1/25th scale Panzer III Ausf L, early

[Leon]

PJ,test fitting should be the golden rule no matter who the kit maker is!

[panzerjager2]

Thanks again to Dierk and Leon

[Deleted]

This is (expletive deleted) awesome!

G

[panzerjager2]

G- many thanks....
Zersh SORRY I forgot to include you this morning...THANK you for the kind post.

[dupes]

*Caveat - I have not had time to read through all 15 pages of this thread.

1) Why 1/25? Are you just going consistent scale to the old Tamiya and Academy stuff?

2) Are you basically upscaling known 1/35 kits?

[panzerjager2]

Well those are great questions........... Why 1/25th???.....mostly because it isn't 1/35th. Now don't get me wrong I started in 1/32nd, 1/35th. When I was sponsored by Monogram I was all about 1/35th. Then about 25 years ago, (man I'm old), I just said enough is enough. All I was doing was assembling someone else's kit. That, and the influx of manufacturers who seemed to be producing almost every WWII vehicle ...hells bells these same companies are now producing "paper panzers" For me that spelled the end of my association with 1/35th.  Please note I come from the Shep Paine era. I really like creating, not just assembling.... that's why. 
So, as for scaling up....Yes, I take a good production kit,, in the case of my Ausf "L", it's Tamiya's Panzer III. I used Verlinden's Lynx for my 1/25th version The math is pretty easy, I just have to keep double checking my calculations... Now I don't stick to 1/25th. I am planning the Hungarian Tas in 1/20th...just because. Lastly when I made the switch, there was ZERO in the way of accessories or "extra's" for 1/25th. Now there is more, and I have made my own masters....maybe after the Tas, I'll do a Kettenkrad in 1/20th...who knows...... 

[panzerjager2]

Just a quick "schurzen" update.......

[dierk]

Great work PJ!!!

[Leon]

Great work indeed PJ!

[Steve Zuleski]

Hey PJ, how heavy is this puppy getting? I'm thinkin it's going to sit very comfortably on the base without much worry of shifting.

Like you I prefer larger scales, but as far as figures are concerned, the mistakes scream at you. I'm going to size back down myself after my 200mm dio is finished, but not much, 120mm, lol. 1/35th seems too small to me now, but I recon once I'm back in that scale I'll jam without a hitch in ma gitty up.

Ruck On, looking good from here

[panzerjager2]

Gentleman, MANY THANKS...  It's coming along.  Truth be told, I've been putting off returning to the turret insides.......I liken it to "honey do's"...I gotta get it done but...
Anyway, thanks again for the kind posts

[joelsmith]

PJ, what thickness of styrene are you going to use on the lower hull? Are you going to use plastic as thick as available, or thin with lots of internal bracing?

[panzerjager2]

Joel, very interesting question..... My plan is .080 thousands for the lower hull. with bracing through both the engine and drivers compartments. Mostly because those area won't/can't be seen. In the Ferdinand I used the exact same plan, and had VERY little to no warp. 

Thanks for asking......   and just because a couple of my local friends have asked the question about the lower hull..."when are you gonna start the lower half" My goal is to COMPLETELY, other than paint finish the upper before starting the lower portion

[vlpbruce]

Looking Great pal. Keep it coming.

[panzerjager2]

Bruce,  Thank you kind sir...................

[thug626]

More stunning scratch work my good man

[dierk]

Karma+1 - just so it matches the room number you're currently in

[panzerjager2]

Thug, Dierk THANK YOU

[panzerjager2]

Well my friends today was a tough day in the life of the Ausf L....... After seeing the photos provided by my friend Dierk, and after serious contemplation, (napping), I chose to restart the shurzen completely, down to the turret. I am gonna replace everything, support arms doors plates...everything. Why you may ask.....well much like the great Jay Santos once said, "if I'm wrong, then I'm wrong". In this case the skirts and arms weren't correct. 
Now, I seriously don't blame anyone, BUT since he and I are friends, I now blame my buddy in Germany Dierk....., why you say because he started the whole shebang off with the barrel not being tapered....... Oh I was fat dumb and happy, and then Herr Dierk piped up, (now of course I am just having fun at my friends expense, you mockingbirds out there...do like Sgt Hulka said, and "lighten up"). Truth be told, i would rather fix it now then try and answer a problem with a problem later.... 

So it's back to the drawing board.......

[panzerjager2]

Well in a truly inspirational moment, and with great relate.Using the famous Peanuts characters, Dierk my good man, you are now the Red Baron, and I Snoopy in his Sopwith Doghouse. And to quote Snoopy, "curses foiled again"...LOL 

[Leon]

Great choice on fixing it now PJ! You'll be a lot happier with the end results.

[panzerjager2]

Leon, thank you sir...It still stings a bit though

[wing_nut]

Oh my! That's cause for rapid blood transference and centralization.

[Steve Zuleski]

Always good to go back and redo a boof, great work PJ, Ruck On!

[panzerjager2]

Thanks gents for the encouragement..................

[joelsmith]

Besides PJ2, if you had left it as it was, it would eat at you. You will be your own worst critic, so with something as easily fixed as this, it is best to go ahead and make the corrections. Now I have to go and start my SdKfz 9/2 conversion by Billie Jean/Panzer Concepts. Talk more soon, Joel.

[thug626]

Good morning PJ2. That was a tough call. It sounds as though it was the right call as you would have been looking at it ever after thinking, "Damn! I wish I would have fixed that". And, ya wonder why I've built three to your one. Your scratch building ya mad man! Nonetheless my good man, this is some mighty fine work going on here

[panzerjager2]

First before I get to the post, MANY BIG THANKS for encouragement to: Thug, Joel, Steve Z, Wing_ Dierk, TRM, and Thug....... Truth be told there was a second or two that i contemplated making the Ausf L a paperweight....... or to be more exact, SCRAP...

SO obviously, no destruction happened after the arms and schurzen were removed......LOL and here is the new direction I'm taking. It's quite simple, going back to what I know and have learned abooot WWII German Armour. See for yourselves...please note I haven't cleaned the details before this shoot...........

[panzerjager2]

So, I thought I'd give some context..... The old Skirt Arms had 4 maybe 5 pieces. The new ones have 9 individual parts, and up to 17 bolt/rivet/nut pieces. And that is just on the two front skirt arms, the ones ion the middle and rear of the turret will probably have a smidgen more....

[Leon]

PJ,that is a huge improvement! Glad this did'nt end up in the scrap bin.