Bill Cross reviews Griffon Model's Slatted Mesh Side/Rear Platforms for the Sd.Kfz.7/1.



Link to Item

If you have comments or questions please post them here.

Thanks!

I have once seen this type of "mesh" on a original SdKfz 10/5 in a private collection (a vehicle that saw very little if any restoration), I'm tempted to believe this was indeed the type of lattice used on German Flak vehicles, and that model manufacturers and restorers took a shortcut and used mesh.

As for the complicated assembly it may be worth mentioning that Kamizukuri has a "ready made" product that fits the bill.



http://www.tasca-modellismo.com/english/item4.html

http://www.tasca-modellismo.com/

Cheers,

Christophe

Are these laser-cut paper? Or PE brass?

In any case, I'm glad to see something for the 7/2 which has little or no AM upgrades.

The photos of the originals are inconclusive on the mesh/lattice question. Could it be the Germans themselves cut back as the war went on?

From one of the links given in my above post :

"This series uses compressed paper. Before separating parts from the sheet, please undercoat with non-water based paint or plastic cement.
When using water based paint directly, there is a possibility of the paper becoming deformed due to excess wetness.
When water in applied the paper becomes soft and able to bend.
When dry, paper becomes firm into the shape that it was bent. File and putty is possible when dry."

Cheers,

Christophe

Great review, Bill! Man, with all these 'must have' PE additions I'll be spending quite a bit of money on all of my four DML Sdkfz 7s. I saw the royal set from Griffon (which includes everything) and was thinking about getting it but the more I see your reviews the more I think I'll just use some of the individual sets for the areas I'd like to change.

Excellent reviews of all of these sets!

Rob

Christophe, thanks for clearing that up, clearly I didn't read far enough down the page! I would love to see a sample of the mesh and compare it to the PE version.


Thank you, Rob. Nothing makes a reviewer happier than to hear his work is helping a fellow modeler get through the tsunami of new products coming on-line every month. Someone told me last week (not knowing I'm on staff for Armorama) that reviewers are "ruining the hobby and hurting manufacturers."

For some time, Griffon has been a personal favorite for PE, since they go the "extra mile" with things like preformed flash suppressors or resin radiators. Eduard's sets for the Sd.Kfz.7 and variants requires cutting out styrene from the kit radiator and replacing it with metal. Not an impossible assignment, but I prefer Griffon's solution.

These slats are very challenging, and I've only completed part of one so far. See below:

WOW, that sure does seem challenging, Bill! I've been trying to hone my PE skills with less-complex subjects in the hopes I get good enough to tackle something like this (or something like the slat armor on Strykers). And I do agree that Griffon seems to be the absolute best out there right now when it comes to PE sets. I was too sold when I got their 2cm Flak 38 and Pak 40 sets last year and I know I'll be getting more of their stuff in the coming months.

Thanks for the pic of the assembly! It does put the parts involved into perspective.

Rob

Rob, the key here is patience, patience, patience, and did I say patience?

And good magnification & lighting, LOL!

But I can tell you this-- on my Sd.Kfz.7/2 build, it's going to be the wooden side alternative all the way!!!!

Wooden side on the 7/2? YES, I'll probably be going with that alternative as well now that you mention it! Haven't really had the chance to look at my 7/2 just yet so it's nice to know the klit provides options on this as one PE work on the sides (on the 7/1) will be enough for me as well

Rob

UPDATE:

Photos are now on the review that show the mesh built. It was like the Rumble in the Jungle, the Thrilla in Manila, but I got it together.

FURTHER UPDATE:

You can now see the mesh on the finished model.