PzKw IV H +G Italeri 1:35

[fam43]

Well I think it's time for a bit heavy metal.
Late in the 70-ties I bought some Italeri PzKw IV modelkits for an apple and an egg, as we say in Germany.



Really I built two tanks but I will describe only one in detail. I bought an engine and a transmition from the after market. The transmisssion was wrong and I had to change it a bit. Bulkheads turretbasket and some other things were made of plastc card.

 

Some changes of the transmission with 2-K putty. You will not see too much through the openings. their is no need for expensive items.



Now let's start with the hull. This will be a late Panzer IV. It had a fueltank where once was a small engine for the turret gear. The poor ladds had tu do it now by hand.

 

Let's fill the hull with some bits and pieces. You don't have to be overcorrect because the interior will be cracked up.

The white parts are castings in paster of paris. Except the engine and the gear all master forms are made of plasticard.

Edited October 27, 2015 by fam43

[mywifehatesmodels]

This is great to see. With today's "Wunderkits" and piles upon piles of aftermarket parts to add to them, most people wouldn't even consider building a kit like this. It shows real passion and skill to dive into a project like this when it would be so much easier to just throw money at a newer, easier option.

 

 

John

[LSP_Ray]

Nice start! Good work on the extra details.

FYI: The Italeri kit is a mixed bag on the details. Some are for the F/G, others are for the H. For instance, the suspension travel stop bumpers are the earlier G bumpers, so if you want to do a mid-late H you need to change them. Funny, they did the proper H/J bumpers on their StuG IV kit, but everything else, Pz IVH, JagPzr IV, Wirbelwind has G bumpers. If you don't want to change them, the late G/early H had mixed features so you could model one of those early H's. Not like the boxart, which is an HJ late H or J panzer.

[fam43]

Next step was cementing all this parts in the hull. It's easier applaying the "Zimmerit" in advance. I use a  cheap forming mass which is washable and dries quickly in the air. No problem when you goofed.

 

There is always the need to check the fiiting  when you use scratchbuilt parts

When parts are missing or are bad a little scene canhelp. The right driving sprocket was broken. This I call a happy accident.

 

 

 

 

Edited November 8, 2015 by fam43

[Martinnfb]

An old school style as I remember it, very cool. ZImmerit and all, uber cool

[fam43]

Now comes the funny part. Crush it!

 

 

 

Most of the parts are scratchbuild and forms made of cheap water soluble molding compound I got from my dentist. Sad that you can use the forms only once.

 

 

 

 

 

[fam43]

These are all details I will add to the interior of the turret. You won't see much of it when the Tank is finished.

 

 

Last chance to do damage to the inner hull.

 

 

I jump ahead a bit.
Time to do the groundplate before finishing the tank.Mostly I use nbreakfast slats for the base of tank dios. Cheap and of standardized size. That makes logistics much easier. Think the grade of inner demolition is enough now.

 

 

[mywifehatesmodels]

Looking really good. I like the base, too!

 

John

[ClumsyDude]

Love the concept, and your modelling of the destruction looks really good.

 

Cheers

Jim

[Bill Cross]

That you can make that piece of **** kit look this good is a testament to your skills.

[fam43]

I decided the tank was shot up at the right side and burnt fiercly. The road wheels were damged accordingly.



The weathering is only provisional will be finished later.
I used the original vinyl tracks of the Italeri kit because I couldnt handle the single link traks of dragon.



Now the Turret and cooling fans are in stalled.

[fam43]

Just some more pics:

 

 

 

 

 

[Guest]

Very well done. Great looking dio.

[fam43]

Let's finish this tank. The most funniest part comes here: Soil it up.

 

 

 

 

 

[LSP_K2]

I have pretty much the entire Panzerwrecks series, and this looks like a knocked out IV in one of the volumes. Nice job. Hard to believe it's that old Revell kit.