Dragon Panther A with Zimmerit

[belugawhaleman]

12 minutes ago, GazzaS said:

I read what it was made of the other day...   but the only component I can remember is sawdust.

Here's the video;

 

 

[Martinnfb]

I don’t see any “ imperfections “, zimmerit wasn’t exactly regular or smooth application. In my eyes it looks really good, much better tHan many builds out there. 
 

[Bomber_County]

This one slipped through……..good start on the Panther, it’s one i haven’t modelled yet. When I did my Tiger I with zim, albeit brass Eduard, I used white glue to fix it on. Longer cure time, easily positioned and water clean up…..looking forward to this it’s on the list…..

[Kaireckstadt]

7 hours ago, GazzaS said:

Being too tired for much modelling during the week I wasted time in the usual way after work...   sitting on the Lazyboy, watching TV and surfing the internet...  Mostly facebook.

So. I happened on a post on facebook where some dude had applied Tamiya Zimmerit on a Tamiya kit.  His results weren't too hot, and you could tell that his zimmerit was on sheets.  Thinking on my build, I had the same problem...   it was just a wee bit less visible. 

So today I did a bit of shaping, sanding, and painting to see how it will look.  Here are some macro photos showing my results.  The smooth spots are the faults.

 

These macro photos are pretty helpful even if you find them boring.

 

Thanks for looking

Great work on the Zimmerit Gary! Looks perfect to me. 
Curious how the build will go on! 

[Kaireckstadt]

7 hours ago, GazzaS said:

Being too tired for much modelling during the week I wasted time in the usual way after work...   sitting on the Lazyboy, watching TV and surfing the internet...  Mostly facebook.

So. I happened on a post on facebook where some dude had applied Tamiya Zimmerit on a Tamiya kit.  His results weren't too hot, and you could tell that his zimmerit was on sheets.  Thinking on my build, I had the same problem...   it was just a wee bit less visible. 

So today I did a bit of shaping, sanding, and painting to see how it will look.  Here are some macro photos showing my results.  The smooth spots are the faults.

 

These macro photos are pretty helpful even if you find them boring.

 

Thanks for looking

Great work on the Zimmerit Gary! Looks perfect to me. 
Curious how the build will go on! 

[GazzaS]

6 hours ago, Martinnfb said:

I don’t see any “ imperfections “, zimmerit wasn’t exactly regular or smooth application. In my eyes it looks really good, much better tHan many builds out there. 
 

Thank you, Martin.  It wasn't really an imperfection.   More like a smooth area when it should be very irregular.  Several patterns of Zimmerit were applied to panthers, depending on which factory that produced them.  The pattern you're illustrating is by Maschinenfabrik Augsburg- Nuremberg (MAN),  Whereas the pattern I have, was applied by Daimler Benz and Maschinenfabrik Niedersachen Hannover (MNH).

 

 

[GazzaS]

8 hours ago, belugawhaleman said:

Here's the video;

 

 

Thank you for sharing that!  There are a lot of useful images in there.

[GazzaS]

2 hours ago, Bomber_County said:

This one slipped through……..good start on the Panther, it’s one i haven’t modelled yet. When I did my Tiger I with zim, albeit brass Eduard, I used white glue to fix it on. Longer cure time, easily positioned and water clean up…..looking forward to this it’s on the list…..

Thanks mate.  Glad to have you watching.

[GazzaS]

2 hours ago, Kaireckstadt said:

Great work on the Zimmerit Gary! Looks perfect to me. 
Curious how the build will go on! 

Thank you, Kai.

[GusMac]

Don't know how soft the material is Gaz, but would attacking the smooth bits with the pointed scribing tool have the desired effect?

[GazzaS]

2 hours ago, GusMac said:

Don't know how soft the material is Gaz, but would attacking the smooth bits with the pointed scribing tool have the desired effect?

It's just soft resin, mate.  I jabbed at it a bit with a blade.  Should be alright.  I'm cutting pieces from it now to fit the tool brackets.

[GazzaS]

Despite puppy, I managed to spend a fair amount of time on the Panther.

First I decided to chisel out the zimmerit for the tool and extra track brackets.

Then glued them in.

Then I discovered that there there should be Zimmerit on the trunnions.  So, I made my own.

One of the things about scale modelling that has frustrated me is the inability to make twisted plastic look like twisted metal.  And I have plans that require twisted metal.  So, I ordered a roll of brass foil...  it's .002mm thick.  Much thicker than kitchen foil, yet much thinner than photo etch.  I've played with making 3d shapes with sheet metal a little over the last few years.  And today I decided I was going to replace my panther's fenders with metal parts.

They're far from perfect, but they're meant to look banged up, anyway.  Putting 3d relief onto sheet metal is known as metal chasing.  An ancient art that I would like to be able to do one day.  But on this day, it'll have to do.

Now, with the lower hull attached, the new fenders are here to stay.  It occurred to me that maybe some of the upper details from the fenders could have been shaved off and glued...  because trying to replicate them with my current skills didn't go so well.

Anyway...   thanks for looking.

 

Happy modelling!

[Bomber_County]

Looking  great Gaz, I often contemplated using metal for fenders but only used PE, hmmmmm got me thinking now……..

[Martinnfb]

Nice touch. It will all add up at the end.  

[Peterpools]

Gaz

Nice going - you're making superb progress and as always, coming up with new modeling techniques. The final effects are going to look brilliant

Keep 'em comin

Peter

[GazzaS]

17 hours ago, Bomber_County said:

Looking  great Gaz, I often contemplated using metal for fenders but only used PE, hmmmmm got me thinking now……..

Thank you.  Sadly, a set of photo etch that has fenders costs as much as another kit.  And you still have to bend them.

16 hours ago, Martinnfb said:

Nice touch. It will all add up at the end.  

Thanks Martin.

13 hours ago, Peterpools said:

Gaz

Nice going - you're making superb progress and as always, coming up with new modeling techniques. The final effects are going to look brilliant

Keep 'em comin

Peter

Thank you Peter.  I plan on doing a damaged aircraft, soon...   so I need to learn how to manipulate the metal better.

[Kaireckstadt]

Great Progress Gary! You have to do a lot of work with the Zimmerit!
The idea with the fenders made of brass adds much realism to the model. The technique you use is really good!

[GazzaS]

On 1/10/2022 at 5:17 PM, Kaireckstadt said:

Great Progress Gary! You have to do a lot of work with the Zimmerit!
The idea with the fenders made of brass adds much realism to the model. The technique you use is really good!

Thank you, Kai.  I would like some day to be able to fabricate any shape in metal.

[DocRob]

On 1/9/2022 at 8:58 AM, GazzaS said:

It occurred to me that maybe some of the upper details from the fenders could have been shaved off and glued...  because trying to replicate them with my current skills didn't go so well.

Great idea, forming the metal sheet after the plastic. When I saw the pics, I, like you immediately searched for a way, to replicate the hinges, which look too coarse. One way would be to put some mud on, but I would have tried to shave the parts off te plastic, before forming the sheet over. 
How rigid is your used foil? Do you have to be very careful while handling the model?
I have a nice collection of lead wine caps, which is a great material to replicate details and cloth, and maybe smaller fender parts like yours. At least, it's an excuse for opening wine bottles in the evening .

Cheers Rob

[GazzaS]

19 hours ago, DocRob said:

Great idea, forming the metal sheet after the plastic. When I saw the pics, I, like you immediately searched for a way, to replicate the hinges, which look too coarse. One way would be to put some mud on, but I would have tried to shave the parts off te plastic, before forming the sheet over. 
How rigid is your used foil? Do you have to be very careful while handling the model?
I have a nice collection of lead wine caps, which is a great material to replicate details and cloth, and maybe smaller fender parts like yours. At least, it's an excuse for opening wine bottles in the evening .

Cheers Rob

Hi Rob,

    Thank you for your thoughts.  The brass foil is nowhere near as soft as kitchen foil.  Once annealed, it can be shaped easily.  But an unexpected bump won't ruin your work.  I will still bend them further, and add a little mud here and there. 

Your idea about removing the shaped detail came to me shortly after finishing the parts.  But I really didn't want to do it again.  I don't believe in working too hard for perfection.  I believe if I did it with every kit I would be frustrated and never complete anything.

I have some thin aluminum, too...   but it is no friend of CA.  Lead might be harder to get in sheet form and I really don;t want to have to flatten everything I use as well.  I know 3d printing is the way of the future.  But I kind of like the idea of going back in time.

[GazzaS]

Hello my friends,

    Now that my Me-110 build is complete, I can continue with this Panther.  I've been adding bits and pieces when I've had opportunities.  Today I did the tracks. 

Sometimes your AM dictates what you have to do with your build.  Resources help, and if you're doing a Panther, you won't find a more useful reference than the book:  Panther External Appearance & Design Changes  by Roddy Macdougal & Martin Block.

The Zimmerit I used, by Cavalier has pistol ports on the sides of the turret.  These pistol ports were deleted once the nahverteidigungswaffe was introduced.  When there were shortages of the nahverteidigungswaffe, the pistol ports on the side of the turret were retained.  And when the nahverteidigungswaffe was unavailable, the hole in the roof made for it was plated over with a circular steel plate with four bolts as I illustrate.

Todays work was building the track runs.  I ended up with only one spare track link.

There are still plenty of little parts to add.

Happy modelling!

[Kaireckstadt]

Great progress Gary!

Haven’t heard about the „Nahverteidigungswaffe“ so far and you did a nice rework on the turret to make it historically correct!

Only one track-element left in the end ? That’s not very much! Carful work necessary then! 

[BlrwestSiR]

Nice progress there Gary.

I picked up that book on a sale recently. It really does give you all the detailed information you could want. 

If you need a couple extra track links, let me know. I have a bag of them kicking around from a binned kit. Should be easy enough to drop them in the mail for you. 

 

Carl

[GazzaS]

18 hours ago, Kaireckstadt said:

Great progress Gary!

Haven’t heard about the „Nahverteidigungswaffe“ so far and you did a nice rework on the turret to make it historically correct!

Only one track-element left in the end ? That’s not very much! Carful work necessary then! 

Thank you, Kai.  I may have made one track a bit longer than the other.  But one in excess is better than being short.

14 hours ago, BlrwestSiR said:

Nice progress there Gary.

I picked up that book on a sale recently. It really does give you all the detailed information you could want. 

If you need a couple extra track links, let me know. I have a bag of them kicking around from a binned kit. Should be easy enough to drop them in the mail for you. 

 

Carl

Thank you for the offer.  I'm all good, though as there are twelve links for external hanging plus the one left over.  I haven't really found a Panther scheme that moves me, so I haven't needed any extra, extra, yet.

[Peterpools]

Gaz

Terrific progress on the Panter’s Zermerit- looks so good. Completely agree that is so many instances, the AM will dictate where and how the detailing is done and the direction of the build, less OOB builds.

Keep ‘em comin

Peter