My first Stug: Sturmgeschutz III Aust.G - Finnish Army. Tamiya 1/35

[Meteors]

Hey guys, 

 

A lot of firsts for me in this build. First armour, first time using an airbrush, first time doing camo. First time using chipping fluid, a filter, and pigments.

 

I think she came out pretty well, I wanted to throw all those things at it to get the experience and see what worked, what I needed to use more of or less of. 

 

 

 

The figure came with the kit, the facial features weren't the best, so I didn't spend to much time on it, I think his outfit came out quite nicely through. 

 

 

 

The photos are a little bit dark though, only had time to grab a few quick snaps with my phone whilst the little one watched a bit of telly!

 

Let me know what you think, what I could improve upon, etc. 

 

Cheers!

 

Tom

 

 

 

[Badder]

Hi Meteors,

 

Welcome to the dirty side. Despite so many firsts, that's a great looking StuG.

 

There's not much to criticise really, but here's my penny's worth.....

 

The tow cables are hairy. If you use fibre to represent wire, give it a rub all over with dilute PVA... that will smooth down the fibres and stop them looking hairy.

 

Your StuG seems to have travelled through two different sources of mud very recently. While that isn't impossible, it does look a bit odd with the 'sandy' mud, and the darker mud both appearing 'fresh'. I say fresh, because both types are present on the wheels... one or the other would have been worn or washed off if there'd been any time between the two. Generally, I would look at how and where you are applying the mud. Given how that sandy mud has splattered on the lower hull, there'd be a lot more on the tracks, running gear and the rest of the lower hull.

 

Apart from that, the camo is great, the figure isn't at all bad, and the overall impression is of a well-built, tidy looking StuG deserving of a nice display stand. I look forward to your next project.

 

Keep doing what you're doing, learn new techniques and practice, practice, practice.

 

Rearguards,

Badder

[Meteors]

Thanks Badder!

 

Yeah, I just used the string that came with the kit for the tow cables, and as soon as they got paint on them it was clear that they were a terrible choice! But like I said, it was a learning build so I won't use those again.

 

Same with the mud and dirt, used a mixture of mig ammo light mud splash stuff and dark pigments. I was imagining that the older stuff had dried as a light colour, and the new stuff it had just driven through was wet and dark. I guess it's about ratios and practice.

 

Thanks for the feedback!

 

Tom

 

 

[Bullbasket]

Badder just about covered it. With mud on the lower hull, it tends to dry first at the top so try applying the dry stuff along the top of the lower hull and gradually make it appear damp and then wet the further down it goes. Try mixing in a small amount of gloss or satin varnish to give the real wet mud look.

Tamiya figures are OK as far as they go, but they are usually let down by the heads. I use a lot of Tamiya figures, but replace the heads with the excellent ones from Hornet.

If you have a variable speed mini drill, it's fairly easy to make your own tow cables. Get a few strands of multi strand copper wire, fix the end into the chuck of the drill, and then let it rotate slowly until you have it as you want it.

Apart from that, for a first effort at AFV modelling, it ain't 'alf bad. Nice one.

 

John.

[Steve_farrier]

Tow cables I often find picture hanging wire is good. It comes in a few different gauges too. :-) 

 

for rope I use string or even plaiting thread (used for plaiting horses manes) then dip dye it using wood stain that's not thougherly mixed as gives different tones :-) 

 

[Badder]

Just to add to what John (Bullbasket) said, if you want a wet and dried mud look, apply your mud all over the hull and running gear, but not on those places that come into contact with other moving parts. For instance, I see some 'wet' sandy mud on some of the running surfaces of the wheels. This would have been rubbed off by the tracks almost instanly, or if it had literally only just happened then the tracks would have been plastered with it as well.

 

Anyway, once you've  added your mud, apply a dark wash to the 'wet' areas. That will be a wash with the mud colour plus some black. That way the wet mud will be the same colour as the the dried mud only shades darker. You wouldn't use two different colours. You wouldn't get 'wet' sandy coloured mud drying red-brown for example. Once the wash has dried, apply the gloss or satin varnish over those darkened areas and those areas of the running gear and hull which you didn't cover with mud in the first instance. So the 'clean' metal will look wet as well.

 

Personally, I use my Japanese 'grit paints' to give the mud texture, but there are other products available or you can make your own. I see you did do that with some of the mud on the suspension struts and that looks great. You just want a hell of a lot more of that stuff over the hull next time.

 

Rearguards,

Badder

Edited August 11, 2017 by Badder

[FrancisGL]

As wise have said before the companions, a StuG pretty good for my taste, despite all the firsts ... lol, the figure is not bad either (I'm a denied for that ... so far ... lol) .

Badder has given you great advice with the PVA (I did not know), and the other, "practice make perfect" is not for less.

I would really like to see your new kit.  cheers mate

[Kris B]

Lads gave you lots of clues about the mud. And most of the issues has been pointed. After all it is good model with interesting painting scheme. 

[Jim Wasley]

I enjoyed your build,as a non expert,well done and with such great advise you can only get better.Cheers

[Radpoe Spitfire]

What a cracker!! Nice to see a Stug in Finnish colours - and so well done🖒. I knew a new a friend of mine bought an ex- Finnish army example back in 1991 and by pure coincidence I was driving north on the A1 - only to see it parked up on a low loader  in a south bound lay-by. Luckily I was not far from the next roundabout and  quick  turn around got me chance to see it in the flesh before it was restored. On asking the truck driver if it belonged to my friend, he confirmed it was and allowed me to have a look around it. It may have added a few miles to my ride home- but hey it was worth it🖒🖒🖒

 

 

Thank you for sharing 

[celt]

I like stugs very much,nice to see one in a different colour scheme,well tidy mun.

[Meteors]

Thanks so much for all the positive and insightful feedback! It really helps with the confidence, currently putting together a Takom King Tiger and finding many new firsts on that one too, especially the link and length tracks, what a pain!

 

Thanks again, everyone.