Yeap, I'm still in it Ron. Have finished the Panther G, and it just needs a good weathering now.

Will start on the Dio base tomorrow as that's a big part of the whole picture and hopefully get it all done before I'm back in work again. Need to try and detail paint the figure that has to go with it, but figures are really not my happy zone, so will try and not bigger it up.
I've also got caught up in other campaigns so I probably over extended myself a bit ... But I will get it all completed.

Hi Ron,

I've been busy on other fronts, and am currently waiting for some 3D-printed suspension parts for my DUKW, but I'm definitely still onboard! (By next week the rebuild of my home office room should be finished too, with the bonus of a permanent space for my spray booth! That'll speed things up, not having to save up for several weeks before clearing a desk for a weekend of painting before packing it all away again for the work computer...)

By the way, in the pic I'm modelling the guy in the foreground has "USN" on his helmet - any idea what colour the helmet would be? Navy grey is an obvious choice, but I didn't know if their shore patrols might have OD instead - all suggestion welcome!

I am about to start mine. I just have to finish painting the line up from other GB's. What I am going to do is this:


Going to be fairly simple as the kit comes with 2 figures posed just like this

All I'll need to do is add an interior at the front (have the Dragon tranny parts from my Marder 3M build where I didn't use it, so just seats and a couple of figures I assume would be there) and do some tarps and stuff and empty the spare parts bit for bread bags, etc.

My start pic:

I am still in the campaign and definitely expect to finish. A couple of other builds have put my Cobra in the hangar for the moment. I will get back to it soon.

Just a few progress shots.
Panther is pretty much done now. Just some very minor tweaks and a few little bits to add on as per the photo, tow ropes, cam net etc.


Once the Dio base is done, Panther will receive a good weather and final detailing.



Have made a start on the Dio base for it. Will be keeping in fairly simple, just have to try and place everything correctly. Base will get a covering of grass effect and Tufts etc and wooden edges will be painted to tidy it up.



The Marder should be a fun build Peter. Looking forward to seeing more, and your Cobra Jesper.

Nice progress, John! You hit the camo spot on. Things are coming together very nicely.

Looking forward to see more 🙂

Looking good John

A little bit of progress on my Cobra. Base color and details are painted. Next is some gloss and decals.

More to follow 🙂

Finally getting some progress on my DUKW. I designed some new springs (available on Shapeways) to fix the spacing error in the Italeri kit, and will use wheels I designed for Resicast complete with tire-inflation hubs and tubes. But first I need to add side skirts and fill in all those slots in the sides!

That is looking very good Jesper, it will be a biggy once the rotors are on... Tom, the bits you designed are vast improvements on the kit parts, they add that little bit extra, well done.

Thanks for the comment, John!

Tom, that is a nice improvement to the kit. Looking forward to see more. 🙂

Sand Shark is looking great Jesper.

Thanks for the heads up on the suspension on the DUKW Tom. I have replacement wheels for mine, but I was not aware of that issue, although I haven't really researched the kit much. Looking forward to grabbing any other tips you have.

I needed a crewman in my DUKW, and while I couldn't find anyone lowering themselves into the driver seat as per the photo, I did have a spare Tamiya CCKW driver who could perch on the side of the cab to keep an eye on the joyriding engineer. The kit got a shot of primer today, so it's next in line for the spray booth!

Thought I better show some progress pics before I get too carried away. I am adding an interior as the empty space will be quite visible other wise. Not going overboard on detail as most will be seen as shape and form only. A ways to go yet, but getting there.



Also using Fruil tracks. They come with replacement drive sprockets, as Tamiya's guide teeth are spaced too close together due to the need to have space for the poly cap. In this pic, the Tamiya DS is located inside the sprocket teeth of the Fruil ones to show the difference. Tamiya s Idlers need the centre widened as a consequence too.



The smoke candle box on the rear is a spare Dragon one. The Tamiya one lacks any back or internal fittings. I also used a Dragon Grouser box as Tamiya's had a mold flaw.

Looking good thus far Peter, I'm sure the additions you are doing will take it up a few levels.

I thought I was on he last leg with my Panther, but while i was doing the dio base I had a truly epic fail

Made the school boy error of not treating or pre-varnishing the wooden base. so after applying the mix of finely sieved soil and filler powder and white glue/water and then letting it dry ..... I went to it the next day to find the water had soaked straight into the wood and as the watered glue and soil/filler mix set, it completely warped the wood base into a massive arch .... whoops

So back to the design board, new bits for dio delivered and will be doing a new dio base over the next few days and then getting the G finished..... Pics to follow soon.

Stay safe everyone.

I think we have all done that at least once John.

Hi John,

I did that once with a bit of shelf board and about 1" of Polyfilla! It banana-rized itself good, but I let it dry out for a week and it flattened back out. Guess I was lucky...

I am calling this one done. Quite satisfied with it. Love the shark teeth.

Excellent Jesper. Love it.

So, after a few setbacks, the Dio base is on the road to getting done now. Will post a few WIP shots later and also some more on the new site.

Jesper the SandShark looks great, you've have done a great job on that finish.

As promised some WIP images now the server is letting me in.



The Dio base is now started, just deciding on the colours and where to put the foliage etc. It's not 100% as per original photo, but as close as I can get it.


The Panther is pretty much done, just needs a final weathering and a few washes over the wheels. Engine cover and cables have to secured in correct positions along with the cam net on the turret, and figure ( very kindly donated by Tom) put in its proper place. Again the figure isn't exact but it's close enough for me to represent the real one.

Very nice John. Looking very close to the picture for sure.

I have also made some progress. I have put down a base coat of Dark Grey, but I've realised I didn't post the interim pics from last week:

The two figures for inside the vehicle installed and interior painted


Hull top glued down. As you can see, not a lot is really visible, but the void is noticeable if you don't put stuff in there:




Decals and weathering next. I am also working on one of the crew figures Tamiya gives you... whilst they are based on the photo, the pointing figure is good as is, but the loader figure is very wrong compared to the pic. The loader in the kit is handling a round, has a side cap on, and is neatly dressed with jacket buttoned up, nothing like what is in the pic above. So some scratch building to modify the figure is underway.

Thanks Peter, the finish is insight now. You have made some great progress with yours as well, looks good. Good look with the surgery on the loader figure. Hope to see more soon.

Okay, an up to date pic. Have made a tarp roll and ground cover sheet(??) and added them to the side with boxes underneath the sheet. Can't tell from the pic what is really there but it is rectangular and it seems to be a box where the extinguisher would be... Testing the figures layout too:





Just roughed out additions to the loader figure as it is. This will have more work done to smooth out the rough parts and have some folds and pleats added.




Very different to what you get in the kit (image from modellversium.de):


Not 100% accurate to the pic, but close enough. I think the load actually has his foot on the side armour plate in the pic, but I'm going with what I have here..... not going to start counting too many rivets...