DML Hetzer Early COMPLETE Pics p7 03-13-11

Hey Bill,

Looking great so far. I've not long finished the Tamiya Mid Production one. It turned out well but darkened quite badly so I'd like another crack at it now that I'm using different glosses and matts (no more 'hot' rattlecan stuff and all over washes).

Perhaps the Dragon version like yours - I like it.

ATVB

Ben

I have always like the hetzer it is a cool tank destroyer. nice

Hey Bill, happy new year buddy. It's great that you got your mojo back, it wasn't the same without a WBill blog.

The little guy is looking good. You do have a thing for the 38t series.

Rob

www.scratchmod.com

Ron, don't get me wrong, I like the artistic approach of adding some color here and there as much as the nex guy. This one in particular provided an accurate way to add a little touch of difference.

Mike, probably as close as I will get to OD anytime soon that's for sure! It did feel good to get the paint work done on this one so it can progress. Thanks as always for the support/encouragement.

Boyd, mmmmm, popcorn!

Karl, the Hetzer seems to have had a popular resurgence lately here on the forums, I say go for it if you're so inclined! Thanks for the comments.

Rob, thanks as well! The colors used are exactly the ones you listed. Testors MM assigns #1732 to the Light Gray in addition to the FS36495 code if that helps. Please note that these are the enamel codes, not sure if they apply the same ones to their acrylic lines.

Your Hetzer is shaping up nicely.  Like the all Dunkel color on this one, glade you went with the lacquer barrel.  What are your colors for your mix?  MMPanzer Dunkelgelb #2095 and Light Gray #FS 36495, would like to try that mix out.  Thanks for the info and keep the updates coming.

Rob

Bill,

AHHHH! Memories! A Hetzer in dunklegelb!

Makes me want to get out my ol' Badger and build another one!

Looking fine as usual!

Nothing wrong with a plain single color (even better if it was OD)   Nice work...hope it feels good to smell some paint vapor!!

Rounds Complete!!

i know what you mean Bill but im definatly guilty of it myself heh im a sucker for fads and cool factors yours falls into the accurate category for sure though so no worries there 

Thanks Eric!

Ron, glad you like it. I admit I was a little hesitant to do the barrel in the lacquer finish...it's become one of those fads/fashionable things to do (kind of like the trend to always some piece or other of gear in primer red) it seems but it fit with the overall scheme so I decided to give it a whirl.

Looking good Bill i dig the grey barrel really gives that little different aspect glad to see you breaking through the funk

Loving it Bill.

Got some time in with the airbrush today on this little guy. Applied a primer coat of MM enamel Italian Dark Brown to kick things off.

I decided I was going to finish this one in a plain dunkelgelb scheme complete with the barrel still in the original heat-resistant lacquer coating as seen in the well-known photo of Hetzers being demonstrated to Hitler early in 1944. To replicate the lacquer finish, I used MM enamel Gunmetal and applied that over the primer.

I masked the gun barrel with some blue painter's tape and then applied the dunkelgelb finish using a 50-50 mix of MM enamel Light Gray/Panzer Dunkelgelb. This mix does two things, it alleviates the too-greenish appearance of the straight MM dunkelgelb color and also lightens the base coat in preparation for the weathering to come in later stages.

The road wheels, sprockets, and idlers also got some attention. They were primered just like the hull and then MM enamel Gunmetal sprayed on the rubber portions. Using a draftsman's circle template, I masked the hubs and airbrushed those with the same 50-50 mix as used on the hull. I also took advantage of the removable nature of the remote roof-top MG and painted it off the hull to make it easier to cover both areas adequately.

Now it's on to the detail painting and other miscellaneous stuff to get this one closer to completion.

Thanks Eric, Happy New Year to you as well!

happy New Year Bill. Hope to see this guy finished soon.

Cheers Dave and Happy New Year to you as well!

Bill,

It's good to see you back.  Enjoy the vacation time that you do have. Happy New Year.

Cheers

Dave

Thanks panzer88, sadly my vacation is almost at an end but should be able to get some more time in between now and Monday depending on how things shake out. Happy New Year!

Glad to see you got out of that bad funk. Like everyone said already, it's not the same without a wbill wip.

Boyd, Andy, Mike, thanks as always for the support!

Marc, I admit it does feel a little strange for the podium not to have made an appearance...if it's any consolation, the barrel/mantlet did break off once before and had to be re-secured but I didn't think to take a pic.

SuppressionFire, sounds like a neat project, can't wait to see you with it finished!

Wildman, it all depends...there are various online suppliers that stock after-market stuff like PE, barrels, tracks etc. I have different "preferred" vendors that I shop with such as LuckyModel, RZM Imports, GreatModels, Sprue Brothers, etc. Some carry wider selections or offer better prices than others, so it's a case of shopping around until you find one you're comfortable with.

Where do you get all these goodies (PE, barrels) to add to your kits?

That seems to be the correct version of the 1/72 scale Hetzer I am working on (hopefully finish up before 2011) My Italeri 'Chwat' is the wrong version (later vrs initial) for the captured Warsaw uprising unit yet I chose to soldier on.

Glad to see you back at it Bill.

So, you can't keep a good man down isn't just an old saying after all. Seems weird see the 1st pics already at that stage.  can you break a piece off and put it on the wood base?  Just so there will be some balance in the universe once again.

Bill - Glad to see some mojo. I am sure it felt good to "just model". Use the KISS principal and enjoy. No matter what ideas fall over the transum here, do what makes Bill happy  

Rounds Complete!!

Yes, Bill is alive and kicking!   I had Tamiya Hetzer kit on my Christmas wish list and I didn't get it.  But I happen to have more than enough "Christmas" money to buy few kits.  So I think it will be safe for me to go and buy one soon...   Good to have you back!

Aw yeah!!! Wild Bill's back!!!!

Well, y'all know the drill:

BeltFed, I'm still holding to the "only one build at a time" rule and that helps avoid the stalling out and starting another build loop at least. While "modulation" is the current rage, it's not really something that appeals to me as a technique/finish. Don't get me wrong, some of the proponents of it do some fantastic stuff with it, but I haven't bought into it myself even though I've played around with it a couple of times to give it a whirl.

Eric, the mantlet question deals with the fact that some of the "early" Hetzers had an additional extension welded onto the lower half of the mantlet to offer better protection but that's not true of the first batches, so I didn't add that to mine. DML's kit is still the only game in town for a true "initial" Hetzer in terms of the hatch arrangement, the tow bar across the full rear hull, etc. while the Tamiya kit represents a little further along in the production cycle. The DML kit is more of a hybrid in other ways as it has later production run features when it comes to the barrel and the grouser box for example so not a perfect representation either without some "help".

Thanks Karl! Hetzers do seem to be popular lately, that's true! This particular kit is fairly light on the parts count, only about 340 parts including the ~200 for the tracks, so it goes together pretty quick on the construction side of the house and has no major fit issues to contend with either, making it a pretty enjoyable/fast project.

Great to see you back in form, Bill. The Armor forum just doesn't seem like "home" without a "wbill76" thread up on the front page!

Man, you're moving quick on this one! This seems to be a popular model up on the forums as of late!

Didn't take long to hop back onto the saddle after that Jagdpanther. Sweet. I did hear there's a gap under the mantlet that perhaps should not be there. Can't recall where I read it, but I owned this kit years ago and dumped it for the newer Tamiya version.

Bill- glad to see your back at the bench again. These days it just seems to get harder and harder to finish a build. I keep cracking one open saying "this one will get me back on my feet," and 3/4 of the build gets done and whatever momentum i had before comes screeching to a halt. Repeat cycle. glad to see you havent gotten looped in the same trap as me.

Hey, since you're looking for something new, why not give the "new" color modulation technique a try? It might be a nice change in pace! plus, id love to see how you would approach it