DML Pz III Ausf J. Flirting with the finish line!

[Leon]

Excellent work John!

[panzerjager2]

It's sooooooo dirty.


AWESOME work

[jsteinman]

Thanks again for the comments - they keep me pushing!

So it is devil in the detail time. I see somethings I want to change - but I would love to hear your critical comments - no matter what you say my feelings won't be hurt - so let me have it!

[Deano]

Absolutely stunning model ....oodles of detail !!!

[deafpanzer]

So close to the finish line... bet you can't wait to call it done!!! Once again that chair is freaking too cool! I can't remember... did you make the chair or it comes from a set?

[adt70hk]

Looking great and the chair is a nice touch!!

Well done.

Andrew

[jsteinman]

Thanks guys! The chair is from the Historex on the march set - which I have had in my possession for over 30 years!

[406 Silverado]

All around fantastic work John. Really liking the snow effects and the missing rubber on the forward wheel. Stowage also looks great.
This baby has given me the mojo to finish my BergeTiger. Thought I'd load her up with some basic stowage....fuel drum, fuel cans, tarps etc.
Thanks for the boot in the butt to finally do some mud effects lol

[jsteinman]

Feb 6, 2017 11:33:27 GMT -5 406 Silverado said:

All around fantastic work John. Really liking the snow effects and the missing rubber on the forward wheel. Stowage also looks great.
This baby has given me the mojo to finish my BergeTiger. Thought I'd load her up with some basic stowage....fuel drum, fuel cans, tarps etc.
Thanks for the boot in the butt to finally do some mud effects lol

Happy to be in a position to apply a beneficial force vector!

[joelsmith]

Excellent job! Are you going to install it on a base?

[totalize]

Spectacular work John. The weathering is top notch. I think adding a figure would really complement this great model.

Dave.

[jpc1968]

Excellent

[sturmbird]

Feb 6, 2017 10:30:20 GMT -5 jsteinman said:

Thanks guys! The chair is from the Historex on the march set - which I have had in my possession for over 30 years!

that chair really caught my eyeballs! Although I wouldn't have put it there. Restricts the gun fie from the turret should they have to fire 180 degrees to the rear (Wild Bill will now correct me, as I should have said "3200 mills to the rear!<g>)" One other thing is about the helmets. Wouldn't that have made them hard to get at? I've seen them hanging on the sides, and even on the front, but can't recall them on the rear box.

The Build: Just outstanding!! Not over weathered, but makes me cold to look at it! At my VFW post, they asked us to post a photo of us from the combat zone. I refused for what seemed like a year or two. A buddy (one of my closest friends)posted one from Korea with a friend of his. Forty below zero!!! I get cold everytime I look at it. Your tank projects that to a certain extent (nothing like Bobby's pic). In it I see a well used tank that's been around the block several times. Just the right amount of mud and rust, but not enough to render the tank unusable.
The runs of tracks on the front were exceptional. really beat up, but still doing their job.

Remember a tank, cannon, rifle or machine gun actually used in the game of mortal combat will be in fine working condition. Often clean enough to eat off of. Yet show a lot of signs of major wear and hard use. You got it right!
gary

[jsteinman]

Thanks guys!  It will eventually go on a base, and yes there Will be figures!

I get the chair in the way of the turret thing, other tankers have said the same thing, but art imitates life.

[Leon]

Outstanding work all around John! Two thumbs up.

[sturmbird]

I would never have thought they'd hand the chair in the way of the turret. But you have proven me wrong. Still a great build

gary

[jsteinman]

Feb 9, 2017 23:47:38 GMT -5 sturmbird said:

I would never have thought they'd hand the chair in the way of the turret. But you have proven me wrong. Still a great build

gary

If there is one thing I have learned, "Never say never..."

[panzerjager2]

AWESOME WORK

[tobias5555]

Great painjob.

[mustang1989]

Good Lord!! Man I just love this kind of stuff. Could look at it for hours.............................

[chromdome35]

That is a beautiful build, bravo sir!

[jsteinman]

Many thanks!

[tigrazor]

So inspiring. I always wonder how to create such effects. Never can learn enough from modellers like you!

[jsteinman]

Feb 23, 2017 4:26:39 GMT -5 tigrazor said:

So inspiring. I always wonder how to create such effects. Never can learn enough from modellers like you!

Thanks.  It really is all about the layers.  I do the same stuff over and over, with slight variation as well as slightly varying the color or sheen.

[jsteinman]

AS I promised there would be a base for this.  It will be based on a series of photos taken on March 10, 1943 in a small village just north of Kharkov. 





The basic layout is the street with the fence and gate in the background.  
I am going to condense it a bit to save space.





The scratch built gate and fence will be mainly styrene, with a bit of balsa thrown in for good measure.  The wood will be painted just like the plastic.






I will be using Vallejo kewl paint set that includes a SBS sheet by Rob.
Primer and two dark base tones airbrushed on.

[jsteinman]

This is the first highlight added.  Lots and lots of masking...





Next I added some graining with a lighter color, then a dark wash.






Door on the right is just the highlights to show comparison.

The finished graining and washes applied.






Detail painting and weathering of the hinges.







Then I added some environmental accumulations - ie mold and mildew, and started to position some grass that will be poking through the snow.

[panzerjager2]

Looking good 

[wouter]

Wow mate, the Leibstandarte little panzer is getting better and better. Really like all those details like the stowage and the open vision block in the turret. The base will suit her fine, lovely stuff!

Cheers

[afvfan]

The tank looks really good, as does the beginnings of the base. The one thing wrong that really caught my eye is the right track. As bad as it's floating over the rear idler, it looks like there may be a link or two that need to be removed to get it to sit right. I know, having found myself in the same position, that it's not an easy fix, but it would be well worth it in the end.

[dierk]

Thoroughly inspirational paint and weathering - thanks for that!
I've looked behind the couch and found two cent's worth I can add: I'd add some dirt to the bottom of the chair legs and (apart from shortening the tracks like Bob suggested) make the running surfaces to the tracks shinier - check out the ones in the picture you're basing your base on - as an added bonus it will add depth to the tracks.