1/35 Leopard 2A4 *Gefechtsbereit*

[Tobi]

Jun 22, 2013 4:59:12 GMT -5 tobias5555 said:

No use for it now in the army, my Leopard didn´t have it. I think it was used for some cable, but we didn´t use this half-round thing.
Even the cabel reel was not in use at my time and it was removed.

Tobias, I found out!

It's a collapsible trunk for the commander's hatch, used for deep-fording up to 2,25m!

For underwater driving up to 4,00m, a different solid three piece turret must be brought to the tank, as this is not an on-board equipment.

Cheers,
Tobi

[Tobi]

Jul 29, 2013 15:25:23 GMT -5 @dickyf said:

Cool stuff Tobi - sounds like interesting work and great childhood memories there

Yes Dicky, one could say I have special ties to this one!

[Tobi]

Just a small update on some stuff that wouldn't fit in the categories I had in my mind. The building phase is pretty done, next steps will be primer, a few thoughts about color and then completion of the running gear.

I made a small addition to the trunnion bearings (is this the correct term?) of the gun. With Revell's design they want to shape a "V" over the time, but to support the higher weight of the aluminium barrel properly a loss in strength would be a bad thing. To make sure they stay parallel, a section of double-T profile from Evergreen was cut to size and glued in position.



To make the plugs for the telescopic sight in the mantlet and the coax-MG, I used my Dremel tool as an improvised lathe. The sprue was taken from the AFV tracks, as this was already black and I figured it would be easier to paint later, with just some flat clear cote for finish. You can see the tools I used in the picture.



The towing cables were replaced with cooper ones from SKP and towing eyes from Perfect Scale. It says on the package they are 1,1mm, but a check revealed them to be only 1,0mm. As far as I know, the original cables are 35mm in diameter, which would mean a perfect match. I forgot to bring my calliper along when I visited KMW today, I could have measured them myself! However, may they be 32, 35, 36 or 38mm, I believe 1,0mm is way in scale in any case and inside tolerances of what can be seen by the human eye.



At least the color sample of my self-made bronce-green that I had in my pocket showed an excellent result when compared to the real machine, taking the scale effect also into account. More on this in my future "color theory". And "yes", I did actually work at the meeting today, it was not only about my hobby...

[deafpanzer]

Aftermarket cables look far better... looking good!

[Tobi]

I gave up on the tracks!

When trying to mount them, way too many end-connectors would break, resulting in a total shitty look. No way to fix it! I tried really hard till I got to the point were it became totally pointless. I won't allow them tracks to destroy the look of my model...

Didn't have similar problems with the AFV-track for the M1 Abrams, also when reading about the Leopard build in a German forum where these tracks were used not a single word about any problems! I therefore blame it to faulty production, maybe the plastic wasn't hot enough when it was flowed into the mould!

Ordered the Bronco tracks today, at least there is an alternative. Shame about the hours and hours of work...

[macmcconnell.]

Nice detail work this will pay off later

Mac

[Tobi]

I hear ya Dicky!

Are you going to build a company of Leo's or what? Sounds more like commercial use for those plugs than personal need...

No, the Pope of Scratch should be able to make them plugs himself, I'm pretty confident! ;-)

Looks like my new tracks will arrive on Monday btw.

Cheers,
Tobi

[Tobi]

Aug 3, 2013 15:48:16 GMT -5 @dickyf said:

I've got 7 Leopard 2 Variants currently 'en stashe' waiting to go Tobi lol

The Pope of Scratch is a eye-wateringly lazy son of a gun mate

Heartbreaker and styrene taker!

[danb.]

Another fantastic update on the Leo buddy keep up the hard work

Dan B

[Tobi]

Hello Gents,

as you might have noticed I took some days off from the Leopard project. After that disastrous day of running gear installation, where the track would keep falling apart, because all the track connecters constantly broke in two, I needed some time for recreation. I ordered the Bronco track and it arrived on Monday. Started with it on Tuesday, had it assembled and painted on Thursday but when it came to installation I didn't like the look of it! The track seems to be chunky compared to the one from AFV. The rubber pads are a tad too small, stand out too much and the end connectors also lack detail. The hollow guide teeth, which are only indicated on the other, can't compensate for that!

Further, during my rescue attempts of the AFV-track, I did flow generous amounts of Tamiya extra thin cement between the track links. It turned out that after the curing time of nearly one week, where the model had been stored away, the tracks got almost rock hard. That also increased the risk of damaging the model when trying to the remove them. I wasn't sure if this would work. On the other hand, I thought now I might be able to make the much needed repairs on the track connectors. Nothing to loose here, anyway! To quote a German saying: "There is still an arrow left in my quiver." And in this case it's Vallejo's Plastic Putty! In the meantime you can admire the broken connectors in the attached photographs. If everything works well I will finally stick with the AFV-track as planned.

[deafpanzer]

Nice job on the tracks... sometimes they can be P-I-A but you made it work!

[wbill76]

This one's putting up more of a fight than usual, but you're dedication is paying off Tobi, stick with it!

[Tobi]

F*(king finally!!!!
What a fight it was, but the cat now received it's paws and it's the AFV-track like I wanted it from the beginning!

I wrote I gave up and I really was at that point, glad I didn't. All that had been necessary was to step back from the project for some time and getting over the frustration, and letting the glue do it's magic. After it had time to cure the (so-called workable) track was hard enough to undergo repairs.

The lower track-runs were straightened out on their outsides with gentle force, so all the links sit more or less flat on the ground. On the upper runs I didn't bother as they will be covered up by the side skirts. I only made sure the tracks rest on the return rollers. Here and there even more cement was flown into the links. The workable track no longer isn't (actually it never was with that weak connectors), the complete running gear is now one solid unit, with the tracks also glued to the wheels.

Then came the repairing of the cracks on the end-connectors. Again only the visible portions underwent the procedure. I used Vallejo's Plastic Putty, which is some acrylic resin. Powerful stuff, but you need to know how to handle it! Once cured it doesn't sand well. I used a small synthetic brush to apply it. As the brush can be cleaned simply with water I moistened the brush immediately after the application and swept the area smooth and clear, so the putty only remained in the cracks. There is almost no shrinkage, but on some heavier deformed connectors two or three coats were necessary. After that the parts were repainted and re-weathered.



The tracks are originally black, so I found it a good idea to mask off the rubber pads with liquid mask. Where's no paint nothing can flake off! Then they were misted with a thin coat of Tamiya primer from the can and airbrushed with XF-56 Metallic Grey. I recently rediscovered this very useful paint. If you look closely on original pictures you will note that the track is shining more but also darker where the roadwheels run. This is also the area for the build-up of flash rust. Life Color Fresh Rust and Dark Rust were sprinkled on with an old toothbrush, then the running surface and the connectors were masked off. A mix of XF-56, X-31 and X-32 (Titanium Gold/T. Silver) was applied next, then all the maskings were removed. I used a filter made from AK Track Wash to tone down the colours, dirtying was done with a mix of 90% tap water and 10% 324 Highlight French Tankcrew from the Panzer Aces range from Vallejo, applied via airbrush.

Attachment Deleted

If you have already noticed the white markings on some of the connectors and are wondering what's the deal with these, they indicate where the track has been opened during maintenance. Usually white is taken for this task, as yellow and red are reserved for other purposes, but you can occasionally also find these colours and I even saw blue once. Sadly this is one of the things most often done wrong by the troops. The original idea is to paint a thin line on the bolt head to easily check visually if it got loose. It's a good idea to paint also the outside of the connector to find the screw in question quicker. Also as a rule the track shall be opened on the opposite side of the last marking the next time, or, if that's not possible, in the middle between two markings. But in some cases the whole(!) connector receives a coat of paint, rendering the procedure pretty pointless. It seems way to many soldiers don't know how to do this properly and they keep it teaching wrong to others!

Attachment Deleted

Regarding the yellow and red, you can see yellow on the center bolt head of the sprocket wheel (and that the track is not running smoothly around it ) and red on the hub of the road wheel. Well, yellow is used to indicate safety fixations and their torques shall be checked during inspections, red marks greasing spots. This applies to every Bundeswehr vehicle, not only the Leopard.

Being far from perfect I'm quite satisfied with how the tracks turned out, especially when considering the problems I had which I won't forget in a long time! There are slight imperfections, of course (like on the sprocket wheel), but as long as the model sits on the ground and is not picked up to be watched from under beneath (which rarely happens) they will do the trick! I had the issue with the suspension, the Gunner's sight and the tracks. That makes three! Hopefully from here it' will be a walk in the park...

[wbill76]

Glad you got the shoes on this girl Tobi, nice touch on the details with the end connectors.

[Tobi]

Aug 12, 2013 19:31:21 GMT -5 wbill76 said:

Glad you got the shoes on this girl Tobi, nice touch on the details with the end connectors.

Amen, Amen, Amen to that, Bill!

[Tobi]

Just a small update on how I did the periscopes. I did them at this early stage as I figured the results will be better than painting them at the end. It's a messy work that doesn't go well together with precision. Now they have only to be masked off for the following paintwork.

I don't have WIP pictures as it was yesterday evening, I can only show you the final look. Someone pointed out earlier I shouldn't use the AFV reflection stickers as the Leopard 2 doesn't have these coatings and he was right! What he couldn't knew was, that I had already taken this into account of my plannings.

First the periscopes are backed with various Greens from the Vallejo range, mixed with their Metalizer. The Metalizer can be skipped, though. Sticker instructions call for Silver as backing colour, but my plans went another direction. I painted the peris with what I call "Inverse light technique". In short: darkest colour on top and lightest on bottom with smooth transitions in between. This gives the impression of a light absorbing glass surface and it will shine through later, believe me! On went the stickers, cut individually to size with a sharp blade. Next I airbrushed Alclad Transparent Blue onto them and let it dry over night. Again this step could be skipped. The problem with the Alclad colour is that it's not glossy when dry and as such is lacking a needed depth effect.

So today another coat of Tamiya Clear Blue was applied via airbrush and the model is now stored away under a dust cover. You want a thick coat of colour for an even appearance. To less will look gritty, to much and the surface gets wavy. The right amount of colour is critical here, hence I said it's messy. Extensive overspray on surrounding details will be levelled out tomorrow once the "glass" is protected under some tape and the colour had sufficient time to harden.

When looked at them from the front the periscopes are just plain dark blue (with that inverse-light effect, obviously), but when circling around and watching from different angles the AFV-stickers still do their magic under the tinting and create a nice shine! Hope you like it, I do! This is exactly what I was after.

[Deleted]

looking very smart indeed the scopes look the biz

[deafpanzer]

I really like them!!! Thanks for the tip!

[Tobi]

Thx guys! As always, the key is in the details. I remember MIG pointing out on one of my models, I should take care of the rust inside the exhaust pipe as well.

Cheers,
Tobi

[Tobi]

Priming the model was done in three steps, but I had to change the assembly sequence when it became clear that the tracks would be so fragile. Original plan was to prime and paint the vehicle with the skirts on and mount the running gear and tracks in the aftermath. This would work like I tested, as long as you keep the track open at one end and all the wheels are separated. The parts could be brought into from beneath and then glued together on the suspension arms, track in first of course! However, this was not like it went as you have seen.

First coat of primer was trusty Tamiya from the rattle can, and only misted on. I use this on most of my builds, to unify the surfaces of plastic and PE. This primer also really bites into the surface.



Next came NATO black also from Tamiya, applied opaque with the airbrush. I took this for two reasons. First I wanted a black coat, second I needed to know once and for all what colour this would be exactly, as it has a green tone inside the jar (and also on the model in bright light), unsuitable for Bundeswehr camo! As the temperatures were extraordinary high (for Germany) at the time I applied this, the paintjob became somewhat gritty here and there, because my "even higher than normal" thinning ratio still wasn't enough!



After the running gear installation and weathering, the periscopes were painted and everything was masked of. The final primer coat is the "real" primer color. Leopards were primed in a yellow-brown similar to Dunkelgelb. I have the RAL code and name noted somewhere, but don't have it at hand. The color was mixed from the acrylic primers from the Vallejo range: White, WH Dark-Yellow, IJA Karekusa-Iro (Parched Grass). It wasn't necessary to match it exactly, though it does look pretty well according to my pictures (it's actually brighter than in the annexed picture). I'll need this color only on the edges for some paint-chips and as a rough pre-shading base. I took the Vallejo colours because of their excellent performance and resistance against all kinds of solvents up to acetone! Only thing you need to respect is: though being acrylics and being touch-dry after 15 minutes, they need the same time to cure as enamels, at least 24 hours. Only then they are tough and durable! Anyway, I started sanding the final primer coat after only three hours with a medium flex-pad and very little force to get rid of some of the gritty surfaces, which worked just fine. The surface doesn't need to be extra smooth, the real machine isn't as well and then there is always dirt.



Next update will be some color theory on the 3-tone camouflage of the original, and I will also have a look on some of the available acrylics herefore. In the meantime, as to say for preparation, you could also check out my article "colour madness", kindly translated to English by Dierk!

[wbill76]

Nice to see paint fly on this one Tobi, now the fun begins!

[Tobi]

Colour theory part 1:
As already announced, first some background information about the 3-tone camouflage, consisting of green, black and brown. This had been developed in Germany already in the mid-seventies, based on computer simulations, but wouldn't find the approval of Bundeswehr authorities. Only when US forces started thinking about replacing their MERDC-scheme at the beginning of the eighties, the research results at hand were also brought into the decision-making. Tests were carried out for different types of camouflage (including MERDC and Dual-Tex), which showed the 3-tone camouflage ahead. It would provide the best possible camouflage against visual detection in central-European landscapes from distances over 1500m.

Following that, 1985 was the year of it's general introduction into the German forces, as there were efforts to unify NATO camouflaging. The US-Army did the same at that time, but other branches of the US military would not follow immediately. However, the scheme was considered so effective that other Western armies would adopt it over the time in their own variations. Yes, there are actual variations, for example in the individual colour tones. It's not so notable at first, especially on pictures found in the internet, but if you ever happen to see vehicles of different nations parked next to each other you will inevitably see it. Looking at the greens for instance, the one used by the Italian Army is rather drab, contrary to the bright version on French vehicles!

The approved colours for the standard Bundeswehr finish are "Bronzegruen" (bronze green), "Lederbraun" (leather brown) and "Teerschwarz" (tar black). These colours have RAL numbers, but they are not part of the colour system. They are of the "F9"-type, which means they are capable of reducing the infrared signature of the vehicle and have also CARC features, of course. At first it was planned to repaint the complete motor-pool, but soon it became obvious that the costs would explode and the colours were also harmful to the health of the soldiers repainting yellow-olive vehicles and more often than not ignoring safety instructions. From this time are those sharp-edged paintjobs, when airbrush guns were not always at hand. The orders were changed so that only front-line equipment should receive the new camouflage and on freshly produced vehicles it was to be done at the factories.

As a result from the mathematical calculations mentioned at the beginning each vehicle has a specific layout for it's camo-scheme, so they all look more or less the same with only slight deviations. The colour distribution of the green, black and brown shall always roughly be 40/40/20 percent. To achieve this there are several methods of sketching. Use of an overhead projector, perforated paper stencils over which a little bag filled with chalk powder is stippled, welded frameworks from profiles and wire hanged to the vehicle or just nettings with the form of the blotches. There is no rule for the sequence of application of the colours. The "Technische Dienstvorschrift" (TDV, technical regulation) only calls for bronze green as the base colour! Recently I saw two vehicles of the same type parked on the yard (no Leo's, but 8x8 fuel tanker), which showed an interesting detail on one and the same blotch. On the first vehicle, the brown had been applied first, then the black colour, ok. But on the second vehicle the blotch in question was oversprayed with black at the rear boundary, whereas at the front the brown clearly had went over the black! I have no explanation for this, maybe there were two painters circling the vehicle or there was done a little touch-up at the end, but it was all original from the manufacturer. Take also note of the scratches!



As I'm modelling a fifth batch Leopard I will need a soft-edged finish, because these vehicles were painted at the factory with spray guns. I would also say from looking at diverse official KMW photographs, that the brown has been generally applied first, then the black, following that simple rule of darkest colour last. So I'm going to do the same.

Next part is about the colour tones used (from Tamiya) and a quick comparison of several Bundeswehr model colours from different brands!

[Leon]

WOW,awesome work Tobi.Good to see the paint flying.

[Tobi]

I have to say I love my Tamiya acrylics for the airbrush (not brush painting), because I know them, how they work, what will I get once dry. Some say they are not the most accurate but I think, with such a wide colour range you can achieve quite many different tones just by mixing them. Weathering effects will alter the appearance of the colours anyway.

Brings me directly to another topic. Those who got to know me a bit also know how amusing I find colour debates on the 'net, e.g. about Wehrmachts Dunkelgelb "dark-yellow". To those who aggrandise themselves I always want to reply: "Are you talking about pre-war, 1942, 1944 or 1945 version of dark-yellow? Factory or field applied?" Then I imagine how that would make some perplexed faces as this simple correlation already means eight different tones. Multiplied with the amount of different colour manufacturers, multiplied with the number of possible thinners, then the different tank assembly plants, you get a clue where this is headed! Minimum we would also need to add an extra factor for the imponderabilities (available raw materials/pigments and such) of a war-torn production. Same about RLM colours. Once you know that the Luftwaffe has changed complete colour tones throughout the war (which is documented) while keeping the same code, giving instructions (which are documented) to the fielded units, they may use up old stocks by mixing them with new supplies up to a ratio of 1:1 (!), you start to wonder where these people take their convictions from. If the same people ever happen to do a modern build for whatever reason, which they rarely do because they don't like stepping out of their comfort zone where they are the "experts", then you suddenly get to read: "And I took Tamiya NATO-colours for the finish!" What? No way! You must be kidding, this can't be serious!

Don't get me wrong! I have no problems with these "NATO-colours". You just have to look at them as what they are. The product of a model-making company which has to fulfill several needs. Recently I read a statement by Revell on their colour palette, published on a German internet page. After pointing out that this topic must be the most controversial discussed among modellers, they gave insight in their approach and thoughts. They stated they were using three different color charts (the whole thing went about RLM-Luftwaffe colours), all of which are proven to be historical authentic! Of course they try to match these at times mutually contradictory charts, getting a result which they think is a realistic finish. Saying also that they are the producer of aircraft kits a great many of scales, they see no use in lightening the colours, as not every modeller necessarily wants a scale effect, and a 1/72 scale modeller would need a different mixing ratio with white than a 1/32 one. Needs no further comment, I think. Transferred on the cleverly named Tamiya "NATO-colours", you have here a product that will give a fairly good finish on a great many of modern model subjects, probably without being a perfect match on any of them! From the above mentioned rivet-counters in any case I would expect more, however, so much for their credibility...

As I get to see the 3-tone camouflage of Bundeswehr vehicles in my job on almost a daily basis, I thought I actually could do better just from memory (it was in my holidays). Remember that the result is only what looks right to my eye, containing a scale effect and already considering what I had in mind for my further weathering steps, I don't claim to have found the holy grail! And that's the point. It doesn't matter what other people think about your paintjob, as long as you're not going to sell the modell you are the only person who has to be glad with it!

I made some color samples on plastic card with grey primer (the at first used cardboard would soak up and as such falsify the tones too much), and photographed them on a vehicle, just for you, now that I'm back at work! The left sample is my mix, the right are the colours from Tamiya, both flat-coated. I did use two different cameras to show you their influence on the result, and I would also take a picture with a deliberately false camera adjustment. Don't take any colour photographs too serious! The photographer, light conditions, camera, monitor or printer will all have influence on the final appearance.

What's basically wrong with the Tamiya colours for a Bundeswehr paintjob? In short, the green is too dark and also lacks some blue in it, the black is too green and the brown is too reddish! Bang! All in all it would seem as if these had been made to resemble the CARC colours used by the Americans the most. Checking also the available colour sets from Vallejo and Hobbymaster/Gunze for German Army, none of them could really impress me, having all shortcomings of their own.

My personal Fuji Finepix XS-1:



The Canon Powershot G-12 from the office:



The same Canon with a false camera setting:



Next update is about which colours I did use for the mix and my approach.

[Deleted]

I see whut you be sayin! This is some great Highly Technical insight! Also like the periscope coloring work. What an amazing difference it makes. So much to learn.

[Tobi]

Dicky, the day when these debates end is the day the internet is down!
You can argue your case time and again, some people are so far away in outer space they just don't (want to) hear you.

Thankfully the old hands here at MSC are a bunch of relaxed fellas who seriously know the whole boodle and the newbies are open-minded and eager to draw their own conclusions from what is presented to them, instead of blindly joining the ranks of some Victorians without questioning. If a person keeps talking in RAL-codes, introduction dates, production figures and document numbers it can be tempting to believe, I guess, as it automatically suggests deep inside knowledge. But so far it's only historical facts, no technical backround. I would bet most never saw an industrial production or a paintshop with their own eyes, not to mention heard the view of the experts there.

Cheers,
Tobi

[Tobi]

Ok folks, now about the colours I did actually use. They're all Tamiya. First I ran a test on the greens. Unfortunately I have no better picture, the white floor tile used proofed to be not ideal. The original green is a difficult colour, it also seems that it could not be found in nature. But it blends in well with the surrounding vegetation. Maybe this is, because in shadowy light conditions the colour shows a blue tint, whereas in bright sunlight it will develope a yellow-golden shine from some angles, I guess hence the name bronze green!

From left to right you see: T-NATO green  -  T-NATO lightened with white  -  my mix  -  Vallejo  -  Hobbymaster.
Anyhow I think the differences of the bottled colours are obvious. They are all too dark, the Hobbymaster bronze green looking almost like yellow-olive! The reason why I didn't use the lightened T-NATO green was, too much white and the colour soon starts looking pale/dull and I thought I could easily make a better mix.



Regarding the brown I was not so confident. You will hardly find two pictures where this colour does look the same. It shows variations reaching from a dark drab brown to a very bright and reddish one almost like the available Tamiya NATO brown. I knew however, that these were all misguiding and didn't capture the actual look! But what is it like? Before the Tamiya NATO colours did emerge my choice had been always the XF-64 red brown. Not perfect, but close enough for my needs and standards back then. Feeling confident that Revell would do a serious job on their colour palette and, as a German company, being as close as possible to the decisive sources, I settled on their enamel "Lederbraun" as my reference. I painted two plastic cards with the reference and various browns from the Tamiya range that seemed could be suitable, and again Vallejo and Hobbymaster/Gunze for a counter check. This showed XF-64 to be actually pretty close plus lightening the Revell colour enough would at one point lead to a tone much like XF-52 earth!



Please don't ask me about my exact mixing ratios. I never take notes, I never take measurements! I got this from my mother. Just like during cooking, everything is by guess and by gosh, and independent from the amount of colour needed I'm pretty much able to reproduce a tone once I ran out. Though I did mix more than I would need here, just to play safe. The mixes by estimation:

RAL6031 Bronzegruen: 50% XF-58 olive green, 40% XF-71 IJN cockpit green, 5% XF-18 medium blue, 5% XF-2 white
RAL8027 Lederbraun: 50% XF-64 red brown, 40% XF-52 earth, 5% XF-68 NATO brown, 5% XF-2 white
RAL9021 Teerschwarz: 65% XF-1 black, 35% XF-63 German grey (when I felt now it's too grey it proofed to be quite right!)

Variations possible!

Cheers,
Tobi

[deafpanzer]

Great thread! Enjoying your research on paints! I definitely will return when I paint NATO on modern armor if I am hooked. Appreciate it...

[Tobi]

Aug 24, 2013 10:02:42 GMT -5 deafpanzer said:

Great thread! Enjoying your research on paints! I definitely will return when I paint NATO on modern armor if I am hooked. Appreciate it...

You're welcome Andy, but beware! The various nations use different colours! This research here is only valid for German vehicles and armies using these vehicles with the original paintjob, e.g. like Holland.

Just for your delight and that of the others, I'll go a little off-topic and show you also an Italian camouflage:



See the difference? The green and brown are rather drab!  And this is the very bright and vivid basic French "green-as-a-frog" green:



Pretty French, eh? I would mix XF-5 green and X-28 park green for a first hit if I had to make this colour, though France isn't exactly NATO!

[Deleted]

Heck, just take it down to your local paint store and have them match it