6 Dirty StuG’s and one StuH 42

Some of the pictures in this article can be shown in higher resolution by clicking them.

This damned tanks just took me too long to get finished. But now they are done and I am pretty happy with them. The build was straightforward, including some conversions on especially the two StuG’s from Armourfast. I gave them a basic primer with my airbrush (Dunkelgelb from Tamyia). Adding camo with the airbrush was hard as I am still learning to use it properly.

After painting the models I added decals using dry transfers from Archer, I then airbrushed the models with a semi gloss varnish to make it easier to add the wash. The wash I used is from AK Interactive, a great product that is easy to work with. But on one of the models the semi gloss varnish wasn’t good and the model became very dark. After repainting the model and adding the wash I sprayed all the models with Dull Coat before chipping.

The chipping was painted on with both a brush and with a sponge (mainly on the shurtzen). I like to add both light and dark chips, both gives a great result. The last thing to do was to add weathering using pigments, the tracks got a medium brown color while I gave the rest of the model a sandy looking beige pigment. Finally the models where all airbrushed with yet a layer of Dull Cote.

Italeri model, this was a great build which I can’t say about all of their models. I also managed to make the tracks look “almost” perfect :-)

Italeri model.

Armourfast model. This is a quickbuild model and the details will be low but after since companies like The Plastic Soldier Company I has arrived at the scene I think the level of details on Armourfast is too low. I have tried to fix this and added some of the missing stuff myself – worst is the tracks as it aint easy to fix this.

PSC model. Really great quickbuild model. The tank commander is from AB Figures.

PSC model.

PSC model.

Armourfast model. As with the other Armourfast model I have added several details to make it blend better with the Itarleri and PSC models. The gun barrel is an extra barrel that came together with the Italeri models, I choose this over the Armourfast because it was thicker and stand out better.

The stowage in the back is just pieces of cardboards together with a oildrum covered with paper tissue that is dipped in a mix of water and white glue, when dry it becomes hard and can be painted together with the rest.

A close up on the figure in one of the PSC StuG’s. He is from AB Figures.

StuG got their first layer of “dirt”

Haven’t been able to be very active in company with my small toy armies for a week. A combination of work assignments out-of-town and making our flat ready to be sold has forced me to use my time different than normal. Selling the apartment has forced me to clean out the man cave which has made the room very popular, my girlfriend have been seen setting her foot in the room for the first time in ages… at the same time our two-year kid has totally lost interest of the room as there is no cool stuff to steal or destroy anymore.

But still I have been doing some process with the StuG’s. I used most of a evening adding decals to the sideskirts. As much as I love the Archer’s dry decals I also hate them. I guess the biggest problem is my fat fingers in combination of the tidious task of making 12 skirts that have to look the same.

Cleaner than ever – I am going to miss Copenhagen’s coolest apartment…

Dry transfers gives a great result, but damn they can be annoying to fit onto the vehicles.

The decal on the StuH 42 is inspired from one used in Italy that had the number 55 written the same place (but in black).

I also gave the vehicles a wash using AK Interactive enamel wash for DAK vehicles. One of the tanks I had either forgotten to spray with satin coat or maybe the surface had become too rough due to bad airbrushing – the result was that the effect of the wash became very dark. I had to re-paint it. I decided to skip the camo, not because of being lazy, I love to paint camo, but to make some difference from the other StuG’s.

Wash done, next step is to paint tracks and tools.

Now I have to paint the tracks, probably the most boring task ever (that or fitting Italeri tracks to a model). After that I will love to add chips and pigments.

(I made this post just to avoid painting tracks – now I have no more excuses… aaargh)

StuG’s on their way

Just a little update: Had a long session with the airbrush this night. Painted 7 StuG’s which took me some hours… They got the dunkelgelb colour last night and today I did the camo. Last thing I did was to give them a Satin Coat so they are ready to get a wash.

The StuG’s are from some different brands. The three late versions are from Plastic Soldier Company, two from Italeri and two from Armourfast (one of them with a 105mm gun, that is actually a StuH 42). Man, those Italeri tracks kills me, it took me four times as long to build those two as it did the four others. Models like this that I just need a lot of I will in the future always, if possible, get as Quickbuilds. But I did in fact use some time on the Armourfast ones too, had to add details that wasn’t there. They are quite simple and you get much more for your cash buying PSC models.

More Shermans…

(Click the pictures to see them in bigger solution)

Four new Shermans – the liberation of Europe has started…

Most of the stowage are from Goffy, the extra jerry cans are SHQ.

Two Armourfast (to the left) and two Revell.

Showing all seven Shermans that I have painted this last couple of weeks, nice and dusty.

More Shermans to be shoot to pieces by Pak40’s lurking in the boscage. Not long ago I finished the first three and has now painted seven. I started to build three more, but these where M4-A3E8 and didn’t enter service in Europe until December ’44 (I later found out). 2014 will not be the year where I use time on stuff that I cannot use here and now, so those are put back in their boxes and will be there until we enter Germany. I has now ordered some PSC Shermans, that hopefully are here before the weekend.

I actually ordered a really big bunch of stuff this time (I hope my girlfriend doesn’t read this), a box of PSC Sdkfz. 251’s, two Tiger II with Porsche turrets from Trumpeter, a single Sherman M4 also from Trumpeter that will get a Dozer blade, a box of PSC StuG’s, a box of PSC Panthers, two diecast Jagdpanzer IV from Easy Model, two diecast Wespe’s from Altaya, one diecast Panhard 178 also from Altaya and finally a Spitfire and a Typhoon both from Academy… Adding to these I also bought a Dragon Hummel and a box of German Artillery, including a horse tow and two 10,5 guns. After this I only need a few pieces for my US vs. German Normandie missions (it will start all over when I am going to buy vehicles for my unpainted british army).

While I wait I think I will paint these little fellows:

Say hello to Jimmy, Glenn, Bing and Tommy, the noise from them will be sweet music to the infantry fighting their way through the bocage.

Only three days in Normandie…

…and already this dirty?!

Click the pictures to enlarge…

Two Armourfast and one Revell painted and weathered quite fast. Hedge Cutter from SHQ, stowage from Goffy, tarpaulin covering boxes made out of paper tissue and boxes underneath is made of pieces of cardboard. Pigments are Faber-Castell’s dry chalks. Dry transfers from Archers. The steps I to go through to paint these is:

• Airbrush a base layer of olive drab
• Airbrush black strokes at every corner
• Rub on dry decals
• Airbrush a light version of olive drab in the middle of every surface on the models
• Airbrush a dull coat
• Add AK-Interactives dark wash to all details
• Paint the stowage and give it a wash of Army Painter Quickshade
• Give the stowage a dull coat using brush
• Adding dust using pigments
• Airbrushing a thinned layer of brown to take out contrast between surface and pigments
• Airbrush it all with a thick layer of dull coat