This will be a small, tiny BuildLog with the following kits:

Dragon 6747
Pz.Kpfw.IV Ausf.A - Smart Kit

Tristar 35021
German Panzerkampfwagen IV Ausf. B 7.5cm Sdkfz 161

Tristar 35017
German Panzerkampfwagen IV Ausf. C 7.5cm Sdkfz 161

Tamiya 35096
Panzer Kampfwwagen IV Ausf D

Dragon 6330
Pz.Kpfw.IV Ausf.D mit 7.5cm Kw.K.40 L/43

Dragon 6301
Pz.Kpfw.IV Ausf.E 'Vorpanzer'

Italeri 0217
Panzer IV Ausf F1

Dragon 6360
Pz.Kpfw.IV Ausf.F2(G)

Dragon 6363
Pz.Kpfw.IV Ausf.G LAH Division Kharkov 1943

Tamiya 35209
Panzerkampfwagen IV Ausf H Sdkfz 161/1 Early Version

Tamiya 35181
Panzerkampfwagen IV Ausf J Sdkfz 161/2

I'm still thinking of getting the Ausf.F1 from Dragon ...

Anyway I wanted to start with the Tamyia's J Full Extras for a Campaign but I didn't work out so I put everything in the box waiting for a Zimm set and started the Dragon's E.

I started it on Dec 8, 2014

Box & Markings













Work..

I guess we know what you'll be up to for the next year or so

Kimmo

John, You're either brave or crazy or both
I'll check in often to follow your progress !
Good Luck !

Tom

Crazy man! You could do the whole panzer IV campaign by yourself (assuming several years time). BTW, I'll be joining your campaign as soon as I finish my current project (hopefully in about a month) - brand new kit of a rarely seen variant.

I agree Kimmo, maybe more than a year




eheheh... I vote for crazy




I know

Almost forgot... updates :

you will fly right thru those Tamiya & Italeri kits....then slow way down for the Dragon & Tristar kits. Dragon & Tristar are far superior.
I'm currently building the Cyber Hobby White Box Vorpanzer PZ IV D, #6512 . One single wheel comes in 5 parts.One front wheel sprocket comes in 7 parts. Taking a while to build but, its worth it...got my $'s worth. It will turn out to be a highly detailed killing machine. It's also a limited kit..once they are sold...no more..ever.
**6512, Pz.Kpfw.IV Ausf.D Vorpanzer. 1/35th-scale styrene/multimedia kit containing 835 injection-molded styrene parts (including 25 clear), plus two bags of Magic Tracks, four etched brass frets, one stamped etched brass part, seven pieces of formed metal wire, one length of braided metal wire, two water-slide decal/painting options and 10 pages of instructions in 21 steps. **

Very nice David !

I agree with you, Tristar & Dragon are slowed & detailed builds, usually what Tamyia does in 2 or 3 parts you get 7 or 10 for Dragon.. with the same quality.

UUUpdateeee:::

Yep!

Looks like you are wading right on into the deeper end of those tiny detail parts and stuff! "Wow! That's way COOL, and Way to GO!" (and honestly so... it absolutely IS! ). It's quite, well, inspiring!

I would follow all that gushery up with "Wow! RUSH! I think I'll go pull my copy of that kit down right now and dive in - time to get crackin' on an IV E vorpanzer (one of the cooler kits and subjects out there in Pz IV - land, IMHO)! ", a real positivist and "let's DO IT!" sort of statement... but then I'd find myself fibbing!

I will NOT be hauling mine out just yet - my previous experiences with doing those little drive-cover bolt-heads (along with some other great-but-tediously tiny details of these "super kits") on a similar CyberHobby IV - vorpanzer whitebox kit left me emotionally scarred, and I still have some ways to go with recovery!

But I see that you did indeed find a neat-looking solution for those bolt-heads... so now I know how to hurdle that detail! Hmmmmmm. Uh oh! I might have to go take a sniff at that kit sooner than I had thought I would!

I'll be watching!

Bob

PS: @David; YOU are also leaping into deep detail waters with that D vorpanzer kit - that's another box replete with tiny bolt-heads and other stuff to blind folks and lead to consternation and distraction while in pursuit of modeling fun! But, don't fear! You WILL get your modeling dollar's worth from that one, just like John is getting!

Thanks Bob for the positive feedback.
Some of these details are ridiculous...
yup I lost one rivet and a small PE chain this afternoon.

The only I found to get working on it is taking small baby steps and stop.
Coming back the next day with the same attitude.
Slow but steady Panzerworkout !

Lost one a those little rivets, did you? I did. Picked it up with the tiny tweezers and prepared to drop it into a little cement-plot... Zingggg! and away it flew. Never did see it again, and that was on a polished wood floor! (So I can honestly, if slightly disingenuously, say that I have NEVER lost a part to the "carpet monster"! Not to any darned carpet! No Sir But... I did lose one to a polished wood floor. Maybe my cat ate it! I'll ask her! ) Only part I've ever lost!

Bob

That is a good solution for individual bolts. I tackle mine with a single edged razor blade flat against the bottom and gently rock/slice through the attachment point. I either sandwich the bolt and blade between my fingers or use a cutting block, the finger method actually works better, but you are cutting blind. Haven't lost a bolt or a finger yet. Even if you don't get it perfectly flush, liquid glue will melt down whatever little plastic is left.

Kimmo

In general, I cut such tiny parts off by sticking the runner (sprue) and the part to some blue painter's tape and then slice the part off with a sharp knife - it's way easy for us older guys with dim eyes to see the target bit for cutting, and the part remains stuck and never gets to fly away once cut. One can also do this op inside a plastic baggie or veggie bag - and if it flies, it goes around in its little plastic room and settles (perhaps sadly!) back to "earth" for you to grab and place it. It's that latter op which gets a little trickier, for me... I have shot a few tiny bits out of tweezers while placing, and, as noted above, actually lost one once (but only one, so far! ).

Knock on wood, as some say!

Bob

I tried this with the sprue attached and so far it's the best method.. I did it after losing one to the old method.
Add Tamyia liquid cement, place the little bastard wait a few hours and use your thin blade to cut it off gently...voila !!

Update, top hull & wheels.

Building all those PZ IV's would be fun! Planning on another multi - build? What will it be next?

Yes David, my next multi-build will be with King Tigers or Merkavas.

On this one, after the Vorpanzer E will be a Tristar.

Wheels are almost ready...

nice work so far - look forward to more of the same and inspiration for a Dragon Pz IV I have stashed away

Hi John,I really enjoyed that Vorpanzer a few years sgo.It really was a great build.Very detailed but very buildable.Enjoy.

Thanks Anthony and Robert !!
I managed to finish the wheels... hurrah !!!

Next is the top hull & fenders and a 3 ton of microscopic PE parts

Update, fenders Voepanzer:

E 'Vorpanzer' Turret & Hull Updates

Damn.. forgot to update.

anyway Dragon's E and Tamyia's D are finished.
On the bench I have Tristar's B.

Here they are, Dragon's E (grey)and Tamyia D(DAK) finished photos