1/35 Hobby Boss Panzer IV/70 (A)

[Farmersboy]

Well, this is my first WIP post here, and this is also going to be my entry for my first Group Build, so I'll start with a gratuitous sprue shot.

 

 

Like all the Hobby Boss kits I've seen so far it seems very well detailed, but I'm not sure about the real rubber tyres for the road wheels. Also, it going to get a metal barrel, and I suspect I'll end up replacing the tracks with metal links from Fruil.

[Kingsman]

It's not actually a HobbyBoss original kit.  It was tooled and originally sold by Tristar, before HobbyBoss took them over.  Tristar kits were generally well-regarded.

 

Are the tyres soft vinyl or hard plastic?  The latter is useful for painting, but the former may be a problem with removing mould lines and painting - and there may still be the long-term problem of the hard plastic softening where it's in contact with the vinyl.  I'm not convinced that's been cured by manufacturers but it can take years to show.  IV/70(A) were often (usually?) seen with the all-steel "resilient" wheels on the first 2 bogies each side, which halves the problem.  Are these in the kit?  The box art shows rubber tyres all round.

 

If you do use white metal tracks, remember that the natural colour of track metal was not silvery or graphite-y but a metallic brown with a goldy tint.  I wish that Friul would find some way of tinting their white metal a more realistic colour.

[PlaStix]

Hi Farmersboy. If this is going to be for the Panzer IV Single Type Group Build on Britmodeller then you really need to hang on a bit until it starts on the 15th December. The Group Build forum for the Panzer IV GB will open a week before the GB building starts on the 15th. If you want to build it just here that's up to you but I'm afraid it won’t be part of the GB.

Kind regards,

Stix

[Farmersboy]

No worries Stix, I will hold off, I only have a dozen other kits to work on! I guess I'm still learning the ropes here, it's a bit different to Reddit.

 

Das Abteilung, yes, the old Tristar kit, all the sprues still have Tristar on them. The tyres are vinyl, and I think they all are. I will look at aftermarket wheels, I'm sure somebody like Royal Model or Panzerart make some. As for the tracks, I agree with you on Fruil - they're superb, but you tend to get through a lot of burnishing fluid!

[SA80A2AR]

ill pull up a char and grab some popcorn of you may

[Kingsman]

Ironically, Tristar used to sell 2 separate PzIV wheel sets using those parts!  Although they did include the steel wheels in one set.

 

Panzer Art have a resin set for the PzIV H/J, which I guess would be appropriate: 35-153. 

 

AFV Club have an injection plastic set for the Nashorn/Hummel, but these might not be the right pattern: 35194

 

Model Kasten have a plastic set that is supposed to include early, middle and late types: W-2.

 

I'm struggling to think of anyone who does the steel wheels, but if they're in the kit that doesn't matter.  The IV/70(A) could be seen with all rubber wheels, steel on the front bogie only or steel on the front 2 bogies.

[Farmersboy]

I've just checked the kit, and it has steel wheels for the front 2 bogies, so I may as well try to use the kits parts, if the vinyl tyres aren't too bad. 

[Blaubar]

Nice support given. Never knew about this feature of both side's  first two bogies. Thanks and I've got a seat reserved. 

[Kingsman]

A good layer of varnish on the plastic mating surfaces in contact with the vinyl used to be recommended.  Although, some used to swear by applying a strip of foil: only works if the mating surface is completely flat.

 

Thinking about it, the IV/70(A) was built on the geschutzwagen III/IV chassis so the AFV Club Hummel wheel set would be appropriate if you do end up looking for replacements.

 

PzIV variants can occasionally be seen missing the odd tyre, which might be a nice touch,  Losing a couple on different axles wasn't a mobility problem.  But you'll need to reproduce the metal backing ring on the inside of the tyre.  In fact, with the vinyl tyres I wonder if those have been reproduced at all?  On solid plastic wheels they're usually moulded on, despite the tyres having a slight slope on the sides - i.e. narrower at the rim than the base - and there being a slight gap between tyre and plate.  Elefant used to do them in etched brass, and you occasionally see these on eBay. Aber still do them, 35A053.

 

Tyre profiles changed over time, as this photo shows.  Rims got wider.