Dragon Pz.III M Wader - complete + final photos (30.09.13 )

[Deleted]

Fantastic work Ben! A pleasure to watch!

[Hinksy]

Thanks guys!

I've had a really busy day today so won't be doing anything until tomorrow.

I'll be getting my Vallejo Light and Dark Rust colours and Leather Belt for the muffler - I'm giving that the sponge treatment!

I'll get the tools done and the final weathering on the hull walls then dullcoat and pigments with final photos at Godfather Dave's next weekend.

I'll be aiming to start my Dragon M48A3 ASAP. I ordered one of them 'Squadron Signal' books called 'M48A3 in Vietnam - In Action' which I'll be reading tonight, It arrived this morning and has some great photos. Still waiting on the Legend Mantlet cover (delivery ETA September 20th) but I've got the antennae and still working on the best paint colour to use but this will make for a nice change.




Update tomorrow,

Ben

[deafpanzer]

Looking forward to it! Did you end up ordering one all the way from China that you found earlier?

[Hinksy]

Hi guys,

Andy - I ordered directly from Lucky Models in China or wherever the heck they are. My buddy Alan from our group orders direct from them all the time - postage is free (airmail) and they have given me a delivery ETA of 20th September. Finger crossed that UK customs don't tie it up for ages as I am desperate to start this M48A3!

Sunday Update - apart from matt coat, Jack Block, Pigments and final photos by Godfather Dave next weekend she's done!

Onto the Panzer III M with Wading Muffler it's looking killer! I knew from the start that it was going to be the DY option with the yellow '331' turret numbers.

I also knew that I wanted it to be shown as a tank that had really seen some swimming action. That meant mud, silt and plenty of rust, slime and streaking grime!

Today the tools have all gone on along with the rear moulded tow cables. I've used a selection of AK effects i.e. Green Slime, Light Green Streaking Grime and standard mud - all loded into a round soft brush with air from the airbrush gun shot through it applying layers of green, brown and a general mucky mix which works PERFECTLY!

I'm going to let this stand for the bulk of the week, give it a light covering of Testors Dullcoat with rusty pigments to follow. I'm also going to make a full length of Magic Tracks to line up on the long front spare track holder - they'll be heavily rusted.

Finally there's a really nice kit supplied Jack Block with PE bracket. I'm going to try some oil paint effects on that to see what I can do - it is supposed to sit over the two 'S' hooks positioned along the middle of the Left hand fender.

I hope you like her so far - personally I'm loving it. I like the occasional really messy build as well as the occasional really tidy build whih is exactly what the M48 will be - filters and pigments will be the order of the day for that one!

Photos:






















Thanks for looking guys - so close to the finish line! I really hope you like her - tbh I can't belive how quickly I've built this one!

If you like you Pz.III's which I know a lot of you do and you haven't built this kit yet - BUT IT AND BUILD IT! NOW!

Have a good week fellas,

Ben

[deafpanzer]

Looking good! It is screaming 'PLEASE GIVE ME A BATH!' They can be very muddy especially in wet weather we have seen in many pictures especially in the spring when snow was melting and it was raining often.

[bbd468]

Ben, she looks fantastic brotha! I will also say....I WANT TO BUILD IT!!!

[Deleted]

That weathering is among the best I've seen Ben !

[Deleted]

Just don't get any better n dat Ben!

[Hinksy]

Wow,

Great comments guys - thanks ever so much

I've loved this build and I've flown through it too. You fellas have to build this kit (if you like Pz.III's)!

Now that I seem to be turning out some regularly nice pieces I am feeling the need to up my game.

I want to do something a bit different with the up-coming M48 build. Not sure what yet but I MUST start painting figures!

A Jack Block to go and some dullcoat followed by pigments will see her finished! I'll post some of my completed shots next weekend then I'll have to arrange to pop around to Godfather Dave's to have the final photos done to tie this blog up and to enter the MoM with!

My own new camera is taking some nice photos now I've got used to it - much better than the Nokia Camera phone!

Cheers guys and have a great week,

Ben

[Deleted]

looks really nice like the mud thrown up the superstructure

[Hinksy]

Sept 17, 2013 14:12:29 GMT -5 @snipersmudge said:

looks really nice like the mud thrown up the superstructure

Cheers Smudge - my neighbour John is a big 4WD guy, he drives a big engined LandRover Defender 90 and regularly finds himself with water sloshing around his ankles! I wanted to show a tank that had crossed a narrow, fairly shallow river and had ploughed into it splashing muck everywhere and totally immersing the front area. It would have then trundled through and the back-end would have been immersed as it crawled up the steep opposite bank.

I actually went out and looked at the weathering effects on John's Landrover nextdoor seeing how the mud had sat on it and where it had sprayed.

Saturday Update: The Panzer III M is pretty much complete now. All I need to do is make up a run of Magic Tracks to fit on the (they'll be VERY rusty), spend some time getting the Jack Block looking really good using oil paints and fit it too (obviously)!

I've been looking at Woters build of this kit - great job wouts! He's used some Kursk Earth and Africa Dust Effect washes from AK on the flat tank surface around the turret ring. I'd like to try that. Then it's dull coat and pigment work on the muffler and spare track links to really rust the If one has got lost at measte up.

Dave is doing my final photos next weekend so I'll be able to enter this mucky puppy into September MoM!

The M48A3 is ready to go. My Mantlet cover and VSS Searchlight Legend upgrade haven't arrived yet - the delivery ETA was yesterday so just incase it's gotten lost somewhere between China and my little town in England I've ordered it again and this time have spent a couple of $'s on their tracking facility. If they do both turn up Alan at my club can buy that one off me as he'll be building this kit too and will need the cover.

I'll post a proper update tomorrow. I'm going to Alans tomorrow afternoon as he's a big time M26/48/60 fan and is going to lend me some information from his head, his library and his DVD rack!

Cheers guys,

Ben

[wouter]

nice 'n dirty indeed! The muffler is my favourite!

Cheers

[Hinksy]

Hi fellas!

Woohooo! The build is about complete!

I'm totally happy with the main build so won't de doing anymore with that - all I have left to do is paint and fit the Jack Block and paint the spare track run up front that I've just fitted (I've decided to fit some Magic Tracks). The Jack block will be given a good coat of Raw Umber Oil Paint in a minute and allowed to sit and dry for a couple of days until I attack it again and fit the the PE retaining strap and paint the darker woodgrain detail and the metal details for the block ends - it will then drop straight onto the left hand Fender as it sits over the the two 'S' hooks for towing in a raised position.

I do wish I hadn't fitted them spare Ostketten up front as the extra bit is going to be a problem. Alan pointed that out yesterday - I said that I'd left the view in front of the driver's block clear but he made a good point that any attempt in trying to peek to the right your vision would be totally obscured. Obviously I'd just replace them with regular tracks but I fixed them in place with CA so my only options are to (1) leave things as they are or (2) snip of the extra bits so the become regular tracks. Thoughts?

Apart from the above mentioned bits to finish her off I'm calling her done. I'm toying with adding a bit of stowage but that's all. I might need to add some more rust effect on the rear flaps but's all.

I've arranged to go round to Godfather Dave's for final photos next Sunday which means I'll be starting work on what I'm hoping will be this years 'coup de grace' - my Dragon M48A3 build! It's going to be great!

The next time time I post on this thread will be to add the 'completed Build' photos and wrap this thread up. I'll be starting the M48 build next Saturday Here's the latest up-to-date photos:

In the foreground you can see the unpainted Jack Block and the PE Retaining strap:





Muffler now done with pigments:





Final spare track run (little EP marks still need sanding down smooth):



Overall look:



Thanks for looking guys - I've loved building this and cannot recommend this kit enough to Pz.III fans who fancy something a little bit different!

Take care,

Ben

[`Boots`]

Very nice indeed .......

[TRM]

Looking pretty sweet there Ben!! Juuuuuust about there!!

[Hinksy]

Thanks lads!

I am really excited about the proscpect of getting this M48 on the bench!

This build has been so much fun - what a great kit! Well done Dragon

Ben

[Leon]

Excellent job Ben,one to proud of.

[wbill76]

Nice work on this one Ben, the muffler looks good! As for the spare tracks on the front, I'd just leave them alone and chalk it up to something to remember for next time. Trying to remove the extensions evenly with them fixed in place with CA will be quite the challenge and may do more harm than good at this point.

[Hinksy]

Hey Bill,

Sorry I've taken so long to respond but I've been so busy this week I've hardly been on here

Glad you like the Muffler! That's light and dark rust pigment with a dash of black soot - it worked really well but it looks bone dry - how do I make it look like it's on the back of a tank that's just fjorded a river? I've got Mig Rainmarks but I don't know how that will react to the pigments which are fixed in place with Mig pigment fixer. It looks wrong as it is - a dry muffler on a sloppy wet tank. I'm sure there's a joke in there at least 6 times

I will never shift those Friul Ostketten now so they'll have to stay. I'll leave things as they are and chalk it up on the 'lesson learnt' board!

Off the subject: I ordered some Vietnam Earth for my M48 build (starting tomorrow ) and it's just the same as light rust. There's a subtle difference but it's SUBTLE! Seriously, it's that similar I'd have not bought the 'Nam Dust if I'd realised!

M48 starting tomorrow (still waiting for Mantlet cover from Lucky - I fear it's been lost) and Godfather Dave is doing photos on Sunday of the Pz.III so I can wrap this thread up and get my MoM entry in. I never win but one day - one day? Who knows?

Any ideas for final additions or touch-ups? Now's the time!


Ben

[Deleted]

Looks like she just came outa action!

[wbill76]

Ben,

Don't stress over the LuckyModel shipments...they use DeutschePost to ship so it can take a little while but if they have it marked as shipped, it will arrive. For example when I last ordered a kit from them, it took about 3-4 weeks from the time they marked it as shipped before it arrived.

As for the muffler, if you want it to look 'wet', you might try treating it with a gloss but that might interact with the pigments.

[Hinksy]

Thanks Bill,

I'm basically an impatient Son of a beeeatch and HATE WAITING FOR STUFF (don't we all)! AAAAGGHHHH!

It's a good job I don't need it right until the end - the barrel assembly is a very basic Tamiya style job. No breech detail, just a single piece that pops into the Turret from inside then the barrel slides in, the mantlet over it then fit the 'T' shaped Muzzle Brake.

I can build this whole thing over a few weekends then worry about the barrel - the cover might have turned up by then

Ben

[Hinksy]

Hi guys,

Okay! I'm calling her DONE!

Extra spare tracks are now mounted up front - these have been painted and treated with AK Track Wash and then muddied.

Jack block is now on, a few little 'trinkets' added like a stowed axe.

The extended sections of the Ostketten have been bent around a bit showing heavy use and more of Mig's Fine Texture 'Europe Mud' (the stuff in the pot that looks like Chocolate Mousse).

I gave her a couple of coats of Testors Dullcoate followed by some Mig Rainmarks to help with that wet mudy look - no dry pigments on this one.

I've said this several times on posts during this blog but DAMN! This kit rocks - it's set a new standard. Accurate instructions, good fitment, no gaps, just a great kit. The only let down was the very poor fit for the turret into the hull - that needed opening out.

Now's your chance to suggest additions/changes etc as I've arranged a photo session with Godfather Dave after lunch at his house at 2pm tomorrow.







Note the Jack Block now fitted and the stowed big axe - I like little touched like that:





Note the Mig Mud applied on the guide horns of the spare track - I wanted to make it look like it had 'scooped' that mud up when it climbed the far bank of the river it's just crossed:







I hope you like her guys,

I'll probably start the M48 next weekend now - a fresh weekend is ideal for starting a fresh build on

Final photos tomorrow!

Ben

[Deleted]

Been a fantastic build to watch Ben!

[Hinksy]

Sept 28, 2013 17:01:50 GMT -5 @dogfish7 said:

Been a fantastic build to watch Ben!

Cheers 'Fish

It's been even more of a pleasure to build my friend - I havn't built many kits that go this smoothly!

Apart from the overly-tight turret ring it's been great. No gaps, no cracks, no lost parts, no major instruction errors - near perfect. If anyone asked for a recommendation on a good Panzer III kit I'd definately be recommending this one at the minute

I am a heavy weatherer and do like to slap on the mud so my next build, which is planned to be Dragons new M48A3 which is in my stash, will be kept to a minimum of weathering. I've got the paint for it, Vallejo's Model Colour Brown Violet x 2 bottles. It sounds like an odd shade but looks perfect. It's perhaps a tiny bit too light but it will be going on a black primer coat which will tone it down nicely.

A bit of modulation on the turret, damaged Fenders and dry Vietnam Earth pigment. I'd like to try some of that oil paint dot streaking this time. It's a new method that I'm keen to test out.

I'll be starting that next week - final photos tomorrow to wrap up the blog

Ben

[Deleted]

Oh Yes ! Down in the dirt and mucking thru the landscape ! Bending the track extensions is a really nic touch Ben .

[Hinksy]

Hi guys,

Cheers for the comments Carl

So, here we go - my build of Dragon Panzer III Aust. M c/w Wading Muffler - kit 6558:

The vehicle shown is from the 3rd Pz. Regiment, "Totenkopf" Pz.Gren. Division, Prochorovka, 1943.

Some History:

The Pz. III started life with the 3.7cm KwK 36 L/46.5 gun that could hardly knock out anything. Upgrading to the 5cm KwK 38 L/42 and later the longer 5cm KwK 39 L/60 helped extend the vehicle's roll as a tank, but gradually the III and the IV switched roles. The Four became one of the stars of the war once it was up-gunned to the 75mm KwK 40 L/43 cannon, or at least the workhorse for the Panzerwaffe. The Pz. III ended up being diverted or retrofitted as a SPG chassis: the Sturmgeschütz III.

Final Photos, courtesy of my Godfather, Dave - or 'The Godfather'









Sorry but there was no way that I was tweaking the 'Continentau' to read Contintal! My eyes aren't that good!









Thanks for your great support during this build guys,

I've loved this build - I've really found my Mojo with this one and am BUZZING!

The kit was fantastic and I was really pleased to see Wouts building the same kit!

Next wip - Dragons new M48A3 (kit# 3544) www.missing-lynx.com/reviews/usa/dml3544reviewcs_1.html

Thanks again guys - I've hoped you've enjoyed the journey!

Have a great week!

Ben

[Tojo72]

It came out real good Ben,nice work on the slimy lower hull and wheels,looks good.

[Leon]

Fantastic finish Ben,you really nailed this one .Top notch work all around.

[Deleted]

Nice touch, with bending the ducks on the tracks for realism.