Now Complete: Dragons Panzer I Ausf A with interior 24.10.10

very good build choice Xd

looking forward to this unfolding!

You see?  I was not lying... am going to follow your build very closely!  You have been warned...

Ben,

It's a fun little kit to build but you have to be a little careful with the interior if you decide to go all-out with it and install it all vs. doing a closed-up version. I kept a build log Here that you may find helpful. Good luck with the little guy!

Hey Bill,

I've got that build log printed off and in a sleeve in the kit box! I found it during research time on the net yesterday! It's very, very good and I love having one of your blogs to hand when I'm building. I'm also using some of Ryan's photo's on his blog as he did a visible interior and painted the bulk of the interior as he has the top hatch open on his - that is what I'm planning too. He's given me a run down of what colours for where but it's hard to go wrong with the colours in all honesty. As log as the MG13's, the gunners seat and the visible interior are painted well you are laughing.

I'm going to leave off the road wheels and suspensions to paint separately straight after I've painted the outer hull so I get a good colour match. They'll be pre-painted with my rubber mix first so I can use my circle template. I'm referring to your blog when it's needed.

The instructions for the interior were a bit 'vague' in places; nothing major but the battery boxes were shown as having straps and proper mountings etc? There appears to be nothing in the instructions showing installation of any strap detail? After checking Bills Blog it became apparent I wasn't the only one who had been confused by this. There are no straps basically - just two small PE 'feet' for the highest standing box. The build guide artist must have got carried away!

Today I got the basic interior completed - it looks great and fits very well indeed. I've left the interior removable to allow me to paint that separately with brushes next week - that means I can also paint the interior walls in Ivory White before I stick down the interior and add the barrel holders etc.

Here she is so far......................

I do love these little Panzers and am hoping for a great build. This one will definately be having a little base!

No more building until next weekend as it's back to work tomorrow (grumble) but next weekend I intend to get really stuck into this build as I've only spent a few hours on my modelling today, none yesterday and none at all last weekend (other commitments). A break does us all good but I'm raring to go now.

So far so good and thanks for the blog, Bill

ATVB & have a good week everyone!

Ben   

Nice work Ben. It's amazing the amount of detail crammed into such a tiny kit. Looking forward to more.

Nate

Have fun with this sir, I want to see what you do with it.  These pocket panzers are fun and less road wheels than later tanks!

Hello guys,

A quick update for today.....................

Having been held up badly this morning I'm well behind where I'd planned to be at this stage - I'll need to make up time tomorrow!

Anyway, interior hull floors painted white and engine and interior details picked out. I'm going to have the to hatch open but that's it so all that will be visible through the to hatch is probable the back of the drivers seat, the magazine racks, the gunners seat and the backs of the MG's so they'll be getting the treatment. I just wanted to get some colour down on the interior. I've got spare MG barrel holders to fit tomorrow along with the remaining magazine holders. I'm also going to ut a light Burnt Umber wash over the interior followed by a light dusting of pigment.

I've also got to paint over that black on the transmission rod as I forgot to do that today (DOH)!

It's not easy this interior lark! It's my first attempt so it's so far so good! I know it won't be visible but it's good practice all the same. If it was going to visible then I might have spent a bit longer than a couple of hours on it!

I just want to get the turret on her so I can get back into my comfort zone!

Thanks for looking guys and thanks to Ryan for the help he has given me with this build so far

ATVB

Ben  

looking good, i like the floor being primer green,  only thing i would like to point out is the silver drybrush, i feel its personally too stong,  it looks like the trisat interior is a little more deailed than the Dml interior,  i didnt know what to expect form it really untill this build,

looking forward to more!

It is a bit strong I agree BUT I hope that the Umber wash will tone it down nicely. All that will be visible from the turret hatch apart from the gunners seat is the step and first aid box.

The Tristar one does have a more detailed interior, I've noticed that too but again my interior will be barely visible so I'm not to worried.

Hopefully I'll get some proper work done on her tomorrow!

ATVB

Ben  

Good afternoon folks,

A quick update..................

I've put a light Burnt Umber wash down over the interior plus a light dusting of earthy pigment over the floor panels. The upper hull is assembled and the Notek light is fitted along with the speaker and main headlights. Exhausts are in place and the rear deck (minus the smoke grenade holder) is comlpete.

All of these part are dry fitted together at present - I just assembled them for the pictures.

There are a LOT of gaps showing around the upper hull on the corners etc so some filling work will be needed! There are a lot of angles that want to pop out but they'll fill in just fine.

I'm having to rush this blog entry as I'm about to go out with my folks!

Next week I'll be completing the turret interior and assembling the MG's and assembling the wheels in readiness for painting.

I'm looking forward to building something 'chunky' again!

Here we are so far - she doesn't look great yet but has good potential imo.........................

'Dry' assembled uper hull hence the big gaps.......................

ATVB

Ben

You are very welcome- feel free to ask any questions any time! Looking good- I was going to say something about the glossyness of the interior, but the pigment definitely covered that up for the most part (though i still would have recommended putting down a dullcoat before the pigments).

The top hull plate thing (with the big circle for the turret) didn't fit well in my kit, so I had to thin the edges a lot so there weren't gaps... There were still some gaps, but I filled them with putty.

Interiors take a lot of practice, as balancing just the right amount of weathering on the white surface is key.

Cheers Njal,

The closest I've come to interiors is when I built my last Marder III but that's a bit different!

She'll get there - when she's all fitted up I'll be in my element!

As for the dullcoat; you know what? I didn't even think about it! Something to remember for my next interior. As you know very little will be seen so I'm not worried this time. Not easy are they!

I'll look forward to the turret next week - it looks like an interesting part of the build.

Thanks again buddy,

ATVB

Ben

Good afternoon folks,

Excellent progress made today. The interior is fully painted and complete and the internal turret assembly is all done and fully painted internally.The smoke candle holder is assembled and is in place so....................

• Tomorrow I'll be filling gaps and prepping the build for paint plus getting the wheels and tools ready.
• Next week I'll start on the external paintwork and sorting the inside of the turret hatch as it will be posed open.
• Magic Tracks will need assembling and the weathering process will start. I'll leave the antennae and barrels until last as no doubt they'd get broken off at some point should I fit them now!
• I'll also be putting some chains on the smoke cannisters and maybe building a small base.

So far she's been an enjoyable little build. No fitment problems - only a few gaps that were pretty much unavoidable but easily sorted. The turret has primer on it as does the uper hull cover (primed for painting the interior) hence the colour variation! 

All the bits...................

Turret interior painted........................

A couple of interior views..................

A view in the turret...................

My current build (Ausf A) against next to my basic Dragon Ausf B build which I did a good few months back..........................

Thanks for looking guys - more tomorrow!

ATVB

Ben  

Good afternoon folks,

Due to the Formula 1 being on television this afternoon and an unexpected invite out tonight todays modelling session was rather brief - but productive!

Wheels and tools all ready for paint, gaps filled and the main build primed all over and everything generally tidied up. By this time next weekend she should be looking halfway there!

Gaps filled..................

Build fully primed...................

Tools and wheels ready to go.....................

Thanks for looking chaps,

Have a good week!

ATVB

Ben

Looks like you will be done with this one in no time Ben. Rolling right along!

Coming along nicely Ben. The interior came out great!

Nate

Thanks Bill & Nate

I'll be painting the wheels and the main build this weekend. I want to play around with a few shades of grey as my previous monotone Grey efforts have turned out very dark - I want a light, steely grey kind of look to this little Panzer. 

I'd like to have the tools painted up too so the following weekend I can concentrate solely on the Magic Tracks - I've not used them before so they'll require all my attention!

I've ordered the Dragon IC Firefly (Kit number 6228 I think) for my birthday present from my parents - my birthday is on November 4th so the Firefly will be my next WIP so I need to stretch the Panzer out over October.

http://www.afv-news.com/2010/01/dragon-sherman-mk-ic-firefly-hybrid/

I've built loads of German armour this year - infact I've built ALL German armour this year so I'm going to do some Allied and Russian builds next year (I'm thinking Bronco Comet & Tamiya Matilda for starters then a nice T-34 to even things up).  

WIP update this weekend guys!

ATVB

Ben

Good morning folks,

Why do you always wake up early on your day off?

A quick question- on the front of my Panzer I there is the concertina hose that runs up the front sloping armour and exits underneath the ariel holder? The exit of this hose can be seen under the piece that the ariel sits in when it's down and the end is just squared off. Do I need to be opening this hose up with the drill - I assume it's sort sort of air intake or exhaust and should be open ended?

Many thanks & ATVB,

Ben

e.g. pvt. mutts panzerjaeger I.the answers to the question is here...............

Drill it,it's a vent pipe Ben

Tony Lee

Ben: I'M watching you got this one in my stach going to do it this winter sometime like the inside will give your methode a try, more pics please.                     ACESES5

Ben,

I got on board a wee bit late with this one.  Better late that never eh?  Solid work on this wee beastie by the way. I built a Pz I a couple of years ago and my wife commented, "Aw it's so cute.  When it grows up does it want to be a tank?".  I almost wet myself from laughing.  I almost corrected her before realizing my pick up is bigger than it. Keep up the good work sir.  Enjoy your time at the bench and elsewhere.

Cheers

Dave

Hey guys,

I intended to update my WIP last night with the work I did yesterday but I got a last minute invite out to indulge in the fine Ales of our country so it got posponed until now (my head hurts btw).

Right, I did want a slightly different type of grey for this Panzer so I played about and eventually came up with a lovely mixture that contained 3 parts XF-63 (German Grey), 2 Parts XF-54 (Dark Sea Grey) and 1 part XF-18 (Medium Blue). The Dark Sea Grey lightened it up perfectly whilst the Blue gave it that blue hue that you see on these on early Panzers. I really like it - it might not be an 'accurate' colour but hey, it looks damn cool! Almost 'futuristic' for want of a better word.

All tools hand painted and fitted and jack block painted and fitted. All wheels sprayed black so I'll need to paint the hubs today. The PE Muffler guards are fitted and have been painted with Gunze 'Burnt Iron' - I love that colour. The metal on the tools was all painted with Gunze 'Steel' and the tool handles were painted with Vallejo 'Old Wood' and grain was added to the wood with Burnt Umber oil and a stiff, short bristed brush.

Today I'll also be decaling the vehicle with the Norway 1940 markings as she is going in Lasse's Norway GB (I sprayed the vehicle with rattlecan gloss last night in readiness for the decals and washes) and adding some LIGHT chipping. I need to fit the chains to the smoke grenade pulls (I've got 12" of pre blackened 46 Links Per Inch chain) and a bit of drybrushing will be needed along with some rusty runs using oil paints and rainmarks being added on the sloping armour. 

The barrels will be added last as I've already snapped the tip of the ariel (very brittle) - I did want that posed standing but not anymore!

My parents are getting me the Dragon IC Hybrid Firefly for my Birthday in November so I don't want to start another kit before then so I'll be making a small base for this one to kill time between completion of the build and my Birthday.

Here she is so far, I hope you like her:

Primed wheels & tools.............

PE Guards fitted........................

First base coat of Flat Black........................

Painted Panzer with tools fitted................................

Thanks for looking guys - I'll update todays work later on

ATVB

Ben  

Looking good Ben. I like that color you've come up with.

Nate

Thanks Nate,

I like it - it's just a bit different but when washed and weathered will look very acceptable (I hope).

I've just fitted the Norway decals and have sealed them. I'm going to fit the chains now and then I'll see how I'm doing for time.

ATVB

Ben

Good afternoon gents,

Really cooking on gas now!

The decals are on now and look perfect (imo).  A rough rust 'paint' made from MIG light rust pigment and water has been applied to the exposed areas of the muffler i.e. the tailpipes and hoses-this will be tidied later but looks good. Blackened chain has been applied to all five smoke candles and to the tow hitch.

Before the decals went on a light coating of rattle can gloss was applied (last night so the gloss would be dry ready for decal application today) and the decals went on over a spot of Micro Sol too so they are sitting perfectly.The decals are nice and thin and there is no hint of carrier film. The '13' is not one whole decal, there is a single figure '1' and a single figure '3' so film is minimal - you just need to line them up properly!

The decals have been sealed with another spray of rattlecan gloss as has the whole vehicle so it's ready for the weathering, chipping and washing process next week. By this time next Sunday I'd like to think I'd have her fully weathered and washed with the wheels fitted leaving only the Magic Tracks to assemble. I've got a variety of different sized photo frames so I'm going to make a small base for her after completion. Like I said my next WIP will be the Firefly I'm getting for my Birthday on November 4th and I don't want to start any more WIP's before my birthday so a nice base will kill some time and will show off this little Panzer too. Any base suggestions guys?

I've got a bottle of MIG 'Cold Grey Wash' from a store that I use a lot plus I'll be breaking open my pot of SIN 'Blue for Panzer Grey' Filter. I really rate these products and it will be nice to see how they look. I'm of the thinking that it's a Norway Panzer and I want it to look 'cold' if that's possible! I'll then be putting on the Dullcoate in readiness for the pigments. Nothing heavy but I want some pigment behind the running gear.

Right, here she is so far: remember she has just had a coat of gloss so she will look a bit, erm, glossy! 

Decals on.................

Chains fitted on the smoke candles and tow hitch........................ 

MIG 'Cold Grey Wash' & the SIN 'Blue for Panzer Grey' Filter....................

I've just noticed that I forgot to paint the rear light - I'll do that now!

I hope you like her so far

Have a good week everyone, I won't be at the bench again until next weekend due to work but the weeks are zipping by at the minute!

ATVB

Ben  

Looing great Ben, I too like the tone of the color that you have mixed, looks good on the little fella. I recall a very intersting article which was posted a while back here by someone that debated the true color of panzer grey. Seems like some leaned towards the film of the time giving it a bluer shade or something to that effect. It was a really good article.

Looking good Ben! Couple of quick detail/accuracy points for your consideration. The vent pipe on the glacis was made of rubber and was designed to be an air vent for the brakes on the final drives. The connections on the mufflers/exhausts leading to/from the engine compartment were also rubber and not metal. You might want to repaint those vs. the rusty metal look you have now before you get too much further along.

Thanks Jester,

if you are lucky enough to find a genuine colour photo of a tank painted Panzer Grey you'll see that when it was first applied it was nearly black, a lot darker than I had thought it would be.

I've seen a few photos of 'rescued' Panzers and you notice straight away that it is very light colour, almost a very light blue. Obviously it's like that because over the years it's been sunbaked and has lightened in colour dramatically!

I think my take on the standard XF-63 German Grey colour will be just right when weathered, particularly if I wash it with the MIG Cold Grey Wash only. The addition of XF-18 Light Blue really makes a difference too.

Thanks for dropping by buddy,

ATVB

Ben