it.

Cheers

Dave

Bravo on a splendid build

   Hi Dave!  Well worth the wait.  That's the best figure I have seen from you.  I really like the tie! 

Been a watching ..........

Some good lookin' work here Dave. Great lookin' figure too.

Seems to be a nice warm-up for that Churchill coming up next on the agenda.

He's quite good Dave

Nice outcome  all-around Mister. Congrads on it's completion.

Schnobs

 Can we have some closeups of the figure pretty please!!

Edmund,

Since you asked nicely.   Sorry it took so long to get these up.  I was going for a fairer skinned fellow that I think came out well, in person.  In the pics.... well, you decide.  I shot some outside and some inside at the bench.

Cheers

Dave

Tony,

Thank you for the compliments and the stars.  I'm thinking that I'm hooked on bases. I've got an idea rolling around that involves about 10-14 figures.  Or it's just that the marbles are loose again..  Oh man, I used to watch that movie a lot with my Dad.  Loved that movie.

Jetmodeler,

Thank you for the compliment.  I snagged the B&W pic idea from Schnobs Horch with the 20mm.  Now THAT, was a fantastic pic!

Edmund,

Thank you for the high praise on the tree, base and, AFV.  Since you asked nicely, I'll get some closeups of the figure in the morning light.  Thank you also, for the toots and articles you've sent my way. Not to mention your detailed explanations with your builds.  I for one am always taking notes from you and others.

Bob,

My brother thank you for comments, compliments and continued support.  Thank you also for selling me on those Abteilung oils.  Those are fantastic.  I got a dead flat finish on this beast with the dot filter.  That is the first time I've gotten anything that flat.  

Nate,

Thank you for your compliments on this build.  The materials for the base were cheap and easy to work with.

Hedorah59,

Thank you for checking in on this build and the compliment.  You are most welcome for the postings.  So much of what I've learned has been from these forums and conversations with the folks who post here.  I owe a big thank you to those guys/gals.

Railfan,

I owe you a big THANK YOU for the link on the grass applicator.  It has the interest of the guys down at the LHS.  They want to place the panzer and base in the display case.  I told them I'd bring it back for that after my wife saw it.  She fully supports my hobby/OCD outlet/obsession.  Plus I told the guys I'd bring in the grass applicator as well.  One of the RR guys really wants to see it. Look below for what is now on the bench as of this evening.  The going is a wee bit slow as I am now sharing the bench with my boy.  He's building Tamiya's Sdkfz 222 with the DKW motorcycle.  He's got the gluing down on a 1/72 kit.  Now he gets to learn how to paint.

Bill,

Thank you as always for your compliments, ideas and, not to mention, historical background/knowledge.  As for myself, it's never just enough to build a kit.  Often I've told myself that I'll just build this OOB with instructions and, before I know it..... I'm online, on the phone picking someone's brain, digging through my references(now I just know I've got a picture of this somewhere).  Thank you for your high praise sir.

Panzer88,

Thank you for taking the time to check in on this build and, for your compliments.

Next up....................... actually it's now on the bench and assembly has started.

Cheers and Thank you so very much all of you.

Dave

A very nice job all around. Great job on the panzer and a great job on the base.

Nice to see this one "out in the sun" Dave! Very nice work on the base, weathering, and overall presentation.

A great finish to a great build.

What will be your next project?

Now that is one fine looking diorama! Beautiful work, Dave! It always impresses me when you guys take the time and effort to share your work with the rest of us, and for that I say 'Thanks! I really appreciate it!'  

Very nice job Dave! I love the base..........

Nate

Dave - my bro, WOW WOW and WOW, man this is just beautiful.  Perfect base, figures, AFV and weather is just right.  Love it bro.

Bob

Tree and base are fantastic nto to mentionteh AFV.  Can we have some closeups of the figure pretty please!!

WOW! Looks amazing. I really like the black and white picture.

Now that's what I call RIGHT NICE Dave

Love the base work As Provo said "It Sings" (from the movie Green Beret)

Great Job buddy

Tony Lee

Jetmodeler, Bill & Nate, 

Thank you very much for the compliments and following along on this build.  Here are the final pics.  I shot a couple in sepia and a B&W one just for giggles.  There were a couple of pics that I reshot due to an offending eyelash on the turret roof.  

Deafpanzer,

If you mean what every guy hopes for when giving flowers to his sweetie then, pic away. Thank you for the stars, compliments and support.  

Well folks, this one is a wrap.  That is unless your eyes find something that mine missed. It wouldn't be the first time. It's kind of like, "Where's Waldo",  if you find it shout it out.  Good, bad and, ugly.  

The commander got painted up yesterday.  I used Vallejo paints and Abteilung oil washes.  The pics were all shot in natural light at about 0830. I like the way the colors turned out in the natural light since I paint under an OTT light at the bench.  I opted not to go big on rust, since this beastie is represented in France circa 1940.  The Germans pretty much owned Europe at this point and the TC actually has a tie.  If you can wear a tie commanding a tank, then things are not that bad.  Yet.  

This update is fairly picture intensive so, my apologies to the folks with dial ups. 

These were the "lets play with the settings" pics

Thank you all for following this build and your comments and compliments.  Now to pick the next build.  Wooo Hooo!

Cheers

Dave

This deserves MANY stars!  I want to grab those flowers and give it to my wife... you know what will happen next.  Loving the diomara especially the flowers touch.  Looking forward to see it completed...

Looking really good Dave.

Nate

Very nice Dave, coming down the home stretch!

Awesome job on your panzer Dave. Can't wait to see the final pics.

Bill,

It can be aggravating when trying to pin that detail down for a specific tank in a specific region in a specific..... you get the point.  The flip side is that it can give you the latitude for use of artistic license.  I am partial to the early versions as they do tend to have a lot of character. IMHO. As always Bill it is good to have your input in these builds as it helps me gain a deeper insight into that which I am building.  Lest I forget my manners, thank you very much for the compliment.

As you can see by the pics, I got a fair amount done today.  It's coming together.  I opted to call it a day since, I did get a lot done today and, it is getting nearer to the finish line.  I do not want to rush it.  There is still yet the commander to get painted and, I'm still on the fence about using the kit head or getting a Hornet head.  The kit one really isn't to bad and, it has the early beret.  

There are still a number of small detail parts that have yet to be put on.  The spare links and their clasps, the jack and it's clasps.  Tomorrow with fresh eyes. Maybe.  Before that, I'll be helping my son with his first ever glue together kit.  It's a 1/72 Academy 3 in 1 kit that has a half track, which is what he got it for.  He says he really likes half tracks.  He started taking stock of  all the ones in his old mans stash.  So I told him, "build this one and a couple more to help you out with the basic skills and, we'll move you on up into something more challenging".  He was all for it.  Gentlemen we may have another modeler amongst us.

Cheers

Dave

Looking good Dave! The intro of the aerial deflector underwent quite a bit of evolution before it was standardized. Lots of early pics abound of A-B-Cs without a deflector at all and also pics of one added later but the types/styles added later weren't consistent in design/shape which can make it somewhat aggravating for modelers! . The A-B-Cs were kind of the field-test variants and were relatively small batch runs, it was the D that was the first high-volume variant of the Pz IV and incorporated quite a few things learned from the earlier Ausfs in terms of features and design changes.

Keep us posted!

Hey Dave: Oops, my mistake! You learn something new every day.

Nate

Dave - I just caught the flowers that you made on the front.  Holy cow, how did you make those????  Add it to the tree toot when you come up.

Bob

Nate,

Thank you for your compliment. When I was assembling the aerial deflector it caused a wee bit of consternation.  Initially, I put the wrong one on (that explains why it didn't fit properly).  With the early rounded V type deflector they do not go all the way to the mantlet.  I checked my references and, according to the Spielberger reference pics this one is where it is supposed to be.  The later Y type deflectors do run from mantlet to muzzle. The thing that surprised me was the number of tank pics that had an aerial and no deflector.

Cheers

Dave

Dave, it's lookin better, and better!

If I may point out something though, I believe that the bar under the gun barrel needs to be pushed back farther. The ends should butt up against the mantlet. The bar was an aerial deflector. When the turret rotated past the antenna, the bar would push it down, and out of the way of the guns.

Keep up the good work!

Nate