Armorama :: 1/35 Hunting Hetzer

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1/35 Hunting Hetzer

DrChopp

Victoria, Australia
Joined: August 16, 2016
KitMaker: 116 posts
Armorama: 107 posts

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Posted: Thursday, March 14, 2019 - 09:32 PM UTC

Hello all,

I've taken a short break from armour to have a go at a 1/48 helicopter...after that experience, I need to get stuck into some German armor.

I did a bit of research and from what I understand, the Hetzer is one of the rare kits that Tamiya have got the most detailed and accurate offering. So a while ago I picked one up, and a whole mess of aftermarket -

I really love tank hunters, and I really love German armour so this should be a lot of fun. The idea here is to do the Hetzer in a hull-down ambush position, possibly either in a wooded area using natural terrain as cover, or maybe in an urban area using rubble. I'm not sure where I'll go with it, so we'll see what happens!

~ Steve

Namabiiru

Associate Editor
MODEL SHIPWRIGHTS

#399

Rhode Island, United States
Joined: March 05, 2014
KitMaker: 2,888 posts
Armorama: 1,920 posts

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Posted: Thursday, March 14, 2019 - 11:27 PM UTC

Been wanting to do a Hetzer myself for sometime so I will be watching with interest.

timcc2008

United States
Joined: May 12, 2010
KitMaker: 139 posts
Armorama: 135 posts

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Posted: Friday, March 15, 2019 - 02:04 AM UTC

The Hetzer was the very first armor kit that I built and painted with a brush by hand. Looking forward to your build!

vr

Tim

GazzaS

#424

Queensland, Australia
Joined: April 23, 2015
KitMaker: 4,648 posts
Armorama: 2,248 posts

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Posted: Friday, March 15, 2019 - 01:50 PM UTC

fifty three years old and yet to build a Hetzer! Looking forward to yours!

Gaz

DrChopp

Victoria, Australia
Joined: August 16, 2016
KitMaker: 116 posts
Armorama: 107 posts

PROFILE

Posted: Friday, March 15, 2019 - 10:10 PM UTC

Quoted Text

Been wanting to do a Hetzer myself for sometime so I will be watching with interest.

I'm really liking this kit, even without the aftermarket. I think I need to change my attitude towards Tamiya kits.

Quoted Text

The Hetzer was the very first armor kit that I built and painted with a brush by hand. Looking forward to your build!

vr

Tim

Nice! Was it this kit, or the earlier release?

Quoted Text

fifty three years old and yet to build a Hetzer! Looking forward to yours!

Gaz

Gaz, you gotta grab this kit if you're thinking of throwing one together

I've been a bit under the weather lately, so have been slowly progressing. Got the rear hull plate together and detailed:

I also gave the rubber of the road wheels a bit of wear - I'm thinking of this being set on the eastern front, with the Germans on the defensive:

One of the things I was surprised with were the hinges on this kit. The Hetzer has quite a few, and while I had the option of PE, I found the molded on hinges were more in scale, and very crisp:

Thanks for looking

~ Steve

timcc2008

United States
Joined: May 12, 2010
KitMaker: 139 posts
Armorama: 135 posts

PROFILE

Posted: Monday, March 18, 2019 - 02:10 AM UTC

Quoted Text

Nice! Was it this kit, or the earlier release?

It was the Testors/Italeri kit released in about 1980.

vr

Tim

DrChopp

Victoria, Australia
Joined: August 16, 2016
KitMaker: 116 posts
Armorama: 107 posts

PROFILE

Posted: Monday, March 18, 2019 - 09:12 AM UTC

Quoted Text

Quoted Text

Nice! Was it this kit, or the earlier release?

It was the Testors/Italeri kit released in about 1980.

vr

Tim

Oh nice, Revell still sell that kit!

I've had a decent weekend of work, and am nearly ready for paint!

I'm pretty pleased with the dented effect on the muffler, just done with a round file.

The shurzen are just barely hanging on from some small rods drilled into the side, but when glued into place should sit flush against the hull.

The wheels have been super-glued into place so can be easily snapped off for paint, but will hold strong enough to get the tracks done. I've kept the hull in 2 separate parts to make the track assembly easier:

I've added a small power conduit to the notek light and assembled it to look like it has been knocked slightly to the left as can be seen in many pictures:

The jackblock supplied with the kit seems to have the metal straps indented, with the wood swollen up over them. I have seen this in some pictures caused perhaps by moisture getting into the block but it looks very wrong to me. I used the PE upgrades and some balsa to make a new one:

I've left a few of the small details off for painting:

I've also put the tool box together, opting for the PE option and I wanted it to be partially open and Tamiya doesn't give that option:

Thanks for looking, hopefully with have some paint on it soon!

~ Steve

DrChopp

Victoria, Australia
Joined: August 16, 2016
KitMaker: 116 posts
Armorama: 107 posts

PROFILE

Posted: Monday, March 25, 2019 - 02:24 PM UTC

I've decided to use the link and length tracks provided by Tamiya in the kit. I find the sag and fit looks really good:

Should be able to get the rest of the build and get her primed soon. I'm still unsure of what sort of camo I wanna do. I think the ambush scheme might be a little too complex for me.

From what I understand vehicles painted in factory ambush camo are all mostly identical, is that right? With the differences being between factories?

Thanks,
Steve

Bodeen

#026

Pennsylvania, United States
Joined: June 08, 2002
KitMaker: 1,744 posts
Armorama: 1,359 posts

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Posted: Monday, March 25, 2019 - 02:34 PM UTC

Great build so far. I hate PE so I don't add much to my builds. Yours looks amazing. I don't have the patience. Good luck. Looking forward to the finished product.

dhines

Nova Scotia, Canada
Joined: November 17, 2015
KitMaker: 407 posts
Armorama: 373 posts

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Posted: Monday, March 25, 2019 - 02:48 PM UTC

Awesome job with the etch. I am looking forward to seeing the masks used and the paint applied.

GazzaS

#424

Queensland, Australia
Joined: April 23, 2015
KitMaker: 4,648 posts
Armorama: 2,248 posts

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Posted: Monday, March 25, 2019 - 08:57 PM UTC

Ambush scheme to intense for you?? If you can bend that PE so well, I'm certain a little paint should be easy for you.

GAz

M4A1Sherman

New York, United States
Joined: May 02, 2013
KitMaker: 4,403 posts
Armorama: 4,078 posts

PROFILE

Posted: Monday, March 25, 2019 - 09:10 PM UTC

Quoted Text

Hello all,

I've taken a short break from armour to have a go at a 1/48 helicopter...after that experience, I need to get stuck into some German armor.

I did a bit of research and from what I understand, the Hetzer is one of the rare kits that Tamiya have got the most detailed and accurate offering. So a while ago I picked one up, and a whole mess of aftermarket -

I really love tank hunters, and I really love German armour so this should be a lot of fun. The idea here is to do the Hetzer in a hull-down ambush position, possibly either in a wooded area using natural terrain as cover, or maybe in an urban area using rubble. I'm not sure where I'll go with it, so we'll see what happens!

~ Steve

Hi, Steve!

I LIKE this kit... As far as your after-market "bits and pieces" are concerned, THAT's nearly precisely the way I executed my Hetzer!

(I used the kit's "Link & Length" Tracks, too!)

You'll DEFINITELY have fun with this one!!!

Namabiiru

Associate Editor
MODEL SHIPWRIGHTS

#399

Rhode Island, United States
Joined: March 05, 2014
KitMaker: 2,888 posts
Armorama: 1,920 posts

PROFILE

Posted: Monday, March 25, 2019 - 11:17 PM UTC

Love the PE work!

Not sure why you wouldn't do ambush scheme--your initial photo seems to show a set of PE masks for exactly that. should make it a cinch.

timcc2008

United States
Joined: May 12, 2010
KitMaker: 139 posts
Armorama: 135 posts

PROFILE

Posted: Tuesday, March 26, 2019 - 12:43 AM UTC

Outstanding work on the PE. Looking forward to the paint- hoping you choose the ambush scheme.

vr

Tim

Klaus-Adler

Campaigns Administrator
MODELGEEK

Scotland, United Kingdom
Joined: June 08, 2015
KitMaker: 1,505 posts
Armorama: 840 posts

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Posted: Tuesday, March 26, 2019 - 07:51 AM UTC

any further developments? As this is a kit I'm interested in

hemblecreations

Australia
Joined: August 22, 2018
KitMaker: 173 posts
Armorama: 110 posts

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Posted: Tuesday, March 26, 2019 - 06:14 PM UTC

Loving all the details on this.

DrChopp

Victoria, Australia
Joined: August 16, 2016
KitMaker: 116 posts
Armorama: 107 posts

PROFILE

Posted: Saturday, March 30, 2019 - 03:19 AM UTC

Thank you all for your kind words! I think I will go with the ambush scheme - as Mark pointed out I have mask templates for it. I've never done this much masking, or a 3 tone mask so I was a little apprehensive.

I've had some airbrush issues today, so I spent my Saturday giving them a full clean before proceeding with paint.

At this stage, it has been assembled and is ready to go:

I had a turned brass antenna mount in the bits box, so I used that on the right hand side instead of the plastic part. The plastic mount was actually very nice, and a metal "upgrade" is entirely unnecessary

This assembly was a big mystery to me. I had absolutely no idea what it was,so I set about researching it. Turns out its for the spare antennas, although trying to find a picture of a vehicle WITH spare antennas in it was near impossible!

As such it is a bit overscale and doesnt line up as nicely as it could. I'm not planning to have spare antennas in it (which seems more common) so I wont bother changing it.

I've got the airbrushes cleaned and ready to go, so tomorrow it gets primed. I think I will spend Sunday cutting and prepping the masks, and getting a layer of colour down. I dont want the masks on the vehicle any longer than is necessary so will aim to do the masking and final two colour layers all in one day (next weekend most likely)

Thanks for looking!

~ Steve

strongarden

Florida, United States
Joined: May 14, 2012
KitMaker: 730 posts
Armorama: 624 posts

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Posted: Saturday, March 30, 2019 - 05:14 AM UTC

Nice work Steve! I've never attempted PE but your work here is actually inspiring!

Regards
Dave

M4A1Sherman

New York, United States
Joined: May 02, 2013
KitMaker: 4,403 posts
Armorama: 4,078 posts

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Posted: Saturday, March 30, 2019 - 05:27 AM UTC

Quoted Text

Great build so far. I hate PE so I don't add much to my builds. Yours looks amazing. I don't have the patience. Good luck. Looking forward to the finished product.

Hi, Jeff!

Gee, it's too bad that you hate PE so moch- PE can REEEALLY add to a model's appearance, especially in the scales which are larger than 1/72... Oh well, "to each, their own"...

In my own efforts, the only models that I will build without PE, are the ones which DON'T have any PE sets made for them. In which case, I'll "improvise"...

DrChopp

Victoria, Australia
Joined: August 16, 2016
KitMaker: 116 posts
Armorama: 107 posts

PROFILE

Posted: Thursday, April 04, 2019 - 02:46 PM UTC

Quoted Text

Nice work Steve! I've never attempted PE but your work here is actually inspiring!

Regards
Dave

Cheers mate, glad to hear! Give PE a go, there's a learning curve like all things, but once you get the hang of it, its very rewarding!

Alrighty, well I did try to make my own masks for the ambush camo - but after a couple of days worth of failed attempts I decided on getting some pre-cut masks. Maybe the tape i used was too thick, but either way the paint on the vehicle is on hold while they are posted out.

I forgot to get a pic of this last time, so here's the MG-34 -

And here's the crew:

I've started paint on one crew member:

This was my first time trying camo like this, and while the spots are far from perfect, its good enough for me, and I'll try to do better on the next crew member!

Thanks for looking!

~ Steve

M4A1Sherman

New York, United States
Joined: May 02, 2013
KitMaker: 4,403 posts
Armorama: 4,078 posts

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Posted: Thursday, April 04, 2019 - 07:45 PM UTC

Hi, Steven!

There's no such thing as "perfect", not even in real life...

Don't give yourself a nervous breakdown over a few "spots". Anyone who is going to count the spots or criticize their shape, color or their placement on your figures' camo clothing, needs to get THEIR heads examined...

Dioramartin

New South Wales, Australia
Joined: May 04, 2016
KitMaker: 1,476 posts
Armorama: 1,463 posts

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Posted: Thursday, April 04, 2019 - 11:38 PM UTC

Enough lurking, time to de-cloak – it’s a beauty Steve! Great PE work too & I don’t care if the odd spot’s out of place on the camo jacket, you’ve got that authentic hunch on the guy which is far more important, quite Rutmanesque. Although that MG34, are you sure the barrel’s aligned - it looks like it’s pointing slightly north of true? Any decisions on the dio yet?

jrutman

Pennsylvania, United States
Joined: April 10, 2011
KitMaker: 7,941 posts
Armorama: 7,934 posts

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Posted: Friday, April 05, 2019 - 08:34 AM UTC

Really shaping up nicely! Great detail for this scale.
J

cheyenne

New Jersey, United States
Joined: January 05, 2005
KitMaker: 2,185 posts
Armorama: 1,813 posts

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Posted: Friday, April 05, 2019 - 09:41 PM UTC

Nice work Doc , fig is cool man don't sweat it , gotta agree with Tim about the long dog look on the mg tho .....

Namabiiru

Associate Editor
MODEL SHIPWRIGHTS

#399

Rhode Island, United States
Joined: March 05, 2014
KitMaker: 2,888 posts
Armorama: 1,920 posts

PROFILE

Posted: Friday, April 05, 2019 - 11:44 PM UTC

To me, the barrel looks like it's aligned okay; it's the fact the whole gun is mounted at a slight angle to the cradle that creates that appearance, I think. The back end of the gun is sitting just a tiny bit low in the cradle. My $0.02...

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