Jasper dog Posted January 24, 2022 Share Posted January 24, 2022 Great idea Stef! I'm waiting for you to start on your large DW one... The Bronco kit is said to be rather good if complex. Good luck with your miniart endeavour! 28 minutes ago, Stef N. said: The early Stugs seem to be limited to grey so some different painting techniques could be worth a go. Going to have to check that one out.👍 I've pics in a mag of Ausf Cs in dunklegelb with retrofit zimmerit and schurzen.... 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stef N. Posted January 24, 2022 Author Share Posted January 24, 2022 Ooh, sounds interesting Darryl. If you ever get a chance to post them up...... (copyright allowing).👍 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jasper dog Posted January 24, 2022 Share Posted January 24, 2022 As requested...🤞 Found in Military Modelcraft International, Dec 2020 2 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stef N. Posted January 25, 2022 Author Share Posted January 25, 2022 Thanks mate. Very interesting photo.👍 Just downloaded a copy from Pocketmags and there's also a great photo of a Panzer 4 H with its schurzen covered in zimmerit. What I was desperately looking for the other day. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
edjbartos Posted January 25, 2022 Share Posted January 25, 2022 Nice going Stef, looking good so far, I fancy doing a Stug, especially now that Miniart have added newer versions to their range. I'm looking forward to seeing how this one turns out, Nice start... Ed 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stef N. Posted January 25, 2022 Author Share Posted January 25, 2022 Cheers Ed. When it comes to the G, I am spoiled for choice but the Miniart ones are looking strong contenders to be my choice. They look superb.👍 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jasper dog Posted January 25, 2022 Share Posted January 25, 2022 Dont forget RFM have done a full interior one too, think that's a G. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jack Klugman Posted January 25, 2022 Share Posted January 25, 2022 (edited) 1 hour ago, edjbartos said: Nice going Stef, looking good so far, I fancy doing a Stug, especially now that Miniart have added newer versions to their range. I'm looking forward to seeing how this one turns out, Nice start... Ed Rye Field Models also make a very good Stug 3 Ausf G and even Border Models (Takom) have a kit out. Theirs even comes with a reproduction Silver Panzer Assault Badge Edited January 25, 2022 by Jack Klugman 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stef N. Posted January 25, 2022 Author Share Posted January 25, 2022 13 hours ago, Jack Klugman said: Rye Field Models also make a very good Stug 3 Ausf G and even Border Models (Takom) have a kit out. Theirs even comes with a reproduction Silver Panzer Assault Badge The Border one looks great but at £80 I will wait for the price to come down, or a simpler exterior version. So far after a web search I have the following G variants to choose from. Tamiya x2 Dragon numerous versions. RFM Interior and exterior versions Takom x2 Das Werk Miniart x4 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pig of the Week Posted January 25, 2022 Share Posted January 25, 2022 Yikes.. For 80 quid you should get a real panzer assault badge with it 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jack Klugman Posted January 26, 2022 Share Posted January 26, 2022 7 hours ago, Pig of the Week said: Yikes.. For 80 quid you should get a real panzer assault badge with it A real zinc late war Panzer Assault badge will set you back approximately £250 that would make the kit a considerable bargain ! I have not seen anyone open one of these kits and show the quality of the badge but I assume that its a bargain basement fake, still £80 is far too much. My RFM full interior kit cost me £56 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
vaoinas Posted January 26, 2022 Share Posted January 26, 2022 (edited) On 25/01/2022 at 01:24, Jasper dog said: As requested...🤞 Found in Military Modelcraft International, Dec 2020 Hi! Early StuG III on the photo 34 seems to be Ausf.B to me, not Ausf.C. Kristjan Edited January 26, 2022 by vaoinas 1 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stef N. Posted January 27, 2022 Author Share Posted January 27, 2022 Not many photos of the O series available. World War Photos came up trumps with a couple of clear ones though. 6 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
THEscaleSHOW Posted January 27, 2022 Share Posted January 27, 2022 On 23/01/2022 at 17:30, Stef N. said: There is a tendency to over engineer their kits but they build into great models and as a company they are more than happy to try out the unusual. I'm looking forward to the Bronco as I haven't done one of theirs before. Hello Stf I'm curious to see how the manufacturers differ and who wins the race for the shot 🧐 MD 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stef N. Posted January 27, 2022 Author Share Posted January 27, 2022 4 hours ago, THEscaleSHOW said: Hello Stf I'm curious to see how the manufacturers differ and who wins the race for the shot 🧐 MD I'll try and use as many different manufacturers as possible and keep a little tally card and reviews. 👍 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kelscale Posted January 28, 2022 Share Posted January 28, 2022 (edited) I recently built my first 1/35 StuG and it was Takom’s Blitz G kit. As far as accuracy goes it still has a few issues but as for kit engineering it is very much in the Tamiya esq vain. One piece tub, one piece gun box etc, however it does then come with photo etch grills and clamps and copper tow cables. The tracks are of the link and length type. Apart from the well published issue with the wheels (requires a little jiggery pokery to get both halves to sit flush) the only other issue I found was with the tracks and they weren’t a massive problem to solve. The tracks are not handed and as the two top lengths are the same, they attach to the wheels in slightly different locations on each side because of the sag location points. One sided fitted perfectly but on the other it required repositioning one single link. To solve the issue one single link was moved from the idler wheel location to the bottom run location. I built mine in two four-hour sessions and apart from a few 3D printed additions (tool clamps and extinguisher) it is ready for paint. The perfect antidote from a busy two vehicle vignette build that had stalled waiting for groundwork ingredients. Build fit 8/10 Accuracy 7/10 Edited January 28, 2022 by Kelscale 3 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stef N. Posted January 28, 2022 Author Share Posted January 28, 2022 Thanks for the review @Kelscale. It does look very nice and by the end of this project I may need a quick, easier build. 👍 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stef N. Posted January 29, 2022 Author Share Posted January 29, 2022 Got the bottom half done. Typical Miniart in that there are numerous small parts, including a couple of pieces of etch that so small that I have left off. The carpet has had enough feeding lately. The detail is very nice though and the fit is great. The wheels fit tightly onto their axles so be careful trying to remove them again. I broke one, glued it back and left the others alone. The tracks are going to be fun. There are 5 sprue attachments to each small track so I'll leave these to later when I have plenty of time. 14 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
edjbartos Posted January 29, 2022 Share Posted January 29, 2022 It's looking good Stef, really nice detail, it may be fiddly but the detail is all there. Looking forward to seeing more.... Ed 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PlaStix Posted February 2, 2022 Share Posted February 2, 2022 That does look to be progressing beautifully Stef. Kind regards, Stix 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stef N. Posted February 2, 2022 Author Share Posted February 2, 2022 Cheers Ed and Stix. I may sound a bit grumbly about it but I am enjoying the build and, all going well, paint should be going on this weekend. Little to no weathering will be going on which hopefully should make it a quick job. (Touch wood.) This turned up today and has loads of cracking photos, including an unusual "spotty" F8. £14 from Books etc. so a bargain to me. 4 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BringUpThePIAT Posted February 3, 2022 Share Posted February 3, 2022 I must say you are a more patient and gifted modeler than I. I'm on a self-imposed ban of Miniarts as I don't like anything about them - Am scratching and battling my way through their Werkskraftwagen bus/mobile workshop right now and it is giving me nightmares. Not the tools and equipment etc as they are great and are straightforward, great detail. I'm on about the vehicle itself. Fit is a case of guessing correctly with the instructions, the squillions of parts are ludicrously over-engineered, laughably brittle and come on so many sprues you need the Dewey library coding system just to keep track of them all. Plastic is somehow both soft and incredibly brittle and doesn't like TETC as much as say, Border etc or Tamiya. The sprue markers are too faint, the sprue gates are in stupid places and are way too thick, the instructions are akin to being screamed at in Ukrainian by ten different people at the same time, the carpet monster got so fat he needs to go on a diet from his cardiologist... its just not fun. It has six tyres. Each of these are eight (yes really) flat pieces that do not sit ideally well and have the merest hints of guide points and so require a lot of putty and sanding to look even vaguely decent. I spent almost an hour on one tyre and had to go for a whiskey and a look online for some resin aftermarkets.... 🤪 You know when you look up from the cutting mat and give your head a wobble and think "am I enjoying this?" - was that sort of moment. I haven't enjoyed a single minute of it and I LOVE modeling. I've got several 1000+ trumpeter kits under my belt, a couple of the really serious Dragons and I've even built tracks by RFM out of the box (hahahahaha) so am hardly a newb, but these were at least enjoyable if not always fun and even the difficult areas on these were doable and didn't make me want to put my hands in a breadmaker. Miniarts I find akin to ritual self flagellation - some folks are into it but I struggle with putting myself though it. I am impressed at the quality of your build - it looks sensational. As you say the one thing Miniarts do do is provide oodles of detail and its all there. Very nice, amazing effort. Are you enjoying it though? Fair play to you if you are. I'd love to be the kind of modeler who can make kits like this good decent. 4 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stef N. Posted February 3, 2022 Author Share Posted February 3, 2022 @BringUpThePIATThe weird thing is that I can agree with pretty much all you have written but still find myself enjoying making this kit. Maybe because it's really testing my modelling skills or simply the finished sections are really good and detailed (a sense of real achievement?). One thing we can probably agree on is that I would never recommend Miniart unless someone is proficient and give them sufficient warning of the pitfalls. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BringUpThePIAT Posted February 4, 2022 Share Posted February 4, 2022 19 hours ago, Stef N. said: @BringUpThePIATThe weird thing is that I can agree with pretty much all you have written but still find myself enjoying making this kit. Maybe because it's really testing my modelling skills or simply the finished sections are really good and detailed (a sense of real achievement?). One thing we can probably agree on is that I would never recommend Miniart unless someone is proficient and give them sufficient warning of the pitfalls. See that I can 100% agree with. They aren't for beginners or even intermediate modelers. I used to think AFV Club was the pinnacle of challenge when it came to assembly but I think Miniart has them beat hands down. Both are difficult. I wonder if i'm the only one who puts aside a couple of months to build a kit like that but needs a couple of mojo builds in the middle to keep my interest - nice Takom blitz StuG or a Tamiya etc. Just to stay fresh and not get bogged down. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stef N. Posted February 4, 2022 Author Share Posted February 4, 2022 What I have stated to do is pause a complex kit build for a breather but also to use the easier kit to trial out some new techniques that I want to use. I don't want to spend months building something and then balls it up at the end. It's an idea I should have done a long time ago to be honest. 4 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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