This is my first posting to Armor. It’s finished in the sense that I stopped working on it. Not a bad kit,I’m sure many here have done one at some point.But it ( armor) is a different animal as I learned along the way. First and foremost the tracks, had to monkey ---- them on using the 2 extra provided by the kit, never could get the sag between lengths. A post- mortem points to gluing the links in too tight a circumference around the drive sprocket and the idler wheel decreasing the amount of play I think I could have used, plus they were vinyl. The next hurdle for me is the incorporation of the elements these vehicles ( ground) operate under. Couldn’t get a grip on realistically interpreting them.
Nonetheless, this is ‘Anton’ the last of 6th Panzers 35(t)'s who met its demise 20 klicks from the Moscow/Volga canal in the form of the far superior T-34.While I’m disappointed in not realizing the overall look I wanted there is some positive lessons gained for the next one. I will now offer my obligatory apology for the lack of pictorial quality which I wish I could blame for the glaring deficiencies… but can’t. I picked the best few for here and others are linked-in by clicking on one. I think that’s how PB works.
In closing I’d like to add that ,too late did I read an admonition on the topic of weathering, in these forums, to the effect that; ‘if you think it needs a little more, you’ve probably gone to far’.I’d like to give credit to Modelcrazy for that sage advice,and if not him, whomever. Too late my friend,too late.
We are usually our own harshest critics. Not bad at all, me thinks. I would like to see a few more shots of the finished build. It looks like you turned out one well used and worn Panzer. Now you just need a base and perhaps some figures to really put it into the context that you described.
Thanks Stik, I think if you click on a pic it takes you to the whole library and you can slide through, be careful of what you wish for. Funny you mentioned figures because I attempted the one with the kit, flesh tone killed me,but never say never to a diorama… some day.
I think thats pretty not bad for some one who doesn’t build armour. A bit to much rust for my taste, but not implausable.
I would slighty differ froim Steve. My general approach is if it looks like it needs a little more, don’t, its about right. Its just a case of learning when that stage is.
I feel you did a very nice job on this tank. As Stikpusher commented, we ARE our own worst critics when it comes to our work. I am pleasantly glad that your first armor kit was a 1939-1941 era tank. Usually first time armor builders go for the Tiger I. It’s always nice to see some of the earlier German tanks that made Blitzkrieg warfare what it was. I prefer the Pzkpfw III or IV. Again nice job.
If you don’t work at it, you can not improve. Keep at it, try different styles, paints, and techniques, and in time you will find what works best for you. Flesh tones are really a beast, but there are also a bit of personal tastes involved.
Kind of you to say Gamera,it is the most disapointing part to me, just couldn’t achieve that ‘built up’ look I have seen in these pages. Just looks painted on to my eyes and the pictures don’t help.
You can experiment with adding different mediums to paint to create that built up mud look. Powders, sifted dirt, Model railroad products, pigments… your imagination is the limit. I have a cheapskate method of using sifted fine soil with Future to make my mud and them I later paint it to color. I may try some sifted sand one day to see how that works.
Ya know Stik, I tried a couple of things; putty,clay,but didn’t consider mixing in with paint. My efforts just didn’t cut muster but you’ve pointed me in a new direction. I just figured that we try to keep our paints free from debris. Thanks.
A very nice build indeed. For mud I use very fine loam from our yard and have also collected clay from Ft. Knox and such. I usually nuke mine before mixing it with white glue, depending on how thick I want it will determine how much I water the glue (future also works good). Also a bit of soapy water in the mud / glue mix does help reduce surface tension. Of course, for spatter, artist’s acrylic works well, projected by a tooth brush. You’d be surprised how much that mud flies around and cakes up.
Unless supplies of paint were bad, tankers were expected to keep their tanks free of rust and the entire crew helped the driver with this as needed. When I was a driver, I was always greasing, adjusting or painting something.
Ya know I still haven’t tried the dirt in the paint technique yet. I’ve been using a paint called ‘stucco’ which you can buy at the craft store. And yes it has something in it that dries with a bumpy look like stucco. What I’m using now is the ‘Martha Stewart’ brand. [:O]
Thank you for the compliment, I’m gathering substances now for trials. I was figuring that after being transported to the jumping off point for the Russian offensive the dearth of depots on the Eastern front must have been few and far between,coupled with the fact that these light tanks were not designed for the extreme elements they eventually faced, the crews were probably too busy trying to keep them just running.Add in the fact that their orders were changed to break off and take the Ukraine kept them constantly on the move. I just took all that to the extreme.
Ron
