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Sgt.Squarehead · Posted: Mon 28 Apr 2008 14:08 pm Post subject:

I thought that was a deliberate bit of detailing!

All the best

arni · Posted: Sat 03 May 2008 17:29 pm Post subject:

Very nice Bruce

I notice your worktop is nearly as battle scarred as mine...
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Nigel.

Jolly boy.

dancho · Posted: Sat 03 May 2008 19:07 pm Post subject:

The dreaded Dora. Ominous looking.
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“Build what YOU want, the way YOU want to, and above all, have fun.”
- Al Superczynski (1947 - 2007)

Brews · Posted: Sun 04 May 2008 18:04 pm Post subject:

Thanks, guys.

Well, I threatened to build another, and here it is - the 8-wheeled Sdkfz 234/4.

I don't know ALL of the faults with this kit vis a vis accuracy, but the obvious ones are:

The mudguards are wrong
The hatches are wrong (but would be covered by the proper mudguards anyway, I think)
The engine-deck details are incorrect - I thought it was the louvres, but now I'm not sure ... it doesn't look far off, to be honest.
It lacks some armour plate at the rear of the fighting compartment.

Some of these faults are easy to fix, and some are not. I disagree that it would be easier to make it one of the Sdkfz 231/232 8 rads (rad is wheel in German) just because it has that type of mudguard, as the engine deck on those is not horizontal.

Anyway, here's some progress pics:

Do we want to see the box art (showing this vehicle in a tropical setting)?

I've put a bit of filler onto the underside of the chassis, but otherwise it has none. Not too bad, huh!

Brews · Posted: Tue 06 May 2008 06:23 am Post subject:

I grafted a little tonight, cleaning up the gun and putting all the suspension bits on:

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“The farther backward you can look, the farther forward you are likely to see.” Winston Churchill

Brews · Posted: Tue 06 May 2008 15:02 pm Post subject:

Tonight, I'll paint the wheels. I'll do this the quick and nasty way, using a circle template.
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“The farther backward you can look, the farther forward you are likely to see.” Winston Churchill

Sgt.Squarehead · Posted: Tue 06 May 2008 22:43 pm Post subject:

The problem with going for a 233 is that it had an armoured hull on an eight wheeled chassis whereas the 234s have a monocoque armoured hull with eight suspension units hanging off it.

What you really need is a dead Matchbox 1/76 Puma kit.....Does anyone have one that could sacrifice its fenders for the greater good?

Just a thought, all the best

Brews · Posted: Wed 07 May 2008 04:15 am Post subject:

Sprayed all 8 wheels (there should be 9, shouldn't there! There is no spare, though.

Trust they pass muster:

Remember I said I'd make it OOB first, and then tart it up? I'm still sticking to that plan, but meanwhile, I cut out the side plate of one of the new mudguards. I put an Italeri 1:35 Puma side-on to a scanner, and scanned it. I then opened up MS Publisher and imported the picture. I reduced it by 46% and printed it. I cut out the shape, and then traced around it on 10 thou card. and cut it out. It's not too bad, though I say so myself.

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“The farther backward you can look, the farther forward you are likely to see.” Winston Churchill

Brews · Posted: Wed 07 May 2008 05:47 am Post subject:

Calling it a night at this stage:

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“The farther backward you can look, the farther forward you are likely to see.” Winston Churchill

Brews · Posted: Thu 08 May 2008 05:34 am Post subject:

and with the mudguards on ...

an hour later ...

It's a little "busy", isn't it! I really should have cleaned the brush out thoroughly before moving from the olivgruen to schokoladebraun. See the spatter? That's because the needle was a bit dirty, despite flushing IPA through the brush between colours.

Brews · Posted: Thu 08 May 2008 10:28 am Post subject:

You'll note that the exhausts aren't on. These are painted but not attached.
Also, the part that I assume is an ammunition storage bin was prised out of the interior on Tuesday night, so that I could make an adjustment to the fit of two of the exterior parts (digital photography had revealed a misalignment). I have painted this, but might eventually abandon the part, if it is indeed an ammo storage bin.

Noteworthy is that one of the figures in this kit is handling a round for the PaK 40. I started cleaning up the flash on the figures tonight before dinner, by the way. I'm not sure whether the loader is cuddling a magnum of Champagne. The round for the PaK 40 is certainly not of that shape or dimension (see 75mmx495R on this page http://www.quarry.nildram.co.uk/tankger.jpg )
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“The farther backward you can look, the farther forward you are likely to see.” Winston Churchill

Hawk · Posted: Thu 08 May 2008 13:37 pm Post subject:

I am not sure why, but that camoflague just looks a bit odd

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Flash Flash · Silver Star Joined: 16 May 2006 Posts: 2938

Are you having to figures
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Brews · Posted: Sat 10 May 2008 00:43 am Post subject:

I am painting the three figures

I might even go over the camo ... because it doesn't look great. As a relatively rare vehicle, it's not covered well in photos - especially colour ones.
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“The farther backward you can look, the farther forward you are likely to see.” Winston Churchill

Brews · Posted: Sun 11 May 2008 18:48 pm Post subject:

Figures painted - but I might touch them up in the light of the digital photography

The tunic is H111. The trousers are H71, with H80 and gunze Schokoladebraun blotches (colours of the beige, brown and green aren't precise - or necessarily so). Jackboots are Tamiya XF-2, flesh is straight H .. flesh colour, and helmets are Gunze RLM 66. Piping, if I choose to paint these, should be Pink, I think.

Brews · Posted: Sun 11 May 2008 19:37 pm Post subject:

Touched up a little, and inserted:

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“The farther backward you can look, the farther forward you are likely to see.” Winston Churchill

Flash Flash · Silver Star Joined: 16 May 2006 Posts: 2938

I thought the 3rd figure had some kind of a torpedo bullet thing Brews ...?
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Brews · Posted: Sun 11 May 2008 23:06 pm Post subject:

From earlier post, Michael:

Noteworthy is that one of the figures in this kit is handling a round for the PaK 40. I started cleaning up the flash on the figures tonight before dinner, by the way. I'm not sure whether the loader is cuddling a magnum of Champagne. The round for the PaK 40 is certainly not of that shape or dimension (see 75mmx495R on this page http://www.quarry.nildram.co.uk/tankger.jpg )

So, I cut it off with a router bit in my Dremel.

Sgt.Squarehead · Posted: Wed 14 May 2008 17:00 pm Post subject:

Why worry about the PAK round after using those fenders?

I'd like to see your scratchbuilt fenders completed, they looked very promising to me.....At least a hundred percent better than the dodgy kit offerings in my opinion!

All the best