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Playing in the Sandbox Group Build Sept 1, 2024 - Jn 1, 2025

1/35 Sd.Kfz.251/4 Ausf.c with leFH18/40


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After much consternation I have chosen a German subject.  Mostly because I have many of them in my stash and have built very few.  It will also give me a chance to work on something with a very different camo scheme than I normally work on.  I have made a few AFV models and really enjoy their kits.  Included is some photo etched AM gear and am looking in the stash for more German extras.  Looking to attach the build to a real live Order Of Battle in Normandy.  And then find or create the appropriate markings.

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See you all at the work bench!

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  • 2 weeks later...
On 5/19/2019 at 7:45 PM, Dave J said:

Nice! I have been wanting one of these kits... Keep missing out on it when they come up.

 

 

I was horribly lucky as my son bought it for my as a gift.  I almost didn't build this kit because it is hard to come by.  But, as with everything else I bought...she was bought to build.  Hopefully, I can be a wonderful example of what not to do when you get yours.

On 5/20/2019 at 12:24 AM, GazzaS said:

Party with Arty!!

True and true....rounds on target, beers after. 

20 hours ago, Martinnfb said:

Excellent choice! :)  

It is going to be fun for sure.  The only limiting factor is the builder...the kit is wonderful.

10 hours ago, DocRob said:

Second that

Hang out and keep me inline Doc...someone has to.

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Found some things bought long ago.  Not sure if the track will be of the right period.  If the track in the kit is good to go I might save the AM for later.  Off to make more of mess out of this endeavor. 

 

Hmmmmm.....

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40 minutes ago, Bomber_County said:

How did this slip by me, this is going to be awesome, never seen this kit before, so even more intrigued.........

AFV made a few of these combo kits a while back; think they did one with the Falke and Uhu infrared units also. Their 251s build a bit differently than Dragon's or Tamiya's, and I found them a bit fiddlier although they look good once done.

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  • 3 months later...

Well its been a bit since I have been at my bench.  Its been an amazing salmon run up here.  And I have have been helping friends hunt and so forth.  We received our termination dust over the last few days and so its all too soon to be winter.  With that I sat down and knocked out the 105 in the last day or so.  I build it so that it can be re-positioned as its final resting place will be a diorama.  With that in mind I have made some very minor changes in the build.  The white plastic added in the picture below is capping the elevation hydraulics as the kit was designed with the pin resting on the support.  the white plastic block allows elevation of the gun keeping the pin in the support.  This will allow me to reposition at a later time and then affix as I see fit.  I also made the recoil slide tube metal (Paper clip) to allow for the weapon to recoil without the fear of the prior weak plastic used breaking. 

 

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The base has been made to be displayed in a towed position and unlimbered as needed.  Allowing flexibility in the future diorama. 

 

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Its good to back on my work bench.   I hope all has been well with all of you.  Off to start the 251.

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7 hours ago, Bomber_County said:

This going to be a cracking diorama and build, looking forward to it.........

 

I am sure to get the model done buy the D-Day build final day.  But the diorama is still to be designed so we will see.  I have always wanted to do one and I am excited about the thought.  Thank you for the kind words!

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  • 5 months later...

Time to knock the dust off the old build.

My compressor died after years of faithful service a few months ago.  Also, the need to experiment pushed its way in to this model.  In response I have brushed on the paint for the interior while waiting to the compressor. For years I had been striving for a perfect paint job.  Learning about and actually seeing armor as I got older changed my view drastically over the years.  Then, as I learned to weather I worried far less about that factory finish I tried to create in my early years of modeling.  In this case I am trying to use the brush to replicate the harsh treatment the interior of the 251.  As a young soldier I used to drive an Army M113 APC.  I thought about what the interior looked like during operations and applied that here.  Dry brushing and back filling rust after all the details are in. 

Now that I have a compressor a few things have been happening with this.  I have been light sanding places and filling out the color and texture with my airbrush.  Then weathering.   Below is the work far. 

 

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In the picture below I was messing around with a light acrylic gloss coat before weathering.  Just behind the seats you will see the demarcation line where the gloss ends and the natural flat begins.  I will be messing with oils and such to figure out the approach for future builds.   

 

This model was bough many years ago.  I also bought an Eduard kit back when I was first catching the photo etched bug.  While some photo etched was used at this scale much of it was redundant in my way of thinking.  The amount of work required and the part it replaced nulled the effect of photoetched.  Meaning that the original was better such is the case as the gear levers.  Photoetched is not round as the plastic is and of good quality.  I will be looking far deeper in to photo etched parts in future builds/scales before spending the dough.  

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  • 4 weeks later...

As I have been working on the interior I realized that I have been accidentally used desert yellow instead of dark yellow.....So I will see what I can do but its likely I will finish the interior using desert yellow and shift to dark yellow on the exterior. 

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Lots of work to report. 

The interior of this model is fantastic.  Now I must say I am no expert.  But this things builds itself.  The parts are crisp, the plastic is strong.   Lots of detail still to add, weapons, food, ammo, etc.  Trying to work on a decent wood grain sans decal.  That is tonight's goal....learn to wood grain.  As I built, I began to realize that much of my detail work was soon to be buried by further armor plate or gear.  So my pictures are a lot about capturing what I did for the next 251 I build. 

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The first time the 251/1 and the Gun have been so close since I started.  I am trying to build the kit in such a way that I can entertain multiple options, in terms of set up and layout.  This for the impending diorama.  The Gun can be unlimbered or in towed position fairly easily and gently. As for the 251/1 focus on making sure the doors open and such has been sweet.  The kit is designed with this all in mind so it made things easy.  I have offered only one modification in replacing the plastic hinge pins with a small cooper wire.  But again, I am no expert in 251's.  I did have to lightly fill some seams.  Getting the top half of the hull to match up to the lower took some time and patience.

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I am beginning to work out the details for the eventual diorama.  I have a couple of the Verlinden German Pillboxes and therefore the luxury of a choice.  So as I build the setting might become less murky.

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