Hello,

Here are 3 builds being prepared for a diorama which I would like to share with you.

The interiors have been painted with a combination of Vallejo and Humbrol Enamel colours. The vehicles are built out of the box with limited detailing as they will be consumed within the diorama to make the story.

All tanks are primed in Vallejo Black Primer.
The Hobbyboss 38T's received Revel 77 grey with the Tamiya 38T painted in Vellajo Dark Blue Grey to show a variation to the Hobbyboss 38T's.

The lower hulls all received a coat of Tamiya Flat Earth as a base starter as the lower hulls will get lighted up to blend in with the diorama base.

Tamiya did a fantastic job on the 38T although I found in some areas it lacked detail. All in all a quick easy build with not too much effort.

Now the HobbyBoss ex Tristar 38T's are by far a better and detailed kit to obtain and at time of purchase the Hobbyboss kits with the interiors had been cheaper than the Tamiya kit.

Build progress now,




















Michael

Very nice.
Now for a Dragon 38t

Beautiful work. Looking forward to the finished product.

Thanks Dan and Jeff,

Dan,
The intention was there for a Dragon 38T but the price tag is way overpriced.


Michael

Pointless......when the ex-Tristar now coming from Hobbyboss is better and can be purchased alot cheaper, with or without interior, and no crumbly DS tracks to worry about.


http://www.perthmilitarymodelling.com/reviews/vehicles/tristar/tri35026.htm

I just built a Dragon 38t and it had no DS tracks and was a great kit to built-I recommend it highly.

I agree Dan.

The detail on the Dragon 38T is exquisite and may look at getting 1 eventually and deck it out with Fruil track.

Could not justify getting 3 Dragon 38T's for a diorama and had to see what the hype was with the Tamiya kit.

Typical Tamiya kit's go together without too much work.
The instructions and ease of build can be accomplished in a couple of hours.

I'm finding with the Hobbyboss kits the work commences when you start closing them up with the hull roof top and engine deck covers.

A gentle approach is a must in this area.

Michael

Michael,
It was a fun kit to build and had many options with the tool layouts and storage boxes.
Dan

Thanks Dan,

I'm hoping to give three individual aspects the crews store the tools on the 38T's.
They will be painted and detailed separately.
Here are the next stage images where the detailing and weathering bring the 38T's together.
The tracks and extra's are on and the fun
begins x3




Michael

Almost a platoon!

Thanks Dan,

The previous images look they are way off from showing the detail on the kits.

Here are some close up images of the first stages of weathering.
A Pin wash of AK Summer earth thinned down with Mig Ammo thinner and highlighted with a combination of Raw umber, 502 Abteilung Washes brown applied with a OO brush around all recesses where dust sits.

The muffler had a combination of the Life colour Rust paints stippled over the muffler by brush to get a rough appearance and then highlighted with the Raw umber oil paint to bring out the worn look.

More to follow as there will be figures filling the hatches and track tools and stowage to be applied.







Michael

I've kicked around the idea of picking up a couple tamiya kits, but after having several tristar kits of that basic hull; I just couldn't do it. Looking at the Tamiya kit, it looks better than the Dragon, but the Dragon has some things I like better. Yet the Tristar is much nicer than either of these two. The same can be said of the Marders (and I like all three brands).
gary

Gary,

The Tristar(Hobbyboss) kit is by far more detailed than the the Tamiya kit.

The Tamiya kit is a good fast build out of the box and the only real critique about the kit is the track connection point on the sprue.

The Hobbyboss kits have the connection point on the sprues at the track joint where Tamiya have the connection point to the outside of the track.

Cannot comment on the Dragon kits but like typical Dragon kits will be good build out of the box.

Michael

I’d like to see a build of the Trumpeter 38t.
Dan

Believe me, I'm far from a rivet counter. But I remember doing a couple Marders based on the "38" hull. Might have been three or four as it's been quite a while back. At the time, I started out with a way over priced Tamiya kit. I literally stole the kit after watching the LHS keep reducing the price every month. Was a nice $55 kit that started out at close to $200! I git it for about $70 with metal barrel and P.E. I had a Tristar kit begging to be built, and found a Dragon kit in the 50% off pile. I like the gun on the Tristar as well as the fighting position except for one thing. The Dragon and tamiya were similar, but thought Dragon was ever so slightly better in the molding quality. So I feel I got three kits of excellent quality, but all three are slightly different. Then somebody in a book or maybe on one of these boards published a rivet pattern for them. The Tristar was the best, but they even missed one complete row of rivets. On the otherhand the large rivets looked better from Dragon even though the pattern was not right.
If memory serves me right, I think Tristar did the 38's with a trailer in some kits (maybe a fuel trailer). One of the three kits came with an ammo trailer which I never got around to building! The Tamiya kit look OK built up, but I'll take the Tristar kit over it anyday of the week
gary

I agree Gary.

The Tristar kit is the best selection.

Here are some progress stages of the weathering.

The kits all received a thinned down wash of AK Russia earth washed thinned in Mig Ammo Thinner and applied with a 00 Paint brush.

A combination of Humbrol 32 mixed with Raw Umber Abetelung 502 Washers brown and burnt sienna was drybrushed over the raised detail of each tank.

This is the mid stage weathering process at present and there is still a large amount to do.








More to follow....

Michael