Thanks smitsan, appreciate the comments.

I am a bit confused by the post above Bill with that out of place piece. Can you photo it so I can see what you mean? I almost bought this kit last Sunday but opted for the Tamiya Hetzer instead. Nice work.

Sure thing Jim, hopefully this helps clear it up for you.

Dope(Me) I was looking at the rear door. Now i gotcha. Hey have a safe trip.

No problem Jim, glad it helped!

Since I will be out of town this weekend, I decided to get in as much time as I could squeeze in here and there to at least get the final pre-paint steps done. The biggest item of business was the sIG 33 gun, so work began there in Step 21. The step calls for assembly of the breech block first and has two halves for the breech and 4 parts for the sliding block. The instructions are a little vague when it comes to part B14 and indicates that you should glue this directly to the sliding block part B5...but I found it was better to glue it into the assembled block halves and leave the sliding block able to move freely. The assembly uses an insert for the top of the block to avoid a large seam but some sanding was still necessary around its edges to get a seamless look. The same was true of the interior of the two halves which I carefully sanded with a round needle file to avoid damaging the detail there.

The second portion of the step adds the front part of the recoil sled along with the aluminum barrel. I added the recoil sled portion first so that it would have a solid/level connection with the breech block and let that dry. The small join with the block was lightly sanded and then the barrel added using CA gel at the base as well as the front where the barrel hoop attaches to the sled.



Next came the gun mount and tray in Step 22 and 23. This is a complex step with a lot of sub-diagrams, so you need to decide your angle of attack first. I started with the tray, which assembles out of 3 parts to avoid the longitudinal seam common in other kits. The contact surfaces for this approach are small though, so I glued the bottom piece first to one side using regular glue and then repeated for the other side once the glue had set up a little. I used the recoil sled from the previous step to test-fit and make sure the width was correct. Then I added the insert that completes the top portion of the tray using liquid glue to get it to align properly since the thin rear portions in particular needed to be aligned very carefully. The two small grab bars on the breech block were also added...a feature that wasn't always present on sIG 33 guns but which matches the style of this particular one that DML included.





Next up were the two halves of the mount and the recoil cylinders. The right side of the mount is pretty simple while the left one is more complex since it also includes the elevation gears and gun sight. The sub-assembly diagrams for the elevation gears asks for a nearly impossible construction sequence where you add the different components to the wheel box and then install to the side of the mount. I ignored this except for the parts number call-outs and instead installed the two different gear elements, parts C13 and C7, into their proper positions on the mount side first. Then I added the gear box C10 and it's connection conduit part C6 to insure the proper alignment and fit of all the parts. Last but not least the hand wheels were then added.



Everything was then brought together to complete the mount assembly. The instructions do not tell you this, but if you don't glue the tops of parts F46 and F47 to the trunnion points on the recoil tray, the gun can remain positionable for later installation. If you do glue them into position, be sure you've got the right elevation set or you'll be stuck otherwise. I also assembled the gun sight, opting for the short neck version since the Grille H has a cut-out in the front superstructure whereas the long neck is more common on the Grille M and Bison I that didn't have that type of cutout available. The elevation arms on the gradient gear had two small holes molded into them, these are not ejector marks but should be there however DML didn't mold them all the way open for some reason...so this was cured using a pin vise and drill bit.

I've left the recoil sled and gun dry fit for now to facilitate detail painting later on...it's a very tight fight as is, so no glue is actually required unless you choose to use it for a permanent join.



Returning back to Step 19, I added the details to the interior and exterior of the front superstructure plate. The driver's visor had a very tiny slit molded into it, so I opened this up a bit more using the tip of a needle file and then cleaned it up with a #11 blade. No armored glass block is provided for, I'm not sure if one was supposed to be fitted or not on this particular vehicle but it seems strange for it to be absent.



Details were also added to the front of the superstructure plate and a word of warning is appropriate here. The diagrams direct the installation of the sliding heavy additional front plate, part F60, and it's spring-loaded hinged plate F69 in the position that's appropriate for the gun in the travel level elevation position. If you decide to pose the gun in an elevated or firing position, you will need to adjust the position of both parts, not just the spring-loaded hinged part. I'm going to have mine in the level position and may or may not engage the lock, so that's not a problem for me but it is a trap for the unwary if you're doing a dio or similar where you decide on something different elevation-wise.

I also cleaned up the rear compartment doors and installed the fire extinguisher and small box to the left door. The rear fixed panel received the canvas cover pole while the right door was cleaned up in preparation for paint and didn't have any parts required.



That's all the construction that will be completed before the superstructure interior is painted.

Total Session Time: 4.5 hours

Total Time to Date: 32.75 hours

Looking real good Bill. Keep her coming along.

Thanks James, was gone to Fiji for a few days on business so didn't see this one until now.

Good project! I like what you've just assembled the model. The interior and engine are very good.

Thanks Felix, appreciate the comments.

"Bout time you came back. I thought you got lost in Katmandu or Timbuktu or God only knew what happened to you!

HE HE. I knew you were away on Business. Must stink to have to go to Fiji and not really have time to enjoy it. It can't be the same as if you were going just for fun. Hope all is well. Take care.

I AM ACTUALLY GETTING TIME IN AT MY BENCH!!!!! Yippie Not much but some.

Looks like a very intense build, Bill. No doubt your skills can turn it into a show stopper.

James,

Only spent about 30 hours on the island but took almost 5 days in travel to make it happen. The jet lag is a real killer when the International Dateline gets involved!

Jon,

Thanks for the comments and the vote of confidence! I'm looking forward to getting some more paint work done over the Easter weekend. Just hope it's not too windy...we've been getting heavy gusts in the 50+ mph range lately and that can makes things somewhat of a challenge.

Push came to shove today and it was necessary to break out the airbrush and work on the interior. To prep for that, I masked off the already painted areas of the lower hull interior and also prepped the superstructure front and the rear panels by attaching them to strips of masking tape for easier handling.



I primed everything first with a coat of Italian Dark Brown. This insured I didn't leave any bare plastic behind and once it had dried, I sprayed the base coat of 50/50 Dunkelgelb/Light Gray to all the areas of the interior. In order to make it possible to fit the tools and not worry about masking them, I went ahead and painted the full lengths of the fenders as well as the engine deck and rear hull panel. These areas are much more accessible now vs. when the superstructure is fitted, so I took full advantage of the situation. The photo below shows the dunkelgelb as being a little darker than it actually is, I just didn't play around with the lighting too much when taking this shot and didn't notice it until later.



With the base coat on, it was now down to the detail work. I started in on the left hand side first since it had the most to do. The radios and gear were painted using a 50-50 mix of Panzer Gray and Russian Armor Green to create a sort of field-gray color and then installed into their racks. The fit is tight so only a small amount of glue was needed. The next step was to complete all of the wiring using the lengths of solder I'd added earlier plus several other lengths that needed to be cut to size and installed. I used the wiring diagram for the Marder II radio sets in Achtung Panzer #7 as a guide since it's essentially the same radio setup here in the Grille H with just a couple of minor differences. I also detailed the MP40 ammunition pouches and the belts in the empty ammunition racks on this side along with the gas mask container.

The side's not finished yet, I still need to add in the MP40 along with the gunner's seat cushion and do some weathering before it's ready for installation.



The right hand side was next and I quickly discovered the limitations of trying to paint the 4 15cm rounds while installed. I think it would've been a lot easier had I painted them off the vehicle and installed but rather than pull them out, I went ahead and painted them in location. I used the same 50-50 Panzer Gray/Russian Armor Green mix for the shell bodies and dry brushed some Steel, counter-dry brushed Russian Armor Green, and then ended with a dusting of black artist pastels. As with the opposite side, I still need to add the MP40, seat cushion, and weathering to complete this side.



The devil's always in the details and this part of the build is no exception.

Total Session Time: 5.5 hours

Total Time to Date: 38.25 hours

Outstanding work so far Bill, these fighting compartments are so jam packed and busy....gotta love 'em.

Quick question, DML supplies one strap for the shells to be held in the containers, were they held by two straps? I'm having trouble finding a definitive reference on that, especially for the Grille M, which it appears to have two 'mounts' where the straps went. Does that make sense?

Anyway, thoroughly enjoying this build

The master is at it again. Nice work Bill. Keep it going.

James, as near as I can tell the Grille H racks were designed with one strap only, even when they were fitted with the canvas shrouds based on the photos in both Spielberger and MBI. The Grille M racks however, going by the photos in the Nuts & Bolts #22, appear to be fitted with two straps...one strap on the inside of the rack like on the Grille H and another second strap on the outside. These are photos of the example at Aberdeen and the little nubs on the outside that held the second straps are only readily visible in closeups of the racks. They also have photos of the vehicle at Fort Knox and these show the 2nd attachment points much clearer. HTH.

Sure does help, Bill. I was pretty sure about the Grille M, but didn't want to make an assumption about the Grille H. DML only includes one strap in the 'M' kit, and that's what got me thinking about it. And that I haven't come across any photos of the shells actually strapped in place. Thanks!

Glad it helped James...unfortunately in helping you with this I came across another area/issue with the H kit.

I had finally decided after looking at reference photos that I was going to add the missing tread plate that the gun crew would've used as a platform. The tread plate can be clearly seen in both the MBI and Spielberger photos.

MBI:


Spielberger:



In both photos you can see that the tread plate sits fairly high inside the lower hull, roughly flush with the curve over the bulkhead to the engine compartment on the MBI photo and about level with the drive shaft in the Speilberger photo. The Spielberger photo seems to have the simplified I-beam style of mount vs. the stepped style mount in the MBI photo, hence DML's option of mount types. I had used the stepped style so, in preparation for adding the tread plate, I did a dry fit of the gun mount and gun to see how things would line up using some poster blue tack to hold things in place.



I immediately noticed that something was wrong...the bases of the equilibrators were much lower than shown in either the
MBI or Spielberger photos. I compared the angles in the H mount vs. those in the M and it would appear that DML copied the angles from their earlier released M kit and didn't bother changing them for the H style mount which has a shallower angle configuration. This, to me, explains why there's no raised tread plate platform...if DML had included it, they would've had to change the angles on the equilibrators which would've required a totally new gun mount sprue. Instead, they stuck with the M style and omitted the plate. It also means that my plan to add the missing tread plate is now scrapped as it's impossible to change the angle on the equilibrators without completely replacing them due to the way they are integrated into the sides of the gun mount. That means I can't locate the plate at the correct height/level and throws everything off from an accuracy perspective and represents a substantial error on the interior IMHO.

Hey Bill, you're doing a great job on your Grille build and I can't wait to see which camo scheme you're going to use!

I also have this kit in my stash and will start building it soon. Your assessment on the angle of the equilibrators is absolutely correct and should be noted by those who wish to build an entirely accurate rendition of the Grille H. I have noticed that there are parts for a second gun on sprue C which would be better suited for the Grille's needs (are these the parts for the Panzer I 15cm sIG?), in particular parts C8 and C11.
However, I believe that this isn't the sole problem to be found when trying to fit a tread plate. Another thing that needs to be corrected is the gun mount (Part F58). If I'm not mistaken, the tread plate starts rite behind the driver's seat however, in the Dragon model, the angle of the gun mount is incorrect and would interfere with the tread plate, making it impossible to fit one with the original size. Here's a picture to show what I mean:



The gun mount on the left has the correct angle (imo) and the one on the right is DML's mount. The angles depicted here are not entirely accurate, meant only for demonstrative purposes.

All of the Grille builds that I've seen so far (Osprey Modelling's and AFV Modeller's) have featured the gun mount with the correct angle. So anyone who wants to fit a tread plate is going to have to correct the equilibrator angle and part F58.

Cheers!

Sebastian,

You're right, the parts that are on sprue C that are marked as "not for use"(C8 and C11 for the mount sides and C18 and C19 for the equilibrators) appear to be from the sIG 33 used on the Bision I kit. From what I can tell, those parts do have the right angle for the H-style mount or at least are a much closer approximation vs. the M-style mount. It's too late for me to tear things apart and try to use them given how far along I am at this point and the damage that would result due to all the other small parts that would also have to be relocated, so I can't say for sure if they'd still properly clear the rear bulkhead or not if used in place of the called for F46 and F47 parts. It raises the possibility that DML just screwed up the instruction diagrams by calling for the M-style parts instead of the earlier Bison/H-style parts? No way to know for sure I guess.

You also raise a good point about the angle of the struts for the mount base. I hadn't got that far along yet in looking at building the platform since I stopped as soon as I encountered the problem with the equilibrator height. I have the same Osprey title and observed the same thing in regards to how far forward the platform should extend and wasn't sure that was going to be 100% possible with the way the mount had been designed.

Hey Bill,

I had to think about this issue the entire day because there was one thing that didn't make sense, even after determining that part F58 was wrong. Even if the angle of part F58 were to be corrected there still wouldn't be enough space to fit an accurate tread plate. What made me realize this is the following picture from Michael McLaughlin's Grille H build over at MilMod (I hope he doesn't mind too much if I use this picture as reference):



His Build Log

What I find so striking about this picture is the fact that even if the angle of part F58 were to be corrected, the gun mount would end at about where the 3rd bolt from the left on the shim is. Given the height of the shims and the position of the mount this would still interfere with the tread plate. An interesting thing to note is also the distance between the shim and the transmission block, it's way too big. It should be about 3-4mms closer (in reality, which is a lot). This means that not only part F58 is incorrect but also F61 and the shims are too high, therefor please scratch most of what I mentioned in my previous post. Here's what I think the correct mount should look like:



I know it may be confusing but try to follow me on this one: the left angle of part F58 is correct but the right one is wrong. The left angle of part F61is wrong but the right one is the one needed for the right part of F58. In addition, the mount is too short because (imo) the trestles are too high, the lower part of the mount needs to be extended a bit. The top part where the gun is mounted on (on top of part F61) is correct and thus the exact location of the gun is correct too. This means that the mount needs to be altered without changing the position of the top part or the gun. This is done by making the alterations to the gun mount and reattaching it to where the old one was attached too.
Correcting everything in this manner will let you position the mount 3-4mms closer to the transmission box while still keeping the gun in the same position. Also, you will have much more room behind the gun to fit the tread plate.
I gladly await suggestions and comments!

Sebastian.

I follow what you're saying and think you're on the right track. I think DML took some shortcuts in terms of the equilibrators and this had a cascade effect on the design of the platform and its angles. When I test fit the gun along with the front superstructure plate, it sat at the right level so any modifications to get the platform struts to the correct angle would have to take care to not alter the platform height in the process. The guys at TMD had built a sIG 33 resin gun and mount for the older Grille H kits from DML/Kirin, I'm thinking that might still be the most accurate option if you're not up to scratch building your own but since I no longer have that on hand, I can't test that theory out either.

It's quite a shame that Dragon seems to have made a few bad decisions while concocting this model, really. The instructions are bad and some things are far from accurate, the gun mount being just one of many issues. I was really looking forward to this model and I'm still glad it was released, it's just that I didn't expect to face this many problems.
By the way, I had sort of built Dragon's Grille M late last year and discovered just now that I used the C8/11 parts that are also included in the H version for the gun. I put the finished gun on the Grille H's gun mount and found that even without the shims attached, the equilibrators were almost high enough from the ground of the fighting compartment to provide enough height for the tread plate. However, due to the shallow angle of the equilibrators, they would come into contact with or rather actually have to pass through the fire wall. Therefore I have to conclude that the C8/11 parts are not the answer either. What you would need is the angle somewhere between parts F46/47 and C8/11.

That's too bad Sebastian...I had hoped that there might be a solution for folks out there but it didn't pan out. Thanks for trying and reporting your findings.