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Panzer IV Ausf H, Ukraine 1943. Zvezda 1:72


Churchill

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2 hours ago, Hewy said:

 If you don't mind churchill , How  are your nuts and bolts are highlighted on the bogeys under the mud? Before, painted silver then mud or after, with  tiny brush work? 

There were a number of washes that went on before the mud, but all quite thin washes, so high points like the nuts and bolts were left relatively bright - I didn't even drybrush them. You can get the idea from the second pic in post #39. The mud went on last. 

 

If you use the mud recipe, make the sawdust with a razor saw and just use a pinch to add texture. 

 

HTH & KBO, 

 

Churchill. 

 

 

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The wheels are on now, the drive wheels and idlers won't be fixed until the tracks go on. The running wheels are glued though, in the pic below they're resting on a craft knife blade to keep them aligned. 

 

Running gear.

 

There's a splash of Mig washable white on them, and I'll give them another griming wash or two, followed by a bit of mud. 

 

Visible in the shot is a diecast Matchbox Lesney M3 Halftrack, made from 1958 to 1967, which I'm restoring in between sessions on the panzer. 

 

Just the tracks, and attaching the sideskirts still to do. Finish line in sight! 

 

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Track colour

 

I've read elsewhere on BM that tank tracks, or at least Axis tank tracks, were made of a manganese steel that is a grey/brown colour all the way through. There is therefore no silvery steel colour anywhere on the tracks, even on worn or recently chipped surfaces. The steel is also rust resistant, so any rust colour on the tracks will have come from the running gear. 

 

As no-one seems to be driving panzers around Sussex I've been unable to confirm this for myself. Fortunately, however, I had a training session in London on Tuesday which left time for a flying visit to the Imperial War Museum. There's no German armour there that I could see, but they did have a T34:

 

T34 tread.

 

That looks to me pretty much like the surface patina that any old lump of steel acquires over time, and I settled for reproducing it. 

 

After priming, the tracks were painted with about a 60:40 mix of rhinox hide (chocolate brown) and adeptus battlegrey (medium dark grey). This was glazed with thin washes of sepia and ogryn flesh (reddish brown) to add some depth, and a fuller wash of devlan mud (dirty grey) for shading. A fairly subtle drybrushing with calthan brown brought up the highlights. I add these paint details mostly so that I've got a record to refer to if I want to reproduce the effect. 

 

The tracks went on with a dab or two of CA, the cocktail sticks are there to hopefully add just a liitle sag. 

 

Track on.

 

Need some whitewash on the drive wheels and idlers. Top view:

 

Top view

 

Hmm, looks like I also need to get some paint in that gap between the mantlet and the top plate. 

 

So, a little tidying to do, then I'll get some mud on the tracks, then it's just attaching the sideskirts. 

 

Could be finished tonight or tomorrow 🏁

 

(the track pieces on the glacis and the rear were just painted dark brown with shading, but they were then coated with washable white so they're not a mismatch with the main tracks) 

Edited by Churchill
Added last sentence
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Right, I'm calling this one done. I won't post pics in the RFI thread just yet, as I may still have time for a simple base for it. 

 

It's been a real pleasure doing this. I enjoyed the building, of course, but I mean the encouragement, tips, support, and kind words I've had from the others in the GB. Particular thanks to Messrs @Badder, @badger, @bigfoot, @Deon(who I know outside of BM), @Hewy, @Ozzy, @PlaStix, and @Silenoz. If I've left anyone out, please insert yourself in the correct alphabetical position in the list :wink:

 

It's because BM is such a friendly community that I decided to take the plunge and have a go at scale modelling after all those years. So you can sign me up for the Specialists build, and the Patton STGB. I'd better have a go at the Tiger while I'm at it, and there's an Achilles on order for the D-Day build... 

 

 

Front right

 

Front left

 

Rear right

 

Rear left

 

Rear low

 

B&W

 

KBO, 

 

Churchill. 

 

 

 

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On ‎2‎/‎22‎/‎2019 at 6:08 PM, Churchill said:

T34 tread.

 

That looks to me pretty much like the surface patina that any old lump of steel acquires over time, and I settled for reproducing it. 

 

Hi Mr Churchill, Sir,

That's a fantastic photo showing how a B&W photo would mistake those shiny bits for silver. Russian tracks, maybe, but still the same principle. And you replicated it well, despite the stupidly  impossibly small scale you're working in.

And on that note, you've done a grand job 'Zimming' whitewashing and weathering your tiny little beasty. If there were a trophy just for 1/72nd entries, I'm sure yours would be a contender.

 

Rearguards,

Badder

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Hi Churchill. That really is absolutely brillant! Incredible modelling in 1/72! Your additional detailing work, painting and finish are all top notch! Beautifully done! :worthy:

Kind regards,

Stix

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  • 2 weeks later...

I haven't updated progress on the base in a while, this is partly because I don't know what I'm doing, but also I confess because I've been distracted by the SYWWTGTWI GB chat

 

By all means do come and join the fun. 

 

I intend to get the base finished this weekend, if not then I'll post just pictures of the tank itself to the gallery. 

 

I wanted a simple scene of the tank following a muddy winter track through woods with a light dusting of snow/frost on the ground, something like this:

 

Panzer column in winter

 

I started with smallest picture frame I could find, and some 1:72 figures by Zvezda, which were made for their wargame Art of Tactic. I'd have liked to use some tank riders, but the few sets I found looked rather crude in comparison with the Zvezda pieces, which are extremely finely detailed. 

 

Base

 

General purpose filler was used to make a deeply rutted track, and I dug out tank track impressions for the tank to sit in with a screwdriver of the same width as the tracks

 

Base texture

 

This was painted to match the pigment used in the mud on the tank (not the mahogany colour above) and some tree trunks shattered by shellfire were added with suitable twigs. The trees and the rutted ground were then masked... 

 

Base masked

 

...before the ground frost was added with a misting of Tamiya white. 

 

Snow/frost added

 

And that's where I'm up to. 

 

Edited by Churchill
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All done bar some tidying. A very simple base, but I did want it to feel sparse and bleak. 

 

I'm not particularly happy with the figures, and their faces should really be reworked completely, but they're only attached to the base with PVA so I can take them off and improve them at some point. 

 

Just about done.

 

Will get something in the gallery this week when the light's good. 

 

Thanks for your time and your support. See you in The Specialists GB, and the Patton STGB, and the Tiger, and the D-Day.... 

 

And hopefully in the SYWWTGTWI GB too! 

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That looks excellent!! I'm a bit of a fan of the zvezda figures too. They are by far and away the best plastic figures in 1/72.

 

Shame they haven't added much to the range recently.

 

The frost looks most effective - very cols and bleak.

 

All the best

Ben

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Absolutely great work Churchill! And your base sets it off beautifully. Looking forward to seeing it in the Gallery soon.

Kind regards,

Stix

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well.. nice work on the ground, but only one thing confuses me a bit. There is a tarp over the muzzle brake, so it replicates some movement in non-combat zone, but the soldiers say something else, hence it is an attack by Partisans...

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2 hours ago, Silenoz said:

well.. nice work on the ground, but only one thing confuses me a bit. There is a tarp over the muzzle brake, so it replicates some movement in non-combat zone, but the soldiers say something else, hence it is an attack by Partisans...

Yes. Partisans. Absolutely. 

 

The partisans drove off the relaxed looking tank riders that I had intended to put on there, if they hadn't been so badly moulded 😉

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I reckon the fella on the port side has just slipped over on the frosty ground, the chap to his rear is just about to help him up,  I  don't think this little hiccup requires the barrel tarp removing, not just yet

 

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Well it certainly looks excellent in the Gallery Churchill! Well done on getting it completed! Top notch modelling all round! :clap2::thumbsup::clap2:

Kind regards,

Stix

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