Oops.. temptation

A Matilda II, Jagdpanzer IV and Pz I arrived the other day, then today, this lot...

I think I have a problem...

Just one more little tank...

So I started building the ESCI Panzer I kit. I understand from the On the Way website that the model itself has a number of issues. Care factor?  Not a lot. It's a very cute kit other than the ESCI rubber band tracks, and these have now aged to be stiff and very difficult to apply. The decals themselves have also had it, but I can source some from my Skytrex decal hoard. It was so tiny, I thought I would check it against the PSC Universal Carrier..   here's the glamour shot...

Tracks still to be wrestled on..  probably going to involve clothes pegs and lots of cyanocrylate. Quite possibly a fair bit of swearing too...

Liebster Questions -

Do you want to live forever
Yes - stupid question...

Fame or fortune?
Fame - fortune is fleeting but quite frankly, neither.

What miniature are you most proud of having painted
My Jagdpanther I have been painting for months - you will get to see it eventually...

How do you deal with hobby burnout?
I just paint a different period. At the moment, 1/72 (20mm) WW2 kits are such a relief from 100's of ancients and medieval.

Why is a raven like a writing desk?
Because it never stays still..

Star Wars or Star Trek?
Traveller

If you could only buy from one miniature company from now on, which one would it be?

No idea. I paint armies - not one mini. I wouldn't mind some EWM stowage..

What is your favourite take out?
Don't do take out - if I did..  probably Vindaloo, or any form of curried meat with Nan, Pappadum and rice,

Liebster Awards- plus Cromwells

So, apparently there is some kind of viral/pyramid thing with "Liebster Awards" and someone has passed it on. So here is my WiP Leibster:

2 Cromwells

Starfish Crown

Befehl Panzer IIIF

Whoo Whooo- here comes the Fire Engine!

For those of you playing 28mm WW2 stuff or even VBCW, a new magazine can be found in the newsagents called ‘Fire Engines of the World’ 

 

- the first issue comes with a model of the Leyland K34 Fire Engine, supposedly in 1/50 scale, but looks small for 1/50 and would make a great model either for a Dad’s Army episode, or with a small paint touch-up as a French Fire Engine of the period.

Cost.. $4.95 - a bargain.

Pz III Command Tank

Been playing with one of the PSC Pz III kits. I have the other two painted up, one as a 1940 France version, the other as a later one in use in 42-43. The last one of the set of three, I decided to tart up a bit.

So I started by adding the command radio aerial, just a bit of bent wire on more wire uprights. Then a few boxes, bags, camo-net. I added wire grab handles, lifted the Notek with a bit of sprue, added a flag on the turret roof, ammo box, rifle, a front rail for stowage, some bristle aerials, bent the fenders a little...  and I am pretty happy with how this build is turning out.

More to follow when the paint goes on. It will end up being a 2nd Pz Division command tank.

And a kind soul has just pointed out I need to remove the splash guard and move the turret forward..  More surgery coming up.

And now, with splash shield shaved and turret repositioned. Actually gives it a very different look.

Deep in the Jungle

Lurks the tiny Japanese Type 97 or Chi-Ha. Designated a medium tank, by 1942 it was outclassed by even Allied light tanks such as the M3 Stuart, and hopelessly outclassed by any real tank such as the Matilda II or the Sherman.

This is the Airfix kit, and it is even smaller because it is actually 1/76 not 1/72 scale. The kit itself has been out for a very long time - first released in 1974, it's now 40 years old. It is still a really nice kit to build, everything fits together beautifully, and while the detail has been surpassed in more recent models, it is still fun to put together.

So a chilly Sunday, some paint and weathering later:

 So there it is - cute as a button..

Stuart & Sdkfz 231 6 rad

Just a quick update.  So here are the pics.

Bishops in the War

Not muscular Christanity, but the British self-propelled artillery. A Valentine chassis, a big metal box and a 25lb artillery piece. They were all welded together to make a spectacularly ugly armoured fighting vehicle.

It's an ESCI kit, dating way back, liberated from a friend's stash, but I really liked the look of the thing. I also started playing with 'chipping' and I am quite pleased with the result. And yes, I know I got the doors reversed...

Dragon Armour JagdPanther 1/72

So I had a trawl through various shops the other day - picked up bits and pieces - including the Airfix Quad tractor for my Esci 25Lb gun. Then went back to work, to discover the Dragon Early Jagdpanther kit was tucked away in my office.

What a beautiful kit.. 

The Esci stuff is nice, the old Airfix stuff can just about be made to work..  but the Dragon kist was lovely. Everything just fits. The detail is lovely, brass photo-etched (PE) bits, wire for cables, and I bored out a hatch and added a PSC command figure.

Here's where it is up to...  engine deck held up (maybe it's overheating) as it would be a shame to lose that detail, floorbrush bristle for the engine hatch stay, hacked around Schurzen, PE in place  - and it is a beautiful thing. I need to do it justice with painting. I was tempted to try the hairspray/salt technique, but as it has kit moulded Zimmerit, it probably wouldn't be the best kit to do it on. I still have a spare PSC Pz III, so I may try it on that. Here's how it looks so far.