Pz.III Ausf.H - COMPLETED! (04.01.14):

[Deleted]

nice modulation looks really nice must give those sets a go sometime

[deafpanzer]

Yeah, again its your call. For me it would depend on who's was the driver... for example if I was the driver, I swear there will be NO dents and scratches on my baby. Now if my wife was the driver, then its a different story!!!

Like Bill said if it came out in 1941 and you want to portray it in 1943, it would be bound for some small dents and scratches. LOL You know we have two different kind of audience here... one who love dirt & rust and another likes them clean like CeeBee. Can not please everybody...

Just keep up with the good work buddy!

[Hinksy]

Dec 30, 2013 13:10:51 GMT -5 deafpanzer said:

Yeah, again its your call. For me it would depend on who's was the driver... for example if I was the driver, I swear there will be NO dents and scratches on my baby. Now if my wife was the driver, then its a different story!!!

Like Bill said if it came out in 1941 and you want to portray it in 1943, it would be bound for some small dents and scratches. LOL You know we have two different kind of audience here... one who love dirt & rust and another likes them clean like CeeBee. Can not please everybody...

Just keep up with the good work buddy!

Cheers Andy,

It won't be set around 1943. The isea is this is 1941 machine heading off for for the meat grinder in the East for a lovely little drive around the Russian countryside in late 1941 to assist in Barbarossa which kicked off on 22nd June through to 5th December (1941).

I didn't even have to check up on them dates, I knew them off the top of my head - honest

A few light chips and slightly warped Fenders up front along with plenty of dust - sweet!


Ben

[Hinksy]

Hi guys,

A quick update before I go out for a few 'New Years Beers'!

Last night I was going to order some Friuls using the £30 I got for Christmas of my Aunt and Uncle but I thought hang on, if I buy Friuls too this kit will have cost me £70! NO WAY! Instead I went onto my usual kit site and ordered Trumpeters 38(t) for £20 + post! Bargain!

I decided I'm only going to use Friuls now for my 'bigger' builds that I'll spend a lot of time on. I opened up the kit magic tracks earlier on and made them up! Tbh they aren't that much of a pain in the a$$ as I remember and are nowhere near as boring os Friuls to assemble! I was planning to make it so they could be removed for painting but I've fixed them and painting will be easy enough as they are loose enough to lift clear of the wheels when I'm painting them. The Drive Sprockets are unglued at present incase I do need to remove them. I'll stick theundersides of the top run onto the return rollers after painting the tracks so they 'sit' properly.

They look pretty cool - I'll be using these a lot more this year!









Cheers guys - have a good night out!

Ben

[deafpanzer]

Those tracks LOOK GREAT! No kidding about the rising prices for those Friuls tracks. I can see myself buying fewer and use Magic Tracks if supplied.

Looking forward to that 38(t) build. Drink a beer for me my friend... Happy New Year!

[Deleted]

Fine looking trackage there Ben .

[danb.]

The magic tracks look fine Ben and ya saved ya self some beer money Happy new year buddy

Dan B

[bbd468]

Hiya Ben, tracks look awesome! I myself use the magic tracks on every kit. I only have used fruils on kits that come with Vinyl rubber band tracks. I just get in a mindset and go! Before long, one side is done and ill do the other side the next day. Comin along nice my friend.

Happy New Year Bro!!!

[Hinksy]

Thanks lads!

Happy New Year everyone

I' think that what I'll do too Gary - use Magics on kits that have rubber band jobbies and once a year I'll put time and money into a BIG build and pull out all the stops so that always gets the Friul treatment

Ben

[afvfan]

The tank looks good, Ben. Don't blame you a bit about the Friuls. I've never thought them worth it in the cost-vs-benefit equation. Those MTs will look just great once you slap some paint, dirt, and dust on them.

[TRM]

Looking really sweet there Ben!! Nice bid going for the kit over the tracks!! Happy New Year!!!

[Deleted]

nice work on the tracks they look very good indeed

[reserve]

Looks the part, great paint and tracks


Regards,
Mark

[Deleted]

Lookin Great Ben!

[Hinksy]

Happy New Year Guys!

Thanks for the great feedback.

In 90 minutes from assembly to fitting I'd completed both sets of Magic Tracks. I can't do Friuls that quick and they get so monotonous too (yawn).

I'm having a day off today as I have a bit of a headache - can't think why?

Tomorrow I'll be painting the tools and tracks then turning to decals and some light weathering - I really like the look of this build with the modulation so I don't wan't to cover it in washes and muck. Filters and dry brushed pigments with some light chipping will do and I'll work on building up a nice muddy build up just around the suspension arms and lower hull walls.

Sounds like a plan

Ben

[Leon]

Nice work on the trackage Ben,looking really good.

[Tojo72]

Wait a minute,did I read that right,Magic Tracks by Ben ? See they weren't so bad,nice job with them.

[Hinksy]

Jan 1, 2014 7:18:13 GMT -5 Tojo72 said:

Wait a minute,did I read that right,Magic Tracks by Ben ? See they weren't so bad,nice job with them.

LOL!

Thanks Tojo! I've tried them before and found them to be a bit of a PITA - the main issue for me being able to effecively paint the tracks without getting overspill onto the roadwheels but I've worked that out now.

I've thought about it and if you buy a newly released kit that hammers your wallet for £40+ postage. Then I'll order an RB barrel and Antennae and Friuls from Armour Models which is an extra £35 inc. postage! That's a cost of about £75 per build if you go Dragon and decide to 'pimp' it.

From now I'm cutting costs!

Ben

[Hinksy]

Hi fellas - a quick update!

Well I was feeling a lot better than I did this morning so I've basecoated the tracks and painted the tools and mufflers in readiness for proper rust effects.

The Tracks have been painted with a standard Tamiya Flat Earth which looks a bit odd at the moment I know but as soon as they get a good coating with AK Track Wash they'll darken right up and hopefully look the business

I'm definately sold on painting tools on the vehicle. I found some thin paper, slid it under sections of handles etc and with a few colours, a 5/0 brush and 15 minutes it was job done - no messing around!

Obviously I haven't darkened the tracks yet - I just want the basecoating completing followed by the decals and start of weathering tomorrow.







Don't worry - I'll sort the Drive sprocket teeth out with some signs of wear when I start the chipping



I love that stuff!





Cheers guys - more tomorrow!

Ben

[Deano]

This has come on leaps and bounds since I last dropped in , looking great Ben ! ... did I mention I really like Panzer III's

[deafpanzer]

Another great update! DAMN, slow down buddy! You are really kicking a$$! I agree about painting tools glued on the vehicles... it saved a lot of time that way. And it kills me when little glue ruins the paint jobs! I place very thin paper where ever I can find and it helps...

I noticed the excessive paint on the intake screen guards. It's easy to fix if you can use soft tipped toothbrush and press on them gently in case you haven't noticed.

Again great work. Like Deano, I just love those Panzer IIIs too!!!

[craigcole20b.]

Great job can't wait to see the weathering

[Deleted]

nice colour looks great

[Hinksy]

Jan 1, 2014 20:25:36 GMT -5 deafpanzer said:

Another great update! DAMN, slow down buddy! You are really kicking a$$! I agree about painting tools glued on the vehicles... it saved a lot of time that way. And it kills me when little glue ruins the paint jobs! I place very thin paper where ever I can find and it helps...

I noticed the excessive paint on the intake screen guards. It's easy to fix if you can use soft tipped toothbrush and press on them gently in case you haven't noticed.

Again great work. Like Deano, I just love those Panzer IIIs too!!!

Cheers Andy,

Remember that usually I only build at weekends but whilst I'm signed off I have a lot more time on my hands so that's the only reason why I'm flying through this one! I must sort out them intake screens, a job for today before I put any filters on. I like the toothbrush method too!

It's definately a big timesaver painting tools in place and definately less messy. I found that instructions that you get with paracetamol or other medicines are made of really fine paper and fit any gap to allow safe painting.

I've been thinking (shock) I have a cabinet upstairs stocked with my builds from the last two years i.e. the decent ones! They are mostly Pz.III's and StuG III's, two Tigers, an Elefant and a Hetzer.

I'm not buying any more Pz.III based kits for a while (I have the Sig.33 III and a StuG III G in the stash) so I'm going to start working on another tanks. I'd like to look at the 38(t) variants (Marders, Hetzer, the 38(t) itself which I have on order).

I've got a few British/Allied Tanks too so I might 'dabble'! I haven't got a Pz.IV in the cabinet but have the Dragon Kharkov Ausf.G in the stash so I must build that.

Update later or tomorrow!

Ben

[bbd468]

Tools look nice bro! You nailed the color on the wire cutter handles (Bakelite). What paint did you use.

Cheers brother.

[Hinksy]

Jan 2, 2014 9:49:22 GMT -5 bbd468 said:

Tools look nice bro! You nailed the color on the wire cutter handles (Bakelite). What paint did you use.

Cheers brother.

Hey Brother Gary!

I was really pleased with that colour. It's Vallejo Game Colour 'Shadows Flesh'. A very deep shade of Maroon/Red - looks great imo.

A quick update on today's work:

Gloss coat airbrushed on followed by decals and a further light coat to seal.

Chipping done on the drive sprockets and Guide Horns exposing bare metal.

I'll be starting on the filters, chipping and pin washes tomorrow and I'll be aiming to get her finished up by Sunday in readiness for starting on the Henschel KT next week.





I still need to dry brush the raised areas of the tracks to show contact with the ground:



I've got the pigments ready to rust up the muffler properly:




I'm looking forward to trying thes Panzer Grey Filter and Streaking Effects out - I've not used these one's before:



Ready to go - the last lap!




Cheers for looking guys,

Ben

[richardcraig-Email Not Valid]

Hi Ben ... I just bought the later H kit and it should be here at the beginning of next week ...I can't wait to start it ... Thanks for inspiration!!
Great job sir..

Rick

[wbill76]

Rolling right along with this one Ben! Nice job on the decals and markings. Looking forward to the weathering.

[Hinksy]

Dec 30, 2013 10:06:22 GMT -5 losboz said:

Hi Ben

I like a well worn AFV and find it quite a challenge not to 'slightly' damage any one of my builds so I have promised myself my next tank will be in 'tip top' shape

I vote a 'clean and well looked after' example although i'll wager you wont be able to help ya self with a wee bit of 'battle damage'

Los

Cheers Los and Bill,

The Swastika will add a nice splosh of colour to liven it up!

I've decaled it now Los so it's all sealed with a light gloss coat. I'm having a day off today so will aim to complete this kit tomorrow.

I really want to keep it looking fresh as I love the paintjob and am really pleased with the CM job and don't want to lose that. I'm just planning a simple light filter, pinwash and LIGHT chipping along with some light dry-brushed pigment as the dust in Russia in High Summer was supposed to be a nightmare!

I'm going to put hairspray over the mufflers then paint them with a light grey again then use the HS method to show some paint burning off exposing a touch of rust. I imagine a newish tank wouldn't have fully rusted up Mufflers at an early stage?

The only other bit of weathering will be to add some AK Dust and Earth effects around the running gear, road wheels and lower hull walls.

Some drybrushing of chrome silver over the raised areas of the tracks etc followed by a flat coat should just about finish it

I ordered a Trumpeter 38(t) Ausf.E/F on Monday - that arrived today and looks superb so that will be my next build - either that or my Dragon Henshel turreted King Tiger?


Cheers fellas,

Ben

[wing_nut]

Fine looking job there Ben. Single color schemes are harder to pull off than it's 3 tone, even 2 tone, brethren. You've donme it with style.