1-35 Tamiya Panther: I'm Hooked

[spock1701]

So, this is my first 1-35 build. I received it in the mail yesterday for my birthday and got started immediately. Here it is:



I am sure many of you are familiar with this kit.

To start with, I assembled the back plate and glued it to the lower hull:





Then I assembled the sprocket wheels:



That's all for today. Tomorrow I should have the road wheels put on.

[gustavlekstal]

Got to love the panther! Good luck buddy and late happy birthday.

[spock1701]

Actually, it was an early birthday. I turn 16 on June 12. Thanks, though. I appreciate it.

[spock1701]

Did some more work on the panther yesterday. I assembled the turret and glued on the details. I also started to assemble the details on the upper hull. And, more importantly, I finally figured out all those farkakte road wheels and got them to stay put. There were so many parts! Curse you, Daimler-Benz! Anyway, it's going well. I filled in some seams on the turret with putty. I also decided to forgo putting on the little assembly thing that is supposed to hold the gun in place. I couldn't figure out how to put it together or how to put it on. Stupid instructions. Oh well. It's my first model. I have a bit of beginner's screwup license.

Road wheels


Turret


More Turret




Upper Hull


Happy modelling everyone!

[spock1701]

One question for the forum. What color do I paint my tracks, and should I assemble them before painting? The model itself I understand, but the tracks are of a very different breed. What do I do?

[trekfanj]

Great looking Panther!

As far as the tracks go, I start with a layer of flat black, then a layer of gunmetal as a base, then weather as needed (rust, dust and mud). I usually paint the tracks separate from the tank and add them towards the end of the build.

That's just my procedure, though; there are probably dozens of other ways of doing it. Choose the way that works best for you!

[OliveDrab]

One question for the forum. What color do I paint my tracks, and should I assemble them before painting? The model itself I understand, but the tracks are of a very different breed. What do I do?

I too paint the tracks separate, and add them towards the end of the build. This kits one-piece tracks are soft enough that it is possible to carefully install them over all the assembled roadwheels after painting, however some of the paint may flake off because of the "stretching" action during assembly.

Another method is to leave either the sprocket or idler loose, which will allow you to get the tracks in place easier, then add the sprocket or idler after the tracks are in place.

Keep up the nice work on this Panther!

[spock1701]

Finished construction. Fully primed and ready for painting. I was not able to attach the tow cables to the model for 2 reasons. 1. I had to bend them and the freaking plastic kept breaking. 2. Through one of Tamiya's many shortsighted mistakes, there is only one mounting bracket on each side of the model. Oh well. Like I said, beginner's license. The tank is primed in Tamiya light grey primer, which is very good, but the fumes are very strong, so next time I spray outside.


















That's all for now. Stay tuned for the dark yellow base coat!

[Coen]

In case you're still interested in attaching the tow cables, there were two ways that they were attached to the Ausf A, depending on the vehicle that you are attempting to model.

Like this...




And like this...

[spock1701]

I think I'll forgo the tow cables. After all, things get lost in the field, don't they. Anyway, they are broken beyond my ability to fix. I think it might be wise to research aftermarket options. Thanks for the input though, I appreciate it.

[Nige1940]

You did a great job building the Panther , and for your first 1/35 subject .
Happy belated Birthday BTW .

[spock1701]

Hi guys. Sorry for the delay. My camera broke and I am getting a replacement soon. The model is basically finished, but I have a question about my MIG Dark Wash. I sprayed it on with my airbrush, and it looked very dark. When I came back an hour later, the wash came off very easily, so I wiped it off with a paper towel. Is that what I'm supposed to do?

[spock1701]

Hi guys. My apologies for being so tardy with the posts. The truth is, I finished the Panther but my teenage tendency to be an idiot kept me from posting the progress. So, here is the final product: My first tank. (to be honest, it needs a flat coat to finish, but that isn't coming until next week)

The camo is Ardennes front style, green and brown. I was happy with my experiments with rust, slightly less so with the dirt. I welcome any tips, criticisms, and advice you might have. Thank you.

[ForTheWatch]

nice one. I would may be add a bit more layers of dirt, do some pinwash to bring out details. The key is keep using bit different shades and dull it down more. It looks more like a toy when clear coated, so once you get your flat coat, it will look even nicer. Panthers are best looking tanks of WW2 imho. Nice pick!

[Smiffy]

Very nice looking Panther

[Sturm]

Nice to have another "teen" modeler like me! Your Panther is looking good, better than my first model. Looking forward to seeing more of your work, keep it up!

Tamiya kits are great for beginners for the most part Here are a few that are fun and easy kits to build.

Tamiya 1/35 Panzer II
Tamiya 1/35 Sdkfz 251 Hanomag

[ForbesHutton]

Nicely done. But if you think Tamiya has too many parts and unclear instruction, it would be best to wait until you're 21 and can drink heavily before trying a Dragon kit.

[spock1701]

Hi guys. Still waiting on the new supplies that I need to finish this baby up, so I decided to build a little diorama in my free time. Nothing complicated, just the tank on a snowy field in the Ardennes.

[spock1701]

Hi everyone.

So, the build is finished. Finally, after almost a year. I have stared at it enough that I am satisfied with how it looks.

Please check out the reveal in the gallery.