Tristar Pz IV Ausf B DONE 8/12 page 11

Andy,

Holy Smoke! That dio is amazing.  Talk about a moment in time.  When I'm done with my work stretch I am going to take a closer look at it and the others that you've mentioned.  Oh man, I have learned A LOT from you guys.

Bill,

Thank you again for your compliments and support on this build.  Jim, at the LHS pointed out the NOCH flowers in the railroad section.  I told him I might have to come back for them. As you can see, I did.  Late spring/Early summer was the effect I was going for.  The flowers and blossoming foliage does seem, as you put it, incongruous, to the dark tide that was coming.

Bob,

Throwing everything away?!?!  My you are!    If I can learn do put this together, then so can you.  Hehehe.  I can handle the technical stuff fairly well,  it's the composition that I have always had to work the hardest at. The ion generator is arriving today and, I've looking forward to building that grass applicator this week.  I even found some aluminum mesh is the garage that works wonderfully with the static grass I have.  Stay tuned.  I'll let you know how it works.  I'll give you a call later this week and we can plan a get together for the tree building toot and Ninkasi.

I will post more later this week after I get the grass applicator built.  Right now I'm going to enjoy a cold one post shift, play with the dogs and go nighty night.

Cheers

Dave

Wooo hooooo!!!  The ion generator arrived yesterday from Electronic Goldmine.  Now I can build the grass applicator.  After I get some sleep.  This is gonna be fun!

Cheers

Dave

Alright, I'm glad it finally came. Let me know how it works. I can't wait to see the results

Dave -remember NOT to put the red wire on your tongue when turning the unit on, this is not a recommended way of testing it...........I did it that way and it took several days for my eyebrows to grow back..............................LMAO

Bob

Don't forget the story of the electricain at the 4077th M*A*S*H. He was repairing the P.A. system, and he was shot through a wall. He was O.K., but he had to recover at Rosie's bar for the rest of the day

I don't know why, but every time I read "ion generator" I have this mental picture of Doc Brown in "Back to the Future". Have fun with the new toy Dave!

Wowsa!

Dave this is wonderful i will have to look for that Valleyo Model Color Basalt Grey color very nice!

I have been watching but forgot to post so here I am!

Now let's talk workshop.  It looks like Adam, myself and maybe Bill are coming to Evergreen so you you are going to put on a tree making workshop. Please PM me want I need to bring for materials. I am moving out of the desert soon and will need tree skills! 

Great job man!

Railfan,

Things are a bit off schedule right now.  Well, not really.  I've been Dad's taxi service and spending time with my boy.  Some things just have to wait.  That MASH reference got me laughing pretty dang hard.  I had forgotten about that scene.  I'll make sure not to do anything to make myself fly through any walls.  I don't want to wake up with my co-workers or wife leaning over me asking "WTF?"

Bob,

LMAO! It may be OK for 9v but 120V?  Feel the power as it shocks you across the room!  Puuuuhzzzzzaaaaap! 

Bill,

I shared your reference with my wife as I read it and, we BOTH snorked our java!  Thanks for the snork!  Great way to start the day really.

Edmund,

I was worried that the Basalt was going to be too dark but,  it was juuuuust right.  No worries about posting. You've had a fair amount on your plate lately.  I would love to do a work shop!  Only .... (please forgive me)... I double booked myself that weekend.  I'm at a seminar for three days in South West Washington.  I am more than willing to make a road trip and get together with you guys if you are amenable to that.  I'll trade you a hairspray toot for a tree toot. I am kicking myself for that double booking.  

Thank you for the compliments gentlemen.  I've got some free time this eve to build ( or at least get started) the grass applicator.

Dave

No hurry, Dave. I understand family matters.

As for you snorking all of your coffee, what's wrong with just drinking it? It seems like every time I talk to you via the forum, you are always INHALING your coffee insted of DRINKING it.

I'd think it would taste better if you didn't try to snork it.

(Oh, by the way, don't drink coffee while reading my post)

Railfan 233,

Actually, I do drink more of my coffee than snorking it.  It's no so much an inhaling as it is almost a sneezing while laughing with a mouthful of java.    The replies and posts you guys write are out and out funny. I love the sound of laughter  (in my line of work I find some humor in some very unusual places).  I had a really good IPA before reading your post so, no java was snorked!

The grass applicator was finished last night and I practiced with it on some cardboard and various blends of static grass before tackling the base.  All the static grasses used were of the Woodland Scenics brand: Burnt Grass FL633, Light Green FL634, Medium Green FL635.  The surface was prepped with diluted white glue brushed on with a foam brush so as not to leave potential brush marks.  With the applicator loaded, the base prepped and, the ground pin in the base and attached I went to town.  Woo hoo!  It went quickly and, well.  I am looking forward to building up another base in the very near future.  Perhaps a bit bigger and with several trees.  Hedgerows perhaps?  

The middle of the road was a creation by mistake.  I had wanted an uneven appearance and it turned out better than I had planned.  Bonus! The grass on the center and sides of the road will get dusted with a light airbrushing of Deck Tan tomorrow.   I need to come back to the base with fresh eyes.

I was mountain biking with a friend of mine on Thursday and saw some undergrowth that would have made some excellent ferns.  I got distracted on gathering any when he pranged his derailleur hanger.  They would have gone nicely below the rocks.  Looks like I'll just have to go riding again soon.

Today was the first day in a while where I worked on the Panzer.  I highlighted some areas with Tamiya XF-63 German Grey that was diluted fairly thinly.  I just thinned it until the consistency seem just right.  Some parts were also glued on.  Fenders and, both mufflers.  The hinge points where the fenders were glued need to be touched up with some Life Color paint.  I'll be hitting the Panzer with the Abteilung oils here shortly.

Cheers

Dave

  Wow Dave!

That is just Gosh Doggin Awesome!  Really nice base and groudwork here.  I mean it this is real quality work!

Edmund,

Thank you so very much for the compliment and constant support on builds.  Watching the base work that you and others have done has really helped me with construction and composition.  This is like scratch building.  Addictive.  Now I want to build a bigger one with more trees and other flora.  Perhaps a concealed PAK 41/43?

Cheers

Dave

The base looks great Dave! The grass came out really well. I also like the highlights on the Pz. IV. Looking forward to seeing the tank on the base.

Nate

Well, I'm glad to hear you drink more coffee than you inhale /sneeze /laugh.

I'm also glad you had the static grass applicator work for you. Now, It's applying static grass insted of shooting applying you through the wall.

I swear, I took a walk down that old dirt road you made a while back. I don't remember the rocks in the path, but it's roughly the same. Over all, it's an exelent diorama. (I may use something like that for some cars I'm building)

That Panzer looks great, just needs some rust and dust.

hughes2682

.  This is like scratch building.  Addictive.  

Oh dear. The scratch-building disease is spreading. You have been around me too much, and I have given it to you!

(I can't stop scratch-building, and the scratch-building feaver is slowly spreading through our forums, effecting anyone and everyone, making them want to scratch-build)

Very nice progress Dave, looks like the new toy is living up to all your expectations nicely!

Nate,

I've been itching to get back to the tank.  Now I can though, I'm not sure I'll be able to get to the oils like I had hoped. There are a few spots under the fenders, that I noticed yesterday when I glued them on. The closer I get to getting the finish work done the more I see that has to be done.

Railfan,

The applicator  works wonderfully. With it being 120V I treat it with the same respect as I do firearms.  It does not get refilled until the switch is off and it is unplugged.  There are a lot of old roads back behind where I grew up that I biked, walked, drove.  I even found a few old homesteads from the Great Depression.  One house was pretty much collapsed on itself but I did find some pretty cool stuff (I left it all there as it didn't feel right to take anything from those places). One house used Foldgers coffee tins as flashing for the roof.  The colors were preserved wonderfully.  Thank you for the compliment and checking in on this build. As for the scratch building.... there are much worse things that could be given to others.  I've definitely been bitten by the bug.

Bill

Thank you for your compliments and the following of this build and, others.  Now back out to the bench!  I get to work on the tank again.  Congrats on your dedicated mancave.  Yes, I do understand about the "Honey Do List".  I've got a couple more bigger ones to get done before the Rain Festival hits us again here in the Pacific Northwest.

Cheers

Dave

WHAT!

DOUBLE BOOKING?

WHAT!

HAVE YOU LOST YOUR COLLECTIVE MIND!

Did you indeed shock yourself with the "ion generator"

I am getting in the car now!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Dude, im depressed now

Bob

Dave, I think there is no cure for the honey-do list. LOL Hang in there.

Bob,

Apparently I have lost my mind. I may have backed over it several weeks ago when I committed the egregious error. So it does predate the ion generator. Perhaps I should used it to "reset the motherboard"?

Eric,

The honey do list works prett well. My wife busts her behind at work as she wears several hats. I've seen the bosses job. I do NOT want the bosses job. I was able to get some dot filtering and pigments done. I'll shoot some pics when I get home. I also shot some Deck Tan On the base. So far so good

Cheers

Dave

Well, I was able to get some oils on yesterday.  There is A LOT more weathering to come.  And pin washes. And grime.  Ooooh I like grime. Here's what I've got so far

The dirt is MIG European Dust affixed with mineral spirits. 

The mock up to make sure that everything is tying together. I'm not sure if is shows in the pic (it does in person) the Deck Tan sprayed to represent the dusting of the flora from passing vehicles.

Cheers

Dave

POOP!

Thats all Im saying

:( Bob

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

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 - 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

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

Nate

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!

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