Sd. Kfz. 139 Marder III -Picture heavy

Modeling Subjects Armor
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I hope you don’t mind if I wax philisophical for a minute…I won’t be offended if you simply skip to the pics [:D]

When I came back to modeling having not done so since childhood I did so fully intending to focus mainly on aircraft. Somewhere along the line the armor bug bit me. I fully appreciate the skill and effort that goes into successful weathering of aircraft, but for me armor weathering seems much more an art form. Perhaps it was this that made this genre of scale modeling stick, and stick hard. Now, bearing all this in mind I got into a funk a few months ago. I was participating in 2 group builds, both aircraft, while also trying to build a 1/700 USS Essex and painting a 1/35 figure. Work got busy and bench time shrank a bit (hence I was absent from this site for a little while…less internet time meant more modeling time.) Because of this I just started feeling like I was getting nowheres with my builds and it was starting to get tedious…not fun. So one day I decided “to hell with it”. I shelved everything I was working on. I decided to start from SCRATCH, work only ONE project at a time. It was no surprise to me that my eyes and hands fell upon an armor kit. So without further ado…

Kit details: This is the 1/35 Italeri Sd. Kfz. 139 Marder III kit. I was very very tempted to go with the tri color ambush pattern, but I decided that one something with as many tough angles and tight spots was just asking for trouble since this is only my third try at an armor build, so I decided to go with the single Dark Yellow scheme of a Summer '41 vehicle instead. I have been impressed with the current trend here on the site to go with, as someone put it “looking lived in but not thrashed.” I figured making a single color scheme look good would be a good test of the skills I have learned.

Final thoughts: This was my first time working with the ruber band tracks…and I dislike them. Even though I primed with Tamiya rattle can primer I still got flaking, but thankfully it was minimal and the origional color of the tracks blended well with the overall look, so no harm no foul, or at least for this time. I also need to find a better way to apply decals and seal them as I got a tiny bit of bleed through when doing the dot filter, but it was fixable and now looks hardly noticable. I did the dot filter first then followed up with three regular filters. It looks good but may not come out in the photos too well, so it is one of those “trust me it is visible in person.” The table on the right side kind of bugs me because obviously it is at an odd cant, but for the life of me I don’t know how I could have made it level without some serious chopping of the wall side legs. Oh well, I don’t think it is TOO bad looking. I also don’t know if the cap on the rear deck that I put the fuel spill at is really the gas cap…I am making an assumption it is, hopefully a correct assumption! I am also happy with how the muffler came out. I think it looks better in person than in the pics. Also, I got a AWESOME effect on the shovel and pick. I did the same thing on the tracks, but it worked so much better on the tools than the tracks. I started with a base of Steel acrylic and then misted over it with Tamiya Hull Red. It looks like a piece of metal in the inbetween stage of rusting. It is Steel and Rust speckled, or thats the best I can describe it. Sadly, even with an expensive Dslr and tripod I don’t have a macro lens yet to get you good pictures of it. Lastly, this was given a very subtle dusting in strategic spots with Mig pigments “Europe Dust”, and is yet one more “looks better in person than in the pics”.

Bottom line is this kit got me excited again after a bout of the modeling doldrums. While I won’t foresake aircraft or ships the simple fact is I think I will be focusing on armor from now on since it has become the most fun genre. I am also going to force myself to stick to the self imposed “one kit at a time…PERIOD” mantra.

Brian

P.S. And of course Critique (of skills mostly…I am still not quite at the mega historical accuracy stage yet) is appreciated and welcomed as this is how I learn.

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Excellent, one fatastic marder, maybe alittle more weathering, but overall, its fantastic model.

Good job!

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I agree with T-Rex. great looking build, looks fantastic. I would maybe just add a little bit of weathering maybe some light filtering. Or leave it, I think its great as is.

Bob

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Pure and simply…it looks really nice. The weathering is simply and subtle and I like it. From reading oyur post it seems like you are looking at it a good way and see areas to work on

Bottom line is this kit got me excited again after a bout of the modeling doldrums.

No matter what else, that’s all that counts.

While I won’t foresake aircraft or ships the simple fact is I think I will be focusing on armor from now on since it has become the most fun genre.

Yes that does happen from time to time[:-^]

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Hey Brian,

Don’t be too hard on yourself, your Marder is gorgeous, particularly for an Italeri kit. She came up very nicely - the subtle weathering is just right. You did very well with those awful Italeri tracks.

Looking at it, it’s hard to believe its only your third armour build. Looking forward to seeing more.

Well done… [8D]

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Looks like it cured what ailed you and that’s what matters most of all! Nice work on the old Italeri kit. [tup]

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Brian,
You seem very excited and proud about this kit. You D@^# well ought to be! Don’t worry about the weathering…it can be a dark art. Heck, weathering a kit is where I become really pensive. I like how you did the exhaust. I’m sure it does look better in person. Funny how the camera picks up the imperfections, you know, those ones that really make you nuts! The darkening around the neck of the spent casings, nice touch again.
The spill on the rear deck. It’s an open deck over the engine on open top armor. Something will get spilled there. Fuel, oil, dinner, what ever.
This is not a nit pick. Just something to keep in mind if you do more German armor. Aber makes a 2m aerial that is exquisite (I’m not an Aber employee or rep)
Last, and certainly not least! THIS is the KIT that got you out of the doldrums man! Those are the best ones. I’ve got a few of those myself. My last one was DML’s Panzer III Ausf N. That was a blast.
By the by thanks for quoting me, “looking lived in but not thrashed.” That was a first. Wooo Hooo.
Keep those posts coming.
Cheers
Dave

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Thanks for the replies everyone! Indeed the Italeri tracks were really were not that great. Some of the teethe are also oddly sized. The kit iself went together pretty straightforward, though I got to put a lot of practice into filling ejector pin marks in annoying places [:D]

M1 Carbine: I did a dot filter to begin with and then laid down 3 layers of burnt umber filter, though I am wondering if I should have done the burnt umber first THEN the dot filter so it would show up better. I think the problem is that on the Dark Yellow base, which is so light to begin with, is not allowing the dot filter to show up as well. In front of me there is just the most subtle of streaking, which I like, but perhaps could look better stronger.

Marc, Phil and Bill: Your right, this was fun plain and simple. I did not invest a lot of money in the kit and used it as yet another skill building session. By far it is the model I am most proud of at this point.

Dave: The once again not having a nacro lens is too bad because the exhuast I tried out the Mr. Surfacer stippling trick and it came out beautifully! a quick rub with some fin grain sandpaper got me exquisit texturing. It was to this that alternating Mig pigments Standard rust and light rust ontop of a burnt umber base and a burnt sienna filter…again, something I wish I could show better in the pictures. I will also keep your other suggestion in mind. I am kind of digging the German WW2 armor so am sure I will be building plenty more from the Marder series. In fact, I was browsing the Wikipedia page for the Marder I and think it looks pretty neat. Perhaps in the near future…

As for what is next. Well I am now going to try my hand on my first Dragon kit. I picked up the PzKpwf III Ausf J Initial production to build up (ironically I got home to find my Fine Scale Modeler issue waiting for me with a review for this very kit in it…how is THAT for fate! [:D] ). I wanted to start somewhat smaller than the big boy Panthers and Tigers (which I came very close to going with) to test the waters. But honestly, looking at the pictures of this thing as I have been doing some mild research…I have to say this the best looking tank I have seen so far. It just looks so bad arse!!!

Thanks again everyone. Anyone sees anything else that could be a usefull critique I would love to hear it.

Brian

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Great job!!! Especially cosidering it’s an Italeri kit, they can definitely test your patience in the clean up and fit dept. I really like how the rust came out on your exhaust.

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Brian i’ve got to agree with the others and I would surely rip you apart if it were possible.[:D] I too really like the exhaust rust looks perfect.[tup]

Tony Lee

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Very sharp effort NH. I too like the “used, not abused” look. Also like the fuel stains you added.

I built the same kit some years back for a GB and enjoyed it very much.

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That there is a beautie tigerman! I really wanted to try the three color scheme, but when I got everything together I decided it was going to be above my abilities at this point (I am still really getting used to using my airbrush for more than simple one color coating applications). Seeing it in three color makes me wish I had given it a try!

Brian

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I seem to always have to respray my camo’s, because I’m very picky. Some I still dislike, even after 3-4 tries. It’s so easy to mess up. One has to remember the Germans weren’t any better at ad-libbing camo either. I’ve seen some patterns that looked as if children sprayed them. Not as uniform and pretty as most modelers make them.

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First I love the Marder! You did that kit justice.

In response to Tigerman, LMFAO!, I found a thread on the PzIV posted on some such site I cannot remember now. Anyway the camo on some look like a drunken sailor got the spray gun away from the crew!

I really think we take entirely to much time making our “masterpieces”. In reality they weren’t that neat, come on for the early years crews daubed mud on the vehicles!

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Yes, that’s what I’m talking about. Some Pz IV’s are nothing more then some random spots and snakey lines. Pretty basic stuff.