Jump to content

Tamiya 1/48 Pzkpfw. IV. Aust J, 6/2 SS "Das Reich".


Kahunaminor

Recommended Posts

Welcome,

 

This is my attempt to build an armoured subject almost OOB. I so normally an aircraft builder so this is a little bot of new ground. Not my actual first but not many tracked vehicles under my belt recently. My club, Illawarra Plastic Modellers Association hosts the NSW Scale Model Show each May. We have shamelessly stolen a couple of competition building concepts from our near neighbours ACT Scale Modellers, altered them in name to protect the guilty and added it to our yearly show. In short the Panzer Tracks Trophy for the armour guys. The rules say the nominated kit must be OOB, with after market decals and barrel allowed. This year the nominated kit is the Tamiya 1/48 Panzer IV family. More details can be found here.

I have chosen the 1/48 Tamiya Pzkpfw. IV Aust J (early) with Peddinghaus decals, RB 48B09 main barrel and RB MG 34 co axial and bow guns. Some references are necessary:

 

53498B16-EE53-4383-8774-0E523038B248_zps

 

 

6E31E1DD-87D6-4C98-B08B-8AF6DF999F32_zps

 

A9137303-8DF5-471B-82DF-744841FDF1C9_zps

 

The build is fairly straight forward and to be honest the minimal amount of AM allowed is a bit of a blessing. If you have not seen these kits, they have a cast full lower hull and some nicely moulded pieces. They come with four return rollers and the early exhaust, so you are a little restricted in choice for OOB:

 

47277842-DDFE-4105-B411-EE6A4FF98526_zps

 

4E775593-BC51-4026-82C8-581C2AD46FB9_zps

 

00DE3921-01C6-4B79-B6BF-811B959FAF70_zps

 

Thete is a choice of idler wheels and the road wheels and return rollers were cut from their sprues, held on a cocktail stick and rotated against some 400 grit sandpaper to remove the mould seams and scuff the tyres a bit:

 

308CE93F-C755-4C31-8359-72B5A0C514DC_zps

 

291A5377-454E-43E5-80C7-ACC2AC9DEE68_zps

 

The turret schurzen were partially constructed and test fitted to enable alignment. They would be added later:

 

7C219CB3-1D76-46AB-9BF1-7F901CC54059_zps

 

7356AF69-882F-4BA6-B921-43C40E369500_zps

 

The build moved fairly quickly from here on:

 

77397747-E8A7-4EC9-9C09-32B02CEE5D23_zps

 

69356CF8-1497-491D-97BA-3691002CD6C3_zps

 

8AADB1CF-DE44-4E81-94E9-727CE17B8D5E_zps

 

Next came painting with RAL 7021 Panzer Grey lower hull and RAL 8012 Red Oxide Brown uppers:

 

93058254-3BFB-448D-9C67-DF6AACA298CE_zps

 

E8171CB9-1846-4603-ADCC-258AE71B0A06_zps

 

788B83E0-804B-4DAB-A8D8-D1A5AFDAD4A1_zps

 

E21B58A9-1D37-4A45-9D67-2CF06DC88957_zps

 

98276212-0CF7-41B1-B29D-609C5C680698_zps

 

D723728E-6543-4863-A3B2-6299A44116C3_zps

 

F18A4B92-DCBF-4BFA-A089-693518D0B4B1_zps

 

So that's up to date. Fairly happy with the work so far. I still have to draw the line with adding all the tools prior to painting but some of them are there. Next will be the tracks and then the fun stuff....weathering!

 

Any tips or advice gladly accepted!

 

Regards,

 

 

  • Like 4
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Thanks for the compliments,

 

I have started the weathering of the lower hull. I trialled several Faber Castell pencils on the underside before used a Faber Castell cool grey V watercolour pencil to add some highlights:

 

D8B5DDA9-8260-4819-BA52-96B424A764D7_zps

 

4F349705-C6EF-47F1-8FC3-B39C69816A6F_zps

 

I then wanted to simulate the worn paint on the running gear. I tried a silver watercolour pencil but it was way too stark. I then went to my fall back of a HB pencil:

 

86FED008-0B9A-45B1-8A68-3E61F548D364_zps

 

EBDCEBF5-1BC8-40C3-8D42-A13F9228253E_zps

 

C710AF78-1568-4C13-957C-655875779F17_zps

 

I have also completed the track runs ready for painting:

 

5F47BD43-11D3-48AC-8CA8-7AD6320FA9D5_zps

 

Once the other side is done, I will seal it with s gloss coat to protect the watercolours prior to a wash to bring out the detail.

 

Regards,

  • Like 2
Link to comment
Share on other sites

I have painted the tracks with WEM Colourcoats "Track colour" in preparation for further weathering:

 

23309CB1-15F6-45A9-A7E7-47F396D57EA7_zps

 

426B93C8-0454-4CDC-A19C-0E3D9BA1A5A8_zps

 

38309E0B-55FD-41ED-B7A6-14EF23F53E00_zps

 

It looks okay to me so far. A question I do have for those more knowing...what colour would the external fire extinguisher (I assume that's what it is) be that is carried on the front left guard?

 

Regards,

  • Like 2
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Thanks Francis,

 

A productive morning. Worked on the engine and canopy of the Bf 109E-7, adding PE and some decals to various places. The support brackets were installed once the engine numbers were in place and then some more work on the Panzer IV. The HB pencil weathering was completed on the running gear and tracks. The hull schurzen supports, which I am not using had raised locating lugs on the hull which I removed. The spare tracks were fitted to the front of the hull and then I couldn't resist a dry fit photo:

 

2A60C337-CEE6-45B4-B2DF-8E9048786B3F_zps

 

82FD0CA7-81E1-4598-ACFC-2246749211A6_zps

 

61B5178C-C65E-4E46-BC52-81B81B47D7C6_zps

 

45723339-0310-4ACF-B53D-309BA3F9D2B4_zps

 

41DFBBD0-2282-4B66-A0BC-E21EF9AF7D9F_zps

 

3F3CBF3D-0429-492D-801B-7A2546F93F37_zps

 

564266CC-4081-4485-B87D-3964A6DBF699_zpsD0E88696-9DC3-4B37-BD46-016E8F74D6ED_zps

 

Pleased with what I have so far. Thanks for looking.

 

Regards,

 

  • Like 6
Link to comment
Share on other sites

I am really liking this one so far. As I have mentioned before, all of my kits ( aircraft and armor ) are 1/48 scale so I'll try to take some notes. I do have a question. WEMTrack Color .... what is it ? Does it resemble a mix of brown and silver ? Just curious.   Bob H.

  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

20 hours ago, Bob Henry said:

I am really liking this one so far. As I have mentioned before, all of my kits ( aircraft and armor ) are 1/48 scale so I'll try to take some notes. I do have a question. WEMTrack Color .... what is it ? Does it resemble a mix of brown and silver ? Just curious.   Bob H.

Hi Bob,

 

Thanks again. Track Colour is a dark brown colour with a slight dark rust tinge to be used as a base. This one shows it best I think:

 

38309E0B-55FD-41ED-B7A6-14EF23F53E00_zps

 

It dries matte and you can then weather it with washes, dry brush etc.

 

Regards,

 

 

 

  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

15 hours ago, Kahunaminor said:

Hi Bob,

 

Thanks again. Track Colour is a dark brown colour with a slight dark rust tinge to be used as a base. This one shows it best I think:

 

38309E0B-55FD-41ED-B7A6-14EF23F53E00_zps

 

It dries matte and you can then weather it with washes, dry brush etc.

 

Regards,

 

 

 

Thanks for the information. When the time comes to build it I might play around with some of the Vallejo colors to see if I can get close.     Bob H.

  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Hi

 

Nice work and on such a small vehicle (I'm finding 1/35 fiddly these days)..

 

Regarding externally stowed fire extinguishers. I did a bit of research and basically first thing is they weren't red (makes sense really). I have seen images of TETRA extinguishers in a sand colour, dk grey and light grey. Red units did exist but these were for inside the vehicle. Google search "German WW2 fire extinguisher" will yield images.

 

Matt

Link to comment
Share on other sites

The tracks are on! The lower hull and tracks have been dull coated, the upper awaits decalling, again. Then a wash and dullcoat. This is the first time I have used Peddinghaus decals, they are not complete as in  "621" but individual items and apparently require a super glossy base to adhere. My first attempt was an absolute fail! The turret numbers must be cut into individual items and then trimmed as closely as possible. I have lost the 2 SS Pz Div markings so they may be hastily added by hand. Anyway progress has been made and lessons learned! In my excitement I then permanently affixed the upper hull to the lower. I probably should have waited...

 

4BB7D352-5A7A-4902-BF54-AB26D87CBA11_zps

 

660E8110-D659-4B0B-952D-3404D4E2C427_zps

 

C2F29D19-2D60-4808-B894-14780D256BF4_zps

 

2DE6267F-3A55-47F5-833F-C999D1B83D92_zps

 

154DA722-4DD1-4801-8F94-272837EDDB6F_zps

 

A2C92E7F-90F7-4CA1-B704-A5F878521D33_zps

 

3E1B8487-ED3C-40D8-B623-B711CC128F1F_zps

 

A262B6DC-7CAA-4CEB-885C-28992E0D96F1_zps

 

 

  • Like 2
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Thanks Bob,

 

I did some work on the exhaust. Mr Surfacer stippled on then Sovereign (WEM) enamel Red Oxide Primer base, Tamiya weathering master Rust, Orange Rust, Burnt Red, Burnt Blue and Soot applied with a damp brush. It looks the part I think: 

 

4315A98F-0F43-483E-87F8-2542D55A357F_zps

 

9821C659-00F9-4DF6-9D9E-724FD4C713E0_zps

 

7D63ED75-19B6-49AF-97AA-973735469621_zps

 

Regards,

  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

That is a good idea to use Mr. Surfacer ... slightly stippled to produce a rust texture. It would be relatively easy to control the depth of the texture. If there is a little bit too much texture then after it dries you could do some very careful light sanding to scale it back ( pun intended ).                Bob H.

  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Thanks lads,

 

Well the decals are on....sort of. I resorted to hot, hot water and pressure with a cotton bud followed by a copious serve of Micro Sol, repeated a couple of times and they have settled better after these photos were taken. The 2 SS Panzer markings are hand painted (hardly tell...right?). A wash for the upper deck, turret and surrounds up next:

 

E3812758-A42A-4477-9F50-C789723F103A_zps

 

FBE8FFA8-1C42-40EE-98F6-70BC6E90034A_zps

 

26021965-1A0F-48D8-B29A-7C2FC625CE07_zps

 

0D68CCC8-AA33-49D4-AF96-4D3EBF116BBC_zps

 

E4ABA7EE-BC77-450E-AAFE-7B102F84BEEE_zps

 

27CDAA6F-9965-467D-B524-05AAF9AEB3E4_zps

 

80D65E1C-E9ED-4421-AEE2-3426DE99067A_zps

 

Regards,

  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

It looks really good. The hand painted markings are pretty impressive. The rusted muffler also looks just right.                 Bob H.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Create an account or sign in to comment

You need to be a member in order to leave a comment

Create an account

Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!

Register a new account

Sign in

Already have an account? Sign in here.

Sign In Now
×
×
  • Create New...