Small Scale Military Headquarters

Sounds great, Picklehaube! Between your Stug IV and Grunt 1’s upcoming Panzer I, never mind Aracula’s numerous models, 1/18th scale armor definitely isn’t a dead subject. Keep us posted and let us know when you’re ready to take orders

OK Guys,

The molds have been made and the castings are coming out great !
I am thinking $125 for the kit plus shipping.
With the kit you get :

Fighting compartment
Gun assembly
Front and rear deck for a Panzer IV
Spare tracks for the transmission and the right side.
Spare bogie wheels and box
All hatches with hinges and handles
Remote MG shield and mg-34
2 x antenna bases and whips.
Rear ventilator
( I will through in a set of tubes for the late late muffler system if wanted )

That's it guys I am ready to take orders.

$125 plus shipping ( aprx $12 )

Matthew

Well as I said got a Panzer IV ready, I'll send you a PM later tonight.

Pickelhaube, PM sent Thursday...check your usps mail tomorrow.

Hey Guys ,

The current orders have been shipped.
Here are a few final details on the finished stug .

If you look close you can see the extra weld beads and lift hooks on the superstructure.

Matthew your Stug IV kit arrived yesterday and it looks great.
I'm going to clear a space on the workbench and get ready to start.

Hey John,

I left the main weapons support lose.
You can tighten it up and adjust with shims to center the tube .
It also will slide from left to right.

On my copy I had to shave the gun slot just a little to get the tube to center.
It was perfect on the proto !
Go figure.

If you tilt up the gun to about 70- 80 degrees you can take out the gun tube and return it as well.

I made a little stand out of PVC pipe to hold up projects so I do not have to handle them .

Here is a shot of my Stug commission in the start of the painting process.

I love how the pre-shading looks on the finished product.

Your Stug is looking great, Matthew! Nice idea with the PVC pipe stand as well... I use a couple pieces of 2x4, sometimes set on a “lazy Susan” type turning base so I can rotate something when painting. Anyways, My kit should arrive on Monday (if not before) and then it will be time to start... I like the idea of doing some pre-shading, though that’s a technique I don’t often use. I think I may attempt another late-war hard edge camouflage scheme as well, assuming I find a historically accurate pattern I like... This will be fun

Thanks Tman.
I use the pre-shading on armor and aircraft.

While I am at it I will do a step by step in the painting process.
This can be used on any armor subject.

I started by getting a scale model of the StuG IV in 1/35 scale.
This gives me something to measure when I am enlarging the parts.
Usually most models have a scale rendition of a paint scheme.
I used the Dragon model and I really liked the color scheme so I used it.

1. I enlarged the prints to 1/18 scale. The top view worked but the sides did not so I had to use a lot of artist license .

2. Pre shaded



3. Laying the template out after cutting the yellow out I air brushed on the yellow



4. Using the yellow cut outs I covered the yellow and air brushed on the red brouwn.




5. I coverd the yellow and brown then sprayed on the green. A little touch up is needed but I think it turned out well.







Next I need to aply the crosses then the weathering process.

That Stug is looking great Matthew.

Thanks Normandy.

Here are pics of spare tracks and their main track counterparts.
Track on top is painted black before the weathering treatment.
The 2 on the bottom have been treated.



Treated spare.



Track options rusty or dirty.

Great job on the Stug, Picklehaube!

Have you ever tried using silly putty or panzer putty (basically the same thing) as a masking agent for doing the German hard edge camouflage? I experimented with it when I built Aracula’s 1/18 scale Jagdpanzer IV and was very happy with the end results. Just thought I’d ask

BTW, I received you kit in the mail on Friday in great shape. Thanks for making it and I look forward to building

I used silly putty on this camo job but I was looking for a soft edge.

pickelhaube wrote: ↑

Mon Nov 30, 2020 5:39 pm

I used silly putty on this camo job but I was looking for a soft edge.

Awesome! It still looks good. When I first tried the silly putty masking technique on my 1/18 Jagdpanzer model a few months ago, I was readily impressed with how well the technique worked!

Hey Guys ,

I am finished with the full build and I think it came out great !

I painted with Tamiya paints and washed it with an AK wash.
I used pastels on all tracks painted black with a touch of pencil graphite to bring out the look of metal.
I used a dapple method on the muffler using rust , dark brown and dark gray paints in that order .
Coming out with a gray look and rusty under tones .
I used stencils to make the crosses.

Picklehaube, your Stug IV is a work of art! And it’s a good reference as well...I did some more research and your model definitely works as a mid-production Stug IV, meaning one can keep the standard exhaust muffler. I hope mine will come out looking as good as yours

Another master piece Matthew. I've used Tamiya paints on many
of my armor projects and I get good results with them.
I'll have to look into AK washes.

Thanks guys

I appreciate the kind remarks.

Another note on my construction .

Right or wrong, on all of my vision blocks Allied and Axis ( WWII ) I first paint the blocks with a silver chrome then come back with a transparent green.
Usually applied with a tooth pick .

At the rear on the Notek Convoy light.
I used a chromed colored paint then used a transparent red .
Of course allowing the chrome paint to thoroughly dry.

I use this method on aircraft nav lights.

If you notice on the remote MG .
The actual MG is closer to the right side.
This is done to accept the mag ( I did not have one )
This is correct because the mg sits on a rail that holds it to the right side to allow for mag change out.
I did not make the rail , thinking it can not be seen.