Academy PzIV **Pics** - FineScale Modeler - Essential magazine for scale model builders, model kit reviews, how-to scale modeling, and scale modeling products

Phil_H

Member since
August 2005
From: Sydney, Australia

Academy PzIV **Pics**

Posted by Phil_H on Sunday, March 9, 2008 5:35 AM

Yes folks, it's Academy's Tamiclone PzIV. To quote Luke Skywalker... "What a piece of junk!".

My reason for building this was simple - It was a cheapy kit I could use for camo practice. I think the last airbrushed multi-colour camo I did was some time around 1988

The idea was to just throw the kit together in as short a time possible and hit it with some paint.

Well, easier said than done... Though it looks reasonable in the box, it's a dog of a kit. Lots of gaps to fill and where there aren't any gaps, the parts just don't fit well. Lots of sanding and scraping and still some of the problems caused by mould misalignments are beyond recovery. And then.... the instructions don't provide any painting instructions.

I wasn't able to find any references for the vehicle represented by the kit markings, so the colour scheme is improvised and doesn't represent any specific vehicle. The weathering is a little rough in parts (was trying out some different paints, which didn't quite work out the way I liked) and yes, it's a little on the clean side.

So here it is..

Reply

DURR

Member since
July 2013

Posted by DURR on Sunday, March 9, 2008 6:51 AM

and your problem was what? looks pretty good to me

Reply

MrSquid2U

Member since
March 2007
From: Atlanta, Ga.

Posted by MrSquid2U on Sunday, March 9, 2008 6:59 AM

Phil,

I'd say you 'polished up' that lump of coal mighty nice! Others can point out the kits inaccuracies, I'll just say that I see a good looking tank now thanks to your efforts.

Well Done!

Reply

SMJmodeler

Member since
April 2007
From: Schroon Lake, NY

Posted by SMJmodeler on Sunday, March 9, 2008 1:05 PM

DURR wrote:
and your problem was what? looks pretty good to me

...whatever challenges you ran into were certainly overcome...that is a darn nice looking build in my book!!!..a liitle bit more with the pin washes might help, either way you did a great job!!!

Reply

tigerman

Member since
March 2003
From: Rain USA, Vancouver WA

Posted by tigerman on Sunday, March 9, 2008 2:49 PM

I think you overcame everything quite nicely and you achieved your goal of painting some camoflauge. I'd be proud to display it myself.

Eric

Reply

the doog

Member since
January 2007

Posted by the doog on Sunday, March 9, 2008 3:51 PM

Hey Phil--it's a bit clean for me, but as a "cleaner" build, it's certainly an attractive effort! Yhe camo looks good, the whole kit looks nice, and I can't see anything glaring as inaccurate or poorly done.

Not a bad effort at all for a "quickie"!

Reply

Dwight Ta-ala

Member since
July 2003
From: Philippines

Posted by Dwight Ta-ala on Sunday, March 9, 2008 6:25 PM

Well looks like you made it trhough the problems and came out with a great looking model. It's a bit too clean for my taste but that just me. Great job on the camo.

Reply

disastermaster

Member since
July 2003
From: On my kitchen counter top somewhere in central North Carolina.

Posted by disastermaster on Monday, March 10, 2008 12:43 AM

to all the above. The image “http://e.deviantart.com/emoticons/c/clap.gif” cannot be displayed, because it contains errors.

It's easy to see evidence of the kit's simplistic detail. Those side skirts appear chunky thick.

Steve

Reply

Phil_H

Member since
August 2005
From: Sydney, Australia

Posted by Phil_H on Monday, March 10, 2008 12:57 AM

Thanks guys.

Unfortunately, this morning a simple grey fade and shade went disastrously wrong, so this colour scheme is no more.

Back to the paint shop...

Reply

Anonymous

Member since
November 2005

Posted by Anonymous on Monday, March 10, 2008 3:33 PM

uh oh...too bad...you did some nice work on her...she is marked as a 24th PD vehicle, but those red and white numbers are shaped oddly...also, at this stage of the war the divisional markings probably wouldn't be so large...

Reply
Edit

shaun68

Member since
October 2005
From: Brisbane, Australia

Posted by shaun68 on Tuesday, March 11, 2008 4:55 AM

Mate, I think you're selling yourself a bit short. I've got the other Tamiclone - the StuGIV - which is all built waiting for paint. Never had anything like the probs you did. For less than $AU20, I really couldn't give a dry rat's if it turns out like a dog's breakfast, BUT, if it finishes at least half as decent as your PzIV, I'll pat myself on the back. Shame about the final botch up. Would've left it just as is...

Reply

Phil_H

Member since
August 2005
From: Sydney, Australia

Posted by Phil_H on Tuesday, March 11, 2008 5:59 AM

Mansteins revenge wrote:
uh oh...too bad...you did some nice work on her...she is marked as a 24th PD vehicle, but those red and white numbers are shaped oddly...also, at this stage of the war the divisional markings probably wouldn't be so large...

Thanks Manny,

The markings were as provided in the box. I thought the red and white side numbers were a little oversized. Size-wise, they look more reminiscent of hand-painted side numbers. Likewise the 24 PzD insignia. The line thickness seems heavier than it should be, and all the references I can find show this insignia as yellow, not white. (I have found what looks to be a suitable replacement in my spare decals)

Shaun,

Thanks, and yep, I should have left well enough alone....

Reply

the doog

Member since
January 2007

Posted by the doog on Tuesday, March 11, 2008 9:02 AM

Phil_H wrote:
Thanks guys.
Unfortunately, this morning a simple grey fade and shade went disastrously wrong, so this colour scheme is no more.
Back to the paint shop...

What's a "gray fade and shade". and why would you be applying it now?

Fill us in on the detais, and what you did wrong? We might be able to help you prevent something like this going wrong a second time?

Reply

Phil_H

Member since
August 2005
From: Sydney, Australia

Posted by Phil_H on Tuesday, March 11, 2008 5:10 PM

Hi Doog,

No great mystery. It was just meant to be a little post-shading to tone down the brightness a little and to slightly deepen the shadow areas. Just went a bit too heavy...

Reply

Phil_H

Member since
August 2005
From: Sydney, Australia

Posted by Phil_H on Friday, March 14, 2008 10:38 PM

Ok, we're back.

Camo pattern is a little different this time, and yes, she's still a little clean, but this time she's going to stay clean...

Reply

MrSquid2U

Member since
March 2007
From: Atlanta, Ga.

Posted by MrSquid2U on Saturday, March 15, 2008 12:46 AM

Well,

That was "fast"! I like this version too! "Clean" happens. There was a time in every tank's life that it was either fresh from the factory or field shops.

Thanks for sharing and great job!

Reply

Phil_H

Member since
August 2005
From: Sydney, Australia

Posted by Phil_H on Monday, March 17, 2008 7:36 AM

Thanks MrSquid,

One advantage of using ethanol as a thinner for Tamiya paints - it dries very quickly..

Thanks for looking.

Cheers,

Phil

Reply

Luftwoller

Member since
February 2007
From: Bournemouth UK

Posted by Luftwoller on Monday, March 17, 2008 1:13 PM

I think it looks damn fine to me, and im sure it will look even better on your model shelf. Nice job on the paint scheme #2....#1 looked good too. I see what others have said about the shurzen, geez if they were true to scale im sure they would weigh half a ton each. It also looks like its got a big bore exhaust. Germans had 'Boy racers' too, i guess. lol.

...Guy

..'Your an embarrassment to the human genus, makes me ashamed to call myself Homo'.

Reply

bufflehead

Member since
July 2006
From: San Francisco Bay Area

Posted by bufflehead on Monday, March 17, 2008 2:39 PM

Phil, that's a sweeet Pz IV! Both paint jobs look good to me! I built the old Tamiya version and it definitely a clunker, but with some TLC these kits can turn out fine, as shown with your Academy kit! Good work!

Ernest

Last Armor Build - 1/35 Dragon M-26A1, 1/35 Emhar Mk.IV Female