WIP Tamiya Sturmgeschutz III Ausf.G Build Log

Have started shading the Stug.

  I have started using Liquitex mixed with acrylic paint. This helps with the tip drying and frustration. Before that, a lot of tip cleaning and some splattering of paint.

I am working on the periscopes and tried using Mr Color Super Metallic. This stuff is awsome!

Ran into a big problem. One of the return rollers (like in the pic) is missing. Not sure how I am going to overcome that one. Finished most of the shading for the body, though. Next will be the painting of the rollers...which is how I noticed the missing return roller.

  What a bummer  :(

Camouflage, is pretty much done. And now time for painting the wheels and rubber.

Making good progress, the camo pattern looks good judging from the one pic. As for the missing return roller, are these the steel type or do they have rubber rims? If they are the rubber rim type, I have a 'retired' DML kit that I can pop a couple off of and shoot over to you to keep this one moving.

They should be rubber Bill, as the Tamiya kit is an Early G.

That would be great...otherwise I have no idea where I can get one. I sent you my address.

Here is a pic of one...and thanks again,

Got the PM, emergency replacements on the way.

AlterEcho

Have started shading the Stug.

  I have started using Liquitex mixed with acrylic paint. This helps with the tip drying and frustration. Before that, a lot of tip cleaning and some splattering of paint.

Liquitex what?  Fluid Painting Medium?  Remember 'Liquitex' is a brand, not a product.  Thank you. 

Nice work, so far, especially the 'glass' work!

Gene Beaird,
Pearland, Texas

I'm guessing its either Liquitex Flo-Aid or Liquitex Airbrush Medium.

  Sorry Crash, I should have been more specific...I have been using Flow Aid.

  The reason I have not been posting a lot of pics is because I only had my iPad. I finally found batteries for my Canon (only a little Powershot), on the cheap. They arrived today and are charging, currently. Now, I can do a proper WIP. It was to much bother trying to snap pics with an iPad and worry about the case, etc...

  Here is a taste  :)

Painted one side of the wheels. Once they are dry, I will touch up where the paint bled through. Then I will paint the other side and touch them up.

Lookin good so far.  I use Flow-Aid too, its great stuff and a 4oz bottle lasts a long time since it only takes a drop or two.

  While painting the wheels, I noticed that the overall tone looked green. So, I will have to repaint one side of the wheels. Don't know how that got past me...lol.

  Here are the wheels with the new tone...Once dry, I will finish fixing the paint that got past the mask.

Hey AlterEcho, I just came across your build log and have got to say its great!  Interesting vehicle, I haven't any one build that one yet!  Both the kit and the blog are coming along nicely!    As some have said, a lot of the blogs have been buried in the GB section, but it seems there are more now in this forum.  Keep em coming!

A comment on the Iwata HP-CS.  I have one and absolutely love it!  I have 3 other ABs, but use the HP-CS almost exclusively except on larger models where I want faster coverage (so I don't have to keep refilling the cup).  No problems with different solvents either. 

Kudos to Bill for coming to the rescue on your missing return roller! 

Looking forward to the finished product!!

Nice progress on the paint work!

  I want to thank WBILL76 for the replacement return rollers. They are perfect big guy...I owe you big. Otherwise not sure how this thing would have turned out.  :)

  Decals have been applied and "Future'd". Base wash has now begun...

Nice weathering!

Looking dirty.. very good...!!!

If i can comment, I just think the swastika is too large and sticks out too bright.

Also, be careful, those symbols are forbidden in some countries, someone may feel adverse to it and could request your picture to be deleted...

Cheers.

Glad to be of assistance! Nothing worse than having a build stall out due to missing critical parts. As for the swastika, it's correct for a Finnish vehicle and the way they marked their vehicles vs. the German approach and once you get it weathered in with the rest of the vehicle it should look just fine. Garzon's right about it being illegal to display photos including a swastika in certain European countries (most notably France and Germany) but it's never been an issue here at FSM so you should be fine.  

Looking good AE!

Strange how Finland used the swastika on their WWII AFVs, but Germany didn't.

  Sorry about that...it never even dawned on me about the Finnish symbol. To me, I have never associated the Finnish symbol with the swastika used by the National Socialist German Workers Party. It always looked different, to me, than a strict swastika. So, I never associated it in that way.

  But, I can certainly see why people would have a negative view of the Finnish symbol. Please, let me know if it is a problem and I will try to edit the photos.

  Quick question...I was thinking about a future diorama. In that diorama, I was going to create a flag out of lead foil to be used as an aerial marker (picture a flag draped across the back of a tank, so they would not be attacked by their own aircraft). These flags were almost always a German swastika. Would that be allowed here?

Hi my friend,

US does not has an issue with this...it is allowed, but FSM being on the web and having users all over the world, I´m not sure. This is the reason you never see a scale model from any brand portraying the swastika (that I know of), just that they do not get sued if a model is sold in a European country or somewhere else where is forbidden.

Has anyone seen a swastika in the reader galleries?

garzonh

Hi my friend,

US does not has an issue with this...it is allowed, but FSM being on the web and having users all over the world, I´m not sure. This is the reason you never see a scale model from any brand portraying the swastika (that I know of), just that they do not get sued if a model is sold in a European country or somewhere else where is forbidden.

Has anyone seen a swastika in the reader galleries?

 

The reason the kit manufacturers don't display the swastika is to conform with EU import restrictions primarily and to avoid issues with their products being marketed/sold in those countries with laws prohibiting the display. That doesn't stop them from providing the markings inside the kit for modelers to create the swastikas themselves (usually in the form of partial decals that have to be applied together or similar since the decals are 'printed' and therefore also fall under the ban in most countries against that type of use) if needed.

As a side note, the Finnish swastika was in use as a national marking and has nothing to do with the German Nazi party or even fascism for that matter. It uses different colors and different orientation/display on vehicles and aircraft. The 'hakenkreuz' was around long before the *** perverted it into their own symbol and is also still used in India and other cultures as a symbol of peace and harmony.

In all the years I've been here on FSM, I can't recall a single incident where the moderators instructed a poster to remove an image that had the swastika on a build. You see this far more commonly on aircraft that feature swastika's on the tail, such as this one: http://cs.finescale.com/fsm/modeling_subjects/f/2/t/156517.aspx

or this one http://cs.finescale.com/fsm/modeling_subjects/f/2/t/156280.aspx?sort=ASC&pi240=2

where the poster has a GB badge with an aircraft sporting one on the tail, even though he didn't include it on his own build. I point these out only as small examples of how things are different on sites hosted in the US and with a primarily US audience of viewers and users. That's not to say there shouldn't be a sensitivity to the laws and restrictions and of course cultural sensibilities of other countries, but it's not an issue for FSM per se to prohibit the display of models or model-related subjects that include the swastika. FSM's prohibition against controversial topics that include politics or religion of course would apply and rightly so.

  Who would guess that I would commit the common newb error...I totally went overboard on the chipping. And to be honest, I would like to tone back the wash as well. I do not like the streaking that I created with the wash.

  So, I need your help brother modellers  :)

  How can I get the model back to a point where it is ready to receive it's first wash?

  Any suggestions will be greatly appreciated...and I am not going to do anything until I hear what you guys have to say.

  BTW...the primer is Vallejo Acrylic-Polyurethane with Vallejo Model Color on top. The wash is Vallejo Acrylic and chipping paint is Vallejo Model Color, as well. I am not concerned about saving the decals (which have Future under the decal, but not covering the decal).

  I tried soaking the model in a bucket of water and nothing happened. So, the only thing I can think of is to repaint her with my primer. Treading new ground here...wish me luck 

Well...it turned out pretty good. Might have to do some sanding on the decals...but for now she is drying and will evaluate after that.

AE, sorry to see that your original paint job & weathering didn't turn out the way you wanted it to.  You aren't the first modeler to have to totally strip and repaint a model, I've had to do that a couple of times myself!!

As for acrylics, water alone usually isn't enough to dissolve the dried paint.  Windex is great for Tamiya acrylics, but not so much with other acrylics like Vallejo.  I think it was the doog (Karl), that suggested using something called Purple Power Cleaner to dissolve model paints.  Not sure if he diluted it with water or used it straight, but after soaking the model for a few hours the acrylic paint came right off without damaging the plastic!   I couldn't find Purple Power, but I found something similar called Purple ? and it worked good enough for me!

Hope your next paint effort turns out more to your liking!

  Just a quick word on progress...

  I think I have some of that stuff in my laundry room. Came from Walmart, I think. Thanks for that tip...at least I will be ready the next time this happens.

Looks like round 2 on the paint is coming along nicely AE, hang in there!