Greetings all!

I have been rather busy lately with non-hobby related things. It appears that things are quieting down and I'll have a bit more time for building. While I still have a few projects in the works to be completed, I decided to start this kit as part of a group build at my local IPMS club titled "Trucks."

Here's the kit:



You can find a review of the kit HERE.

It seems like a simple kit with not too many parts but it's not exactly flying together. Issues that I noted in the review turned out problematic and others that I didn't foresee arose. As always with any kit, it never hurts to review the instructions and the assembly order to see what might work best for you. Please note that this is the first non-armoured vehicle that I've made in a very long time. As such it's an experiment and learning experience for me.

I started the build with instruction number 2, the assembly of the rear suspension components (trans-axles?). They were quite a chore to handle due to their shape and size. To add to the problems, the actual axle pieces on one of my A41 parts were broken off in the box.

The completed pieces:





The instructions suggest that one attach the wheels during this step but I felt that wouldn't be best for either ease of painting or proper wheel alignment. Next was to work on the main vehicle chassis attaching the front suspension components, tow hooks, muffler and bumper. Small parts that didn't fit too bad, for the most part.







Cleanup of the parts wasn't too bad but holding the parts for the process might present some challenges. I next turned my attention to the cargo area. This proved more of a challenge than I originally thought as the parts fit wasn't the best and required more sanding. I also made a couple of mistakes during the process but was able to recover without leaving any visible scars. One needs to be careful with the parts numbering as I noted a few part numbers in the instructions being reversed.









I did some trial fitting of major components and the front cab pieces and cargo box fit quite nicely on the frame and to each other.







If anyone has any questions about the kit, I'll try to answer them as best I can. Unfortunately, I didn't keep track of all the transposed part numbers. I resorted to pretty much dry fitting to test things out before applying glue. More to follow.

Cheers,
Jan

Very nice kit. I wait your progress.

Regards. Pedro.

Hello Jan,

I have built the ICM kit 2 years ago, and it turned out pretty well. Protzes are beautiful models, good luck with yours.

P.A.

Jan,

And another build! How many is it now that you have going? As I often mention I really appreciate these type of step by step builds. It can motivate some of us to get off the couch and actually try something. Can't wait to see more.

Regards,
AJ

I'm glad you've found some time to get some nice relaxing modelling in, Jan!

Interesting to see this kit, I wonder how it compares to the old Matchbox version; looking at your photos perhaps it is quite similar in layout? Slightly surprised that Dragon didn't go for a separate bonnet / hood.

@Pedro - The subject of the kit is really great and I can see a lot of potential for using it as a base for other variants, including a gun-truck. Either parts fit fabulously or they are a pain to get positioned correctly.

@Alexander - I haven't seen the ICM kit but have looked at the Matchbox/Revell versionsThe fine details moulded on this one are really superb, just wish they'd make their instructions better.

@AJB Are you counting? Seriously though, I work on one as another dries and switch between them. I'm also working on a couple of reviews and there are only so many hours in a day so I have to ration my time.

-------------------------------------------------------------

Some progress pictures today. First is the front two pieces of the engine hood and crew compartment.They fit quite nicely together but the instructions were unclear as to where the dashboard is attached. Answer to that is that there are two small pegs on the ends and they are to be inserted into the top of part A14. The steering wheel is absolutely fabulous (A29) and fits into a shaft and that in turn fits into a notch affair. Again, the instructions are not too clear on that assemblies location. The drivers controls are positively tiny and you'll need some good fine tweezers to handle them.







Note: The cab and hood are only dry fit as painting will be easier that way. In the next instalment I'll deal with the lower suspension and try to get all six wheels firmly touching the surface.

Cheers,
Jan

Hi Jan

its looking good in the build.

I remember the old Matchbox kit fondly. This one is years ahead with detail as you'd expect. I have the ICM one unbuilt, it has very fine pieces as well that look like they'd snap on the sprue if you just stared at them hard enough. The ICM kit is of similar standard to the Dragon one by the look of your pictures. If I didn't have the ICM kit, I'd pick up one of these from Dragon, and use your build log as a guide, it should be of use all the same.

Have you got a driver for the cab, or are you going to leave it unoccupied ?

Looking forward to your updates.

cheers
Neil

@Matthew - Thank you for taking the time to comment. Yes, things were rather hectic the last little while as we tried to take care of all the loose ends from this seasons home renovations. I must admit that it does feel good to be actually building again without too many interruptions or deadlines. ;-) We must have posted at the same time as I didn't see your comment until after I had responded to the other people.

Firstly, Matchbox got the nomenclature or designation wrong. They list their Protze as a Kfz 69 when in reality it is the Kfz 70. Amusingly, Revell's repop of the kit has it correctly listed as a Kfz 70. While not as detailed as the Dragon kit, I must say that the older one is not too shabby considering it's age. After looking at the instructions for the Matchbox, it's obvious that their suspension is definitely somewhat cruder.

As far as the hood/bonnet goes, I'll let you be the judge of which might be easier to modify to an open configuration. Here's a shot of the main three pieces that form that section.



@Neil - Thanks for dropping by. I've seen the instructions for the ICM kit and parts of it compare favourably with the Dragon offering but other areas are noticeably somewhat simplified. As I've not built either the ICM or Matchbox/Revell, it's not possible to comment further.




I am currently undecided as to how this little tyke will be presented/displayed. I have a box of Preiser German figures and thanks to your question I checked out its contents. At this point it appears that there are at least three or four figures that could be used. Two are definitely in a sitting posture but I will have to see if they could fit. Then again, my figure modifying and painting abilities are rather dismal and I doubt I could do anything like I've seen you and others accomplish.

I have also toyed with the idea of a base. I am currently involved in writing a review of some resin bases and trying my under-skilled hand at finishing them. Unfortunately, these are smaller bases that work quite well with the truck alone, but not with the truck and gun combination.

--------------------------------------------------------------------

As I have done several multi-wheeled armoured vehicles since my return to the hobby, I am always concerned with getting all the wheels to lie flat on a level surface. The intricacy of this suspension has caused me some concern.

I first dry fitted the front wheels on the Protze. They have a very nice press fit to them that is just right for checking things out. The multipart rear suspension pieces attach with a peg and hole combination and also have little alignment protrusions. The fit is not as sure as that of the front tires but is sufficient to hold them on the chassis.





Now, with the rear suspension pieces press fit, I decided to try placing the tires on the rear most axle.



These wheels have a much more looser fit so I had quite a time getting them to stay on. All four wheels made contact with a flat board surface so I took the next step.



Success, all six wheels made surface contact. I would repeat this trial a few more times while gluing each suspension piece in turn. Finally, with the rear suspension firmly affixed, I could finish off the last pieces of that area.



I hope to get a base coat on this beast shortly but first need to determine the order in which parts will be painted. Having the entire model assembled might add great difficulties in the necessary detail painting. At this point I might start to concern myself with assembling the PaK 35/36. While I have built one of these earlier, we'll see if it has prepared me for the few issues that that tiny model possesses.

Cheers,
Jan

A bit more progress to show today. For a tiny (pun intended) break, I decided to tackle the PaK 35/36. Believe it or not, I actually reviewed my notes from the previous one I built. Once again, it's the small size that can make this simple assembly irksome.

I started with the lower carriage and trails. If done carefully, the trails can be moved in and out. I won't go into all the nuances of the build but suffice it to say, I learned from the first build and it came together somewhat easier.

Here are the results:









Now, for some not so obvious reason, Dragon decided to mould the towing eyes on the trails as barely a pimple. The instructions have the builder cutting off the towing pintle from the back of the truck and gluing the trail spades to the remaining piece. Being a masochist, I decided to see if I could create a suitable replacement.

Using a strip of .010" ( .254 mm) styrene sheet, I drilled an appropriately sized hole that would fit over the pintle. With that done, I started to trim away excess material with a hobby knife and fine toothed razor saw and in an attempt to get an appropriate shape.





Here is checking the fit of the newly created ring.



In actuality, there should be one ring on each spade, one positioned above the other. I haven't decided if I will go to that extreme at this point as attaching one ring to the end of a spade may prove difficult enough. As one can see in the last picture, I have obviously started base coating the main pieces of the truck itself. More progress pictures on the truck to follow shortly.

Cheers,
Jan

Hi Jan. Looking good! Disappointing to hear about the fit issues but looks like it will be a great looking build regardless.
I will have to keep an eye out for your review on the resin bases you mentioned.
Looking forward to seeing more progress.
Cheers,
Tim

Hi Jan,

I was wondering this kit. I watch it interest.

cheers .

@Firefly74 - Thanks Tim, glad you like the little truck. As for the small resin bases, don't look any further along in this post as it could be a spoiler.

@Erhntly - Erhan, don't let my comments scare you away from this kit. You are an accomplished builder so you should be able to overcome any of the issues.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Now for the promised update with some base coat paint applied. The only parts left to apply on the truck are the windshield, side markers, pennant pole and a couple of shovels. Don't look any further or you'll see one of the bases that I am working on. Please note that the hood and front cab are just placed on and not glued.









Now, while looking at various pictures of the real thing and models, I noted that some models have the seat cushions done in brown while the few colour pictures of the real thing show them black. I'll be going with black for this build. I had hoped to start on the seats but as luck would have it, I am out of the appropriate paints. Looks like a trip to the LHS tomorrow.

Cheers,
Jan

Some more small progress on the Kfz 70 kit. I've replenished the depleated paints and am now pondering the necessary methodologies as how to finish the truck. As I mentioned earlier, I've decided to go with the black leather or vinyl seat coverings. This in turn has had me studying how worn versions of this material might look. Since there is some nicely moulded texture on the seats (wrinkles and creases) I must think about how to take advantage of that also.

With the picture below, I have started to experiment with the seat finish. All colours used are Tamiya acrylic and range from various greys to NATO black, with some dark earth and buff thrown in for good measure. I'm not too concerned about "staying within the lines" as I develop the look as that can come further along.



Now we return to the tiny PaK. For an assembly comprising just less than 20 parts, it's quite trying. First up is the gun cradle with the elevation and traverse mechanisms attached.



The gun pieces together.



With the gun mounted (there is little to no elevation or traverse positioning available).



Finally, the 95+% assembled gun.





The two pieces of the gun shield took the better part of an afternoon as the sureness of the fit of pieces is very vague. The upper shield support arms proved to be a mini nightmare to get positioned properly. I'd like to stress that the builder be very careful when following the instructions as some of the drawings show parts being attached while the carriage is upside down. I have seen a few of these guns constructed with the trails (including one here on Armorama) orientation and parts incorrect.

Cheers,
Jan

Jan, WOW, the size of that little gun is positively insanely tiny! I had to take a second and third look at that pictures of it sitting on the penny. It's nice to see some paint on the truck and that base looks super but too small for the truck and gun. Can't wait to see more progress.

Regards,
AJ

@AJB - Thanks for dropping by and commenting. I appreciate it as it lets me know people are interested. Yes, the gun is quite small but also extremely detailed as you can see from the pictures. It's really going to be fun to paint. :8 The base that the truck is on is partly a teaser for an upcoming review but I had thought about just displaying the truck without the gun on it. I already have a larger base that will fit the two pieces but I haven't started on it yet.

____________________________________________________________

Minimal progress today but it is still progress. The first and most tedious was to attach the towing eye to the gun. That thing is microscopic and it too took quite a long time to determine how to proceed. In the process I found myself making five more rings as I kept on breaking them while trying to form them to shape. The two gun trails each have a "small" projection on the top that is to represent a ring. I removed the smaller of the two from the right trail and squared off the knob on the left one. I cut the attachment part of the ring to form an "L" shape that would butt against the knob on the left trail. Sadly, it's a bit out of scale but anything finer or smaller wouldn't work. I don't think that it looks too bad!





Amusingly, I totally forgot about the mud-flaps for the back of the truck. They are on now and you can see them in the following images.







I also started to "distress" the floor in the cargo area and am working on the seat covers. Still a ways to go but at least things are progressing.

Cheers,
Jan

@tread_geekj – Jan,

I’ve been following your build progress in the stealth mode (I’m invisible). You’re doing a super job on this step-by step build project with plenty of captioned photographs. Painting those areas that would otherwise be hard to reach for an airbrush is a good idea. I noticed in one of the photographs what appears to be a small axe affixed to the side of the bed, it looks more like a hatchet or it is? From your photographs this kit has a lot of potentional and your doing a great job of adding and modifying parts to bring about a better-detailed model.

I read your review on this kit and now I’m seeing it go together, for sure I’ll be adding this one to the pile. Although you've linked your review of this kit to this build log it would be a good idea to have the review linked to this post too! Keep up the excellent work.

~ Eddy

Well, time does certainly fly and circumstances get away from you. This build has obviously had quite a wait as a shelf-queen. One of my New Years promises to myself was to take the time to start finishing all the incomplete builds before starting a new one. I'm too embarrassed to say how many there were but I've managed to complete eight outstanding ones so far.

Due to circumstances I have ended up with no less than four PaK 35/36 guns (including the one from this kit). While working on completing the one for the Dragon PaK 40/PaK 36 kit I decided to do a production line sort of thing and complete the one in this kit at the same time.




Eddy, my humble apologies for this extremely belated answer to your post. Yes, the "axes" are indeed hatchets and are separate pieces as are all the tools. As for having the review linked to this Blog, that's something that I'll look into.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

After some clean up and trimming down of a few somewhat oversized items on the diminutive PaK, I coated it with an appropriately lightened Tamiya XF-63 (German Grey). After that I attached the wheels and found that the fit of the axles into the wheels was extremely loose. I ended up using gap filling CA glue to finally get them affixed. The only decal that comes for these guns is the kill rings on the muzzle. Obviously, this gun has had some success in its life. If you build this model and wish to use the rings, be forewarned that you'll need some patience. The decal off the sheet does not want to bend around the barrel and I had to use large amounts and applications of Micro Set setting solution to get the rings to curve around. To get the ring ends to properly meet was another chore.





Except for a bit of straightening out of the paint on the gun its construction is now complete. In short order I hope to get the actual truck up to a similar stage before any final finishing.

Thanks for your patience and for looking.

Cheers,
Jan

Well, it has taken forever but the Protze with PaK 35/36 is finally finished!!! Looking back I realized that it needed a lot of work and felt it would never be completed, but I wanted it to be entered in the HeritageCon 9 show yesterday and put the “pedal to the medal" during this past week or so. So without further ado, here it is at 99+% done (it just needed a few tiny touch-ups before the show).















Questions and comments are welcome.

Cheers,
Jan

Hi Jan! I'm late to the party as usual . It's way too late now, but Grandt Line makes a set of various sized injection molded rings which are very fine, for being plastic. They might have worked better rather than scratch-building tiny towing rings.
Dragon kits are always an adventure, aren't they? Nice model!

Not to worry Leo. I checked out what was available at the LHS and what they had was all too small. I've built operable 1/72 scale hatch hinges in the past so making a towing eye was tedious but doable. Now, attaching it was another story.




Heck, deciphering their instructions is usually half the battle. However when built, this kit results in a pretty nice representation of a Protze. Now that it's done, I like it! Glad you think it's okay and thanks for leaving a comment.

Cheers,
Jan

I must say that I saw this beast for REAL at the show yeaterday. It looks even better that way than in the pictures. I was going to introduce myself but every time I looked you were either engaged in conversation or disappeared. At one point it appears you were judging with two others and a clipboard. Oh, just as I was leaving during the awards ceremony I saw you go up at least twice so congratulations on your wins. Will you be going to the Buffalo show next month?

Regards,
A.J.

Well, actually more than "OK"!

weathering_one AJ,

Thanks for the compliment and sorry that I missed you. I was asked by the chief judge to help out and things went crazy after that. Judges meetings and the judging itself are quite hectic, to say the least. At least the time flew by. Not too sure about Buffalo next month.

Biggles2 Leo,

Thanks for the kudos and the clarification.

Cheers,
Jan

Great finish Jan. I've got stuff older than this sitting around needing to be finished up so this is some good inspiration .....

cheers
Brent

It lives!!



I've got a Protz older than this sitting around needing to be finished up...

Jan, so you were seen clipboard in hand, eh? Can we assume that you were judging non-braille classes in that case?

In my view your finish on this model shows yet further refinement of your own style, and very nice it is too. It seems to me that, with the assistance of a certain, um, muse, you have developed something of a unique method. Some people have written books around that, you know.