Author Topic: WIP StuG III  (Read 6632 times)

Pinky

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WIP StuG III
« on: December 20, 2015, 11:30:28 am »
This is my Rubicon StuG III.  As will be apparent from the photos, I modified the nose by revising the lower front plate (which is the wrong angle) and adding the strip of armour across the upper plate.  I then went to town with stowage (mostly Tamiya, as Rubicon's stowage set wasn't available).  The non-slip pattern on the mudguards is overscale, but I wasn't going to try and fix that.  It's intended to represent one of the early StuGs that saw service in the Kharkov battles in early 1943; apparently they were dark grey, although it's possible they were dark yellow.   

ultravanillasmurf

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Re: WIP StuG III
« Reply #1 on: December 20, 2015, 06:07:37 pm »
Looks good.

How did you make the digits on the revised nose?

Pinky

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Re: WIP StuG III
« Reply #2 on: December 26, 2015, 04:52:40 pm »
How did you make the digits on the revised nose?

Do you mean the boltheads on the armour plate?  I can't remember - I think I cut them from a spare GW model (their plastic is easy to cut).

I've just sprayed this - my favourite stage of any model is when the undercoat goes on and ties everything together, and I haven't yet ****ed up the painting...doesn't make for much of a photo though.

ultravanillasmurf

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Re: WIP StuG III
« Reply #3 on: December 27, 2015, 02:56:29 am »
Looks good.

How did you make the digits on the revised nose?

I hate auto correct....

Rivets not digits...

Though they are bolts....

Pinky

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Re: WIP StuG III
« Reply #4 on: January 31, 2016, 03:39:21 pm »
Here is the StuG after being undercoated.  I added some more spare tracks from Rubicon's German stowage set (because it would be silly not to).

Further painting is awaiting completion of the vehicles that will go with it.  After several attempts at mixing a satisfactory version of Dunkelgrau and ending up with slightly different shades, I've decided it's best to paint them all together.
« Last Edit: January 31, 2016, 03:41:14 pm by Pinky »

Pinky

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Re: WIP StuG III
« Reply #5 on: January 31, 2016, 03:51:17 pm »
The StuG should end up looking something like this Rubicon Panzer IV Ausf F.  This was the first in my intended group of early 1943-era German armour.  It's something of a test model, and it's been repainted at least once (I'm in the process of repairing damage caused by rectifying a dumb assembly error).  There is another Panzer IV under construction. 

While I really admire the results that people get with airbrushes and pigments (including some of the models displayed in this gallery), I don't use either, so my models tend to look a bit more 'old school'.  The Dunkelgrau was mixed using Citadel paints to match a paint chip; it's distinctly more greenish than many pre-mixed versions.  Having struggled to replicate it consistently, I think I should have just gone with Vallejo and made life easier.  All of the vehicles I'm doing will end up with different patterns of Dunkelgelb camo over the grey, as was reasonably common during the switchover to overall Dunkelgelb during the first half of 1943.

Below the Panzer IV is part of the intended opposition - a Warlord "Uralmash" turret T-34 (although I realise this site should really be limited to Rubicon models).  Warlord's mid-war T-34 isn't bad, but it lacks the distinctive all-steel roadwheels which were common at that time (its roadwheels were more common on later variants).  Overall, I think the Rubicon version is better.  However, I rather like the cast turret - I added more texture, as the real thing was very roughly cast. 
« Last Edit: February 01, 2016, 06:53:10 pm by Pinky »

ultravanillasmurf

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Re: WIP StuG III
« Reply #6 on: January 31, 2016, 05:38:07 pm »
I look forward to seeing the finished result.

smurfben

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Re: WIP StuG III
« Reply #7 on: January 31, 2016, 06:32:32 pm »
The added texture looks really nice, how did you do it?

Pinky

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Re: WIP StuG III
« Reply #8 on: January 31, 2016, 08:03:32 pm »
The added texture looks really nice, how did you do it?

By smearing it with cement, and tapping it with my finger while it was tacky.  Do this a couple of times, then use liquid cement to smooth it a bit.  It's ok to make it quite 'messy', but it's best to do this before attaching the hatches and gun.

ripley

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Re: WIP StuG III
« Reply #9 on: February 01, 2016, 01:22:15 am »
Nice cast texture on the turret . T-34 also had it on the driver's hatch ( sometimes with some real nasty parts that would take of skin if you rubbed against it)  , bow machine gun bump and the mg shield as well as on the exhaust covers if you really want to get wild .  I converted my WL T- 34 to dish wheels by using a very narrow ( 1/16 inch ) chisel blade to scrap away the ribs  . Lots of work but worth it .  The WL Uralmash turret is actually too narrow in the rear according to my books , so I built up the width with thin plastic sheet and green stuff for texture .  You could also give the turret a thick coat of Humbrol paint and when its almost dry ( but still tacky ) paint on Testers liquid glue and stipple with a stiff bristle brush , gives a nice rough cast effect . Practice , practice , practice  and no thumb prints   :'(
« Last Edit: February 01, 2016, 01:26:28 am by ripley »

ultravanillasmurf

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Re: WIP StuG III
« Reply #10 on: February 01, 2016, 05:08:47 am »
I agree, very nice texture.

The three I have seen in detail are particularly ropy.
http://ultravanillasmurf.blogspot.co.uk/2015/11/compare-t34-85-part-one.html
http://ultravanillasmurf.blogspot.co.uk/2015/11/compare-t34-85-part-two.html
http://ultravanillasmurf.blogspot.co.uk/2015/11/compare-t34-85-part-three.html

I used a thinned solution of milliput on my Rubicon T34 turret, though I need to re-cover a bit where I smoothed the electric traverse bump and the reworked turret shape (I started after seeing the IWM example).

Pinky

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Re: WIP StuG III
« Reply #11 on: February 01, 2016, 10:28:42 am »
The WL Uralmash turret is actually too narrow in the rear according to my books , so I built up the width with thin plastic sheet and green stuff for texture .  You could also give the turret a thick coat of Humbrol paint and when its almost dry ( but still tacky ) paint on Testers liquid glue and stipple with a stiff bristle brush , gives a nice rough cast effect . Practice , practice , practice  and no thumb prints   :'(

It does look a bit narrow, you're right.  Do you have a photo of the modification you made?  I didn't want to spend too long on these; I plan to spend longer on my Rubicon T-34s, once they release the SU-122/SU-85.

Your texturing technique sounds suspiciously like it was discovered by an unfortunate accident at some point...

ripley

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Re: WIP StuG III
« Reply #12 on: February 01, 2016, 10:40:38 am »
Great pictures smurf . Really shows different factories standards on how  they manufactured  the T-34 . Some rough as hell . others very smooth . Always good for a modeler to have a choice on super  detailing his kits  if he so chooses