Just completed the Italaerei Marder III in 1/35 scale. Tried a few new techniques such as a scratch on the right side of the Marder and use of rust colored pastel paste using pastel and water.

The flash from the camera drowns out some of the depth and color.











Interior lower hull details were sparse, so I scratched to gether a few more based on a composite of photos. I couldn't find for this exact model so I used a hodgepodge of 38 (t) pics as ref.

Thanks in advance for any criticism, advice or dissing Have at!

I love the detailing... the interior is awesome. The 5th and 6th pics are closer to the real color than the others, they came out light because of the flash on the digital camera. We didn't have much daylight to take the pics. So think of the middle medium of light between the light pics and the dark pics, and you'll pretty much have the colors. The depth our camera took doesn't do the model justice. The detailing is more prominent in real life than in the pics. The color scheme he was just messing around with without any research. Take this more as a practice model rather than researched one.

He had a lot of fun building it. He even said, at one point, "i think its overkill, don't you think Jean?" meaning with the weathering. hehehehehehe...

I think the tracks may be a little too rusty. Other than that I even like the camo pattern.

Here's a warning to anyone using the pastel paste technique for rust. Although the pics do look a bit bright, The paste goes on a lot darker then gets brighter as it dries A lot brighter

The Cammo pattern is indeed quite authentic. My Great Uncle Detrich "Falsche Weise" Von Selrach commanded just such a Marder. Ordered to engage the enemy on the eastern front, Detrich Von Selrach headed west. Realizing his mistake after asking for directions at a French saloon. ( Wo sind die Russen?) Detrich headed eastward in time to engage the rapidly advancing army.

Unfortunatly, it was the retreating German army he ran into...

( I didn't research the cammo pattern. It was just one I liked, and as this was no particular unit, I used it. )

tracks a little too rusty for my taste and shells a bit too shiny, but thats it from me i like the camo pattern

Looks great Lord Glue The rust on the exhaust is well done Nice camo pattern I think

I really like it!
Good job
As to the camo scheme and colours, we've all heard / read about the variance in paint colours and of the free hand that units had in designing / painting their vehicles. Who's to say such a colour / pattern camo didn't exist.
Nice work Selrach

As we discussed in chat,try gunmetal / rust mix on your tow cable.The tracks look bright,you could add a bit of military brown to the track color to darken it.But overall that is a great build of an Italeri kit.
(++) (++) (++) (++) (++) (++) (++)

Very good detailing.
It looks unique.
and a great job done.
Keep up the good work!

Lord "Flash" aka TankCarl made so photographic suggestions. Here are some new pics. They are a little dark, but seem to be much closer to the true colors.







Tanks Carl!

Lord Glue aka Lord Horn

Lots going on visually with your Marder Lord Se.

The spent shell casings are a nice touch, as is the bucket on the rear end. Lots of detailing in the gun crew area--good job here. Muffler looks good. You also have posted your pics with some interesting period paperwork in the back ground---any story behind those items???

Signed
Dry Brush jr
tm

Hi Selrach:
I like your marder, the second set of pics are better, ( I know it can be frustrating to get pics that do the model justice). Your weathering is great, the top deck could use more wear (although this vehicle looks fairly new.. Your little touches are a nice compliment ie: casings,helmet, maps This model needs a nice dio to show it off.

Did you have any problems with fit? I have this model and just wondering if I have to watch for any "tricky" spots.

Cheers
Bruce

Echoing all sentiments stated previously...

Sel, Bruce, I've also got this kit- picked it up at a yard sale for $0.50USD, Minus insturctions & 1 drive sprocket. Any chance either of you could scan & send me a copy of the instructions? Sel, I've found the same problems in researching the IIIH, lots of 38(t);lots of MarderII; Lots of IIM's, very little in the way of This one. oh, well, I guess no one can question what we do to 'em then, eh?

p.s. Sel, did Jean get the MOSKVA email I sent you?

Hey Bruce

The kit went together pretty well. Injection marks are the only real problem. The interior oob consists of 2 seats and a couple of fixtures. As some of it can be seen, you may want to scratch together a few more details, such as the 2 largest missing details: a gear box, driveshaft, etc. I couldn't find any Marder IIIh ref pics on line, much less interior shots and all the 38 (t) Marder and non marder, interiors I could find differed from model to model. What I ended up doing was making a composite interior based on the major simularities. There are a couple of large injection marks on the floor. The MG'rs seat can hide the one, and you can toss some stowage on the one behind the driver's seat.

I thought the PaK was nicely detailed.

Rob,

I sent you a PM. Let me know what I can do to help.

Questions,

The muffler. How did you do it? I love that look.

And second,

The overall color. I like that camo.

Great marder!

~CHip

Hey Robert:
Let me know if you still need a copy of the instructions, I have a scanner, but it looks like Selrach has beat me to the punch.


Bruce

Heres a link to a decent semi walk-around of a marder III
marderIII

This is a nice kit, but old, and would benifit from some updating. The Pak 40 by Italeri is inaccurate and could be repaced with one from Tamiya, Dragon, or AFV. The interior walls are quite bare and Italeri omitted the radio. Similar detail parts would be included in Tamiya's Marder lll M. The appropriate sprues containing these parts are usually available from Tamiya (for a price). Clutter and extra ammo also help hide any discrepancies. Italeri's tools are also a little oddly shaped and could be replaced with some from Tamiya's accessory Mk lV tool set, or from spares box. No doubt a nitpicker would discover the idler or roadwheels are the wrong pattern and wish to replace them with expensive after-market resin products and *@#!! PE.

I got to thinking Italeri missed it on this one, cause I never could find a real one either,that looked just like it. Now that one that Slug showed us, is the closest to it, and with pulling back the gun and shield, and filling over the hole where the drivers set, then it will look something like that one, plus building up the back a little to.

Excuse me, but I think you and Slug are talking about a completely different vehicle. The model by Selrach is an early Marder III 38 (t), produced by Italeri in the '80's. The model you and Slug are describing is a later version Marder III M 38 (t), as recently produced by Tamiya. The early model had the fighting compartment centralized with the hull unchanged from the original tank version. The later model had the engine moved forward to the center of the vehicle and the fighting compartment moved to the rear, making a better weight distribution.
:

It looks fine to me. Whatever makes you happy, that's my rule. I'm not so sure about the camo and the tracks. But you sure did a good job to me. Certainly better than mine.

You're lucky the tracks didn't give in. Mine did. It broke while I was still painting it. Then I repaired it with some staple wires and it broke off again on the next link. This discouraged me from buying the Pz. 1 on which this Marders' chassis is based. Since surely they would share the same type of tracks. The tracks of my friends Marder also broke off. Italeri supplied a couple of figure for this with very large heads and small arms.

Your right Biggles2: The link I've mentioned is for a later Mader III & the one that Italeri's kit is based on is an earlier one probably an Marder III H although no description on the model .
The problem is pics of the earlier ones are hard to find. This wasn't a massively produced vehicle , which probably explains why the lack of pics.

Bruce

Aye Biggles, the box makes no mention of the make, but the instructions identify it as an H model.

Mondo, I like the figures on your marder they look pretty good.. Yeah, the two figures in the kit do look a little funky. Maybe I'll paint them and see how they come out. I can always use the practice on painting figures.

I have to admit that the tracks suprised me by remaining so flexable. The decals were a real beast. Really thick and almost no glue left.

I have toned down the rusty tracks. If anyone is interested, I'll post the new pics.

Yes!! I received the pics. I sent email thanking you for them, did you get the email? Appreciate it very much, they will help immensely. Am all a geared up for working on the Moskva now with the sources I've received from you and others and doing the research. I think after that I will be working on a Novrossjisk. My mom was born in Novrossjisk by the Black Sea in Russia in 1918. So I'm getting all revved up for that too. hehehehehehe