What are you working on right now?

Good to hear that you moved on to the next project at once. I'm planning on continue working on my Jagdtiger as soon as I have the ISU152 finished.

Good work there on the Stug III! I was really amazed by your wheathering. Could you tell me how you've done that?
welcome to the forums btw

 

Thx for the welcome!

There isn't any special method in the aging...

1. Painting
2. Partial Painting...i mean every panel get another shade of the original paint
3. thin/weak black paint to the holes (matt black ofc)
4. drybrush...i use the mm/testors steel
5. pastel crayon (dust...)
6. Use your fingertips! ("matt light")

 

thanks for these tips! I might try them on my next model

 

While waiting for the results of GBII,I decided to get started on a new project.A Maquette 1/35 ZIS-30 SPG is on the bench and is it a piece of shit!I only have the hull completed,but out of a grand total of twelve pieces,four fit together decently.The others I had to carve into with the old hobby knife.I don't mean the typical shave here and there.I had to hack chunks out of this bitch to get this thing together and it still looks like shit!I even slashed myself a few times and I never do that.I'm gonna tough it out and get it done the best I can.

Rant over.

SturmTiger out.

 

A model of 12 parts? how could it ever be a challenge!
I sure hope you can make it through this one alive.
Any chance on some during-build pics? You made us very curious!

 

Just the hull has twelve pieces.The parts fit on this kit is just attrocious.For close to twenty years now,an AMT X-wing kit has been at the top of my list as the worst kit ever.This one just might beat it.This is a fairly small vehicle.The hull by itself is about the same size as a 1/72 panther.Getting pics of the horrible fit isn't possible with my current camera.I will send you some pics of the finished model to post if you like.

 

ST;
Be sure to clean the blood off before taking pics!

 

You mean before painting it.Your jest is in actuality fact!

 

I don't quite think I've ever seen it that bad.
Boy am I looking forward to those pics now!

 

St;
I have been known to leave blood trails on plastic. :roll:

 

This kit is absolute garbage.Nothing fits right,the parts aren't numbered on the sprues,in some cases the actual part looks different than what is shown in the instructions.The axles that the suspension assembly mounts to were never molded on to the part that attaches to the hull.That should be interesting.So far,every locator hole had to be drilled out a bit.
If you are ever unfortunate enough to happen upon this kit,RUN!RUN SCREAMING AS IF YOUR ASS WAS A BLAZING INFERNO AND YOUR HAIR WAS CATCHING!!!!!

 

May I dare asking what brand the kit is?

My thoughts are with you ST, you must be going through a lot.

Maybe this incident could initiate the creation of a black list, on which brands that produce bad models can be put.
Maybe an idea?

 

No specific kind of plastic...?

 

This kit is by Maquette.I have a few T-34's in the stash by this company.I intend to build one of those next to see if the quality is the same or better.I don't mind when a few parts need to be tweeked,but the whole kit?That's bad.

 

PP;
Cheap kits are the worst because you have to do so much modifying to them. The bleeding comes from knives and saws.

I have bled on metal miniatures too.

 

SturmTiger:
As a rule, I try to stick with model-manufacturers I'm familiar with.

It's my experience that those model-houses that release limited-run or mixed-media, injection-molded, or vacuform and resin kits of little-known and obscure subject-matter generally don't have the engineering expertise that the mainsteam companies have.
Simply put, their kits don't go together as well, instructions tend to be vague or incomplete, and lots of tweeking required to turn-out a good example of the subject in question. These kits are most definitely for the modeler who expects to re-engineer and problem solve during construction.
Thanks for the "heads-up" about Maquette. I've always suspected as much. Finescale Modeler (magazine) and even Squadron Mail Orders' online site provides reviews on new models, and they can be an invaluable aid in determining whether the subject will be a difficult build.

Tim

 

If someone were going to review this particular kit,it would never see print.FSM would probably contact the manufacturer and tell them about the scathing review it was going to get.The kit is that bad.I really hope the others are better.They do more than a few versions of the T34 series.I've never built a T34 in 1/35.I've been looking forward to constructing the two I have,but now I wonder.

 

SturmTiger:
Other than a brief foray into 1/48 scale Bandai armor in the 1970s... I'm strictly a 1/35 scale armor builder. (Just a personal preference.)
I loved those old Bandai 1/48 armor kits. They had complete interiors with engines, turret baskets, crew-compartments, etc. I learned a lot about how armor was designed and functioned while building.
Now if Dragon could keep the price down, yet incorporate complete interiors--like some of the 1/35 Academy kits--I'd be whistling Dixie!
Right now I have a Dragon 1/35 scale T-34/76 about complete... with the exception of all those blasted individual track-links.
It's just a warm-up for the 3-piece links of the Sherman Firefly by the same mfgr... and it takes 86 links per-side. They look to be an absolute BITCH.

Tim

 

While they are certainly tedious,indy links are not at as bad as you might think as long as they fit together like they are supposed to.The last 5 or 6 1/35 tanks I've done all have indies.I guess you get used to them.

 

I left a post asking about the quality of Maquette on the FSM forum.Overall the opinions are very low of this manufacturers products.