First Build Log - breaking the cycle... Pak 38 - Italeri

[backonthecase]

Evening folks,

After gettin so many kits dug out from the depths of my "to finish" pile and nearly done (STAP, Buccaneer, Mirage, AC-47, Me262) , I thought I'd treat myself to starting a new one.

It's nothing fancy, just a kit to "break" the dribbly finishes of my others, no complexity, no surprises! Oh yeah and its my first build log from the start, so please be gentle!!! :

Anyway, less talky more piccy...

The obligatory box-shot

Sprues (they look awfully like old Tamiya sprues)

Gona have to do something about this...

lucky it's the second layer of armour, so not on full show

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So after just about an hour's work, mostly involving Mr Swann-Morton, Mr P1200 wet & dry and Mr needle file, we have this: -

2 trails, 1 slidy thing for under the barrel (I forget the technical term) and 1 chassis

Which translates into this, something vaguely Pak-looking

All in all it looks like a half-decent kit, although it has more flash than a Jaguar owner's club meeting in a camera shop it's nothing some shaving and sanding can't handle.

As usual, comments & crit welcome.

Stitch

 

[backonthecase]

Here's an update.

Smoothed off the wheels with the trusty lathe method

and got a few other fiddly bits together. Trails are done (these handles were a pain to locate), the gun barrel is drying, the cradle that holds the barrel is done and cleaned up and the shield is almost done.

And test-fitted, we have something vaguely Pak shaped (forgive the location of the shield, it slipped before I took the photos...

Next on the list is cleaning up the barrel and then probably some primer

Stitch

 

[spanner570]

Nice one Stitch, what colour are you going to finish it in?......German grey or be brave and do it Dk. yellow/cammo to go with the crew?

Ron

 

[dubster72]

It's looking good Stuart & as a non-group builder, thanks for a thread that I can add to!

If you need to fill any seams on the barrel, use tipp-ex, it worked a treat on my Pershing.

Patrick

 

[backonthecase]

Ron, I have some Afrika Korps figures, so I was toying with the idea of having a North Africa Camo, using a German Grey undercoat to give paint chip effects... but it depends how brave I'm feeling the time!!

Patrick, thanks for the tip, I'll give the tippex a go!

 

[Richy C]

Go for it Stuart , if your not sure why not get a tamiya cheapo similar gun £5 from ebay to play on , its what I done - drilled a few holes and tried to make a rusty burnt out north african look , once your happy replicate how you wan`t your pak 38 to be made ,

just a thought

Richy

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[backonthecase]

Hey that looks good richy, really captured the "rusted away" look! I'm not an expert on battle damage though, I'll give it a shot if I'm feelin brave!

 

[backonthecase]

Update.

Just over 5 hours build time and she's got some Panzergrau on... Trusty Tamiya XF63 with trusty cheap Chinese airbrush. No major issues with this kit, fit is dead on and as long as one checks the instructions, no difficulty in working out what goes where... even the 4 seperate shield braces are really well fitted. Good value for under £5. As you can see I've drilled out the wheels betweek the spokes (was solid in the kit) and these still need tidied up a bit.

Photos: -

Went down ok I think. Comments welcome as always...

Stitch

 

[Gern]

Hi Stuart,

That looks like a nice, tidy build so far. Can I pick your brains and ask how you drilled out between the spokes? I tried drilling out some gaps on my FW 190 build and just ended up melting the plastic.

Gern

 

[backonthecase]

Hi Stuart,That looks like a nice, tidy build so far. Can I pick your brains and ask how you drilled out between the spokes? I tried drilling out some gaps on my FW 190 build and just ended up melting the plastic.

Gern

Thanks Gern,

Well as it happens I should not have drilled out the spokes, the 10-spoke version of this wheel actually retains the interconnecting skin. But anyway that was not your question!

I used my Rotacraft mini drill at it's lowest speed setting. I did melt the plastic to begin with but to avoid doing that I just drilled for just a moment, then pulled it away, drill, release, drill, release, and so on, this did not allow the plastic to heat up enough to melt, but the job takes a little longer. I'm currently in the process of cleaning up the leftover bits and pieces using my needle files and scalpel and I will post pics of the wheels when I'm done.

Hope this helps

Stuart

 

[spanner570]

Starting to look the part now Stitch, any thoughts about the final colour scheme?

By the way you have caused me to have a nose bleed through standing on my head trying to read what the good folks of Crieff want to do to improve their houses!!lol

Ron

 

[backonthecase]

Starting to look the part now Stitch, any thoughts about the final colour scheme?By the way you have caused me to have a nose bleed through standing on my head trying to read what the good folks of Crieff want to do to improve their houses!!lol

Ron

hahaha ron you got me laughing with that comment!! Nice to know my subliminal messages are getting through!!!

Re the colour scheme. I was planning on using the Panzer Grey as a base coat for some sort of camo scheme with chips of grey showing through. I might just give it a makey-up field applied scheme.

Stuart

 

[spanner570]

Good idea Stuart, lots of stuff was painted in the field depending on location, and as it is an Anti Tank gun you can bet your sweet dippy the crew would be in a hurry and would not have the time to mess about with a spray gun, even if they had one, which is doubtful!

So, out with the brush and bucket and slap it on, I think that's exactly what the crew would have done......

" No negative waves, Kalowski! "

Ron

 

[backonthecase]

Ron, I'm a bit aprehensive about brush painting - even if it's meant to look like a rush job! But I'll give it a coat of Klear and hopefully that'll rescue me if things go breasts elevated...

Of I might just spray on some red-brown and green stripes....

"To a New Yorker like you, a hero is some type of weird sandwich, not some nut who takes on three tigers"

 

[spanner570]

Sounds like a good plan...

"woof, woof!"

 

[backonthecase]

Since the last update, I sprayed some darkened Panzer Grey onto the recessed areas including most of the machinery behind the shield. It's almost too subtle an effect but I'm stayin with it. Next step is probably latex glue for chipping then the overcoat of * Red-brown / dark yellow / green

* delete as appropriate!!

Stuart

 

[backonthecase]

Update - Got the camo done, chipping, gloss coating and a wash...

The wash doesnt really show up in the photos but it's nice & subtle in reality. I'm waiting on a replacement set of wheels since I mistakingly drilled out the skin in between the spokes. Other than that, it'll be matt coat, pastels and done!

Comments welcome!

Stitch

 

[spanner570]

Spot on piece of work Stuart...It looks 'used' but not overly so, well done.

Ron

 

[backonthecase]

Spot on piece of work Stuart...It looks 'used' but not overly so, well done.Ron

Thank you muchly Ron, I hope you enjoyed following this build. I'm looking forward to getting it done, not that I want to see the back of it, it's just I've got a 75mm in the stash as well hehehe

Stuart

 

[spanner570]

Thank you muchly Ron, I hope you enjoyed following this build. I'm looking forward to getting it done, not that I want to see the back of it, it's just I've got a 75mm in the stash as well heheheStuart

I certainly did enjoy the build Stuart........Please sir, can I follow anudder?

Ron