WIP - Tamiya 1/35 Hetzer: Now Complete - 19.12.10

Mannnnnnny Ho-Ho's............

It's actually looking pretty good Ben. Stick with it.

Looking good Ben and kudos to you for "stretching your legs"!

I like it Ben,that scheme came out real nice   Too bad all your muck got covered up preety good.

Hey guys,

I'll measure up and see what's what Bill - I've got a Vernier Caliper so that won't be hard.

Anyway, they Ambush Scheme is on and I'm pretty happy with it as first attempts go.I decided to go with the scheme supplied by Tamiya for a vehicle from StuG.Abt. 1708, 708. Volks-Grenadier Division that was serving in Halloville, France in November '44. Apparently, this vehicle engaged a US M10 near the German border - it doesn't say what the outcome was! I assume the Hetzer was knocked out by the M10? Perhaps this explains how they got the scheme and other details?

The scheme I tried to replicate was called 'Light and Shadow' which is near identical to the usual Ambush Scheme but has a lot more Brown in the scheme and the barrel is left in a single green colour. Masking wise it's near impossible to get the 'jagged' outlines of the scheme with Blu-Tack but I gave it my best shot and it's not too bad. Personally I really, really like it I was tempted to wimp out and go with the Giraffe spot scheme but as Bill said to me "You never know how far your legs will carry you if you don't stretch them a bit every now and then". I was going to make up a stencil and AB the specks but the shape of the specks seemed to be random ie some square, some round, triangular or even just a blob so I took a very fine flat tipped Italeri brush and hand applied the specks - I think I made the right choice.

Tomorrow I can't really touch the tank as want to leave it to fully cure for the rest of the weekend. I'll paint up the MG and periscopes and fit the roof flap where the periscope pops out of. I'll also build the tool box (which needs some holes drilling in it to make it look a bit more realistic as it is solid plastic) and I paint up the jack, jack block and wire cutters. I'll start laying a few filters over the course of next week so by next weekend I can put some gloss on her and lay the decals and start weathering!

I hope you think she's not too bad guys - here's a few photos:

Thanks for looking guys,

I'll post an update tomorrow.

ATVB

Ben  

It's hard to say for sure Ben what the problem is...without supplying measurements of the items in question, it's impossible to say which one is out-of-scale vs. the others, only that clearly you have something that is not matching up between the three different manufacturers. There's a reason why Fruil supplies sprockets for their links, either they know that their own links are slightly out of scale or that the kit makers' items are and they provided the necessary replacements. Given Fruil's reputation, I would tend to lean towards the latter but no one's perfect.

wbill76

Have to remember that Hetzer tracks and 38(t) tracks aren't exactly the same. They look the same but Hetzer tracks were wider.

Hey Bill,

So, the possible conclusions are..................

• The Friuls are oversize as they won't fit onto the drive sprocket of the Tamiya Hetzer? Karl - you may be right in saying they are slightly out-of-scale buddy!
• The Tamiya Hetzer has undersize drive sprockets? 

Very odd. I assembled a drive sprocket from the Dragon Marder III and they did fit on that but only just - it was a tight squeeze though! When they go on the Dragon Marder I'll have to take my Dremel tool and take a smidgen off the inside walls.

There was no way that without 'surgery' the tracks would have fitted onto the Hetzer. The horns pushed in so far but as they got wider they stopped? The Dragon Magic Tracks fit the Hetzer fine as do the kit vinyl tracks (obviously).

I've decided that since the top run of the Hetzer tracks will be hidden by the skirts I'm going to use the Tamiya Vinyl Tracks. It's a quick build and they don't look too bad and, after weathering, should look very good.

The Friuls are going on my Dragon Marder III Command Vehicle but some surgery on the Drive Sprockets will probably be needed.

The Dragon Magic Tracks will go on future WIP Tamiya Marder III.

Well, I'm off to paint some tracks! Update later!

ATVB

Ben

Have to remember that Hetzer tracks and 38(t) tracks aren't exactly the same. They look the same but Hetzer tracks were wider.

Hinksy

 

 

 

I know EXACTLY what you are saying Wingster but in all honesty the outside edges ot the guide horns on the Friuls are visibly wider than the Dragon Magic Track horns! The Dragon Magic Tracks fit fine on the Tamiya Drive Sprockets.

They are too wide to even fit on the supplied Friul Drive sprockets!

 

wing_nut

I see a problem with your plan.  It reminds me of high school geomerty...  If A=B and B=C then A=C.  but in this case A is not equal to C.

If Friuls don't fit the Tamiya sprocket on the Hetzer but fit the Dragon sprocket, then the Dragon tracks should not fit the Tamiya sprocket on the III.  Both 38(t) chassis and I gotta figure that the part in the 2 Tamiya kits are the same.

What Friul track do you have?  ATL-113 for the 38(t) comes with the drive sprockets.

I know EXACTLY what you are saying Wingster but in all honesty the outside edges ot the guide horns on the Friuls are visibly wider than the Dragon Magic Track horns! The Dragon Magic Tracks fit fine on the Tamiya Drive Sprockets.

They are too wide to even fit on the supplied Friul Drive sprockets!

They do fit on the Dragon Drive Sprockets but are tight - if it comes to it I'll have to take a shave off either the inside of the Drive Sprocket on the Dragon Marder or shave a touch of lead off a few of the guide horns that will sit inside the Drive Sprockets.

Basically - the Friul guide horns are too wide and some work will be required to make them fit. No problem!

Thanks buddy,

ATVB

Ben

I see a problem with your plan.  It reminds me of high school geomerty...  If A=B and B=C then A=C.  but in this case A is not equal to C.

If Friuls don't fit the Tamiya sprocket on the Hetzer but fit the Dragon sprocket, then the Dragon tracks should not fit the Tamiya sprocket on the III.  Both 38(t) chassis and I gotta figure that the part in the 2 Tamiya kits are the same.

What Friul track do you have?  ATL-113 for the 38(t) comes with the drive sprockets.

muck looks good

Hey Karl,

Don't worry bud I thought of that. From that angle it actually looks like a lot more muck is there than there is really is. I used one of the straight kit runs to make sure it's all ok and it is

These bloody Friuls are going to take some time though - I had planned to have both runs assembled and ready for a swim in the Black Track Solution by now! I'm actually only half way round the first run!

ATVB

Ben

Ben

Looks good but I hope your tracks fit over all that muck. You'd better check to see if you've put so much mud there that the tracks don't clear it--you may have to chip away some of that built up mud.

Been there, done that....

Hi folks,

Making some progress, slowly! I can normally whizz through a standard run of Friuls in a couple of hours tops that's assuming all the links are ok and don't need drilling out. Unfortunately every single link is blocked and needs drilling out with the pin vice

Anyway, wheels are fitted and the pigment/plaster mix behind the wheels has set well and looks good. I'll spend the next few mornings before work knocking the rest of the Friuls together so hopefully I'll be able to get started on my cammo next weekend.

Thanks for looking and have a nice week everyone!

ATVB

Ben

Cheers Andrew,

It scares the hell out of me too but I've got to do it sometime! Better to experiment on a cheapo Tamiya kit than an all singing all Dancing Dragon build.

I've just made up a mud mix using MIG Acrylic Resin, plaster, various pigments and small leaves and twigs mixed in with a dribble of Tamiya buff (I'm following Karl's Hetzer blog - he did the same and it looked very good). Once the wheels and Friuls are on I can fit the side skirts - theres no way the wheels would go on with the skirts fitted and the Friuls might be a struggle too, hence the reason I'm doing it this way. I need the side skirts fitted to allow me to incorporate them into the cammo scheme.

Cammo wise I don't think it should be that difficult I'm planning on covering the areas of Dunkelgelb that I want to keep as Dunkelgelb with Blu Tack, I'll then paint the rest of the build with Dark Green. I'll then mask some larger ares of the dark green and spray the Red Brown onto the exposed Green areas. Finally I'll add the flecks with either a very fine brush or airbrush them on using a stencil. The scheme seems to be predominately Green anyway.

Wish me luck!

ATVB

Ben

Looking great Ben, cant wait to see your ambush cammo (it scares the crud out of me, good thing theres others I like better :)   I might get one done one day)

Andrew

Hi chaps,

Thanks for putting me right re the erm, stem thingy!

Doog: I had a cunning plan for the two white wheels but basically it went belly up so they've been painted green and brown accordingly now - just an idea and a two minute job to correct so no problem.

Like I said, today will mainly involve Friul assembly and lower hull / wheel weathering.

WIP update later.

ATVB

Ben

Nice progress Ben

Looks pretty good Ben but are you going to put white in the camo too? Otherwise I can't see your wheels being white without it.

The thing on the stem is a light. Paint it dark blue like Steve has shown.

About that thing on the stem.....  it's actually a German stem cell........   panzer clone........  

Er uh, here 'ya go Ben..... for real.

(Click to see it much better)

Hi guys,

I hope you've all had a good week and not worked too hard!

The Hetzer is looking good. Normally I'd leave the wheels off until last but with the side guards needing to be fitted for the cammo scheme to work properly I've decided to paint the wheels and paint the Hetzer basecoat with my usual Dunkel Gelb mix. I'm going get some muck and mud laid behind the wheels then fit the wheels and assemble the Friuls. There's no way I'll be able to fit the wheels and tracks with the side guards in place (are these guards classed as Schurzen or fenders etc).

So, Dunky applied, wheels painted (3 in Dark Green, 3 in Red Brown and 2 in White), wire for Notek light fitted and Friul assembly has just been started. I'll get the weathering behind the wheels done and get the wheels fitted then the Friuls-luckily there is very little of the lower hull visable behind the wheels once fitted. When the tracks are on the side guards can go on and then I can get cracking on the cammo scheme! Happy days!

Hope fully by this time tomorrow the Friuls should be complete

My Dunky Mix (2 parts Dark Yellow, 1.5 parts Deck Tan & .5 parts Flat White)

Everything Else Painted Up: 

(Question): What is this horizontal cylindrical piece on the stem shown here by the exhaust outlet for? What colour should I paint it?

Thanks for looking guys - I'll a WIP update posted tomorrow. 

ATVB

Ben

Ben, sorry--I was out hunting all day.

Bill's got you covered. I WAS talking about the Oil Dot Method, not "Ambush scheme"!

Aaaaaaah! Gotcha!

I thought Karl had gone mad on me!

Two birds with one stone- thanks Bill

Many thanks,

Ben

Karl's referring to the "dot filter" method and not the ambush scheme markings.

Personally I'd go the stencil route for the little triangles vs. trying to hand paint them.

Hi Karl,

I'm a bit confused buddy. I was planning on painting these tiny 'flecks' on top of my scheme using normal Tamiya paint applied via brush?

I don't know what you mean when you say "drop them onto your model - but don't leave for too long or they'll stain the paint"? They'll be painted on top of my basecoat colours.

I think you are thinking that I'm planning on using a different method - or I'm being totally stupid? Sorry

Cheers buddy,

Ben

Hinksy

 

Re. the litltle 'triangles' (for want of a better word) that are laid on top of the ambush scheme ie tiny Dunky triangular flecks on the brown and green areas and Brown flecks on the Dunky areas - would you do them by hand with a very small tipped brush or AB them onto the build through a stencil?

ATVB

Ben

Doing it with an airbrush would be nearly impossible to achieve the result.

Hi Karl,

I think I'll assemble and paint both the AM cables and the kit 'cables' and see how they look. If I don't use the AM cables on this build then they'll easily find their way onto a future build.

I've been looking at your blog in great detail - I think it's going to be a BIG help!

Ryan: Thanks for dropping by buddy! I can't recommend this kit highly enough. It's a simple weekend build or, if you really want to go for it, you'd easily build her in one day! I'm looking forward to getting the ambush scheme on. It will be my most challenging scheme yet but I see no reason why I can't pull it off. She's going to be heavily weathered - not plasterd in mud but plenty of grime, chipping and general abuse will be coming her way!

Re. the litltle 'triangles' (for want of a better word) that are laid on top of the ambush scheme ie tiny Dunky triangular flecks on the brown and green areas and Brown flecks on the Dunky areas - would you do them by hand with a very small tipped brush or AB them onto the build through a stencil?

ATVB

Ben

Ben, looking nice--those tow cables would be a nice addo, but it depends on how detailed you want to go. On my "Helo" Hetzer, I kept the kit parts; on my DML Hetzer I added my own cables.

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Looks like a nice, quick, friendly build. I really like the inclusion of the link-and-length tracks, as they're obviously a big improvement over the old rubber band tracks. This build looks nice and clean- I look forward to your weathering! As for the tow cables, I'd add them, because (unless the plastic ones are particularly well-moulded) thw metal ones will definitely add some more realism, as long as you add some PE to hold the cables to the model.