OFF TO THE THEATER! - African Operations of World War II - 2021 GB

Armor_Aficionado

Wow! That interior looks really great! Can't wait to see the whole thing.

 

Thanks AA.

 The pigments look dark because they are wet from the fixer but once fully dry the color is lighter. Been working closing her up and restoring the thin weld seams using stretched sprue.

Hello, I know it's a little late but I would like to join this group build. I have a set of 1/75 Plastic Soldier M5A1 Stuarts that I intend to turn one into a M5. I've got it started, but there's lots to do on it. It will be painted and weathered for Aftica. I buy these multiple Gaming kits for my son and I to build. With Armourfast we each get one, the Plastic Soldier kits have three, so I'm converting one to the earlier model. I can post build progress as I chop and fill the turret.

JohnA

Got all the hatches attached late last night. Some of the ones on the fenders were left open as part of a small vignette setting yet to come.

Will be doing groundwork, figures, weathering and stowage. Still lots to do.

 Been messing around with wine bottle foil making some rolled tarps. Some paint on them and I think they will look pretty convincing.

I also found this old picture frame that will gime me a tad more space for the lads at rest.

Meet the lads that will crew the 8 rad. I've had these for a while so time to report to active duty.

Good work, guys! That set will be a great addition, plasticjunkie!

StugIIIG! I'll get you on the roster!

I like the dog and those wine foil tarps! Good idea; and good work with the drilling, too!

So here's my build progress start on the M5 Stuart.  I originally wanted to do this for the 1942 WWII GB but life being what it is I never started it.  I haven't done a lot of plastic models as an adult but have been wanting to get back.  I have a young son and have been buying Armour Fast kits that come with 2 models so we each can build one at the same time. I got a Plastic Soldiers M5A1 set with three models and decided to turn one into an M5.  

I have been paintnight and dry brushing the uniforms to get some tonal changes. These guys are about 50% complete. Still lots of blending, dry brushing, washes and fine detail work to do on them.

I have my Osprey book covering the DAK uniforms which were really a plethora of tans and greens. Uniform colors could be from a light reed green, tan/kaki, light brown, to a bleached almost white specially the caps. Great color variation resulted from multiple uniform manufacturers and the effects from the harsh North African desert conditions.

These are for the gaming gang, go together quickly and have no real fragile parts aside from gun barrels.  Here's the hull, ready for detailing and accurizing.

I'm removing the front vent port (already done in this pic, awaiting a bit of putty), and up grade the lights and lift rings with wire.  I've already got some tests of this done on one of those extra hulls.  Here is a test, except I glued it on backwards.  Still experimenting trying to get the shape right then soldering on the little pieces that stand it away from the hull.

I think that last pic is too big, I'll shave it down and see what happens.

Here is the turret as it comes in the kit (yeah, droopy barrel).  The M5A1 has the expanded bustle and MG on the side.  The M5 has the circular M3A1 turret.  

So I did a little surgery:  

And got out the Milliput:

It was the first time I had used Milliput, and I found it really easy to get the general shape.  It did not require much sanding at all.

Here's a shot of the turret after some sanding and a dry fit with a top piece.  Almost there.

I'm just about to start making the sight ports on the sides and back of the turret.  I'm basically cutting coupons out of .3mm styrene and building it up too the right thickness, then making the cast "frame" out of Milliput.  I'll post that when it's done.  I'm going to make an MG bracket from cardstock and replace the way too thick post with more copper wire.  I'm going to add a tow cable made from twisted 24 guage wire that I've tinned to give it more stiffness.  

Nice work on the little tank StugIII! Credits for taking the effort to detail and improve the kit! 

Plasticjunkie, those soldiers are turning out nice! Keep it up! 

PS- bufflehead, your Pz.I is looking good!

Thanks John.

I tell you what. If Finescale decides to keep sending posts my way (a real problem for a couple of years now) I'll enter the very very venerable Zvezda (Italeri) 1/35 Semovente M40 75/18 self propelled gun. The bad news is that it was new tool in 1973 - the good news is that a lot of after market stuff has come out - Tamiya even picked up the kit for a while. (Not that I'll be using after market - who needs detail when you've got desert weathering?)

So let's see.

Eric

EricB, 

I'll get you on the roster! The M40 was Italian equipment, right? 

Gents

I'd like to get started on my Zevezda Italian "tank annoyer". But I still don't think that I'm receiving any information from this Group Build or any other part of the Finescale community.

According to my Profile I am subscribed to no forums. I'm not at sure how to subscribe to a forum - the subscription as I understand it, takes place in the subforums - in this case "In the theater" Group Build. According to my Profile that is I get notifications from this group build - but I don't.

Over the last 12 years or so I've been on dozens of Finescale Group Builds - two years ago things came to a complete stop. For some reason, I was put back on the British Army GB for a few months but that's kaput too.

Does anyone know if I'm doing something wrong? Fee free to contact me if you do: rickt2@prodigy.net.

Best

Eric Bergerud

Good Grief: I cleared my cache of Finescale cookies, logged out, and logged on and just received a message. Cross my fingers - let's see if I get another one - preferably from someone else on the list.

Eric

Hey, Eric! I hope the emails will work for you. They haven't always been very reliable for me; recently they've gone to the junk mail folder. In my opinion, it's best to just check in on the website every now and again.

Your M40 will be a great addition to the build! I'm gonna have to whip out the airbrush sometime for my Wildcat and get going again.

Gret looking builds going on here!  After a several momth hiatus, my little Panzer II got a coat of primer today.  Hope to lay down the Desert Tan this weekend, if the weather cooperates.

The Friuls also took a bath in burnishing fluid, but I think it went bad or something.  It was a batch I had from the last time I metal tracks.   I let them sit for an hour and they barely darkened, they may end up getting painted and washed if I cannot find the other unused bottle of burnishing fluid I bought way back when.  

very good work gents... I'm in with a Trumpeter P-40B Tomahawk IIA (RAF) in 1/48.

Welcome to the build, crown!

PJ. Nice job on that weathering, got caught in a few sand storms . Th figures look great right down to the sun burn! no sun block then lol.

Stug. That tank looking sharp.

up date on P-40. test fitting.

This it is real fussy, I hope my other trumpeter kits are not like this.

Great work going on here!  

As I hop around on my multiple projects, the Panzer II got it's bench time.  Because of the cavernous interior that is visible through the engine grates, meant for a battery pack on the old motorized version, I inserted an old gift card and paintedf it Panzergrau.  I comtemplated grabbing some greeblies from the spares box but it just seemed like wasted effort.

The desert tan has been laid down, the road wheels installed along with the AM MG34, and tools and muffler hand painted.  I think I will decal it tonight, if all goes well:

Crown, the Tomahawk is coming along great; and Greysnake, my sympathies on the wheels...that's the down-side to German armor I guess... ;)

Glamdring, I like the rust on the back of  your Pz. 2 and that wooden box! 

Bufflehead, I'm glad you enjoyed the article! I figure the Wildcat is a unique subject for the N. African Theater considering how tightly it's associated with the Pacific Theater. Add on the fact it fought American tech=fun build with a backstory. I'm honored that you'll be monitoring my build for reference! I'll keep a lookout for your build updates, too. :)

I have to get out and airbrush again still; but in the meantime, I painted the canopy lines and the pilot.....

AND......started yet another Wildcat, in 1/48 this time. I intend for it to be another Op. Torch one. My progress is limited to the cockpit so far: 

The Kit

& the Cockpit