Now that’s a unique looking SPG!  Good luck with your build. I bet it’ll look great.

Keep meaning to grab one of these. Will be watching this with great interest.

Sounds like your wife had a lucky escape.

Oh yeah, very neat! 

May I ask what type of brass pins you're using? I'm trying to assemble a set of Spade Ace tracks for a IJA Type 95 and I'm seeing people suggest ditching the included wire for the pins. I assume I can get these at a craft store but what exactly am I looking for? 

Mopar: Thanks for looking. Bish: She was lucky she slowed down to make a turn and then started sliding on ice ended up in a very steep ditch about 25feet off the road with the car laying on its side. I've had this kit since the month it was released I thought I had edurad PE set for it but it wasn't in the box and can't seem to find it anywhere else but I don't think this kit needs it like most dragon kits it comes with the most wanted PE parts already. Gamera: The pins I use are from the local hardware store the size is 16mm x .65mm only cost a few dollars a box

Clint: Thanks for the tip!!! 

And glad your wife is ok. Did the something much like that in 2014 on some black ice. Car slide about 25-30 feet or so turning around and slamming into a tree and bending the frame all to hell and gone. Thankfully I didn't turn over. Just good news to hear she's fine after all that. 

Hi ;

 Looks like you are starting out right .I did the FruilModel tracks on my unfinished " Dicker Max " self propelled 105 MM. Unit .Those tracks went easy But , My , did they add the weight !

Gamera

Clint: Thanks for the tip!!! 

 

And glad your wife is ok. Did the something much like that in 2014 on some black ice. Car slide about 25-30 feet or so turning around and slamming into a tree and bending the frame all to hell and gone. Thankfully I didn't turn over. Just good news to hear she's fine after all that. 

 

No problem. Black ice is no joke my dad tore the front end of his truck up a few years ago and he was only going about 15mph on a off ramp. Here's her car

Tanker - Builder

Hi ;

 Looks like you are starting out right .I did the FruilModel tracks on my unfinished " Dicker Max " self propelled 105 MM. Unit .Those tracks went easy But , My , did they add the weight !

 

You got to finish that I have the dragon Dicker Max in the stash and can't wait to start on it.

Hey Rambo, first off let me say I’m sorry to hear about your wife’s accident. Glad she walked away from it ok!

Secondly, I have this exact kit built up to the point of painting. It is a pleasure to build so far. The detail on the SiG is impressive. Painting will be interesting with it being one topped and all the detail inside and on the gun.

Have you thought of a scheme yet? Can’t wait to see how it comes out.

It's been a bit since I updated this not much to add. Got the hull tub togeather along with the suspension arms. All the road wheels are togeather along with the idler gear. Have also put the drivers compartment and storage box togeather. Been working on the the fighting compartment I will post more photos when I get that done. Now to head off for work. Thanks for looking in.

Working in the fighting compartment started with the rear firewall then moving to the lower support beam in the rear. The instructions have you building the front support beams then adding them into the compartment. It's easier to install the upright ones first (parts M35/36) then adding the cross beams. the uprights are shorter towards the rear. Once I got them into place I added the front cross beam then installed the drive shaft tunnel. They have added alot of alignment points to make sure the tunnel sits at the right height and postion so no worry on getting it off any. Then the rear cross beam was added. 

Next the front plate was installed along with the few covers and the tow points from step 21. The fenders was then put in place after some more glue, and sanding the seam between the fenders and hull will disappear. The instructions never do tell you to add the fenders to the hull they just appear that way in step 21, they want you to add the fenders to the front plate then to the hull latter that just sounds like a all around bad idea. The drivers hatch and stowage box was also added along with the brackets on the fenders. 

Right now I'm working on the Bosh lights and the missing conduit for them. Thanks for looking in!

Looks like you've made some solid progress. Hull together and road wheels cleaned up, you're moving right along. 

BTW: Hope the repair shop has your wife's car back up and in one piece by now. 

Sad end for a Pontiac.  

But, Very Happy that your wife is OK, and we hope she enjoys her new car.    

Sorry to hear that, hope she likes her new car. I was looking at your lower photo and the damage didn't look so bad from the front but I looked back and you did say it rolled over into the ditch- whoops that's what I get from just scanning instead of reading! 

My first new car was a 2002 Pontiac Tran-Am. Drove her until 2014 when she was the one I wrecked on the black ice I'd stated above. Bought a 2014 Camero, drove her six friggin' months until a lady rammed her mini-van into me, totaling it. Ended up finding a 2000 Tran-Am, two owner, garage-kept, with 55,000 miles on her in 2016 and frankly I'll get rid of this car when they pry the steering wheel out of my cold dead fingers... 

Thanks, I consider myself very lucky. Sorry about your mom having to sell hers. If I had the money, talent and time I'd love to pick up a dinged up '77 and try restoring it.

Looking forward to your next update!

Finally had enough done to do a update. Lots of small parts that means alot of clean up. Have most of the tools done, the MP40's and ammo bags, the charge cases, the seats, and radio equpipment. One thing that I found is Dragon only provides the frame for one radio so either have to use the receiver or build your own frame so thats what I'm going to do just scratch both of them so they look uniform. most of this stuff will be painted off the Bisson and added later. Thanks for looking in.

Finally got a bit more done. I've got up to painting the fighting compartment. Everything goes togeather very well on this kit so far, just wish the side plates had some better locaters but got them on anyway.

Started by painting Tamiya XF-9 Hull Red like I normaly do. Paint went down nice as always.

Then I tried something new. I was givin this AK paint set so figured I would give it a try. Now the colors seem to be a great match to the RAL colors but they made me want to throw the airbrush the model and everything else out the window. For the first few minutes they sprayed nice and even then it cloged really hard, so cleaned out the airbrush added some more paint and a bit of iso91%. Big mistake that turned it into a gummy mess so after 15 minutes with some windex I had that mess cleaned out and tried again this time using vallejo thinner. That seemed to help it spray better but the paint was already thin and it says on the box ready to airbrush do not thin. Oh well I've learned something so it's not all bad just that now that I have the fighting compartment and some of the outside painted I'll have to use it again latter on also plan on using the RAL7008 color from the set too. Thanks for lookin in next time all the pieces should be together.

Cool, great to see you moving forward on this again!

Hmmm, I've been using AK paint either straight from the bottle or a few drops of thinner. I just squirt a little in my airbrush colour cup. If adding thinner I just add a few drops (I put mine in a saline bottle I left over from my contact lenses) and mix gently with a toothpick. 

I have had some Vallejo paint that's separated and turned kinda hard and chunky. I like the eye-dropper bottles but it's difficult to stir and mix it inside the bottles. 

Moving foward more the past week. I had made the rack for the radios then lost them somewhere so instead of making them again I decided to just use the receiver and the kit rack doing that I also decided to move the transformer from behind to between the radio and charge boxes. While I was at it I decided to wire everything up since its all in the open.

I gave the fighting compartment a good weathering and chipping. Also got the 2 ready rounds painted and put in place along with the MP40s and seats. The jump seat on the rear wall (not the radio op seat) can't be installed untill after the rear assembly is in place their is no way to clear the gun with it in place and the gun has to be put in before the rear assembly. This seat was a PITA to get in none of my twezers had the right bend to them you would need a pair shaped like a  distributor wrench. Finally got the idea to use a piece of blue tac on a toothpick and that worked. Then just as a good idea the radio op seat shouldn't go in either till after the rear is in place just to make sure it dosn't go in to far back.

 After getting everything shoved into this compartment isn't much room left for the crew to move around in it's cramped to say the least. Thanks for taking the time to look in.

More to show this has been a slow build so far but it's getting closer. I got the paint put down the RAL 8000 is the AK paint and the RAL 1008 is a mix of Tamiya olive drab and khaki. The muffler was painted MM gun metal then it will be weathered. A coat of Alclad aqua gloss was put down. I didn't like how the future went down on my last build maybe just because it was old but went a head and picked up the Alclad at the LHS it was easy to use and will end up sticking with it from now on. The markings was then put down they look so odd all bright and clean they will get sealed in tomorrow then weathering can start on the entire SPG. One thing odd the DAK markings are two parts to keep them legal but the two togeather don't make a entire symbol.

Alright since the last update I got the markings sealed in then went at it with some packing foam and Tamiya XF-63 German Grey for chipping. Went over what I normaly would on the chips but since a lot of photos of DAK armor show heavy wear I wanted more on this. 

After that had a chance to dry I used MIG filters ochre and brown. The ochre was used on all the top surfaces and the brown on the sides. Hatches got a mix of the two give some contrast. Then a few hours later I took some Model Master burnt umber and dark tan and created grime and dust streaks using used thinner to pull dots of the paint down the sides of the SPG. Then I used MIG brown wash to hit the bolt heads and sat it over to dry.

Tried another new item Vallejo Environment Weathering Effects Rust texture, and I'm happy with the out come. I also used some MIG rust effects over the dried Vallejo so not to have one solid color.

I have also got the tracks put on today ended up having to add two links to eachside that left me with no extras. I started by painting them nato black then Model Master gun metal. Then a coat of Model Master steel was dry brushed over them followed by MIG rust effects. I'm thinking it was the enamel MIG rust that did it but they started falling apart one side in to six pieces as I tried to get them on. Finally got them all glued back togeather some parts arn't workable now but I tried to get them on the bottom side. Next armor supject it's back to metal tracks for me. I'll try to get some more photos up this weekend. Thanks for taking the time to look in any advise, questions or comments are welcome.

You're making great progress, nice work!

I've gotten to the point I always glue 'workable' tracks together.

I remember when you started this kit, and then lost the thread, but just went through the thread.  Glad to hear your wife is OK (I know that was a while ago, but still, glad she is well).

Very interesting subject for this kit.  You did a great job on the fighting compartment, and you are not kidding that the space is cramped.  Excellent weathering techniques.  Sounds like you have figured out what works for you (or not) for tracks, and that Friuls are worth the added cost.  

You are doing a great job on this kit.  Thanks for posting the WIP.  Very interesting reading.