GlenP Posted March 20, 2017 Author Share Posted March 20, 2017 Steps 17, 18, and 19 The final steps – 17 through 19 all involve the attachment of the tools, other external stowage, and the photo-etch engine intake screens. I leave the tools and other external stowage off until after the hull as been painted. I tend to leave the tools on the sprue (avoiding potential loss) until after the hull painting and, in some cases, weathering. I’ll address the tools again later. Before adding the intake screens, I painted the intakes and the underside of the screens flat black. The screens were then attached with superglue. The pics show the completed hull without the intake screens (I got a bit ahead of myself). The roof and gun are still removable for painting. Painting is next. 6 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sournecro Posted March 20, 2017 Share Posted March 20, 2017 I was lucky to have scored some aftermarket tracks for real cheap. I never cared for Tamiya tracks,it always seems like they make a decent kit then cheap out on a important detail. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GlenP Posted March 21, 2017 Author Share Posted March 21, 2017 He shoots! He scores! You can often find aftermarket model accessories in the vendors' area at model shows. Otherwise, you usually have to mail order them from places like Squadron. These can drive up the cost of a kit quite a bit, especially if you start adding resin and/or photo-etch detail and conversion parts. It pays to do some research on the web model forums. Tank tracks have come along way in the last 25 years or so. The (often) sparsely detailed vinyl tracks that were riveted together with a heated screwdriver are long gone. Once the kit companies started marketing to adults versus kids, they were force to up their game in terms of scale and detail accuracy. Some aftermarket companies started offering individual link tracks in metal or plastic, while some kit companies started including link-and-length or individual injection molded plastic links in their kits. The link and length tracks are a combination of long and short runs combined with individual links. Tamiya's 1/48 scale tanks kits have these and I like them. The individual link tracks take getting used to, since they all have to be removed from the sprue and cleaned up one at a time. While some click together and remain flexible, others have to be quickly assembled, cemented and wrapped around the wheels and and sprockets before the glue has completely set. Painting and weathering is done in situ. As for myself, I'm perfectly happy with Tamiya's new tech flexible one-piece soft polystyrene tracks. They can be glued together with standard model cements and painted with enamel or acrylic model paints. No muss, no fuss. Stay tuned! Qs and Cs welcomed. I am here to serve... 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TGP Posted March 21, 2017 Share Posted March 21, 2017 I have some monogram kits of tanks (never built :: still in box) from the 70s. [I think?] Do do you suppose those have [had?] vinyl tracks? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
knarthex Posted March 21, 2017 Share Posted March 21, 2017 7 minutes ago, TGP said: I have some monogram kits of tanks (never built :: still in box) from the 70s. [I think?] Do do you suppose those have [had?] vinyl tracks? The ones I remember building did..... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GlenP Posted March 22, 2017 Author Share Posted March 22, 2017 @TGP. Yes, as I recall the Monogram tanks from the 70s were 1/32nd scale and vinyl tracks using a heated screwdriver blade flattening vinyl rivets to join the ends. They were a bit on the chunky side. Most were German, but there was at least on Allied M3 Grant tank used by the British. I wasn't really into tanks until the late 70s and by then time and technology had passed the Monogram tanks by. Airfix also had a brief flirtation with 1/32nd scale armor. An update tomorrow! 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
knarthex Posted March 22, 2017 Share Posted March 22, 2017 17 hours ago, GlenP said: @TGP. Yes, as I recall the Monogram tanks from the 70s were 1/32nd scale and vinyl tracks using a heated screwdriver blade flattening vinyl rivets to join the ends. They were a bit on the chunky side. Most were German, but there was at least on Allied M3 Grant tank used by the British. I wasn't really into tanks until the late 70s and by then time and technology had passed the Monogram tanks by. Airfix also had a brief flirtation with 1/32nd scale armor. An update tomorrow! The Allied Monagram kits were : M3 Lee M3 Grant M4 Sherman 'hedgehog' M4A1 Sherman 'Calliope' M48 Patton All their 'soft skins' were US if I recall... I built most of them at least once.... 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
knarthex Posted March 22, 2017 Share Posted March 22, 2017 The German kits were all based on the MK IV hull: MK IV Brumbar Sturmgeschutz Panzer Jaeger IV Wirblewind Ostwind Except for the 8 wheel armoured car with 20mm cannon... Designation escapes me atm... 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GlenP Posted March 23, 2017 Author Share Posted March 23, 2017 (edited) Yes! The 8-wheeled armored car was the Sd.kfz. 232, rendered obsolete when Tamiya issued their version in 1/35 which at the time was rapidly becoming the standard scale for larger tank kits. Monogram also punched out a pair of US M8 and 20 Greyhound armored cars - also rendered obsolete by Tamiya's versions a number of years ago. Cue Celine Dion - it's all coming back to me now... And back to our regularly scheduled program... Painting: Phase 1 – The Base Color German military vehicles from the late 30s to early 1943 were painted a dark gray color known as Schwarzgrau (Black Gray). I used Testor’s Model Master Schwarzgrau enamel. The paint was shot through a Paasche VL double-action airbrush that I’ve had since the early 1980s and powered by a rather elderly Binks diaphragm compressor that I’ve had since the 1974. We’re all still going strong… If you don’t have an airbrush, many of the WW II colors are available in spray cans. Easy if you’re doing a single color scheme like this one or an overall Olive Drab Sherman tank. Multi-color schemes will require masking and/or brush painting. On to the Stug! I thinned the paint to about a 70% to 30% ratio for spraying. I used Testor's Model Master Thinner to reduce the paint. I tend to use the paint manufacturer's thinner with their products to avoid any compatibility problems. I use straight hardware store mineral spirits to clean the airbrush, color cup, and brushes. It only took about 15 minutes to the paint the entire hull, hull roof, outer gun, wheels, and few other small components. I usually let the paint cure for 24 hours before handling it and further painting. Many modelers stop at this point and add a general and pinpoint wash followed by some progressively lighter drybrushing with the dark gray (adding increasing amounts flat white to the mix) and brushing the lighter grays toward the top. Others, like myself, throw in an extra step or two. Stay tuned… Edited March 23, 2017 by GlenP 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Glitterwolf Posted March 23, 2017 Share Posted March 23, 2017 11 hours ago, knarthex said: The German kits were all based on the MK IV hull: MK IV Brumbar Sturmgeschutz Panzer Jaeger IV Wirblewind Ostwind Except for the 8 wheel armoured car with 20mm cannon... Designation escapes me atm... Puma! ( Mountain Lion) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
knarthex Posted March 23, 2017 Share Posted March 23, 2017 12 hours ago, GlenP said: Yes! The 8-wheeled armored car was the Sd.kfz. 232, rendered obsolete when Tamiya issued their version in 1/35 which at the time was rapidly becoming the standard scale for larger tank kits. Monogram also punched out a pair of US M8 and 20 Greyhound armored cars - also rendered obsolete by Tamiya's versions a number of years ago. Forgot about the M8 and M20! Built those 2 as well! 6 hours ago, Xherman1964 said: Puma! ( Mountain Lion) No, the puma was a later variant with an enclosed turret and a 50mm gun... part of the SdKfz 234 series... Back to the Stug, Are you going to do some 'panel painting' with a slightly lighter grey through the airbrush? 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Glitterwolf Posted March 23, 2017 Share Posted March 23, 2017 1 hour ago, knarthex said: Forgot about the M8 and M20! Built those 2 as well! No, the puma was a later variant with an enclosed turret and a 50mm gun... part of the SdKfz 234 series... Back to the Stug, Are you going to do some 'panel painting' with a slightly lighter grey through the airbrush? Is what you mean among this? https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Schwerer_Panzerspähwagen#Sd._Kfz._231_family Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Heisler Posted March 23, 2017 Share Posted March 23, 2017 1 hour ago, Xherman1964 said: Is what you mean among this? https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Schwerer_Panzerspähwagen#Sd._Kfz._231_family Yes, that's the one SdKfz 231 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
knarthex Posted March 23, 2017 Share Posted March 23, 2017 13 minutes ago, Heisler said: Yes, that's the one SdKfz 231 the kit that Monogram made way back when... Revel has re issued some of them..... 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GlenP Posted March 24, 2017 Author Share Posted March 24, 2017 11 hours ago, knarthex said: Back to the Stug, Are you going to do some 'panel painting' with a slightly lighter grey through the airbrush? Yup ...among other things. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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