Hi all, this is the first model I've posted on here before, and the first one I've built in quite a while.
Griffon PE set, Fruil tracks, and as the title says, DML's Late G. I'm going for the scheme on the box top, no reference was used so please ignore any historical innaccuracies this time around as this was a refresher/have fun/try new things/no pressure kinda build. If you see anything glaringly wrong, or otherwise in need of repair, replacing, and or tweaking, by all means let me know.
I hope to have some paint on it by tomorrow night. Still some detail to add before I can get to that point, but here it is. Enjoy! Comments good or bad are very much appreciated!
Thanks,
Clint

hey clint

im liking your panther
ive been looking to get hold of this kit for a normany dio
any pointers on the kit? what fits well together, what doesnt?
ill keep my eye on this

tony

Thanks Tony,
As far as quality, I have nothing bad to say about this kit at all. The only "problem area" on mine was the fit of the turret front/ main gun where it attaches to the rest of the turret. It had a very minor gap that was mostly solved by model cement. By the time you prime and or paint it, it won't be visible at all. HTH

Clint

cheers for that Clint
minor gaps are always easy with abit of putty or glue
ill have to see how much my payday gives me at end of month before i get a hold of this kit


looking forward to seeing some paint

Griffon has steered you wrong on the photoetch, unfortunately. The sliding shutters on the rectangular engine grills were fitted to the right side only, as these were used to regulate the temperature of the engine oil. Many older drawings showed these on all four grills, as the draftsman assumed the tank had to be symmetrical, and some photoetch manufacturers have chosen err on the side of the drawings.

Hi Gerald, thanks for the heads up on that. just so I know which "right side" you speak of. (Looking from front or rear)
Are these the ones you speak of?

Clint

Yes, the right (or starboard) side, from the crew's point of view. The left hand grills were for the engine coolant radiators. The fan tower on the left side over the circular grill was a diverter for the crew compartment heater. It could be partially or completely closed off using up to six wedge-shaped segments to divert hot air through a duct into the fighting compartment.

Welcome to the forums, Even though this is your first kit in awhile,you must be an experienced builder,because that is an impressive amount of metal used,and well done with all of that PE.
great work,keep the pics coming.

Thanks Anthony, I'm still a bit reluctant to show my stuff here or anywhere for that matter because I'm familiar with some of the names/talents around. But I figure this is the best way to learn. Nothing helps as much as practice and feedback from others.

So, I got some paint on it today. The pics make it look a tad bit brighter than it actually is. It is bright for sure, but that should come way down by the time I'm finished. Some touch ups on the base coat are needed here and there as well as all the little details(tools etc.) still need painting. About to tackle that here in a few so I can let it sit for a day or two before the first future coat.

I'll also have to break the AB back out as I forgot to paint the tow cable....
I didn't notice till I looked at the pics that one of my foliage loops was missing.... it was hiding in the giant ball of silly putty....
Anyways, heres the pics. As always, let me know what you think.

thanks,
Clint

Ok, so has anyone had any issues spraying future on top of Vallejo? It was all model air, had been cured for...well since I posted the pics with paint, which was Sunday. It looks to me kinda like what water does on a car that has just been waxed. Sorta. It's more like miniature ppols of water that are all kinda connected. Like the clear isn't "biting"..... Luckily I started with the running gear and haven't sprayed the hull or turret yet. I admit this is my first real attempt with anything vallejo but I didn't figure future would hurt before I put the decals on. At least not after the paint has been drying for a week...


Any thoughts?

That's a mighty nice looking Panther you got there Clint. The hard edge camo looks cool. Can't say I have used future over Vallejo, I don't use future for the types of models I build. I'm sure some of the guys around here can help you out.

Rob
www.scratchmod.com

Are you kidding me? Take a step in my shoes for a moment. I have no experience building models to begin with, I'm about as green as they come, and I'm walking into an online community that is dedicated to armour modeling. A site full of very talented people, some well known and some not so well known. You want intimidation, try throwing your very first kit onto the table in a crowd like that!

Again, just a thought

Your build looks great, and don't think that I don't know good work when I see it just because I'm new to the hobby. You're paint job looks very solid and I look forward to seeing this cat weathered.

*A note about the Future: I have talked with a fair amount of people regarding this and read quite a few articles as well. Apparently a lot of people favour Vallejo paints, and nobody I know of has had a problem with Future that was directly related to Vallejo paints. My understanding is that the biggest problem that people are unaware of is that Future takes a very long time to dry (from what most of us are generally used to), and your model needs to be covered in a dust free environment and allowed to cure for a couple of days.
If I remember correctly the most recent issue of FSM has a pretty decent article covering the use of Future on painted model kits.

Thanks for the replies guys!

Rob, I always like seeing your name pop up with a new build because I know it's gonna insane! in a good way of course. I love those wrecks you do.

Jeremy, I suppose your right. I NEVER would have shown my first attemp. Good grief was it awful lol. So I commend you for your courage and I can't wait to see how your big kitty and your mk iv turn out. I too have a jagdtiger in the stash. I threw mine together box stock with fruils just to practice with. Didn't even bother with the seams
It's basecoated also. Doubt I'll show that one tho.

Clint: I'm going to learn more if I put them out there and get feedback, sounds painful I know, but I'm just going to have to live with it so I can keep moving forward.
Feel free to drop by my threads and tell me what you think. You can find my big kitty here. It literally is my first project and has been slow moving, but I'm picking the ball back up.
You can catch the Mk IV here. I just pulled it out of the box and cleaned it up, so nothing major there yet.

I completely agree jeremy, feedback is one of the best tools in the 'ol tool box.

Just a quick update on the future issue.
It seems to have corrected itself. I did another test on a road wheel just now and it seems to be back to "normal". Was it the fact that I was using a new airbrush, compressor, and paint that I haven't previously used that was causing the problem? I say probably so.... I also think that for some strange reason the paint just needed a few more days to cure even though it had already been curing for over a week.

Anyways, everything is nice and shiny and ready for decals. Then the real fun begins!

I'll post some pics hopefully soon.



Clint

nice paint job! very smooth and unified. looking forward for progress pictures!

Thanks Matan! I can only hope it gets better from here!

Clint

That is a nice build you have there all done very well.

I wait to see more top paint job nice and flat too.

Nice job on the PE real good.

Thanks Jeff. Glad you like it. The tracks are drying after their in blacken-it. So things should start sppeding up towards the end in a few days hopefully.

Clint

Glad to hear the Future finally dried for you Clint, I've heard other modeler's share similar stories of overly long drying times.

I'm really looking forward to seeing the tracks on the beast, keep us updated

Nice paint job, very clean. Ilike it, never got round to getting a panther, might just have too after seeing this build.

Great work keep it up.

Strange indeed never had a problem with future not drying in 20 minutes or so.

Humidity might be the reason.

Painting inside or outside?

Rain around maybe.

Will have to look into that.

Cheers

Thanks for the support so far guys. It's more motivating than I thought it would be!

Jeremy, thanks for following along. I'll stop by yours and check 'em out.

Phil, thanks a lot. Panthers are a lot of fun. I definately recommend building one or two. I have a Jagdpanther and a Panther II in the stash calling my name.


Jeff, I would call my painting conditions somewhat ideal. Painting indoors, temperature controlled, weather was pretty awesome outside. There wasn't even any water in the trap on the compressor.

Hope to get the decals and another coat of future in the next day or so. It might be the weekend before I have any progress to show. Meanwhile, I might have to start something else!


Clint

Sounds good Clint.

Just out of curiosity, are you a Panther fan? If so, I was wondering if you have built any Tamiya Panthers. I have one in my stash that I am wanting to build, but I'm not sure what needs to be done to it. I have heard that they need a lot of PE. Mine is a Panther A I believe, assuming that makes any difference and whatnot.

A fan? Yes. A fanatic? not so much. Although it's one of my favorites, I can't say I know a great deal about them. I don't tend to check dimensions and rivets and exact placement of this and that. But, I have built a couple of Tamiya's Panther G kits. I haven't built the A at all. From what I remember about the G's, Most of the applicable Aber set was an improvement over the kit detail. I wish I could tell you more than that but it's been quite some time since I built one of those.


Clint