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Trumpeter 1/16 Panther G Early (Take Two)


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Started the second 1/16 Panther G. Haven't finished the Rye Field Jagdpanther G2 or the cut away Panther G or even

the Takom Jagdpanther G1 but I needed a break from 1/35 scale, especially the crazy detail Rye Field kits.

 

This one will be in a white wash scheme I think and I'm debating on whether to try cutting the hull and turret open

like the Rye Field Panther G or cutting the upper deck of the hull open or just leaving it alone and making the entire

upper hull removable.

So far I have made some cooling ducts for the steering brakes out of tubing and blocked off the right rear shock absorber as

this will be a hybrid with the later chin mantlet. I don't have the heater assembly for the rear deck or any steel wheels so I can replace

a pair of those so it will have to be a later Early Panther G.

 

Here it is so far.

 

 

CAbgA2y.jpgQ5ld9vP.jpgMUgbAeL.jpgKJDnjNG.jpg

 

 

 

 

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Thanks Simon

 

I'm really hesitant about cutting up a Cdn$400 model to make the interior visible though. I didn't want to

tackle it with my Dremel as I'd probably end up with lots of melted plastic so I borrowed a fancy $300

coping saw from my cabinet making neighbor. I'm still hung up on that first cut, should I do it or not.

I don't know if a replacement hull is available from Trumpeter.

I'll keep on with sub-assemblies and I started the tracks while I'm trying to work up enough nerve to

tackle the cutting. Pretty sure once it's started there's no going back.

I quit drinking many years ago but maybe a beer or ten would be good about now. Things always seem

to look better and easier after soaking in beer (from the inside)

 

Take care,

Lloyd

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Haven't accomplished much today. Made a cover for the shock by the radio operator's seat and built some

more sub-assemblies. Lots of work but very little to show.

Almost ready for some off white and some red primer, maybe tomorrow.

 

h5y9oPd.jpgNwUAXst.jpgJqQFsUB.jpghLdgQ5A.jpg

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18 hours ago, BlackMax12 said:

Thanks Simon

 

I'm really hesitant about cutting up a Cdn$400 model to make the interior visible though. I didn't want to

tackle it with my Dremel as I'd probably end up with lots of melted plastic so I borrowed a fancy $300

coping saw from my cabinet making neighbor. I'm still hung up on that first cut, should I do it or not.

I don't know if a replacement hull is available from Trumpeter.

I'll keep on with sub-assemblies and I started the tracks while I'm trying to work up enough nerve to

tackle the cutting. Pretty sure once it's started there's no going back.

I quit drinking many years ago but maybe a beer or ten would be good about now. Things always seem

to look better and easier after soaking in beer (from the inside)

 

Take care,

Lloyd

If you are thinking about cutting up the hull I would carefully cut along the weld seams of the upper hull like on this 16th King Tiger 

 

rqCbh84.jpg

 

3InCi8V.jpg

 

Tragically this is not my model !

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Thanks Mick

 

Thanks Jack

 

That certainly opens it up and the turret cage could still sit in place too.

 

I'm having some second and even third thoughts about hacking this model up though. I might just make the 

upper hull removable as there's much less chance of a major screw up doing that. I tried my Dremel with

one of those fibre cutting blades on some scrap plastic and all I accomplished was to break two blades and

make a mess of the plastic. Tried slowing it as slow as possible and finally gave that up. I don't use a Dremel

enough to be very skilled at it. So it's the coping saw or nothing and I don't know how to cut straight lines

with a round blade only 1mm in diameter.

 

I should be able to hit the spray booth today and get some of the lower hull painted so I can finish

installing all of the torsion bars and axles and move on to the engine and cooling fan assemblies.

 

Take care,

 

Lloyd

Edited by BlackMax12
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Thanks Simon

 

Thanks Jack

 

I'm running out of room too. The last few 1/16 models are too big to fit

my display cabinets so some of them sit on top but there is no more "top"

to sit anything on.

 

Miserable day here today, blizzard warnings all over and snow with high winds. Tree branches all

over the front yard from the neighbor's willow trees and a good day for modelling. Three more

days until May 1st so this weather has to smarten up soon. Then we will be complaining about +38C

being way too hot, can't win.

 

Take care,

 

Lloyd

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  • 2 weeks later...

Pretty much have the interior complete and started on some weathering. Added some extra ammo boxes, a toolbox and a spare mg 

and a couple of gas mask containers and of course a ton of shells. Made the turret shell removable this time for display. 

 

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Edited by BlackMax12
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Looks great man and this is your SECOND one?!?! I still have mine stashed away while I tackle my other models. I'm assuming this is an OOB build, like your others? Either way, Trumpeter seems to have stepped up their game with this kit compared to the KT.  I'm always impressed with how quickly you assemble these 1/16 models. 

 

Keep it up,

Mark

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Hi Mark, long time

 

Yes this is Panther #2. The first was OOB but this one has some mods. Trumpeter made the brake cooling

setup as a Panther A or D so I added some brake cooling tubing a la Panther G and a cover over the right front

shock which they missed completely. Then I removed  the right rear shock as a later "G". I don't have any

steel wheels so I can't replace one pair but have to stick with all rubber tired wheels. I also don't have the

heater setup for the left fan exhaust on the rear deck even though Trumpeter made the cutouts  on the deck

for the heater ducts there is no heater itself. So this will be a sort of hybrid early/late Panther G with the chin

mantlet and all rubber tires.

 

I also added a spare machine gun and some extra mg ammo boxes ,some gas mask containers left over from

my Jagdtiger and a toolbox. Wish they had included the gurtsack type ammo bags instead of the cumbersome

spare ammo boxes they supplied. I also didn't use the metal barrel this time as it's so heavy you have to glue the

gun carriage solid so it doesn't flop down and even then it lifts the rear of the turret up and doesn't look pretty.

 

I had planned to make this one with a white wash finish and cut the hull and turret open for display. I've sort

of chickened out on the cutting though as once it's cut there's no going back. So I made the upper hull removable

and the turret shell lifts off too for display, that's as far as I dare to go.

 

One thing that really ticks me off though is if they can mould the track links for the King Tigers, Jagdtiger and

all of the Panzer IVs with the stinking rotten guide horns in place why didn't they do it for the Panthers???

There are 368 guide horns to glue in place, two for each link and that is beyond a nuisance believe me. They have to

be lined up just right so the the track fits over the idler and the sprocket and even over the road wheels. Thanks a lot

Trumpeter, really appreciate that you needed to get the parts count up to 2300+ pieces.

 

I see Trumpeter is about to release a Late Panther G so I will need that one too. From what I hear it has the heaterand

the chin on the mantlet but unfortunately it has steel wheels which apparently aren't right for that combo. Well

maybe the turret got replaced on a steel-wheeled version, who knows

 

I'd like to see some of the progress on your Panther collection as I haven't seen any posts for a while so show

some already.

 

Take care,

 

Lloyd

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I must apologize for my lack of posting, I am graduating High School in a matter of 2 weeks so as you can imagine I have been scrambling to get more important things sorted before I graduate. I have been posting more on my Instagram account since I don't have to upload to Flickr to post them. 

 

On to the tracks, I did notice the guide horns and instantly got a headache from that, as it will be just as tedious if not more than the road wheels/shells. But that's why we do it right?😅 

 

I'm really excited to get started on this Panther, as I can use my 3d Printer and download/make my own models and print sed models for the panther. I was planning on also trying out my skill in resin casting to make my own 1/16 misc. items instead of buying costly parts off of ebay. As I have learned quite a bit from the KT, and I'm trying to do this on a "budget" 

 

But I think that a whitewash on this 1/16 panther will really pop, along with all of the modifications you have made to the tank. 

 

Mark

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On 5/8/2019 at 3:24 PM, BlackMax12 said:

Hi again Mark

 

What was the Facebook Panther builders group you mentioned a while back?

 

The 3D printing sounds like a good idea but isn't that a little pricey too?

 

Lloyd

I'll get that link for you. And the common misconception about 3d printing is that it's very expensive to own the 3d printer and to also print from sed printer. But I can safely say that the only major expense for 3d printing was the printer itself, and actually printing things off come out to cents on the dollar. As I can get a Kilogram of PLA for about 25$(USD) off Amazon. It can become pricey if you're printing large 3d models, and you run the risk of the print failing and you wasting all that PLA, but since I plan on printing 1/16 parts the chance of the print failing is very small and even if it does, its not going to be more then a dollar wasted in plastic. 

 

Mark

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