chassis is almost together on the ausf.N updated 11/03/08

Panzer_M · Post by **Panzer_M** » Fri Sep 26, 2008 10:12 am

first test fit, not glued still got various thing to add to the upper hull.

and messing around in the spares box, I built up a MG15 ground-mount that was used mostly by Luftwaffe Infantrie(Feld Divisions). The neat little P/E spider-sight is a neat touch, since on photos more often than not, troop used the AA sight over the iron sight, and it's offset from center(to the right)

but the double drum(75rd) was a bonus to the assault mags(50rd) of the MG34/42 for a light machine gun.

[CAT]CplSlade · Post by **[CAT]CplSlade** » Fri Sep 26, 2008 10:42 am

Blurry pic are blurry.

Panzer_M · Post by **Panzer_M** » Fri Sep 26, 2008 11:31 am

old camera, only 2 meg..trying to zoom in a on 2" gun isn't good..and my choices are .3m,1m or 2m.

I'll try to take a shot of the guns I did up last night while taking breaks on the Panzer. little guns are just fun to do.

AlloySkull · Post by **AlloySkull** » Fri Sep 26, 2008 10:37 pm

Does it have a macro mode? Megapixels won't make any difference unless it's planned to be enlarged. Macro mode is your best friend. The problem with that picture is your focus is on the tank hull, not the gun, back up and focus on the gun. With macro you can get as close as you want and get details galore. It should be represented by a flower. Almost all cameras have macro and so few people know about it. So when they take closeups, it's out of focus on the object they really want details on.

Megapixels is really nothing special unless you plan on HUGE pictures. Taking film photography has really shown me how to do so much more with both of my cameras, film and digital.

Panzer_M · Post by **Panzer_M** » Fri Sep 26, 2008 11:05 pm

a flower? Ok I got that symbol..I never knew what it was for, I figured landscapes or something

AlloySkull · Post by **AlloySkull** » Sat Sep 27, 2008 4:48 am

Good, when you press it or select it it should say macro or something, that's what you want.

Now you can get up close and personal with your models.

I regret not paying $100 more and going digital SLR but I bought a Canon S5 IS for $500. It's close to SLR quality, but I don't have to get lenses for my macro and super macro, or that killer maximum zoom of 30x (IIRC) I've found out. It says 12x but there's an extension on it... and jeez you can zoom in so close, but of course when you get into the digital zoom extension you lose quality. But the macro I have is good for small details from 3 feet away to 4 inches, and super macro won't even focus on anything more than 4 inches away so it's for minute details, those QC issues you want to show up close... a speck of dust on your tank, you name it.

Panzer_M · Post by **Panzer_M** » Sat Sep 27, 2008 9:15 am

mmm, Xmas upgrade maybe.

I still use my 35mm Cannon Rebel for real photo jobs, airshows, carshows, etc..the Digi was purchased just for Ebay I have to admit.

Panzer_M · Post by **Panzer_M** » Sat Sep 27, 2008 1:59 pm

new pics w/ Alloy's advice.

Mauser Hsc and MG15 LMG

some more of the Pz III done

AlloySkull · Post by **AlloySkull** » Sun Sep 28, 2008 12:43 pm

Much clearer.

I've got a 35mm AE-1. <3

Panzer_M · Post by **Panzer_M** » Thu Oct 02, 2008 11:39 pm

finally got back to working on the kit...after dealing with Paypal all day it was a good time to do some relaxing.

still got to sand down points where the sprues were attached(like on the barrel), and finish adding all the bits to the turret. Also had to fix the side hatches with a straight-edge.

full chaos of the worktable(the black board helps find pieces that go MIA/AWOL.)

The thing in the foam is a 1.4m(1/35) radio mast

I made a vid(I didn't know the camera could do this, Thanks again Alloy for the advice that got me playing with the menus)

http://s3.photobucket.com/albums/y59/Pa ... CF0578.flv

PanzerArm · Post by **PanzerArm** » Sun Oct 05, 2008 6:09 pm

Try building that gun and mantlet from scratch

Lol, J/K, looking good man, can't wait to see when it's finished so we can compare our ausf. Ns!

Panzer_M · Post by **Panzer_M** » Sun Oct 05, 2008 10:08 pm

well today I finally got somewhere on HOW the 26.Pz deployed thier Sturmpanzer IIIs..after going through a bunch info online and in books.

1st January 44 :

( Stabs-Regiment : 1 Bef. lang, 2 Bef. kurz and 1 SP 9 cm ( ital. )
II. Panzer-Abteilung : ( Stab : 2 Bef. lang and 1 Bef. kurz )

5. / 26 : 6 Panzer III kurz and 14 Panzer IV lang
6. / 26 : 6 Panzer III kurz and 12 Panzer IV lang
7. / 26 : 4 Panzer IV kurz and 8 Panzer IV lang
8. / 26 : 7 Panzer IV kurz and 11 Panzer IV lang

1. Flamm.-Kompanie :
7 Flammpanzer III, 6 Stu. 7,5 ( ital. ) and 6 Stu. 10,5 ( ital. )
2. Flamm.-Kompanie :
4 Flammpanzer III, 5 Stu. 7,5 ( ital. ) and 6 Stu. 10,5 ( ital. )

According to the Kriegsgliederung of the 26. Panzer-Division ( Anlage zu 26. Pz.Div. Ia. Nr. 14 / 44 g.Kdos. )

All Divisional tanks seem to have been in plain dark yellow without zimmerit until early 1944. Replacement armour seems to have had both hand-applied and factory applied zimmerit with extensive use of olivgrun and rotbraun overspray. Turret markings appear to have been a plain white hollow stencil. I am not sure about the early tactical marking, but the official insignia was a stylised Prussian Grenadier's head in a circle. I have not seen it reproduced on any of the Division's tanks.

one colour photograph of a Flammpanzer III in Action in Italy

It is at the back section of the recent book Rommel's Tropical Army in Colour, in the small chapter covering Italy and Sicily. Unfortunately, the photograph shows the front section of the tank only, although the picture quality is excellent and could have been taken yesterday. The Flammpanzer appears to have turret schurzen but not the hull plates.

It may well depict a vehicle of 26 Pz Div, although no markings are visible. (the other candidate could be 16 Pz Div, but this Division had left Italy by the end of 1943). The tank is in plain overall dark yellow with no zimmerit. The circumstances of the photo (it is raining onto soaked ground) and the capture of the probable photographer, Eberhard Dohm in late 1943/early 1944, would suggest that it was taken at the end of 1943.

Thus, we could have 26 Pz Div Pz III in late 1943/Early 1944 in overall dark yellow, no zimmerit and possibly a hollow stencilled tactical number in white on the turret schurzen. A divisional insignia is possible, but not confirmed on tanks at this date

Panzer_M · Post by **Panzer_M** » Sun Oct 05, 2008 10:42 pm

So my model is going to be a Panzer from one of these two Kompanies,

5. / 26 : 6 Panzer III kurz and 14 Panzer IV lang
6. / 26 : 6 Panzer III kurz and 12 Panzer IV lang

Dunkelgelb..no zimm, w/ green and brown camo and white stenciled turret numbers, left/right and maybe rear on the bin. I'm going to need to find the Archer set of transfer for the numbers.

I have a choice of two insigna used by the 26.Pz..a carry over when it was a Infantrie div of a Prussian Grenadier's head(used '42..43?) or a Square with a circle inside(Used in '44 for sure)

Panzer_M · Post by **Panzer_M** » Fri Oct 10, 2008 3:49 pm

Tracks came in today from AFVdepot

Friulmodel's metal tracks, for Pz III/IV. 40cm solid horn, non-skid chevron links in use from '43-45.

Treads, new Drillbits(Squadron's set of Microbits) I might need a .55mm bit to clean out the pivot holes, and super glue to glue the end of the pin so the links will not seperate.

Panzer_M · Post by **Panzer_M** » Fri Oct 10, 2008 3:52 pm

went ahead and ordered a new airbrush this week.

89.00 shipped, from one of my favorite sellers on Ebay for paints and painting supplies. Should be here sometime next week.

Panzer_M · Post by **Panzer_M** » Fri Oct 10, 2008 4:47 pm

pickelhaube · Post by **pickelhaube** » Fri Oct 10, 2008 6:29 pm

Those tracks are a lot of work.

Panzer_M · Post by **Panzer_M** » Fri Oct 10, 2008 7:43 pm

yea but I hate resin tracks cause the pins break or trying to work them onto the tank they can come apart...least these things once pinned and glued are pretty tough...and the set I have a Pz IV survived the "idiot has to touch them" test a few times without problems and the look is worth it over the rubber band treads, although the new Dragon DS one piece tracks for the Tigers and Shermans aren't too bad from what've seen of them.

last set of Friulmodels I did came out of the box almost flawless, didn't have to drill out the holes nor clean up any burrs..I am hoping for that again.

Panzer_M · Post by **Panzer_M** » Fri Oct 17, 2008 10:51 pm

started the tracks tonight, finished the tank, for all but the stowage/tools/gear..going to do the DG(dunkelgelb) base tomorrow or sun.

individual link tracks for the Pz III tonight..200 total for the left and right and spare links carried on the tank's bow, I have stuck myself 4 or 5 times bleeding all over the link I am trying to pin with .20 steel rod, and then dab a drop of cyanoacrylate(super-glue) on the end to seal the pin in the guide..and ended up with more glue on my finger tips than on the tracks. As for clean up it's min, a run-thru with a .5mm drill in the pin guide and it almost a snap-together kit...note: Almost.

who would have thought a hobby designed to help one relax would become so tedeous

decided against blacken it, going to do paint/washes/pigments in stages starting with Tamiya Black metallic, then metallic grey, and steel on high wear areas, then sand and dust weathering since there wasn't much mud in the timeframe of the Salerno landings in Sept.43 and finally some rust.

Panzer_M · Post by **Panzer_M** » Mon Nov 03, 2008 11:22 pm

finally got some free time to work on this again.

hll assembled w/o tools and misc stuff installed.

wheels with dark rubber done, after it cures, going back with a mix of Vallejo Old Rubber(grey) mixed with Black for weathering, then later dusted with Sand/Dark Sand mix(Southern Italy)

track with base of Metal. Grey w/ a hint of gunmetal and removed from the sprocket holes to show lighter for wear there, going to do washes of oil and rust and then spot it with a bit more rust in joints, also the face of the track needs to be lightened to show wear. The First track took forever going from a set of Panther tracks(fairly big) to the smaller Pz IV links, the 2nd one was assembled with the .20 rod in about 1-2hours once I got the feel for the size needed to cut to link the links together....next set of tracks are either going to be for my Pz II or Opel Mauliter Flak..both of with are even smaller..and I am waiting to see how many of those will fall to the carpet monster.

close up of the first track, which I still hadn't trimmed the pins on.

Panzer_M · Post by **Panzer_M** » Mon Nov 03, 2008 11:30 pm

not really pleased with the 1st shade of Dunkelgelb..it was lightened but not enough or maybe it is..I don't know...I am thinking of something like this gelb/grun scheme.(Pz IIIN skin mod for CMBB/CMAK..I use it in both)

next thing I do is going to be grey, yellow-fever has ended for awhile.