Panzer IV / M113 kitbash

[mkhulu]

Doing PSR on the turret - had the scratch built a new mantlet because I lost the original 

Going to get myself a guillotine this week - then work on the hull can start

[mkhulu]

Turret PSR completed - finished it last night.

Main gun of whiff also completed - at 10cm in length (1/35) it measures 3.5m in real life ( don't know if this is too long - but hey it's my whiff and it looks good   )

Pics to follow soon .

This build is kind of a biggie for me - 1st time PSR , 1st time building , 1st time airbrushing ....

[Old Wombat]

So, I take it the guillotine is for the blood sacrifices to the Modelling Gods?

[mkhulu]

So, I take it the guillotine is for the blood sacrifices to the Modelling Gods?

already made a blood sacrifice on Sunday evening - intead of cutting away from myself , I took the scalpel and cut towards me. End result ? Blood !  Had worse - when I got my finger stuck trad climbing 2 years ago. Was a decision between cut rope (fall 20m) / call mountain rescue ...

thank goodness I had extra quick draws - got finger unstuck ( minus a small tip of finger ! )

Setback last evening - need to use Epoxy putty to fix 7.5cm gun in the shortened Panzer IV Ausf D barrel stump.

I guess this reminds me of Herr Nietzsche - that what doesn't destroy me (whiffing wise) makes me stronger 

[mkhulu]

The turret and scratch built mantlet has become one ( that sounds tantric !  )

Still some minor PSR'ing on the turret last night

[rickshaw]

We need some photos to drool over...   

[mkhulu]

Turret PSR finally finished !

Worked on the Panzer IV engine grills / drivers hatch yesterday - basically what I did is to level them with styrene sheet I am using to make upper hull. Some minor PSR performed .

Pics to follow very soon   

[NARSES2]

Pics to follow very soon   

Teases 

[mkhulu]

Panzer IV Ausf D turret with the 7.5cm Pak 40. The side doors on the Panzer IV Ausf D turret I filled in with styrene cut outs , epoxy putty. The white stuff is dried Tamiya White Puty.



^ Mantlet not attached to turret

Now with the mantlet attached to the turret. Tried scratch building a monocular gunsight. Still to decide on a co-ax MG. Maybe going the IDF route with a MG fixed on top of the main barrel.

[NARSES2]

Nice work 

[mkhulu]

Little bit of progress today - finished PSR'ing of engine decks - see pic below. Still wet from dunking it in H2O to remove particles.



In order to allow turret to rotate unobstructed , I had to raise the height of the turret relative to the engine grills. Gaps to be PSR'ed this coming week.



With a quick view with the turret , this build reminds me of a Baby Panther tank  

[Sticky Fingers]

looking good 

[NARSES2]

Going well

Talking of baby Panthers does anyone else remember building a Panzer III from an Airfix Stug III and a cut down Panther turret as described by Chris Ellis in Ye Olde Airfixe Magazine ? 

[cataphractarius]

Although I'm not that old (though I sometimes feel old as the hills these days...) I actually tried that a couple of years ago, just to see how it might turn out in comparison to a Matchbox one. Somewhat unsurprisingly, I didn't get the Panther turret to look even remotely like the Pz III one; in the end I replaced it with a spare Matchbox one I had lying around.

Airfix Mag - the only modelling mag I really need... 

[PR19_Kit]

Although I'm not that old .........

Chris and I both are.......