







Scale models, where they come from, and people who make them
Scale diorama tips and ideas
Let's build, and build again even if you won't build everything you have bought
A futile fight against entropy or 'Every man should have a hobby'? Either way it is a blog on tabletop wargames, board games and megagames
World War II with Scale Models
This is my ad free non-profit blog of my research notes on military history since April 2018.
Moving with the tides of history
Building and improving scale models
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Let's build and build again
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Scale Modeling and Military History
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History and Hardware of Warfare
The best in WWII aviation history
Scale Modeling and Military History
Relaxed kind of plastic scale modelling
Scale Modeling and Military History
Scale Modeling and Military History
Scale Modeling and Military History
Scale Modeling and Military History
Scale Modeling and Military History
Scale Modeling and Military History
Scale Modeling and Military History
Scale Modeling and Military History
Scale Modeling and Military History
A blog about Modeling and life in general
That is very nice, Jeff! 🙂 I like the different cam on the skirts and I never appreciated that the skirt plates actually overlapped!
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Thanks John! The overlap is subtle and hard to see in photographs. There may also have been variations produced without overlap. The plates hung loosely so there are ample examples of them hanging askew or missing entirely.
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Has been a decade since I’ve built 1/72 armor, or any armor for that matter. Had used them in miniatures gaming and just like you did here I added weight to them. At this scale plastic models are so light that a cat sneeze could send them across the room!
Although a tank’s looks probably don’t matter much to the crews, the long barrel Panzer 4s have always been good looking tanks to me.
Yes, the mixed cammo gives much visual interest.
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The weight is frivolous for a display model, but I like the heft and the resin stabilizes the lower hull. I like the Panzer IV too and there are lots of interesting camo schemes to choose from.
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I’m going to disagree on the frivolous – have had a gust of wind through open windows on a gorgeous spring day blow models off a shelf …
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Ouch! The problem around here is cats in the display case!
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Yikes; in that case it might be smart to neutralize the models’ mass with a pinch of inverse gravity so they will gently float to the floor like a freefalling feather when the cats inevitably play gravitational scientist.
(fortunately the cats I’ve had through the decades so far have not messed with my models and trains – except for the couple times I deliberately set up trains on the floor for them to chase)
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Even if I don’t comment on every post Jeff, I always read other readers’ comments. I like the photo with the paint jar. Gives some perspective of the size of it unless it’s a gallon-size jar.
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Thanks Pierre, I should probably include more scale reference pictures.
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Reblogged this on Sprue Pie With Frets and commented:
Solid model making and some great technique insights
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Thanks Steve!
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Very nice Jeff, as always. I haven’t built 1/72nd scale armor since I was a kid, but I’d like to. I like the idea of the BB’s to weight the hull. I wonder if CA would work, since I don’t have any casting resin. I like the idea of using Mr. Surfacer to replicate the Zimmerit as well.
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CA should work in spall quantities, but some CA generates heat when it cures so I would be afraid of deforming the plastic if used in quantity. I have used epoxy with success so that’s another option.
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Hey Y’all; what I did was add 1 layer of tiny steel shot to hull bottom, either entire bottom or a section blocked off with strip styrene; then go over it with that cheap superglue you can get as a blister card of 4 small tubes in the hardware sections. Allow it to dry then if desired add a second layer. NOTE: some ACC packaging will say in the fine print that particular brand is not suitable for use with styrene!! In my experience there was not enough ACC to generate enough heat to distort the styrene of thicknesses typical in 1970s, 80s, 90s, 1/72 tank kits or for floors of HO and On30 model train cars. I don’t build tanks any more but do use the same process on model railroad cars made of and/or scratchbuilt of styrene.
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Assuming this thing allows URL to link to Flickr photos, the only image readily available online at this time is this of Lindberg’s originally released 1958 styrene kit of US Moon Ship where I did that to its engine mount section because of breezes mentioned in another comment & also because my mods are adding mass near its top. You’ll just have to believe me or not 🙂 when I claim there was no ACC cure heat distortion of the styrene part. https://flic.kr/p/2i3zFi3
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Cool Scott! I believe you, I was advising caution because I used a lot of CA as filler when I built my Los Angeles class SSN and it generated enough heat to burn my hand. Don’t know if there was any distortion, and given the wholesale nature of the filling and thick plastic I’m not sure I’d notice so long as it wasn’t catastrophic.
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Stunning work Jeff- it is a very striking colour scheme.
Cheers,
Pete.
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Thanks Pete, the camo is what attracted me to this one.
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