DML Hetzer Early COMPLETE Pics p7 03-13-11

Hey Bill as always lookin good buddy. I saw on the news the other day you guys were colder than us over there and it was colder than a witches brass bra here.

Tony Lee

Thanks Tony! On Wed night/Thurs morning our tems dropped to -3 F and that was without the wind chill (that made it -25!). It was colder here than it was at my parent's place up in Twin Falls, Idaho! Things were warmer today, actually got up to about 34 and they are forecasting highs in the 50s by Sunday/Monday. Got to love the weather in Texas.

Hard to believe it's been a full month since I've been able to get back to this one and make any progress, but there you have it. Between work obligations and other routine real-life events, it's been a challenge to get in a block of time large enough to keep this one moving. Today finally offered that opportunity and I was able to get the pin wash of Burnt Umber applied that I meant to do back at the start of the month. I used a small 10/0 pointed brush to apply the pin wash using a roughly 90/10 thinner/paint ratio and then came back with the same brush and clean thinner and adjusted where needed. Once satisfied, I applied an overall dull coat of Testors Model Master Lusterless Flat in the spray can to remove any remaining gloss and tie the whole finish together.

Last remaining hurdle is the tracks and associated pigment weathering...which also requires a large block of time to get done so hopefully I won't have to wait another month before I can get to those!

Forgot about this little guy Bill. I assume that the shields are temporarily applied? Otherwise how would you get the tracks on? What did you use to tack them on?

Looks really good Bill. Nice to see a simple dark yellow color scheme every now and then.

Nate

Eric, you asked me that same question the last time I posted an update. Since I'm using MK workables vs static indies, there isn't a problem with fitting the tracks and the skirts are permanently attached. Thanks for dropping in again!

Nate, thanks for the comments as well! The plain DY presents some opportunities and challenges as well but is a fun "canvas" to work with.

wbill76

Eric, you asked me that same question the last time I posted an update. Since I'm using MK workables vs static indies, there isn't a problem with fitting the tracks and the skirts are permanently attached. Thanks for dropping in again! , thanks for the comments as well! The plain DY presents some opportunities and challenges as well but is a fun "canvas" to work with.

Nate

Doh! Is there such a thing as "middle-age moment"?

Bill - I feel your pain and experience the same.....RL is a pain and slows down the hobby.....now without RL there is no hobby period....thus the philosophical dilemma...there is no gravity, the earth inhales

Very nice, enjoy the time you get, it make it precious

Rounds Complete!!

Now there are those that believe that RL-RL is undefined in much the same manner the division by zero is undefined.  in actuality it can be expressed in this simples formula.

RL-RL+M>= N

Where M=Modeling & N=Nirvana.  Some have aligned themselves with the Utopian school where U may be substituted for N.

Glad to see you back at it Bill.   Looks great.

Hey Bill,

What a stunning build matey, you never fail to impress!

I'm loving that weathering and that shade of base colour has really turned out perfectly!

Top job

ATVB

Ben

Mike, appreciate the encouragement as always! It was tough to get back to the bench and I almost didn't make it Sunday due to wavering enthusiasm but ultimately just decided to go for it and get something, anything, done!

Marc, I like your thinking and formulation...although substituting U for N might bet you banned if you aren't careful.

Thanks Ben, glad you like it and thanks for the comments.

wing_nut

Now there are those that believe that RL-RL is undefined in much the same manner the division by zero is undefined.  in actuality it can be expressed in this simples formula.

RL-RL+M>= N

Where M=Modeling & N=Nirvana.  Some have aligned themselves with the Utopian school where U may be substituted for N.

 

Glad to see you back at it Bill.   Looks great.

Hummm....if we look at it using calculus ....and intergrate the formula from infinity to negitive infinity.....as you approach positive infinity M and N approch infinty .

As you approch negitive infinity, RL becomes the square and M & N go to 0. ......

It is another way of sometimes saying RL inhales....Bill, head up....

Rounds Complete!!

Loving this... raw umber and burnt umber washes really bring out its true color of  the base coat DY.  Don't feel bad about this... you are still building kits faster than I can.  Last year I only was able to complete three armors and.... a.... helicopter.... BUT it was for my youngest son as he brought the kit at AMPS show in Auburn.  Had to show him my love for any models.

Looking forward to your next update on Sunday.  But we would understand completely if you couldn't because you have been kidnapped by Hawaiian Tropic Bikini Team or something like that. 

It is looking very convincing indeed.
I very much like the way it goes from a plastic kit to something that looks realistically worn with your pin wash.

As always
Boarder 

Mike isn't calculus what you do when you have to take off your socks to count past 10? That's what my high school instructor in Texas used to do at any rate!

Andy, thanks for the encouragement. I don't know about the exotic kidnapping, right now I'd probably just settle for a chance to sleep in and call that excitement enough given the way my normal weeks have been going. The heliocopter build sounds like a perfect way to pass on the "fire" to the next generation!

Boarder, thanks for the comments as well. The weathering process is what always begins the transformation IMHO and takes a while but is worth it in the long run for the results it delivers.

Last update I mentioned that I had only 1 more hurdle to clear...but actually it was really 2 so only 1 was cleared in my latest effort at the bench.

I got the MK tracks painted and installed. I applied a base coat of Model Master Non-buffing Metalizer Gunmetal by brush and then followed that up with a heavy dry-brushing of MM enamel Steel. The Steel was muted by applying a wash of 90/10 thinner/MM enamel Burnt Umber to the whole track run and letting it dry.

Once the wash had dried, I fed the track runs into position using a pair of tweezers to guide them over the return roller and to avoid snagging on the side skirts. The ends were joined and then the idlers moved into the proper tensioned position and glued in place with liquid glue to round things out.

So now, really and truly, the last hurdle remaining is the pigment weathering treatment for the tracks and lower hull. Hopefully will be able to get to that next weekend.

Man, does that look good! Almost home now.

Nate

Looking great!  You are only 50 yards away from the finish line.  It is usually the hardest part for me as I tend to stall when it is 95% completed... don't ask me why.  It will feel great after the final dash.  Looking forward to your next update.

Thanks Nate and Andy, this one's almost across the finish line, just needs one more push to get it over.

Very nice....looks great. I know you usaully keep your weathering light but this little guy looks great without weathering!!

Enjoy

Rounds Complete!!

Bill,

I really like what you've accomplished with this one.  I'm looking forward to the weathering.  Don't you just love that MM stuff for tracks?

Cheers

Dave

Thanks Mike, the remaining weathering won't be heavy, just enough to dust up the tracks and road wheels and that's about it, so almost there!

Dave, definitely love the MM stuff for all sorts of things. Metalizers are wonderful tools in the arsenal, no question about it!

Bill, I think that's a superb shade of DY you've achieved!

It looks the business fo' sure!

Perfect color.

Kind of digging the dunkelgelb finish as opposed to the ambush scheme or tri-color. Nice to see it different.

Nice job Bill. Nice to see plain colour. You seem to be doing ok on the publishing front at the moment i see. With articles and reviews that i have read of yours and Karls in a certain mag. Well done mate. FSM have been sent a complete build article of my normandy dio i had on here but no news as yet, Been a while aswell.

Karl, nice to see you poke your head in from the garage and glad you like the DY.

DM, ditto and thanks!

Eric, it does seem a bit odd to see a Hetzer in the plain coat to be sure as the 'signature' finish for the Hetzers does tend to be more colorful, I'll grant you that. I've had fun with this one as something 'different' as well.

Andy, thanks for the comments. The irony about the latest run of published builds is that it's all stuff completed last year of course. My production levels have faded off dramatically (not necessarily a bad thing) so the run is about come to an end and will be a while before I get anything additional into print I think. As for your stuff sent in to FSM, hang in there, the process wheels do turn even if they are a little slow. You can always try sending a note to the editor you're working with and see if they can give you an update. I'm sure your stuff would get accepted without any problems!

Hey Bill,

Looking superb buddy! May I ask what you used or mixed to obtain that wonderful shade of DY?

I'm definately going to have get myself some of this MM Metalizer stuff - it sounds excellent.

ATVB

Ben

You get the double SCHWING for that Bill.  And that's saying something...as I get older

Excellent Bill just excellent................

Regards,

Terry.