At last. I´m glad to throw in some still-in-progress pics of my love.

My second tank ever, first time with indy tracks, a few more grey hairs in my head.
There are many things I just realized AFTER building this, and it seems that my quest for an accurate model flew away at the same time. So I forgot about being accurate and started to have fun again!

All markings are painted, logs are real wood painted with oils, some tools, stowage rack and log supports are scratchbuilt. (And the copperwire needs weathering, I know!) Saukopf mantlet and concrete extra armor in the front were made of Milliput. I used Italeri putty to make the zimmerit.
General weathering was made with oil washes, some very gentle shading and drybrushing with olive green and finally I applied a pastel chalk treatment.
I wanted a very simple base as the Sturmi offers plenty to see.

One irritating thing, though.
It feels impossible to display this model hatches open if you don´t buy a separate interior! You can actually see the tracks shining through the hatches. Argh.
I´m going to place two or three crew members on the tank to "fill" the hatches...

Any comments are appreciated since I´m not done yet! I would be especially interested in suggestions regarding the rear stowage rack. What should I put in there?








Cheers,
Toni

wow, man I think that looks great, very nice work

Bender

As usual, another excellent offering
Although I cannot say that I am particularly happy with your new interest in Armour

Nice work,

Andrew

Toni:

This is just a fabulous fabulous piece of armor. The links, tow cable, and bogies are just outstanding (I can just about hear the treads clanking on this one!!!) Overall paint job and weathering are very realistic. The stowed roadwheels on the rear deck are excellent.

Sorry but I can't think of anything else to say but just a great looking piece. WOW!!!!!

Steve
aka WeWillHold




ps: Is this the one where you fabricated the mantlet from putty awhile back and posted pics???
:-)

Very nice :-) Looks great.

The logs look great, they alone add a lot to the illusion of heavyness and "bulk" and feel of the model. The stencled letters and numbers look great too.

someday, perhaps, I shall be worthy of standing in the footsteps of the greats here #:-) I am impressed. Great work

LOL. Oh I forgot to mention that I only build this tank for a BASE for those figures! Sound better? #:-)

It is funny though how things change. I used to be a A/C guy, today I hate painting instrument panels but I´m somehow attracted to rivets and track links... It will take years to reach the level of knowledge that I could judge myself whether a tank would do this or that and what they are all about! Nothing´s obvious when you start.
I try to learn my way through tanks one step at a time and one day I´m hopefully able to build great dioramas with strong figures, strong tanks and strong landscape. Perhaps add a symbolic shot down fighter plane

In the end, it´s the figures that count for me. Vehicles make interesting bases for them.



Thanks,
Toni

Exceptional build. I agree with you on the figures that's what I did. I filled my rear stoage racks with some odds and ends . Get plenty of fuel cans and line them in back. ammo boxes, sacks/cans/boxes of food. I bought several Verlinden accessory kits to have goodies to use on multple kits. I especially like the bottle and foodstuff ones.

Steve:

Yes this is the same tank. I´ve been too busy lately in less important things...
And just a reminder, some earlier in-progress pics plus one showing the inspiration for this:






Thanks for the kind comments!



Toni

It looks even more real than the one in 1:1 scale at the bottom of the page.
Bravo!

Brilliant Envar! Using the real branches as logs, brings a real life quality to the model. Its very impressive. maybe its good to try different things every so often. You learn as much doing something different than doing the same thing all the time!

Looking real nice!

Woof Woof!!!

Toni, This is fantastic. I am especially interested to find out how you do the wood. Looked so real, I can mark around them. I really love iy. Man, you have some serious talentus.

Great Tank!

P.S. Pardon my tyoping I have big paws...

P.P.S. This looked much better than Davidus' tanks. his, are ugly, and tell ya the truth...ain't that good for chew neither

Loks good mate. I always like a kit that has been changed from the "norm". I have a couple of questions for you. The stowage racks on the back, was this something the tank crew would have done themselves or was it standard? And the MG in the shield on the top what kind is it? It looks to me to have a drum mag fitted on the top? Sorry I'm just interested.
As for the stowage on the back you could go for the normal stuff ie fuel and small boxes but
as the kit is different why not put something unusual on. I recently saw a picture of a tank that had a spare powerpack on the rear decks in a big crate. And maybe have a push bike also.
I'm sure what ever you decide will only complement the tank to your usual high standards.
Robbo

Thanks people!

REMEARMR:
I´m not sure if the stowage rack was a special modification but I think it is. I´ve seen many variations of that.
The MG up on the roof is a Russian 7.62mm DT machine gun used by the Finns during WW2, the "Tankki-Emma". I used a white metal piece by Model Kasten.

Good suggestions on the extra stuff, I´ll think about it. At the moment I have some ammo crates and a bicycle at my disposal...

Thanks,
Toni

Really good looking as usual Toni

What kind of Figures do you have in mind for it??
Great job

I have two figures from the kit itself (a silly scene with loader holding a small dog and the commander feeding it...)and a pack of Dragon´s German tank crew. They will all need modification as the jackets are all wrong. Another annoyance is the size difference: Tamiya´s figures are very small compared to the Dragon ones. Very difficult to use them in the same dio. I will probably use Hornet resin heads and hands anyway.

Cheers,
Toni

Nice Job Toni!! wonder where you had been hiding at. Nice finish to a Finish Tank

Envar, oh Envar! what a pretty thing you created..these logs..mmhhh!
but I would neither spoil it with figures, nor any crew gear on the engine compartment.
from the original pic you provided this seems to be an exhibit. you perfectly reproduced it in scale.
according to my knowledge finnish tanks during WWII had a very distinct 3 colour camo.
but I am not sure if they changed it to olivegreen postwar.
so you might get into "historical" troubles if you "place" this sturmi into a WWII scenario..
if you desire figures: how about some civilian spectators, inspecting it, taking pics?

regards-werner

Bravo! Excellent job. I really like how you did the weathering. Also, the tow cables, the axe and wood logs look very realistic. On the other hand, from the photography point of view, you got goo depth of field, pretty sharp pictures and overall good lighting.
Kind regards,
Sebastian

Tankbuster,
thanks for suggestions! To my knowledge this green colour was used also during WW2, though this particular tank never fired its gun at the enemy. The tank has been waiting for some time time now for a finish and I´m thinking about the same thing: to show it as it is, without figures. I will just have to close the hatches and there is no particular extra value those figures would bring. Same thing with the equipment, I think I´ll keep the stowage area clean.
I have thought about the base a lot, but I can´t come up with anything to add, so I won´t!


Panzer_fan,
thanks! I took the tank to my front door and shot the pics with a Canon Powershot 3Mpix camera without flash. You can´t beat the natural lighting!



I hope to finish this tank in a matter of days. I will then post the final pics...

Cheers,
Toni

Add at least one figure. The scale of the tank and the logs only come to life when a figure is present. The figure doesnt have to be on the tank....... but it adds so much life to the actual vehicle. I could never finish a vehicle without a figure somewhere in the vicinity.
And the greatest advantage you have, is your ability to scratch something suitable. After the cool figure you made for the dio comp. I dont see why you could have a problem getting at least one figure to suit.
Maybe... just leave the project for now and some day you may be hit by inspiration and add that figure. If you close up the hatches.. this option is lost.
Just my 2 euorcents!

Good point. A human in the scene helps to determine the scale.
Perhaps it´s the commander posing for a photo, standing in the front of the tank, or in the cupola...
I just have to decide which figure to use, Tamiya´s figures seem to be too small and Dragon figures too big... Some scratchbuilding may be required anyway! :-)
I still have a month to finish this before the next Model Expo show in Helsinki...

Thanks,
Toni

Lord Toni,

I am sorry for a late post, god you had done some great work in making this Finnish Stug. I had read somewhere the trainning for Finnish stug crew was so good, that each gunner need to be able to write his name with a pencil tied to the gun muzzle. Fortunately there was no requirement for fonts, and I would venture a guess that most the name comes out looked Sans Comic. #:-)

I especially like the way you recreat the woods, they are some awesome realistic looking woods.

Bravo Toni, keep sending us pics.....

I think that story was in Achtungpanzer. But I don´t know if that´s an urban legend or something... #:-)
Think about a gunner called Santeri-Nyyrikki Koskenkorvankulaus or something. Poor guy.
#:-) #:-) #:-)

Comic Sans...LOL. Every graphic designer´s favorite font right after Cooper Black!
Comic Sans

Cooper Black, the ugliest font on this planet:



Toni

I've met this fellow ... a few times.

Mika