'Kampfgruppe Tunesien'* German Armour Diorama with an Fw190 - ##Finished - in the Gallery## 25/12/16

[PlaStix]

* Thank you to JackG for the suggestion for the title of this thread and more information from Jack can be found here. Thank you also to Levin for letting me know how it would be in German.

I initially got interested in German WW2 armour during the D-Day GB in 2014 - so when this MTO GB was suggested I knew instantly the sort of thing I would be doing. It took until fairly recently, though, to firm up my plans with the help of JackG and SgtSquarehead and, as you can see from the title, I'm planning on building 3 kits.

First up is this one from Tamiya:


I'm intending to make it OOB as this version:


Alongside the one above I intend to build this kit from AFV Club:

My intention is to build this kit as Tiger 131' - (now The Bovington Tiger) - there are a few minor changes that I will need to make to produce a more accurate version.

To go along with the AFV Club Tiger 1 I purchased these at the same time:

Apparently the tracks AFV Club provide in the box are not perfect so I will build their replacements from the set above. As I'm planning (hopefully) to make a diorama, I thought the brass ammo might be useful.

Next - if I manage to get the two above finished in time - I thought I would have a go at making this Tiger 1 from Tamiya as well:


.....but rather than make it just OOB I thought I could use these:


I haven't decided which version to make it as yet - there are two suitable schemes in the Tamiya box or I could use one from the AFV Club Tiger 1 boxing.

Finally these are the figures I am going to use to make up the diorama:


I got the first two kits washed over the past two weekends so from this coming Saturday morning I'm ready to go!

Can't wait!!

Comments and suggestions welcome.

Kind regards,

Stix
 

Edited December 25, 2016 by PlaStix

[Ozzy]

Looking forward to this Stix, what's not to like (unless you in a Sherman) the open desert a panzer lll and a couple of tigers looking menacing.

[Levin]

Sounds good

I'll follow with interest

Though it would be "Kampfgruppe Tunesien" in german

Regards levin

P.S.

I know I am a nit-picker

[PlaStix]

Looking forward to this Stix, what's not to like (unless you in a Sherman) the open desert a panzer lll and a couple of tigers looking menacing.

Cheers Ozzy - my life exact same thoughts!

Sounds good

I'll follow with interest

Though it would be "Kampfgruppe Tunesien" in german

Regards levin

P.S.

I know I am a nit-picker

Hi Levin and thank you for your interest. I'll get the title changed - thank you for letting me know!

Kind regards,

Stix

[Levin]

Hi Levin and thank you for your interest. I'll get the title changed - thank you for letting me know!

Kind regards,

Stix

No problem

Anytime

If need a translation for a sign in a diorama or whatsoever

Just ask

[Sgt.Squarehead]

Can you get popcorn delivered by the skip-load I wonder?

[Levin]

Can you get popcorn delivered by the skip-load I wonder?

Good question

Is this ( http://m.imgur.com/9VN9i0Y?r ) good enough?

[Sgt.Squarehead]

Well it probably would have been, if he hadn't spilled it!

[PlaStix]

No problem

Anytime

If need a translation for a sign in a diorama or whatsoever

Just ask

Thank you Levin - that's a very kind offer that I will probably be taking you up on at some point(s)!

Can you get popcorn delivered by the skip-load I wonder?

Good question

Is this ( http://m.imgur.com/9VN9i0Y?r ) good enough?

Well it probably would have been, if he hadn't spilled it!

:lol:

[rob85]

Very much looking forwardto you working your magic on theses stix

Rob

[trickyrich]

this one or ones will be super fun to watch, have a big batch of popcorn and a nice seat already!

[PlaStix]

Very much looking forwardto you working your magic on theses stix

Rob

Thank you Rob - I'm really looking forward to starting these on Saturday!

this one or ones will be super fun to watch, have a big batch of popcorn and a nice seat already!

Thanks Rich!

I thought today I'd get the photos of the contents of the boxes, from the first two kits, posted - so starting with the Tamiya Panzerkampfwagen III Ausf.L - box art:

Everything inside the box:

When I first built one of these Tamiya kits with the lower metal hull I was quite dubious about the metal hull - especially about how well it would accept acrylic paints but I needn't have worried. I think the main issue with them is that they lack quite a lot of detail.

As always with these 1/48 Tamiya kits the details on the plastic parts are quite nice (in my opinion anyway!):

Track parts - I do like their link'n'length tracks:

Tools and other bits'n'pieces:

Decals:

Lower hull:

Sample of the instructions:

....and the version I making mine as:

The next kit - AFV Club's Tiger 1 - Early Version - box art:

Contents of the box:

The AFV Club Tiger 1s come with PE engine grills and screws to hold the wheels on:

Decals - I will be making mine as '131' so I'm intending create my own masks for the numbers:

These are the tracks supplied in the box:

.....but I will be replacing them with these:

Sample of the instructions:

Right........roll on Saturday!!

Kind regards,

Stix

[robw_uk]

Nice subjects..... Looking forward to this

[Silver Fox]

Got this on overwatch, looking forward to watching the progress.

I believe the Panzer III has been re-issued with a plastic lower hull(?)like a lot of the earlier armour.

[Miggers]

Find yourself a 1/48 scale hand Stix.

The clearance 'twixt track and first road wheel on a Tiger is a hand width for correct track tension.

This trick also works in 1/16th(RC)scale as well as 1/1 for 'em.

Look at the Tam. T.1's box top picture,you'll see what I mean.

Edited August 21, 2016 by Miggers

[PlaStix]

Nice subjects..... Looking forward to this

Hi Rob and thank you for your interest.

Got this on overwatch, looking forward to watching the progress.

I believe the Panzer III has been re-issued with a plastic lower hull(?)like a lot of the earlier armour.

Thank you Silver Fox. That is good news if they have replaced the metal hull although I'm kinda getting used to the metal ones now.

Find yourself a 1/48 scale hand Stix.

The clearance 'twixt track and first road wheel on a Tiger is a hand width for correct track tension.

This trick also works in 1/16th(RC)scale as well as 1/1 for 'em.

Look at the Tam. T.1's box top picture,you'll see what I mean.

Hi Miggers and thank you for the advice. I've got some Tamiya figures so I shall make use of one of their hands!

I have done a bit on this project over the past weekend so I will post some photos as soon as I get chance.

Kind regards,

Stix

[PlaStix]

Weekend update:

As I mentioned above - I have been working on the AFV Club Tiger 1 and the Tamiya Panzerkampfwagen III this weekend.

First off I started work adding any necessary parts to the lower hulls. My method of building AFVs is to assemble all the parts onto the lower hulls and get them, together with the wheels, painted and weathered before attaching the wheels.

Tamiya Pzkpfw.III's lower hull before the plastic parts are attached:

The version I'm building requires the fitting of these escape hatches:

on the sides of the hull

...but at first glance I noticed that there is nothing to locate the hatches in the correct place on the metal sides. The main instructions show this for part E19 and E20:

.....but on further investigation I found this in the corner of the diagram:

....and sure enough on the sprues I found these:

Each has a piece on the back that allows it to sit in the precise location on the top edge of the hull side so you can do this:

And glued in place with Super Glue:

The other side:

The part added to the rear:

The AFV Club Tiger 1, in comparison, didn't have much that needed adding:

Then it was time to start getting some paint on - wheels and running gear:

Lower hulls:

Everything above had about three coats of thinned (with water) Humbrol 93, matt Desert Yellow, applied with a wide, flat Humbrol paintbrush.

Finally I cut off all the Tamiya track parts from the sprues ready for painting:

I leave a small section of sprue on so I have something to hold while painting.

More next weekend - although I am going to try and take part in the Blitzbuild GB with (surprise surprise) a 1/72 Zvezda Tiger 1.

Comments and suggestions welcome.

Kind regards,

Stix

[Ozzy]

Nice start Stix, I like the guide for the escape hatches. Are you using normal glue of CA glue on the primed metal hull of the tamiya kit?

[Sgt.Squarehead]

Tamiya do some clever stuff.

Check your references on the Pz.III.....Things like bolted on armour often turn up unexpectedly.

[Miggers]

Wot yer painting the tracks with Stix?

I used a 50:50 mix of Alclad Steel and Dull Aluminium when I did my big T.1's tracks.

Apparently,German tracks had a very high zinc content to the hardened steel so that they didn't rust

and very very rarely broke of their own violition(anti-tank mine or other good hit usually worked though).

Tigers were notoriously weak gearboxed(tell me if I'm teaching you to suck eggs here)and were prone to throwing

a track,so pivot turns of any type were avoided wherever possible(you have to drive my 1/16th RC one like it's a 56 tonner too).

[rob85]

Very good start stix! And they look like some very well detailed kits.

Rob

[Mottlemaster]

Any ideas on how you will do the dust clouds ? Sure some must have followed these big beasts around .

[PlaStix]

Nice start Stix, I like the guide for the escape hatches. Are you using normal glue of CA glue on the primed metal hull of the tamiya kit?

Hi Ozzy and thank you. I'm using bog standard CA glue - the stuff that has pretty instant 'grab'. Seems to work okay.

Tamiya do some clever stuff.

Check your references on the Pz.III.....Things like bolted on armour often turn up unexpectedly.

Hi Sarge - Tamiya certainly do.

I have a couple of photos of the actual Pz.III I'm making this one as, but after it was attacked. One is definitely of this tank because the turret numbers are clearly visible but I won't be posting it here on BM as it has one of the unfortunate crew lying dead across the side. The photo does show quite a lot of detail. The other photo is, I think, of this tank but it is quite small and doesn't include much detail.

And thank you too Andy for the research materials.

Wot yer painting the tracks with Stix?

I used a 50:50 mix of Alclad Steel and Dull Aluminium when I did my big T.1's tracks.

Apparently,German tracks had a very high zinc content to the hardened steel so that they didn't rust

and very very rarely broke of their own violition(anti-tank mine or other good hit usually worked though).

Tigers were notoriously weak gearboxed(tell me if I'm teaching you to suck eggs here)and were prone to throwing

a track,so pivot turns of any type were avoided wherever possible(you have to drive my 1/16th RC one like it's a 56 tonner too).

Hi Miggers. Thank you for all the information and suggestions. I will probably stick to my preferred method of painting everything with Revell's Anthracite followed by some dry-brushing with Humbrol's Gunmetal. I then use a variety of washes to create the dirt effects. I had heard before that German tracks did not rust. I did not know that Tigers were weak gearboxed so thank you for the info. Are there any photos of your 1/16 RC version - be interesting to see it.

Very good start stix! And they look like some very well detailed kits.

Rob

Hi Rob and thank you. These kits are very nicely detailed. You can't got far wrong with Tamiya 1/48 kits. And AFV Club/Skybow kits are pretty good as well although I have found them a bit more fiddly to make.

Any ideas on how you will do the dust clouds ? Sure some must have followed these big beasts around .

Hi Alistair. My plan is to have them stationary!! Not sure how I would make the dust effects although there is a rally car scene in the Diorama section that seems to capture the effect quite nicely. I haven't checked to see how the effects were made.

I have been doing a little work on the tracks for the Tiger 1 this week. I'm using Skybow's individual track link set - Skybow manufactured the Tiger 1 I'm building which has been re-boxed by AFV Club. I quite dislike making up tracks, so I prefer doing them when I'm not using up proper modelling time at weekends. Also I find these tracks quite hard to get together without breaking the pins. There is a certain way round you have to click them together but I find any way I do them frequently results in broken pins - you can see below (further down) what I have been using to get broken links to be usable. I think the problem is more with my big fingers and thumbs rather than the links themselves.

First off here's a picture of how the links look from one of the two packets in the set:

The links are mounted two per sprue:

You can see the size of the pins in the photo above and the tolerances between the parts is quite tight so when I click them together I find the pins get snapped off.

Anyway this was my test run of 5 links:

I think I probably broke a couple of pins just in the above. So I came up with a repair method which has so far allowed me to get 70 links together (there are supposed to be about 94 per side but I think on my late version of this kit I used fewer). So here are photos of the 70 links:

The tracks are very flexible - which is great:

.....but this my pin replacement kit:

When a pin snaps off I basically drill down through the outer hole into the section where the pin has broken away from and then use the plastic rod, which I cut to very small lengths, to replace the pin. I cut the rod so it just sits below the lip of the end of the track piece. If you look carefully you can see how many times I have broken the pins!! Fortunately these will all be on the inside. I've stopped trying to click them together the other way around because that is on the outer side so would be more visible.

So still a few more to do - probably at least another twenty on the run above and then another 90+ for the other side. Hey ho. I don't think the process is helped by how hot it currently is - sweaty fat fingers are not ideal for this type of assembly.

At the weekend I'm planning on taking part in the Blitzbuild GB with Zvezda's 1/72 Tiger 1 (Early Production) so I will probably only get one day working on these two tanks.

Comments and suggestions welcome.

Kind regards,

Stix

Edited August 24, 2016 by PlaStix

[Ozzy]

Nice progress Stix, your track bashing is looking good.

[Robert Stuart]

Good recovery with those track pins, nicely done