DML Sdkfz 251/22 Ausf D COMPLETE! 10-14-12

Although I'm not a BIG fan of this variant you are doing a very nice job representing it...

hey thanks Bill for the info i think that camo is so cool

Clay

Most if not all Elefant patterns in Italy that I've seen, have been yellow and green. Same with Panthers.

Thanks Clay! Elefants fought all the way up until the end (one was even used in Berlin) so you've got a lot of leeway...the crews started applying this type of scheme in the field and vehicles also received a similar pattern at the factories so I'd say you could go for a late war Elefant in a similar pattern and be just fine.

REALLY liking that camo work Bill i have the new Tamiya's Elefant with the Zim decal set. i'd love to put that camo on it but i'm sure it didn't get put on Elefants in Italy.       OR DID IT??

Clay

Thanks Terry, I've been trying to keep this one moving at a steady pace as much as possible, glad you were able to stop by!

Marc

wbill76

Marc's an evil genius when it comes to working with tiny stuff...remember his PB panzers? And of course there's his ongoing insanity of the naked HT he's working on...

Me? Evil?

Thanks tread! The kit tracks are highly detailed in their own right and workable so no need to add to the expense of the kit with replacements. Pretty durable too, DML did a good job with the design on these.

Mike

Carl

Blitzwing

Wow that looks so awesome already I can't wait to see what you do with the weathering.

Man i am still impressed with the camo Bill . Those tracks look cool . Looking forward to inspecting them in my kit . Marcs idea looks like it would make the process easier .

Nice knitting....with this model its not a sweater its just a scarf

Rounds Complete!!

Hi Bill

Looking good, man !  I must say, the kit tracks look really sharp I can see why you use them .

tread

Thanks Rob and yes that's the reason for using kit tracks.

Looking good Bill   Have a few in the stash but have not built one yet and did not realize theses were workable tracks.  At first I thought there was something funny you using kit supplied tracks but now understand.

Thanks Bish and Rambo!

Marc

I Like!

If you get a hankerin' to really crank out some more 251's... Try this for your tracks.  Balsa jig with 2 strips glued to a wider piece leaving a slot to hold the guide tooth snug.  If need be lay down a strip of double stick tape and cut a slit the length.   Assembly can be measured in minutes.

Those are some nice looking tracks sounds like they go together easy too. The build is looking good as always

Looking great Bill. I agree about those tracks. They are a lot easier to put together than i expected given the size.

One of the neat features in my opinion of DML's 251 family of kits are the workable tracks that they provide. The assembly is fairly straightforward...each link is trapped via a cap block that glues to each pair and if you're careful with the glue, you get workable tracks. The key I've found is to assemble the links in pairs so that the cap blocks have time to dry and be able to do their job of holding the links together. Once the pairs are done, then just daisy-chain them together into groups of 4, then the 4s into 8s, then join the runs together into the single track length needed. I assembled 52 links for each side and will test fit a little further on to determine how many are needed for each side. Because the 251 uses an offset torsion bar suspension, one side will need to be longer than the other...it's just a question of by how much.

With the track runs built, I used them to help with installing the road wheels on both sides. I positioned the inner-most wheels so that the little "D" shaped tab was at the top to provide the most support to the outer wheel halves that attach to them. I also detailed and installed the pot muffler at this point before things got too crowded. The muffler was base coated with MM non-buffing Metalizer Gunmetal and then given an overall wash of enamel Rust. Once dry, the two halves were installed with the top going in first. 

I also detailed the pick and axe that install on the front fenders. The metal portions were base coated with the same Metalizer Gunmetal used on the muffler. The tools were lightly dry-brushed with MM enamel Steel. The handles were base-coated with the 50-50 dunkelgelb/light gray mix used on the hull followed by a wash of MM enamel Leather. Once that was dry, I lightly dry-brushed the DY/LG mix to create some variation and pattern and applied a light dusting of raw umber artist pastels to deepen the look a bit. Tools were installed in the PE clamps and secured in place. I also used a bit of Light Gray for the width indicator ball tops instead of white as white tends to be pretty stark on its own. I didn't take a photo but I also detailed the rear Notek convoy light with some Tamiya Clear Green to round things out for the day.

Next up will be sealing it all up and applying the decals (minimal) and getting it ready for weathering.

Great work friend, the camo looks very nice!

Regards!

Rodolfo

Thanks Terry, am looking forward to the weathering process for this one.

Kenny

Another one of yours I have bookmarked for the future, great build...cheers....Kenny

Hi, Bill the vehicle is really coming together now, the Camo looks especially nice should weather well.

Terry.

Thanks Eric glad you had the chance to catch up and see it.

IB

WOW! That is some serious "camo"candy!!!

Bill, wish I could have  followed the build more closely, but I haven't had the time. I love, love, love that camo scheme. That may be one of your best jobs yet.

Tread

Mike

Marc

I almost missed this one.....but very pleased to see it now.  Agree with all the others, great looking camo!

Seen a lot of camos 'round here.  Quite a few of the real interesting ones are on your builds.  Case in point is a few posts above this one.  REALLY like that one. Between the pattern and how well it's applied... what's not to love.

Gotta sneak this in now...

I love that camo and want to marry it.