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Meng Jagdpanther Ausf.G1


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This one has been on the bench for a while. Pretty much out of the box, other than metal barrel and Friul Model tracks (as I couldn't face the ones in the kit!)

 

Happy Holidays everyone. I hope that Santa brings you everything you asked for 🙂

 

Comments/critique/suggestions gratefully received 👍

 

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Looks good, I've always liked the sleek lines of the Jagdpanther.

 

I've toyed with the idea of Fruil tracks but resent paying more than I've payed for the kit. I can see your logic when faced with some horrendous multi-part kit tracks though. I've enough grey hairs already!

 

Pete

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2 hours ago, Buzby061 said:

Looks good, I've always liked the sleek lines of the Jagdpanther.

 

I've toyed with the idea of Fruil tracks but resent paying more than I've payed for the kit. I can see your logic when faced with some horrendous multi-part kit tracks though. I've enough grey hairs already!

 

Pete

Totally agreed. My first time with Friuls. I really enjoyed them. I just couldn’t face glueing 2 horns onto each link... Happy Christmas!!!

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Excellent. I have the same kit and also cannot face the tracks will invest in the metal ones. Assume you just got panther ones? Also where did you get the barrell?

 

Back to your build. Really good. Subtle weathering but when it's all viewed together stands out and is really effective. 

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17 hours ago, Red Five said:

Excellent. I have the same kit and also cannot face the tracks will invest in the metal ones. Assume you just got panther ones? Also where did you get the barrell?

Yep, the tracks were the Friul Model Panther (Late Type Tracks) ATL-08. I used the vice and pin method for putting them together, and it worked out really well. Saved drilling each link out in advance. The pins were 'Prym 021365 Straight Pins Mild Steel Silver 25g 0.65 X 16mm', although the guy in the video uses brass ones which may be better. My only problem was that bashing in the pins bent some of the guide horns slightly. Not a real problem.

 

As for the barrel, it was the Aber 35L270 (Early One Part). I sourced it from Ebay, as with the tracks, vice and the pins.

 

It's a really nice, detailed model. I really enjoyed it.

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17 hours ago, phlarris said:

Yep, the tracks were the Friul Model Panther (Late Type Tracks) ATL-08. I used the vice and pin method for putting them together, and it worked out really well. Saved drilling each link out in advance. The pins were 'Prym 021365 Straight Pins Mild Steel Silver 25g 0.65 X 16mm', although the guy in the video uses brass ones which may be better. My only problem was that bashing in the pins bent some of the guide horns slightly. Not a real problem.

 

As for the barrel, it was the Aber 35L270 (Early One Part). I sourced it from Ebay, as with the tracks, vice and the pins.

 

It's a really nice, detailed model. I really enjoyed it.

Vice and pin? Please enlighten me. The video I watched seemed like I had to drill each track out which seems a chore too. 

 

Edit. I saw the link in the last quote. Cool technique looks much easier. Gonna order my tracks later today. 

Edited by Red Five
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On 12/30/2019 at 4:30 PM, phlarris said:

Yep, the tracks were the Friul Model Panther (Late Type Tracks) ATL-08. I used the vice and pin method for putting them together, and it worked out really well. Saved drilling each link out in advance. The pins were 'Prym 021365 Straight Pins Mild Steel Silver 25g 0.65 X 16mm', although the guy in the video uses brass ones which may be better. My only problem was that bashing in the pins bent some of the guide horns slightly. Not a real problem.

 

Hi Phlarris,

That's a lovely JP and all the better for those Friuls. Really, anything less would be a travesty.

 

If you don't mind, I'd like to share my experience with Friuls with you and your followers, but mostly for those who've feared to face them!

 

I was wary of Friuls after reading how many people went completely stark-raving mad whilst constructing theirs, but after watching several videos and noticing that a lot of the presenters were mad even before they started assembling them and then went on to prove they were even madder whilst assembling them, I came up with my own method which was much quicker, easier and not in any way mad!

 

The amount of time it takes to construct them is the biggest bug bear for most people, and the amount of effort it takes is a close second, but I kinda killed both with one stone.

 

First off, I don't bother cutting the wire up into shiny pin-lengths but leave the coil as it is and loop it over my weakest (left) hand, clamping it to my palm with my ring and pinky fingers, with one end of the wire near my thumb and forefinger. I then pick up a link with the same thumb and forefinger and check it for flash. If it needs cleaning I have tools laid out on the bench and I pick those up with my right hand (a file for example) and use that to de-flash the link. If it doesn't require cleaning, I pick up a second link and, if that's clean I mate it with the first which is still held between my thumb and forefinger. Adjusting my grip can lock the two links together, ready for the pin. I then get a pair of flat-nosed pliers, grab the wire about 3mm from the end and 'twizzle' it into the pin guides 3mm at a time. IF the links are lined up properly and there are no obstructions, the wire will push to the end 3mm at a time, at which point I pick up side cutters and snip the wire off flush with the link. The coil of wire has never left my hand so I'm not wasting time picking it up and putting it down again and I've made one pin, already inserted, and untouched by my hands.  If the wire does come up against a blockage I shorten the grip on the wire to 1 or 2mm and 'twizzle' the wire more forcefully, effectively drilling through the metal.  So, the block might be 5mm inside the links, but I adjust the plier's grip so that only 1 or 2mm of wire is visible between the link and the nose of the pliers. The wire is therefore not going to bend under the pressure because it is held tight within the links and only a short length is 'free' outside. I then add another link  and another and continue like this until I have a track length of 5 links. I then put that aside and repeat. When I have enough 5 link lengths I then join pairs of those up to make 10 link lengths and then join pairs of those up to make 20 link lengths etc. Trying to add one link at a time to a long track length can be quite cumbersome, so using this method is quicker and easier.

 

So, by using this method, I DON'T WASTE TIME CUTTING UP  LOAD OF PINS, FINDING SOMEWHERE TO STORE THEM, DROP THEM, LOSE THEM, PING THEM ACROSS THE ROOM ETC and neither do I have to double, treble or quadruple handle them, or the track links. I also don't have to bother checking every single link for blockages prior to assembly and I don't need to bother with a drill and all the extra handling that requires. Finally, if there are the kinds of repetitive flash/burrs that appear on every link but do not interfere with the tracks' operation, I clean those off once the track length is complete and before it is joined at the ends. The burrs etc will all line up and can be tackled en masse rather than individually. All of this saves time and effort. My first set of Friuls (not using the prescribed method) took me 6 or 7 evenings to construct, probably totally 16 hrs, whilst my last set 'fell together' in 3 hrs, and required no jigs, clamps, or lining up of loose links and trying to thread tiny indivdual pins through tiny holes.

 

 

Rearguards, and happy new year to all

Badder

 

i

 

 

 

When I made my first set of Friuls it took me over 15hrs

 

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Not much details to see on these pictures (and they have a wrong White Ballance) but on wheels and the rear parts I could see some kind of weathering and chips, that are few in my opinion for the WW2 AFV. Anyway I can see the potential in this work.

 

Regards

W

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On 1/7/2020 at 7:57 AM, witjas4 said:

Not much details to see on these pictures (and they have a wrong White Ballance) but on wheels and the rear parts I could see some kind of weathering and chips, that are few in my opinion for the WW2 AFV. Anyway I can see the potential in this work.

 

Regards

W

Note to self. Better pictures next time. And better weathering 👍

@witjas4 - Just took a look at your work - really nice. Especially like the Panzer III. What light tent do you use for your photos?

 

Edited by phlarris
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