Global Scale Modeller

Well, This is my first time joining in on a SiG build and my first go at a Dragon kit. I decided to go with the Jagdpanzer as that’s something i haven’t modelled before so makes a little bit of a nice change for me, I chose to go with the Zimmerit version for this one, I think it brings in a little bit more interest and detail to the model only this time its moulded in to the kit which is nice, so i dont have to mold it or apply via photo etch .
So far after opening the kit I’m quite impressed with the level of detail that has gone in to all the parts compared to the Tamiya kits I normally buy. so looking forward to seeing how this one turns out. I have also ordered some photo etch from some place in china which I’m now waiting on, photo etch is still quite new to me so it will be interesting how it turns out.

Here are a few pictures of the box and bits inside as well as a close up of the zimmerit that’s been moulded in to the parts.

















I’m not completely sure on which colour scheme I’m going to go with yet but the Warsaw 1944 version has taken my eye.

Based off of what i could find online this take was the direct replacement of the Stug III and you can see the resemblance. I found i nice write up of this tank here: http://www.achtungpanzer.com/jagdpanzer ... 8-1944.htm it has a few good images and info its specifications at the bottom.

Now on with building it!

I have already made a start on the wheels. This always feels like the worst bit when making these tanks especially when the Germans like to stick so many on their tanks. I found this actually taking longer than I would have liked as the moulding on the wheels had created a ridge where one part of the mould was slightly larger than the other, so out came the files and sanding paper!

These are the parts that make up the many wheels. Worst bit was sticking the little cap on to the wheel. You can see the ridge that i am having to sand down in the picture.



Well my first mistake on this one. I was holding one of the little caps (see above picture) with my tweezers and it has now pinged somewhere I will try having another look but it may be lost forever, luckily I have found that someone makes some resin wheels for the Panzer IV so I may have to buy some.

This is my progress in a few hours.

So, update from me. I have finally completed almost everything for the lower hull. I have left some small detail bits off as the photo etch has not arrived yet, plus I’m likely to knock them off accidently. Turns out the kit had spare wheels which solves my issue of the lost part last week. There’s been quite a bit of sanding involved just to remove that very slight seem left from the moulding process. For this I’m going to take the approach of building all the main sections first and getting it primed before final assembly. The inside comes with some details so I’m not sure if I will make those visible or not.
I had an issue with finding a few parts on the sprues, mainly the tow coupler at the back seemed to have two of the same part so I may need to go slightly historically incorrect for that part unless i spot the bit I need. Another odd thing was the instructions say to make 6 of the top sprockets but there are 8 places for these to go.

Anyhow here are some pictures.










Working on the top half of the hull next and then on to the gun assembly.

Update from me, I have more or less completed the upper part of the hull and gun assembly. Putting the gun together got a little fiddly and actually attaching the gun assembly to the top part of the hull felt like I needed a third hand.

The detail on these parts are really nice, even though you probably won’t be able to see them when they are in.


This part here is one to watch out for. you have to put this cog in and glue a another part on top without the glue seeping in to the cog, unfortunately this part didn’t fit straight away and I could feel it starting to stick so I had to pull it out and sand down the top part so it was smaller and less likely to touch the retaining plastic while gluing, this did also make it much easier to move the gun elevation. Being as this part was what kept the gun in place but also allowed it to move i wanted to get this right.


This part here is not exactly clear if you should or should not be gluing it, so for now i have left it un-glued just in case!




And here we have the gun assembly mounted. I have purposely left the breach un-glued as it moved nicely.




And here it is dry fitted. The dry fit has turned out really well, no need to any sanding to make it fit. nice!


Now I’m just really waiting on the photoetch to arrive from china which will hopefully be here within the next two weeks. But I can start priming and painting the inside.

Finally the photo etch has arrived. Lots of little fiddley pieces so I may not use them all. It’s taken an hour to bend and glue the parts for the fire extinguisher.

Update!
The PE is now on after many days of fiddly bending gluing and slicing though my thumb the bits that i wanted on there are now on. Its a nice set of detail parts and there are many that i haven't used either because i thought that the kits parts were good enough or they were to small to stick on with the super glue i was using. I have now finally glued all the 4 sections together, having them apart made attaching the PE much easier and gave the flexibility to prime parts that you wouldn't be able to if it was already assembled.








The inclusion of the different grades of wire was a nice addition and allowed you to add those extra details!
There was the option to make the side armor brackets out of PE but the kit ones where ok and are probably stuck on better that if i had done it in PE and superglue

Now we are on to the final cote of primer and then the camo

The first parts of the Cammo are now on, with the base colour being Vallejo Middlestone (no.118) I thin it down slightly with the Vallejo flow improver, this seems to make it much easier to apply and also helps the paint to not dry on the end of the needle all the time.



And then adding in the brown (no.145), I wasn't to sure how i was going to do this or what i even wanted it to look like so i went for a random pattern of brown.



And afterwards added the green (no. 097) on top of it, not to sure how i feel about it but we will see

Paint looks good mate. PE is superb too.

Great stuff.

Looking good and the PE is good work too.

I remember years ago talking to a friends Grandfather who was Polish, the had passed this area and there was firing from behind them. Turns out that they had actually driven over one of these camouflaged up, waited as he and others drove over and past him and fired on follow up units. They were only 6ft high IIRC.

Really clean, crisp work! Nice job on the camo, too. Looks very authentic. I'm with you on the German penchant for a multiplicity of road-wheels. It might have made for a nice smooth ride, but I don't have to ride in 'em, just stick the bleeding wheels on! I'm just finishing off the base on a Jagdpanther... 32 mould seams on 32 tyres.... euch! I've already started on an Su-122, and am past the point where I'd have normally done the wheels, I've just noticed! Over-dosed, obviously... maybe I should have done a boat kit next instead!

Thanks, haha or even an airplane (without large wing to fuselage seams)

So after much thought and looking at the paint, i took a risk and added some more...
i think it turned out much better, i guess i was lacking the brown.





The above was the after shot of me adding a very light layer of mixed green,brown and grey. i chose to do this as the colours seemed very abrupt against each other so they need that little something to tie them together. There was no technique to getting the colour that i wanted other than add a few drops of paint untill it looked right. Well this is what it looked like:


Afterwards I started on a little weathering and marking by the wheels, being as i had them off should be easier to do this step now, this was the result before any washes or the adding of mud.



And now those wheels strike again!
initially primed with Ultimate grey and then sprayed with Vallejo back.


And afterwards using a cheap stencil off ebay to mask off the tires and fill in the center


Many wheels done!


Unfortunately while applying the wash i stopped paying attention to which pot was wash and which was Ultimate airbrush cleaner, I only realized when i started rubbing off the wash and saw the paint stating to mix and vanish....



Sigh, so to try and fix it i re-activated the paint with water and a damp brush, then re-sprayed with a base brown and a bit of green camo shape back over the top again. Re-applied the wash going with dark dirt this time as i skipped my experimental paint mixture. and started on the chipping. hears the result of my fix, fairly pleased you probably wouldn't know i had done that unless i had said so.



So this leads quite well in to my chipping, normally i don't worry about this stage but i'm really trying to go for a well used, traveled for miles across muddy ground with a lot of foot traffic and trees bashing against the body look.
I achieved this with some foam dipped in to Vallejo's German Grey (167) and then over the top very very lightly after removing most of the paint on a tissue i went back over using Vallejo's Black (169) once that was done i then again went over certain area's with the humrol rust wash but using the spoung rather than using it as a full wash. once applied the surface was lightly dabbed with a tissue to pick up the large bits,not all chips will have rust so this seemed the best method. Lastly just a quick go over with a thin layer of Ultimate Dark Dirt wash to tie the new chips together with the paint.



My trusty Rolo yogurt pot for paint (these a fantastic i get to eat chocolate and receive a pint pot at the end of it)


The result:










Next was on to the tracks, i haven't ever used magic tracks before, normally the kits i get just have the rubber ones, easy to fit but don't look half as good. So i found one youtube video that give me some idea of a method to use. The guy said you could re-activate the glue (tamiya thin) when putting on the vehicle to get the sag that i'm after but this didn't work for me. I found the best way was to glue them and quickly prime and paint the base silver colour on while the track was still malleable, then trickily apply to the tank and shove anything in there to bend the track. Getting the track peaces in was difficult due to the side amour hooks being in the way, i half had to force it in and then glue two parts together at the top that way.

My initial track bits to start off with:


My genius idea of "shove anything in that's about the correct size method" once shoved in i glued everything so it would stay put. Will do the weathering a bit later on.



I only have a few hours left to get this done and submitted for the deadline #pulling an all-nighter

And the traks are on!



You can view the final reveal here: http://www.intscalemodeller.com/viewtop ... 52&t=21005

This was a nice kit to build and i did a few different things this time. now back to building the Vulcan wich has taken be about a year so far, so this was a nice brake from it.

Lovely journey watching this beast come together. I have picked some useful tips.