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Modeller Build Logs
Panzer Jaeger I |
| By Bruce Probst | | Started: | Dec 17, 2007 | | Updated: | Jan 31, 2008 |
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This is my first attempt at a Build Log. (Thanks to Saúl García for the encouragement.) I've only recently returned to scale modelling as an adult; my previous recent efforts were both in 1/76th scale, two Panzer I.B kits from Fujimi (one of them being an ex-Nitto mould). Photos of those efforts can be found in the "Small Scale" forum.
Third off the production line is the third and final Fujimi Panzer I kit, this time the Panzer Jäger I, in 1/76th scale (kit WA21). This kit is derived from the previous Panzer IB release and shares many parts, mostly the hull and chassis and (again, for no readily apparent reason) the PaK 40 A-T gun. At least there's some possibility that historically these two machines would actually have been on the battlefield at the same time, but nevertheless, I have not come here to build A-T guns. (At least not yet.) So, as with the previous kit, the PaK 40 will be consigned to the spare parts bin.
New to this kit is the upper superstructure and it really looks quite good. I've compiled a number of Panzer I references over the last several months and for this project the two best are Panzer Tracts 7-1 ("Panzerjaeger 1927-1941") and Militaria #144 "Panzerjäger I". The kit, despite being relatively old (I think), has quite a lot of fine detail present, all of which seems pretty accurate (although I haven't bothered to do any precise measurements). As the vehicle is open-topped a basic interior is also included, which seems OK so far as it goes (which isn't far). I'll see what I can do to improve that.
All of my previous models (both the two recent ones and those that I built as a teenager) were built using the approach of "paint as much on the sprue as possible, assemble and then clean up". This seems to be at variance with all the experts who apparently do as little painting before assembly as possible. I'm not sure that it really makes all that much difference in the end, but for this kit I'm going to adopt the "paint last" approach and see how it goes. I'm concerned that it will make painting the chassis difficult, but perhaps my concerns are unfounded. We shall see.
I decided some time back that I wanted to finish this vehicle in Afrika Korps trim, and although the kit decals don't look too bad, I know the paint scheme suggested ("desert sand, all over") is just wrong, and once again I turn to after-market Bison Decals. Their pack 72003 "Afrika Korps Part 1" contains a suitable scheme that looks like it will be interesting. As with my previous build these 1/72nd decals are ever-so-slightly overscale for this 1/76th kit, but we're talking fractions of a millimetre; I'm not going to lose any sleep over it.
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| Initial Painting, Track Assembly and Disaster | Jan 31, 2008 |
With this all done it's now time to begin painting in earnest. The scheme I have chosen is dunkelgrau ("panzer grey") overall with camouflage patches of "desert sand" over the hull. In this case I am using Lifecolor UA207 Dunkelgrau. In the past I have used Humbrol Acrylic #67 "tank grey" which I find to be perfectly satisfactory, but I want to try the Lifecolor paints and see how well they brush on. The sand colour will be UA202 Sandgrau.
At first the Lifecolor seemed a little "streaky", but I quickly worked out that it's because I initially added a little too much thinner. Using a brush it almost needs no thinning at all. Unlike the Tamiya acrylics it's almost odourless and flows very well. It dries *fast* ... although perhaps too fast. I'll get hold of some acrylic retarder for use with this, I think. I think I'll like using these paints a *lot*.
Except ... d'oh!! The very convenient "panzer colour packs" that feature these paints don't include anything to vary the base colours ... I need to get some generic colours (white, black) in LifeColor as well. (I know that LifeColor and Tamiya paints can't be mixed, and I don't have a flat white -- or even a gloss white -- in any other acrylic medium to even experiment with. Oh well, it's these small stumbling steps that will lead me to being eventually prepared for anything, right? Right??)
However, what I *can* do in the meantime is use the Tamiya XF-63 "German Grey", mixed with XF-2 "Flat White" as needed, to go *over* the Lifecolor base coat. The Tamiya grey is not as dark as the Lifecolor to begin with, and doesn't need much lightening to provide a nice contrasting shade.
The tracks and some other miscellaneous details (tools, etc.) are painted Tamiya X-10 "Gun Metal" and initially shaded with some XF-1 "Flat Black" and then some Gunze H344 "Rust". More work will be done on these later as part of overall weathering. Some Humbrol #11 "Silver" brings out the lamp lenses. The rubber tyres on the road wheels and return rollers are painted black. (Turns out that attaching the wheels first doesn't make painting them unusually difficult after all.)
The gun and gunshield are attached. The gun fitting is very tight and doesn't require cement; as a consequence the gun is "workable".
Attaching the tracks turns out to be an unexpected nightmare. They are "rubber band" type, of course, but I wasn't expecting any particular difficulties with these. The previous two kits I assembled were exactly the same and gave me no special trouble. Alas not so here. The fit was very tight; so tight that I ended up having to separate the upper and lower hulls to get them on. (Yet another reason to leave the hull assembly until last.) Fortunately the glue bond was weak enough to allow me to make the separation with no damage of note; I *hope* that when I rejoin them it won't be too obvious. Of course my troubles didn't stop there; the port-side track broke in two places while I was trying to gently stretch them to get an easier fit. Replacement tracks are not an option (no after-market stuff in this scale, of course, and I'm not going to buy another whole kit just for one track), so I superglued the track onto the wheels, trying to locate the breaks where they'll be not *too* obvious (I hope, again). Sigh. Oh well, it was never going to be submitted into any competition any way. (And of course all this futzing around with the tracks caused most of the paint to flake off them! The final paint job is going to have to cover up a multitude of sins ....)
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