Dragon Jagdpanther G Update 3

This one sat for a while, I had more drive to work on the Sherman.

When I did get back to this one a few days ago, I managed to make some good progress.

I painted the three color camo scheme, according to the box and instructions. I chose the - s.H.Pz.Jg.Abt.654, Western Front, 1944 - option. I had a guide for left profile, front, and rear, but no clue about the top or right profile. I Googled for quite a while, but never found anything either. I even looked up my Panzer Colors I - IV.

So I faked it. My strategy when I started was to follow the patterns I did know, and when I did that much, I would just "feel" out the groove I was in and keep spacing and width and length consistent on the unknown profiles. I can live with the result.

Today I clear coated it with Future, and this evening I put on the decals. Tomorrow - another coat of Future to seal it all in. (I am still on vacation!)

I painted the tools and machine gun today. I has also been playing with the accessories in the past month or so, I had the tow cables done (chipped and weathered), The spare track, (racks and track links), The jack mounted on the rear, (chipped and weathered).

As I looked at it today, I was seeing it too bright/washed out. Therefore, I airbrushed a coat of transparent yellow over the whole thing. It did give it a more yellowish hue, but I am not completely satisfied. I am hoping a couple of heavy filters with Winsor and Newton Yellow Ochre will bring it around.

Progress so far.

And I added another one, couldn't resist putting on the wheels and the cable hooks.

Update Sherman III - 2

After a week long vacation, I am back at the Sherman and Jagdpanther. Work on one, wait for it to dry, work on the other...

The Sherman has come a bit further than the Jagdpanter. I have the tracks in place (but not weathered), It was clear coated with Future, then decals applied, then Future-d again to seal the decals.

In the last day or so I have done a couple of filters with Windsor and Newton Yellow Ochre oil, I was thinking that the shading on the tank came out a bit dark so I wanted to lighten it. I tested a dot filter on the bottom, but either wiped off too much or it just didn't work. In any event, I filtered it three times in the last few days.

Today I was experimenting with pin washes to highlite detail, using AK interactive Dark Brown Wash for Green Vehicles (AK-045). CHeck weld lines and any edge or raised lines to see the effect.

Oh Yes, and I wanted to try some chipping. However, since this particular tank would have only been in service for less than two months at this point (Late July/Early Aug 44 - Normandy), I didn't want to go overboard. Check out the driver/loader sponsons.

Next up is to do some shading on some areas that get heavy use (around turret and hatches), I will try using a dark blue oil in a wash/filter method.

Have a look, I welcome feedback... all kinds...

Testors 48th Scale Spitfire Mk II

I did this to try and get a model done in a relatively short period of time. I seem to be putting a lot of effort into most kits, trying for perfection. Problem is I only go at it these days in spurts, and the level of effort I put in takes a long time to produce anything.

So I picked up the Testors Spitfire off the shelf for a quick and dirty build just for enjoyment. To say the Testors model has been superseded by just about every other kit is being generous, but I went into this with no expectation, except I didn't care how well it came out, this was just for the joy of building.

So it was on the shelf for almost a year, it was primed for at least six months. I had found another kit I wanted for the stash when I visited the Aviation Museum in Ottawa with my son in February. The Gloster Meteor (mmmm Gloster meteorrrrr). I started it when I got back from the trip and it progressed.. slowly, but I was excited about RAF camo. So having the Spitfire already primed, I put the Meteor aside and started the paint job on the Spitfire.

It was a Sunday, great, lots of time. Go to the paint shelf.. no Brown (:. Long story short - I found a link that someone had used Tamiya Red and Green (XF7 and XF 5) to create Dark Earth. Voila, I had some.
4 Parts Red, 2 Parts Green, 1 Part Yellow and a touch of white - and you have RAF Dark Earth.

This was really fun, painting, putting on the last few details, and my ultimate favorite part - the decals.

I wasn't expecting much of this kit, but I must say it didn't turn out too bad. The fit wasn't great, the seams didn't come out too smooth, there were raised panel lines. The canopy was too thick, it didn't fit right (so I had to patch gaps with white glue). But again, I like it. It was good practice for painting and finishing the Meteor, when I get around to it.

This model is best viewed from 6 feet away :)

The undercart was crap so I did a wheels up job on it, and it hangs above my workbench.

Since there were raised panel lines, preshading was necessary for color variation and depth.

Dragon Jagdpanther G Update 2

I have been moving this one forward pretty much in parallel with the Sherman III. Main reason is that I now paint with Tamiya acrylics using Tamiya LACQUER thinner, and it is not nice in the house. SO now the weather is warmer and the shed is OK to do the painting. It also has new siding on it, I stripped everything out, cleaned it out and painted the floor. Its a nice place to paint again.

I was also thinking that the Sherman III was from the post D-Day period, just like this one, so maybe a Diorama is in the cards? Not sure, but these two have kept me busy.

Since the last update, I have finished the wheels, added the equipment and primed the model. Like the Sherman, I have now base coated it and started doing color modulation in preparation for decals and heavier weathering. For this one, (and I think it is a real good example to try the color modulation technique - yellow base, green and brown camo), I used an article by Mike Rinaldi from a Missing Lynx post of his as my guide - http://www.missing-lynx.com/articles/other/modulationmr_1.html
I didn't stay true to it, it is my first attempt, but I am liking what I see in my Jagdpanther so far.

Have a look.

My shed, my painting spot. Ready to go.

Some pre-shading in areas I want to stay dark.

The red brown overcoat of the primer. Not a full cover effort, but I like the various depths of color.

The Dark Yellow over it. I think I may have overcoated too much in some areas and lost some of the earlier effectiveness of color depth.

Another angle showing the suspension area. I would have liked the top half to have this effect to a better degree.

Final lighter coat, in smaller areaa, but giving the "source of light" aspect from left front a better chance to stand out.

I am working on this and the Sherman daily, so look forward to some new posts in the days and weeks ahead.

Update Sherman III

Can't really be an update, if I never mentioned it before. However..

I have been wanting to do this model for a while.. Chris (Model Master Chris), Steve R and Mark have been after me to do something Canadian for years... Well I finally caved, but it is another Sherman..

In the last few years, after I saw the episode on History Channel about Michael Wittman, I began a fascination with the Sherbrooke Fusiliers Canadian Tank Regiment in WWII. These were the guys who have a good story for being the ones to take out Wittman's Tiger I in August 1944. There is still some controversy, but I like to think these guys got the kill shot.

About two years ago, there was an article in RT (IPMS Canada quarterly journal Random Thoughts) by Gary Barling, doing a model of Sir Sydney Radley-Walters tank, a Sherman III. "Rad" as he was known, was  a unit commander of the Sherbrook Fusiliers. RT also gave out a decal sheet for 72nd, 48th, and 35th scale markings for Rad's Sherman.

So all I had to do was get the appropriate Sherman and start.

That took a while. Online hobby shops were asking alot for the kit, even before shipping, so I didn't pursue right away. eBay was not much better. It was finally on my second trip to Ottawa early this year, that I found the kit in Hobby House. It is Dragon's Sherman III Kit 6313, as recommended by Gary Barling.

I think I started it in April. I know I have had the build done for a month or two now, but I started painting in earnest just a few weeks ago.

I had do do some custom work with the kit. I had to build up the area under the  front of sponson area where the photo etch fender went. I got that advice from a site by someone who has tweaks for alot of armour kits. (I actually figured out what I had to do, then second guessed myself and went looking. He confirmed it for me). I also had to raid an Academy M10 Tank Destroyer kit for a cast rounded nose transmission cover to use instead of the three piece covering, and the sprocket drive assembly. It fit well, but as always, needed some tweaking, putty and Mr. Surfacer.

I have picked up a few good references lately from AK Interactive. That is the company that Mig Jimenez does his work with these days. They have alot of paints, washes, etc for weathering armor kits, nice product line. I bought their book (FAQ2), and I bought their DVDs, Weathering with Enamel, and Weathering with Acrylics. These are excellent resources, and show the weathering techniques in action. This is something I have needed for a while to help me progress.

Here are a few progress shots. I am currently finished painting, have my rendition of color modulation on it, and about to proceed to the decals, then heavy weathering stage.

Initial scratch work. Sponson edges to the front needed building up, and the new transmission cover.

Progress. Still don't like Photo Etch, but Green Stuff putty is a lot better way to attach to the plastic surface. Imitates weld bead too.

 Almost ready for priming.

Dragon Sherman Suspension - 74 parts for 6 Bogie assemblies. This is the third time I have done it, doesn't get any easier.

 Experimenting with some preshading. Marginally effective, as long as you dont go too heavy on the next coat.

 The next coat.

Finally with my version of color modulation. The aim is to take the next step in weathering and blend all that together but leave the different colors somewhat intact to show transition from one surface angle to another. (more about that Jadgpanther in the next post)