1/72 Sturmtiger- DONE!! -- FINISHED pics

WOW. Rob--we ARE getting old, lol! You've got two years on me then, ;)

Amazing how those sketches have leaked into everyday culture, huh?

For those sad young 'uns who don't know....

Hans and Franz

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I5Zk2vUmjpk

I remember first seeing it on SNL while stationed in Germany from Dec 1987 to Dec 1990. It was the Halloween of 1991 that we dressed up. Wikipedia states Arnold used some of their catch phrases when campaigning with Bush in 1988.

As fas as age, in three weeks, I begin the final year of my forties.

Rob,

Thanks, sincerely, for stopping in and for the nice compliment! I think I remember you saying a while ago that you weren't really one who just posted "attaboys" so it's my honor to get such a nice compliment from you.

Hey, if you were "Hans" and your friend was "Franz" 20 years ago.....does that mean that Dana Carvey stole your act? lol! Or.....horrors.....am I really that old now? Was it 20 years ago or so that he did that bit on SNL?!

Thanks again!

wing_nut

HOLY CRAPLACKISTAN!!!

I love that Sturmtiger and want to marry it.

Thanks, man! 

Looks great, a superb work of art!

btw, I met my wife at a halloween party 21 years ago while dressed as Hans (my friend was Franz)

wing_nut

HOLY CRAPLACKISTAN!!!

I love that Sturmtiger and want to marry it.

OH NO,

      not ANOTHER bigamist!

HOLY CRAPLACKISTAN!!!

I love that Sturmtiger and want to marry it.

Thanks, Pawel!

I plan on "keeping 'em coming"! It's great to have time at the bench again. Although I'm filling up that modeling case at a time when I"m also packing up to move! It's a challenge o balance THAT need against my need to produce results! lol.

You have a great day too, Pawel! Thanks again, buddy!

Howdy Karl!

Like the people said, excellent work! I like the camo on the figure a lot. That 1/72 scale is cool - with some creativity you can create nice looking models fairly quickly - and cram a lot of them in your display space! Good thing this scale lives again, because in the late nineties it looked as if it's dead, so good it's not the case! Keep them babies comin' and have a nice day

Paweł

Hey thanks, guys!

Steve, thanks, man, sincerely! I can't wait to see what you've got on the desk. I can only imagine...!

Thanks too, CallSIgnOwl, and SprueOne!

Bill, thank you, my friend! 

Ernest--thanks, buddy! Those bases are just the thing for putting Braille Scale builds in our display case--otherwise, they get lost among their "bigger brothers"! The nice thing that I've found is that, given how small they are, it just takes a little Celluclay and some stone or dirt to make a suitable base. The most time-consuming par is to find and paint up the little details--the jerry cans, the chairs, walls, etc--that give the base some character. I hope yours come out perfectly!

I am just awestruck on how you can bang out such a fantastic braille scale mini-dio in such an amazingly short time!  And you make look so easy!  Funny thing is I just bought a couple of 2x4 wood bases similar to yours so I can display a couple of my upcoming 1/72 builds.  In the time it took me to sand them down, seal, stain and varnish them you finished your dio AND tutorial!! 

Super work in the braille scale size Karl! Two thumbs up!

Outstanding finish 

damn fine work!

For 1/72 scale, (not to mention ANY SCALE) this is as good as it gets...  

.... I am thoroughly impressed.

Well, this one's finished! Finally!

I added a few details to the scene after I made that little base--I added some Preisser chairs into the rubble--there's one beside Hans on which he's laid a Preisser map case. I also put an MP40 on him, and a canteen. On the Sturmtiger, I put some ammo cans on the rear deck, and I also scratchbuilt a fire extinguisher for the rear deck, and a helmet on the top of the hull.

If I have one regret about this kit, it's those darned tracks, and how hard it was to join them. I wish I hadn't left that big glob of epoxy under the track behind the figure---it irks me, but there's not much of a chance of correcting it now. At least you can't see it from a normal viewing angle from above it. It's hidden under the side panels. I know that I won't do it again! Meh--you learn from your mistakes.

I think one of the things that I really like about the way this turned out is that it reminds me of Matchbox's old 1/76 Jagdpanther diorama kit, where it's shown busting through a brick wall? Hey, I think that wall I found in the spares box actually IS from that kit! I also threw some "rubble" on the tank where you might expect to find it.

Here's that fire extinguisher: from styrene and lead foil.

Here it is, on the rear engine deck, to the lower right.

For Hans.....love, Franz...

Well, thanks to everyone who stayed with me on this build, who looked in, and who took time to leave a comment! Honestly, I almost forgot how much fun I have here, and look forward to the next WIP!!

My favorite time comes now----time to rummage through the stash and say "What's NEXT?!" ...

doog

Lee, thanks, man!

Yes, the Sturmtiger is now stuck in the rubble. I guess I could remove it, but it's "born" in its own story now.

 Thanks, too, Mike!

Dang! That was fantastic! Ten minutes? Well done.

Is the model permanently stuck to the base now? Will the use of white glue allow for removal?

Thanks for the mini-tutorial, Karl.

Lee

Awesome work!!

Mike

CallSIgnOwl, I wish I could remember where I got that from? It's some kind of pre-mixed "Rubble; Brick and lumber" from some AM company that I got years and years ago. The "bricks" are actually some kind of tinted foam material, and there's rock and small pieces of wood and things that look like small shingles in it.

Wish I could give you more info on it---I was actually sheepishly trying to remember what it was called yesterday when I was posting it yesterday....

what is your rubble mix made from?

OK, so I've gotten around to doing the base...this is going o be a little demonstration of a "quickie"---a base built in about 10 minutes!

Here's what I used: a good ol' bit of Celluclay, some pre-mixed rubble, white glue, and some craft store paint to tint the Celluclay. In the right container, I've already mixed up the Celluclay with some white glue and #246 Dark Gray craft store paint. I'm using Dark Gray because I want to have a nice dark dirt base. I'm using a simple 4X4' plaque for a base. This has been already pre-sealed with a spray lacquer sealer.

Next, coat the plaque with whie glue.

Put the celluclay mix on the base and form it with your fingers. Dip your fingers into water to help.

Like so....

Now, press your model into the mix to get a good "sit".

Then put some more glue onto the still-wet celluclay...

Put some more white glue onto the still-wet celluclay....press in any details that need to be set in the ground.

Next, add rubble. Just sprinkle it on..

I then placed the model into the base and glue. Press the rubble

into the celluclay with an emery board---glue usually doesn't stick to these, nor does much anything else...

And that's it! You just built a base in like, 10 minutes!

Tomorrow I'll have completed, finished pics. Thanks for looking in, guys! Comments always welcomed!

Jester75

Nice come back doog. The only question I have is where did you find a 1 quart size bottle of Testors paint? That is a crazy amount of detail in that scale!!

Thanks, my friend!

Nice come back doog. The only question I have is where did you find a 1 quart size bottle of Testors paint? That is a crazy amount of detail in that scale!!

Ernest, thanks, sincerely! I'm glad to know that it's inspired you--make sure you post pics of your model when you finish it!

terry35

Sorry on my iPhone as I dais before excellent work Karl, I love it.

Terry

Terry, I don't know how you manage responding on the forums with your iPhone!  I don't even bother to try with mine!  The screen is so small, and the screen keyboard....forget it!  I just wait til I get home so I can bang on my BIG plastic keyboard!!

OK Karl,that is just TOO UNREAL!!  Its a good thing I'm typing because I'm speechless (jaw still on ground)!!  How you managed to do that in braille scale is mind-blowing!!  AND that wee little figure is fantastic!!  Most of us can't even do that in 1/35 scale!!  BRAVO sir, Bravo!! 

I'm building some 1/72 Dragon kits for Eric's Steel Cat's GB and this will serve as a major inspiration!  I know I won't come close to your amazing work, but at least I have some cool techniques I can try out!  Thanks doog!!    

Thanks, Terry! Looks like that iPhone is a bear to manage? But thanks for the compliments!