Ordnance 3: StuG III Ausf B SBS

[TGP]

On 3/22/2017 at 4:16 PM, 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...

I know I have a Wirblewind, the Lee/Grant (side sponson 75mm) and one other German kit. Big stumpy Cannon/howitzer?

[Glitterwolf]

3 hours ago, TGP said:

I know I have a Wirblewind, the Lee/Grant (side sponson 75mm) and one other German kit. Big stumpy Cannon/howitzer?

 

Open Hull or closed Hull?

 

Closed Hull could be the Elephant/ Elefant.

Or if it is a large cannon, you might have the 88mm Flak Gun?

Edited March 24, 2017 by Xherman1964

[knarthex]

Brumbar....

Edited March 24, 2017 by knarthex

[GlenP]

Painting: Phase 2 – Shading and Fading

 

There is a point in modeling where the OBJECTIVE, that which is technically correct (that is size, shape, location, the correct numbers of nuts, bolts, rivets, etc.) begins to take a back seat to the SUBJECTIVE, that which is aesthetically pleasing to the builder’s eye. In other words – art …and often impressionist art at that. It all depends on the modeler. There are myriad techniques to achieve ‘pleasing’ and this is only one of them. Feel free to adapt, modify, or ignore and do something else. It’s your call.

 

I start by mixing a bit of Testor’s flat white into the base gray; just enough to lighten it when placed against the gray. This color is also thinned down to give it a bit of transparency. The color was sprayed on the lower half of the side hull plates and the lower angled front and near vertical rear plate (I left the belly plate alone). The paint is sprayed in the middle of the plates leaving the edges their original color. The result is an irregular patch in the lower half or middle of the plate(s). This color was also sprayed onto the drive sprocket, idler wheel, track return roller, and road wheel centers.

 

Add a bit more white to the gray to spray the upper hull vertical plates, a bit more white to spray the angled plates, and still more to spray the horizontal and near horizontal plates on the hull front, roof, and engine deck all the while maintaining that patchy translucent look. The idea is to create an ever lightening effect on the various panels that are exposed to increasing amounts of direct sunlight. It might take some getting used to and you can always practice on a piece of cardboard. Just mark out a big square with some various sized squares and rectangles inside it and go to town.

 

When it’s finished, it all looks like crap. Hardly a ringing endorsement, but it all comes together with subsequent washes, dirt and dust coats, scrapes, scratches, chips, and chalk pastels. Trust me. We’ll make modeling great again…

 

[knarthex]

Nice!

Eager to see whats next!

I have tried this at 15mm, and it can become startlingly effective!

[GlenP]

Decals

 

Once the basic color and the fading and shading are complete, my next step is to apply the decals.  As I mentioned at the start, the kit provides a choice of markings for five vehicles – one in Greece and four on the eastern front during the summer of 1941. All of the vehicles are dark gray. The markings, for the most part, are the basic national insignia and a variety of unit and tactical markings and numbers.

 

Decals are best applied over a glossy surface. Flat paints are rough (think of a microscopic mountain range), so the valleys have to be filled in with a clear gloss. The gloss keeps air from being trapped under the decal film and creating a condition known as ‘silvering’. You’ll know it when you see it.

 

I use Testor’s Glosscote applied with a brush to the area where each decal will be placed. Additionally, the glossy area is slightly larger than the size of the decal and its carrier film. Sometimes, more than one coat of gloss will be required. Alternatively, you can spray the gloss over the entire model.

 

The decals are cut from the paper backing sheet using small scissors (they’re easier to maneuver around other decals). Hold the individual decal with your fingers or tweezers and dip it into warm, but not hot, water until the paper is soaked through, then remove it set it aside.  Wait until the image slides on the paper (anywhere from a few seconds to over a minute) and slide the image onto the gloss patch. Gently blot with a piece (preferably lintless) paper towel or Q-tip starting in the center and moving out toward the edges. Basically, you’re pushing excess water out from under the decal. That’s the basic method and it works well on flat or single curve surfaces. Or…

 

If you’re dealing with older and/or thicker decals and/or applying them to compound curves or over raised or engraved panel lines or rivets, you’ll likely need some setting and solvent solutions. Setting solutions are applied on the model’s surface before applying the decal. These act as a wetting agent to remove excess water thus improving adhesion, reducing silvering, and gently soften the decal enabling it to snuggle into and over panel lines and rivets and gentle compound curves. Decal solvent solutions tend to be hotter, often to the point of wrinkling the decal at first (the wrinkles settle out as the solution dries). These solutions are used for more complex compound curves larger panel lines and rivets. Setting and solvent solutions are often used together. Allow the decal to dry for several hours.

 

Once the decal is dry, you may still see some silvering under the decal or wrinkles around rivets. These areas can be pierced with a sharp pin or gently sliced with a new(ish) hobby knife blade and the solutions re-applied on a spot basis. More than one ‘repair/ may be needed. If there are any hard water or solution stains (like tide marks), wet the marks and gently wipe them away with a soft (again preferably lintless) paper towel. Once you’re satisfied with the results, the decals can be sprayed with a clear flat finish – something that you know will not have an adverse reaction to the underlying paint or decals. I use Testor’s Dullcote shot through an airbrush. It also comes in spray cans.

 

[Glitterwolf]

Looking impressive!

[GlenP]

6 minutes ago, Xherman1964 said:

Looking impressive!

 

Thanks!

 

I forgot to mention that people should keep their left over decals in a dark and dry container; an old model box or opaque Tupperware bin is fine. Old decals - letters, numbers, unit insignia, etc - can be useful for other projects such as a other models or armored space babes...

 

Glen

[knarthex]

Nice write up!

 

I tend to spray the whole kit with glosscote prior to decaling, then when all is dry, spray the whole kit again with glosscote. 

I feel that this gives an even finish over the whole kit.

Then the DullCote to get back to where we want to be...

 

Just my 2 PP...

[GlenP]

That's another way, of course, and one that I think is quite common. I did that back in the day. In the past I've wondered if that method had something to do with the age of the kit/decals. Some older kit decal films tended to be thicker to the point where you could feel the edge. Sandwiching the decal between two gloss layers seemed to reduce that. All that started to change when aftermarket decal companies started pushing thinner, higher quality decals. Microscale got their start doing decals for HO railroad cars, then branched out into military aircraft. I still have some Microscale decals from the 70s! Superscale and Aeromaster followed in the 80s-90s along wit a bunch of others. The 80s were also a time when the quality of kits began to take a leap upward.

[knarthex]

I still have some Micro scale stuff from the late 80s...

 

Do you prefer any brand of decal solution?

 

is the stuff I use. My bottle comes from 1987!!!!!

and is still 1/2 full!

[nyrangerslmb]

Coming along great!

[GlenP]

11 hours ago, knarthex said:

I still have some Micro scale stuff from the late 80s...

 

Do you prefer any brand of decal solution?

 

is the stuff I use. My bottle comes from 1987!!!!!

and is still 1/2 full!

 

Not really. I started out using MIcroscale's Microset and Microsol. At the time they were the only game in town. There are now a myriad of other such as SuperSet/Sol or your Walthers Solvaset. Testor's has their version and Tamiya has a standard setting solution and a 'strong' solution. They are all pretty much the same with the only variations being their strengths. 'Sols' generally seem to be hotter than the 'Sets'.

[GlenP]

Once the Dullcote was dried (I gave it 24 hours or more), It was time for a black wash. My go-to wash has been Mars Black artist’s oil paint dissolved in a mineral spirits for years. It’s thoroughly shaken until there are no bits of oil paint left. I applied the wash in all of the panel lines, weld seams, around the rivet and bolt heads, and along the fender supports braces. This is a selective pinpoint wash, so I used a soft pointed brush suitable for model enamels – again leave the W&N Series 7 brushes in the drawer. Washes were then liberally applied to the faces of the road-wheels, drive sprockets, track return rollers, and idler wheels (both sides). Additional washes were applied to the lower running gear and in random patches on the upper hull with most being on the rear engine deck. The parts were then set aside to dry – in this case, about an hour and a half. On a side note, you can also use a dark brown oil paint or a mix of black and dark brown. The former often looks better on desert camouflaged vehicles, while the latter looks good on olive green schemes (think Shermans).

 

 

The next task was dry-brushing. I used a lightened tint of the base gray applied with an old bristle oil painting brush. The brush is dipped into the paint and then wiped off on a piece of paper towel. The brush is then whisked over the hull with a top to bottom motion (or high point to low point on the hull roof) concentrating on edges, rivet and bolt heads, hinges, and any other protrusion that stands proud of the hull. The idea is to catch the high points and edges with small amounts of nearly dry paint pigments.

 

This wash and dry-brush process is pretty much the same as that used on parts of figures and ground-covers and for the same reason – creating artificial shadows and highlights – so no points for originality here…

 

Edited April 3, 2017 by GlenP

[GlenP]

Some larger pics: idler wheel, road wheels, and the toothed drive sprocket. The dark wash settles in the recesses and in corners, while the drybrushing catches the high points. Again, pretty much the same as what most of you are already doing on figures and groundwork. Easy...

Edited April 6, 2017 by GlenP
Typos due to fat hammy fingers...