SD.Kfz.181 WIP Dragon - FINAL UPDATE!

[afvfan]

Thanks for the vote of confidence Dicky.

[wing_nut]

Dicky's right. I know I'll never say never again

The camo looks great. Soon the kitty gets dirty. Mmmmm.

[afvfan]

Marc and Brian - thanks for the comments. They're always appreciated.

I haven't had a lot of time at the bench recently, so this has kind of hit a snag. Hopefully, I'll have a proper update in the next couple of days.

[Deleted]

I just checked out your camo and looks sharp !

[robbo]

Just seen this one Bob, wow, nice build mate

[afvfan]

Finally got back on this for a bit. I ran into a wall with it and had to set it aside for a while. I started working on the weathering and got the wheels mounted, tools on, and tow cables done.

As I mentioned earlier, there won't be alot of wear and tear on this since it wasn't preplanned when the zimmerit was applied. Here's where it stands for the moment:

[ogrejohn]

Very nice looking Bob!

[bbd468]

Looks awesome Bob! Grear camo job fella.

Gary

[deafpanzer]

Love the details on the wheels as I just noticed them. Looking real good... you are getting closer to the finish line.

[afvfan]

Thanks for the comments, guys.

Yeah Andy, I do believe I finally see the finish line off in the distance. I'm working on the tracks now. I'm going to use the kit supplied ones. The molding on them is quite nice, detail wise. After the current paint sets up, I'll go back in with the dust and pigments. Hopefully, the next update won't be so long in coming.

[Deleted]

looks excellent very convincing weathering indeed

[wbill76]

Nice work on the weathering, this is one of my favorite 'one-off' types and you've got it headed in the right direction!

[afvfan]

Thanks for the positive comments. Here's probably the last WIP update before I get to close the book on this one. I worked on the tracks and got them mounted, as well as the commander's figure. I also added some dusting to the vehicle. From here it's just a matter of adding a few pigments and the final dull coat. Let me know if you see any problem areas I may have overlooked.

[wbill76]

Looks pretty darn good from here! Two thumbs up!

[bbd468]

Bob, you've done a magnificent job on this one!

Gary

[Deleted]

Slightly different technique you have with the weathering ..........and it looks damned cool !

[afvfan]

Bill and Gary - Thanks guys. There's still a few issues I want to address, but I'm pretty much liking how it's going.

Carl - As mentioned earlier, my lack of planning when I added the zim kind of forced my hand on the weathering. Without significant damage and wear, I had to settle for the look of a tank that has not seen a lot of heavy action. If I can find it in my parts bin, this will end up with the star antenna of a commander's vehicle. As such, I can say that it has stayed primarily off the front lines and basically just collected a lot of dust running around guiding the other units in the battle. Besides, to be different is to be noticed. Thanks for the compliment.

Andy - if you read this, I threw in the close-ups just for you. They clearly show you have no worries about the PE zim pattern not making it through the paint process. There's 6 to 9 different paint coats on the areas shown, with very little loss of definition.

[bullardino]

Looks like I missed a couple of updates on this magnificent build.

I'm with the guys above, great job

[Deleted]

looks terrific! like the weathering

[wing_nut]

Lack of planning? yeah right! Where? Sure doesn't show.

[deafpanzer]

10/10!!! Excellent build... love those crazy prototype builds!

[reserve]

Great stuff love the whole effect

Regards,
Mark

[afvfan]

Thanks again for all the comments guys!

Wing-nut - the lack of planning was that I didn't modify the PE zim to reflect chipped and damaged areas before I installed it.

[Tojo72]

real nice weathering on this one !!

[afvfan]

Thanks Tojo.

Well, here it is. After 2 1/2 months since I started, here's the final update for this one. I added a bit of color here and there with pastels. I also decided to go with the stub antennae instead of the taller star type I was originally planning on. I didn't know how well it would have held up being bent out of the way by the gun every time the turret traversed. Overall, I'm happy with the outcome. The only thing that I wish could have been changed is that the tracks are about a link too long to get the proper sag.

Below are a few final pictures. Here is also a link to the Photobucket album for the build with all the pictures for the build: s1254.photobucket.com/albums/hh612/AFVFan/VK4501/









Thanks for following along and all the comments along the way.

[Deleted]

I like your weathering on . The t.c. peeking over the hatch rim is cool !

[deafpanzer]

Much better with better pictures this time... dig its weathered and dusty look. I am so damn glad I have that kit in stash so one day it will be built. Of course with the Batman icon...

[afvfan]

Carl - Thanks. Yeah, his momma didn't raise no fool! Let all them other idiots be sniper targets.

Andy - It's a pretty fun build, unless you go overboard on the PE, like I did. I had to play with the photo program to get the shots to turn out like they did. Seems I wasted a bunch of money on a photo tent and lights and still can't get a picture to look like the actual model.

[wing_nut]

I know you gotta be happy with that one. Real nice completion.

[afvfan]

Thanks Marc. Yes, though there are a couple things I would have done differently, I am quite happy with it.