Here are the first photos of my Pz.IV Ausf.G LAH. This one is being built for competition. I have over one pound of brass(Griffon Panzer IV Ausf. F2/G early; Orange Hobby upper return rollers; Lionmarc 7.92mg 34) I'm putting into this. I am using Verlinden and CMK's Panzer IV plus DMLs winter tank riders 1943-44 and LAH tank crew (I forget the manufacturer.) Legends stowage set and miscellaneous diorama items. I am attempting to portray the road to the third battle of Kharkov. On with the photos:

CMK's interior floor

CMK's ammo bins






CMK's gun with Grffon's barrel and stock muzzle break. This required drilling a hole in the breach block for the barrel to fit.



I'll be posting some more progress photos this evening.

Matt;

Wow.

That will be stunning - even if it's gonna be jam-packed with stuff only you will know is there!

WHAT contest are you aiming at with this heroic effort? Whatever it is, I HOPE you win! If I were doing this and I lost, I think I would head for deep water with a cement block in each hand!

Looking at the pile of goods and the start, I envy and definitely respect your energy... I figure that if I went down your route on any future builds I am thinking of, I could probably reasonably count my likely future projects to be completed before darkness seizes my arse on about 1 hand!

But the Pz. IV does capture my attention, and I'll be watching for whatever you post on this! Good Luck and build well!

Bob

Thanks Bob. Good to have someone on board. I'm looking at some minor surgery to fit the CMK interior in the Dragon kit. I'll post some photos this evening. As for which contest, I'm thinking all of them. This has to be part of the site monthly and, seeing as how I live in Jacksonville, Jaxcon. Depending on how I place there, I will be taking it to nationals. I still have to get a couple of more books, before I start in on the hull. So far, the CMK directions are excellent. The same goes for Griffon. Having a Voyager laden BMP on my shelf really makes me appreciate the fact that Griffon uses thicker metal. I also picked up some Pz.III/IV spare parts some months ago. I'm sure that I will need them. If anybody wants to help me along, please see my post "wtb pz.IV ausf.G" under "buy, sell, trade" forum.

Haven't any major progress, today.



I think I will apply a coat of future to the ammo. Trying to get rid of the "pebbled" look.

Matt;

Hi!

Now that I've gotten over myself and have come back down to my more-usual objective self... I'll offer my first suggestion on your project!

I looked at what I guess are some resin main-gun rounds you have posted...

OK- I don't know where these will appear in your build and whether they will indeed be very visible, so, take what I say accordingly...

They look "OK" - but a little un-compelling (yeah, you already noted their "pebbly" look, so I'm not jumping hard and fast here!). IF these will be visible, AND seeing as you are pulling almost every stop elsewhere, replace these with some turned brass ammo. NOTHING will look as nice as the near-real thing! Of course, if these are actually just barely glimpsed within some darkish recess, then they will work fine -

IF you are sticking with styrene or resin rounds (and 'm cheap, so I probably would...!), maybe you can strip your pebbly shark-skin off and spray them with some rattle-can "brass", or try dipping them in some ultra-fine-pigmented enamel like Floquil RR stuff? It MAY work if you spray them using very thinned Brass enamel in your AB - I think the pebbly finish comes in part from either the paint type itself or maybe from being brushed on (very hard to get a thin-enough even coat with a brush). Dipping into thinned enamel will give a thicker coat, but also allow it to flow evenly over and off the pieces - maybe leaving a smoother finish? The Future WILL add glossy thickness and MAY help make the paint look smooth, but it may just "seal" over a slightly-mottled "brass"!

Again, just some opines and suggestions!

Bob

Just a thought and opinion!

Bob: I have given this some thought. I can't decide whether to go with the full interior or just the turret and fighting compartment. If I don't do the full interior, the rounds should be fine, as they are. However, I am leaning towards the full interior. It just seems like every time I turn around, there's more $$ that needs to be thrown at it. As is, I still have quite a bit of time before I need to make that decision. Appreciate your thoughts on it. Hopefully, some of the other guys on here will take the time to voice their opinions.

Matt as a lover of the Panzer IV mate i am lovin yours ,, so far so very very nice this is gonna look pretty damn good once done and yup i'm going to keep watching this build

Phill

Good luck on what's obviously a very intense build.

Thank you for all of the kind comments. I have made the decision to go with turned brass shells. I want to do the full interior, but don't want to get rid of the upper hull or turret. I think I will elevate the upper hull with a clear acrylic rod at each corner and the turret with one in the center. I'll have the turret "roof" off to one side. I do know that, instead of spending hours on groundwork, I will paint the SS runes on the base.

looks like an extensive build to me :O
could never go into such detail for myself, wishing you all the best.

might I ask, what do you mean by a coat of future? is it a sort of coating? mind my amatuer questions.

Future floor shine. It's an acrylic used to make floors shine. It sprays well through an airbrush and is great for appling decals, as it has a glossy, smooth finish. I'm not sure if you can find it in Singapore.
On a side note. The CMK interior requires a lot of cutting to fit the Dragon kit. I'm working on the gun, right now. And, it looks as though it will take all afternoon and possibly go on into the evening.

Matt;

Yeah! Way to go! I'm sure you'll get real visual mileage out of adding a few turned-brass rounds and you will enjoy the look! (even if there's more dollar involved... but, hey, what's the green stuff for, anyway?!)

As an armor-fan and as a show-goer, contestant, and sometimes-judge (IPMS), I'd offer that seeing even a single real brass round in there somewhere makes even a super build pop just a bit more! You are striving in your build for realism, as versus "just" showing fine modeling skills, so this added touch will really contribute to the ambiance and "gestalt" you are evidently seeking - so goes my opines, anyway!

Just an idea about the rounds, BTW: I don't know what your aim in presentation really is - some folks want to "capture a moment in action", others to create a depiction of what something looked like in a more temporally-vague sense (show it used, but somehow the racks are full, etc.). IF you may be thinking "moment in time / action", a spent casing REALLY jumps to make that happen! Turned-brass is the best thing to capture the look of a spent casing... the fires of propellant-hell have heated that can and sooted and burnished it - a look you can grab easily by sticking the biz end of the empty casing into a candle-flame! One burned casing on the turret-floor will replace a 1000 words! Just a suggestion!

Bob

I'm attempting to depict either the journey to Kharkov in 1943 or of a tank leaving after the battle. I just haven't decided whether I want to make the tank battle damaged or not. I am having to be extra careful with the photo-etch, as it's for a early production ausf. G and I am modelling a mid to late production ausf. G. I have found the crew I was looking for. It is Legends German SS tank crew. I will likely be buying the stowage from the same site. Low prices and free shipping. BTW the site is Luckymodel. I'm still hunting for Friul winterketten tracks. I know that Pacmodels has them, but am diligent in my bargain hunting.

This the set of figures?

http://cdn.nexternal.com/sbm/images/leg0115L.jpg

They seem a little under-dressed for the winter campaign, no?

Jesse: Thank you for the insight. Hitler had the tracks changed to the winterketten in the fall, before the third battle of Kharkov. If I do the after the battle scene, they would be. However, on the way to Kharkov, winter would not have set in. The tank crew would most likely wait to done their winter clothes until then. It's hot inside a tank. Any infantry would likely be wearing theirs, instead of having to carry stowed winter gear on their backs. If I am wrong, please steer me to the references that contain this information. I finally finished assembling the gun . As you will see, it took a lot of cutting and glue . I have just finished giving it the top coat and will be up till all hours of the night weathering it. I already have the round catcher painted and weathered, but I did this prior to the gun assembly. I have also left off a couple of pieces that connect to the top of the turret. I will attach them after I decide how it will be supported. On with the photos:





After cutting away at the mantlet, I had to cut half of the positioning rings off for them to fit. I solved this by gluing the barrel in place. I constantly had to reglue the resin to the mantlet. Oh, about nine times.



Glueing the padding on was rather tricky. It had no locator pins or notches.


The spokes of the wheel broke off, while I was cleaning it up. This is my attempt at fixing it. Gave up and found a spare one on a practice model. With some swift knife work it was removed and replaced the broken wheel.



As always, all comments/critiques are welcome.

wow, this is looking great so far. I have the complete CMK interior except for the turret interior. Looks like I may have to get one. Gonna look great when this is done.

The CMK interior requires quite a bit of work to fit the Dragon kit. After assembling the turret interior, I wish I had used the parts included in the kit. I probably won't be posting any more photo for a couple of days. I just got the paint to finish one of my campaign builds.

I believe you, the rest of the interior requires patience too. I also have the Verlinden interior and must say the CMK interior is MUCH better, especially the motor comp. The CMK motor is a gem.
I'll have to get back to my dragoon F2 and finish the interior. this is the kind of inspiration I need to finally get my in gear and do it. Thanks

Hi Matt,

just found this build. subscribed! looks like you got your work cut out for you. looking great Man!

Gary

I feel I may have overestimate my abilities with the photo-etch. I can already see that I am going to have to invest in a hold&fold.

OK. I'm having trouble locating brass ammo for the L/43 gun. I've found it for the pak 40, the L/48 and the L/24. Can anyone help me out here?

Matt:

This one is easy, IF you have found ammo to fit the L/48 gun...

The long guns used on IV- F2 and early G tanks were the L/43 version of the KwK 40 / StuK 40 gun (called the StuK 40 when it was used on the StuG III F, F/8 and G). Later IV- ausf G, H and J tanks used the L/48 version of this same gun. Also on the Hetzer and the first draft versions of the Jagdpanzer IV (L/48).

The KwK 40 was a modified PaK 40 - it used a somewhat shorter fixed round than used in the PaK 40. The same ammo went in both L/43 and L/48 guns...

(The L/24 KwK 37 was the short-barreled gun found on StuG III A - E and on early Pz IV thru F1, also on some 8-rad 234 cars and on "Stummel" halftracks 250/ and 251/. It used a very short lower-velocity round. L/24 rounds were about half as long as those used for the KwK 40.)

So- you are in LUCK! Any ammo set intended for any long-gun IV tank, or for the long-gun StuG III, or for a Hetzer, will do! As you indicated you have found ammo for some L/48 version, you have found what you need/want!

I would bet that you could get away with using some PaK 40 rounds, in a pinch... (Not that anyone could actually tell by casually eyeballing them that 1/35 brass "PaK 40" rounds were too long... at least not without having the "right KwK 40 stuff" side-by-side for comparison! ). But I would not use ammo sold as being for the L/70 KwK 42 gun as used in Panthers and those Jagdpanzer IV L/70... these will be seriously longer than a KwK 40 round...

Cheers!

Bob

Thanks Bob. I actually realized that as soon as I posted.

Nice build so far Matt. Love the CMK interior sets ... they look so complicated, but as you say, the instructions are quite decent. Will be following your thread ... hard to beat a good pzr IV build!

Frank thanks for the kind comments.
I have one issue. I forgot to attache the sight for the gun. I'm going to have to break the gun down to add it.