Thanks Matt. Your Ausf. J is going really well too.

I just toned down the yellow olive patches a bit to reflect wear. I think they will not look so stark after washes. I am wondering whether I should do the chips first or put the gloss on and do the decal first....

I have added a raw sienna + yellow filter which makes the camouflage blends together better. I also added some initial chipping with raw german red (from Vallejo) first then nato black (from Tamiya) to simulate chipped areas.

I don't know if I am overdoing it. It is still in 1943 so I would think the factory paint job will not be too bad. Any comments as usual are very welcome.

I have added the decal and put on one layer of gloss. At the same time, finishing up the small bits and pieces.

The muffler and exhaust is done with MIG old rust pigment and Tamiya burnt metal red and new rust pigment.

The wheels are added. With that I have start working on the magic track.
This is the first time I have to deal with them. I don't know what is the right way to do it... It seems to be a difficult thing to handle. I would appreciate any suggestions.









I am happy with the effect on the exhaust pipes. I added the 24th division insignia on the front and the back left fender. I cannot find any reference on the Panzer III with the 24th in 1943, so this may be incorrect. I did see some photos of the insignia on similar locations in other 24th division vehicles.

Thank you, Thomas. The chipping, as well as the muffler is very well done. I see some progression, on the camo scheme. I believe, the most difficult part for me will be the interior.

Nice progress on this one!

As for the best way to deal with the Magic tracks, my usual approach with them is to work with them in sections/runs and essentially turn them into link-and-length assemblies. Install the road wheels but leave the sprockets and idlers able to be removed and you will have the flexibility you need once the runs set up to paint and detail them and then reinstall them back onto the vehicle.

Thanks Bill and Matt.

I put the left side of the magic track on in two sections as you suggested. That works fine. Initially, I put a thin tape to hold the pieces together. It doesn't work out that well. I do find there is enough time for me to glue them with Tamiya think cement and they are still flexible for some time to shape them and allow them to dry overnight seems to work.

It looks like the track is still pretty easy to break apart so I am not sure how well they hold up with weathering when I paint them separately before putting them back on.

The most challenging part for the interior is fitting. As this one is targeted for Tamiya. Therefore a lot more fitting problem. If you don't plan to open all the hatches and just show either the engine or the driving and turret area, the fitting will be much easier. The other area is the two side fender, as the kit is design to have a lot of alignment point within the chassis (i.e. no interior,) I have to remove most of the support structure. This makes it hard to align and keep them level. A lot of dry fitting is needed.

My plan next is to do either a Panther or Tiger I with CMK interior. These are design for dragon kits. I hope it will be easier.

Put the magic track on in two sections per side. That seems to be a bit aggressive, it may be easier to have a few more sections. I am waiting for the glue to set. I didn't need to use all 94 links per side, 93 seems to work better.

So getting to the final stage, I need to add a wash and some pin washes. After that put on matt finish, high light and mud.

I plan to leave the covers open. For the engine compartment, I cannot find any reference to see if that is a supporting rod to hold up all the engine covers. It seems to be too heavy a cover to not have a supporting rod to hold it open. Any advise are very welcome.

For the driver compartment, there isn't any hatches so I think the whole plate is removed to access the gear box etc.

I have painted the tracks while waiting, I put a wash of burnt umber oil on it. I then pin wash it and add some white and burnt sienna pin wash.

I am not sure if I over did it. Here is the pictures.

very nice work...

Looks good to me. BTW, I just noticed the color of the tools. The black parts should be bakelite. A very close match to this is Testor's brown.

Thanks Matt. I painted a reddish brown colour over the handle of the tools.

I have the magic track on. I really don't like these tracks, it doesn't bring a lot of added value and it is a pain in the neck to put them on. The thin cement doesn't seem to be strong enough to hold them. I already let them cure over night and try to handle them carefully. They still broke apart when i try to put them back on after painting.

Now into the final stage, another touch up, matt coat, dry brush and then mud ...

I have not decided how to display the engine. I am wondering whether I should keep all four compartment open or close some of them....

Looks like you were able to overcome the track issues despite some struggles. Instead of using Tamiya Thin cement, try using regular cement instead. It provides a better bond but will still allow you enough work time to shape the tracks as needed. Something perhaps for the next time you encounter Magic tracks! Personally I prefer using workable tracks as a rule because of the added flexibility but the trade-off is in the time require for their assembly. No free lunch when it comes to tracks unfortunately.

Hopefully you can find a way to show off that lovely interior work you've put in!

Thanks Bill. I think next time I will use stronger cement. The tracks turns out ok. It just takes much longer than I expected.

My current thinking is the turret turn 90 degree with the left or right side doors open. I will open all the engine compartment and the cupola. I will left the two panels on the front open. The decision is whether I should open the engine covers at right angle or left them at around 45 degree. One you can see more and the other seems to be more realistic...

This is the last time the hatches are closed. I have dry brushed the high light with deck tan, then I put a light code of buff to simulate dust and added Russia mud from MIG.

The next step, decided on the display format and add the final pieces to the turret.

I really enjoy this build. I decided to have all the hatches open so most of the details are shown.

This is the first time I used MIG pigments and I still find them a bit difficult to control. If I use the fixer, it becomes very thick paint. If I dust them on, they don't stay very well. I think I may over use the Russia mud pigment and darken the tank too much.

I really like the Vallejo paint, they are easy to clean and control. The negative is their primer tend to clod up the air brush. I have to clean it quite thoroughly every time.

Then as usual any advise, comments are most welcome.


Here is the pictures:

Before opening up the hatches.



With hatches open.