_GOTOBOTTOM
Armor/AFV: Axis - WWII
Armor and ground forces of the Axis forces during World War II.
Hosted by Darren Baker
Muddy StuG III Ausf G
MaKrueger
Visit this Community
Colorado, United States
Joined: May 23, 2006
KitMaker: 60 posts
Armorama: 60 posts
Posted: Friday, March 14, 2014 - 04:52 AM UTC
Hello all. Long time register. First time poster...

This is my current project using the Dragon #6633 Zimm Stug. Some of you have seen this through other forums or FB.

But for those who have not seen this before, I'm using this as inspiration:



I've been working on this for the last couple of weeks.

Pink Foam Mock Up.



I'm waiting on more Voyager parts to details out the roof and misc hardware.




The stowage is a mix of what ever I had. BlackDog resin, Tasca fuel cans, styrene, and epoxy.



The kit zimm was OK but the seam lines on the upper front armor had a nasty seam that needed filling. I created a small tool to match the pattern, patched it up as best I could and then covered it with a tarp.





Still in progress are the tow cables and misc hardware. Realized now I need to add the zimm to the rear lower hull. I also think there is an additional box on top of the larger box. Or, the box has a weid shape.
thebear
Visit this Community
Quebec, Canada
Joined: November 15, 2002
KitMaker: 3,960 posts
Armorama: 3,579 posts
Posted: Friday, March 14, 2014 - 04:56 AM UTC
Very nice work .. and it just goes to show you can make DS tracks work ..Nice job on the tarp. Congrats.

Rick
MaKrueger
Visit this Community
Colorado, United States
Joined: May 23, 2006
KitMaker: 60 posts
Armorama: 60 posts
Posted: Friday, March 14, 2014 - 05:01 AM UTC
Here is the model with the basic white wash applied.

WW was achieved with the HS technique. Stowage is painted with VMC acrylics.

White wash has been achieved with the HS technique and then some mapping with acrylics. Some of the contrast was lost with the following filter but I'll bring some of that back up after the wash.







MaKrueger
Visit this Community
Colorado, United States
Joined: May 23, 2006
KitMaker: 60 posts
Armorama: 60 posts
Posted: Friday, March 14, 2014 - 05:06 AM UTC
And here it is with a nice coat of mud and more mud.











Petro
Visit this Community
Connecticut, United States
Joined: November 02, 2003
KitMaker: 984 posts
Armorama: 846 posts
Posted: Friday, March 14, 2014 - 05:11 AM UTC
A very nice model you have there.
thebear
Visit this Community
Quebec, Canada
Joined: November 15, 2002
KitMaker: 3,960 posts
Armorama: 3,579 posts
Posted: Saturday, March 15, 2014 - 03:33 PM UTC
Great paint and weathering ... Can't get much better than that . I LIKE IT!

Rick
Grauwolf
#084
Visit this Community
Quebec, Canada
Joined: September 14, 2005
KitMaker: 2,485 posts
Armorama: 743 posts
Posted: Saturday, March 15, 2014 - 04:13 PM UTC
One word.....EXCELLENT!

Cheers.
Joe
Tiger_213
Visit this Community
California, United States
Joined: August 10, 2012
KitMaker: 1,510 posts
Armorama: 1,443 posts
Posted: Saturday, March 15, 2014 - 04:51 PM UTC
That's a good looking StuG.

It looks pretty much spot on with the photo.

I hope you start posting more often.
Tiger1944
Visit this Community
Victoria, Australia
Joined: October 11, 2013
KitMaker: 160 posts
Armorama: 152 posts
Posted: Saturday, March 15, 2014 - 06:03 PM UTC
Awesome stuff, love all those little details..great work
miniflea
Visit this Community
Virginia, United States
Joined: October 17, 2011
KitMaker: 237 posts
Armorama: 235 posts
Posted: Saturday, March 15, 2014 - 08:15 PM UTC
That is one fine looking Stug. Looks lived in and beat up without the effect being overdone. I have a couple of questions- what did you use for mud, and how did you get dragon's DS track to sag so nicely?

If you do put it on a muddy base, please post pictures of that too.
Blackstoat
Visit this Community
England - East Anglia, United Kingdom
Joined: October 15, 2012
KitMaker: 568 posts
Armorama: 561 posts
Posted: Saturday, March 15, 2014 - 08:55 PM UTC
Proper job
ColinEdm
Staff MemberAssociate Editor
ARMORAMA
Visit this Community
Alberta, Canada
Joined: October 15, 2013
KitMaker: 1,355 posts
Armorama: 1,229 posts
Posted: Sunday, March 16, 2014 - 02:07 AM UTC
Very well done sir!
easyco69
Visit this Community
Ontario, Canada
Joined: November 03, 2012
KitMaker: 2,275 posts
Armorama: 2,233 posts
Posted: Sunday, March 16, 2014 - 03:12 AM UTC
very awesome! PS- where did you get the large tarp?
MaKrueger
Visit this Community
Colorado, United States
Joined: May 23, 2006
KitMaker: 60 posts
Armorama: 60 posts
Posted: Sunday, March 16, 2014 - 04:36 AM UTC
Thanks all.

To answer some of the questions.

The tarp is rolled Green Stuff epoxy putty. Applied as a sheet, folded, and worked over with sculpting tools.

The mud is many things. Here is the recipe I worked up earlier.

OK. Let's see if I can recall exactly what I did.
Before all the mud I washed, outlined, and stumped AK Streaking Grime and Dark Streaking Grime the night before.
Lower hull sides and upper bow armor were airbrushed with Tamiya Earth in spotty patches
AK Earth Effects and Dust Effects were stumped onto the fender tops, fighting compartment, tarp, gear, etc. - It took me a little longer than everyone else to get use to these enamel products but I'm a fan now.
AK Earth Effects and Dark Mud were mixed with plaster and dry pigments MIG, AK and some odd brand AIM (don't use this, there are clumps of other colors not mixed properly and it almost ruined my mud) This mix was loaded on a brush and splattered with an AB on the lower hull. A thinner/lighter version was used on the upper surfaces. Before it set I used a brush with thinner to move stuff around and erase over spray.
I did this a couple of times with thinner & thicker, lighter & darker mixes.
I did this again with a little Gloss Enamel added to the mix.
Somewhere in all this mess I applied the pigments dry and piled them up on the lower hull sides and set with Pigment Fixer.
Let this whole mess dry for a while.
I then mixed up the same pigments with Heavy Matte Acrylic Gel with a little plaster and a little VMC Satin Clear to make a thick mud paste that was applied with a toothpick.
The second round of this was a little thicker/clumpier with snipped bits of dried sea weed fibers.
Clumps of grass and paper leaves were worked in with VMC Matte as an adhesive.
MaKrueger
Visit this Community
Colorado, United States
Joined: May 23, 2006
KitMaker: 60 posts
Armorama: 60 posts
Posted: Sunday, March 16, 2014 - 04:38 AM UTC
Now with more figures.

Figures are from PMC Minatures with a Dragon arm swap. They still need a little work to correct.





jhoenig
Visit this Community
New York, United States
Joined: December 29, 2011
KitMaker: 343 posts
Armorama: 313 posts
Posted: Sunday, March 16, 2014 - 09:34 AM UTC
Very nicely balanced, great job.
- John
milvehfan
Visit this Community
North Carolina, United States
Joined: June 26, 2007
KitMaker: 2,116 posts
Armorama: 1,080 posts
Posted: Sunday, March 16, 2014 - 09:42 AM UTC
VERY COOL !!!

mil
andromeda673
Visit this Community
Wisconsin, United States
Joined: July 30, 2013
KitMaker: 584 posts
Armorama: 525 posts
Posted: Sunday, March 16, 2014 - 12:02 PM UTC
this is dynamite! great work
Snorri23
Visit this Community
Ontario, Canada
Joined: March 25, 2010
KitMaker: 514 posts
Armorama: 261 posts
Posted: Sunday, March 16, 2014 - 03:19 PM UTC
With not sounding repetitious, a very well done stug. It has given me some great ideas. Thanks
MaKrueger
Visit this Community
Colorado, United States
Joined: May 23, 2006
KitMaker: 60 posts
Armorama: 60 posts
Posted: Sunday, March 16, 2014 - 04:27 PM UTC
Thanks for the warm welcome all. I appreciate the comments.

Figs just got their first coat of primer so hopefully everything goes easily here on out.

I realize i didn't answer the question about the track sag with the DS tracks. Here goes - I used small blocks placed on top of the tracks and placed a plate and weights on top to create the sag. I then set them in place to the return rollers with plenty of liquid cement. When these cured, I wrapped them around the drive wheel and idler and connected them under the road wheels. They were not glued to the road wheels to make painting a tad easier.
rotxxyyzz
Visit this Community
Baden-Württemberg, Germany
Joined: September 05, 2006
KitMaker: 43 posts
Armorama: 37 posts
Posted: Sunday, March 16, 2014 - 07:40 PM UTC
if i had your skills ...

greetz

geronimo / thomas
robw_uk
Visit this Community
England - North East, United Kingdom
Joined: June 22, 2010
KitMaker: 1,224 posts
Armorama: 1,207 posts
Posted: Sunday, March 16, 2014 - 09:10 PM UTC
that really does look the business - just how a StuG should be - not clean and tidy!!
TrifonDK
Visit this Community
Attica, Greece / Ελλάδα
Joined: February 17, 2009
KitMaker: 286 posts
Armorama: 285 posts
Posted: Sunday, March 16, 2014 - 10:41 PM UTC
Excellent and inspirational work! Well done!
MaKrueger
Visit this Community
Colorado, United States
Joined: May 23, 2006
KitMaker: 60 posts
Armorama: 60 posts
Posted: Monday, March 17, 2014 - 02:57 AM UTC
if I had your knowledge... ;-) Hopefully I'm on the right track.

Thanks everyone. Figures aren't my thing, so hope for the best.
bill_c
Staff MemberCampaigns Administrator
MODEL SHIPWRIGHTS
Visit this Community
New Jersey, United States
Joined: January 09, 2008
KitMaker: 10,553 posts
Armorama: 8,109 posts
Posted: Monday, March 17, 2014 - 03:15 AM UTC
Nice! I was actually hoping you were going to recreate the muddy mess, lol!
 _GOTOTOP