German 8 Wheeled 233 Build

BarleyBop said:

I'm surprised you didn't mention those cookie tins the brits were using early on

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Mostly because I was limiting myself to jerrycans The British soon began making a straight-up copy of the German one, differing only in the lettering, exactly because of the problems with their own cans.

Which is an important thing to keep in mind for modellers: if you want to stick a German jerrycan on your model, make sure it's a German one. The old Italeri jerrycan set is a good example: most people thought (or think) it has six American cans and twelve German ones, but actually, it's six each of American, German and British.

Here's a British can:



It differs from the German ones mainly in that it has W↑D embossed in it (for "War Department") instead of Kraftstoff 20l or Wasser 20l, and you can see this in 1:35 scale. There's no problem if you glue it to a model with the blank side up, of course, but when the embossed side is showing, you may have put an unlikely can onto a model.

So, I got the smoke dischargers installed and some jerry cans with PE straps. Onward Ho!



The PE on this kit is incredible. i have about 20 or more PE parts and 50 more plastic parts to install before the primer.

I can't explain the glue all over the left front drivers hatch. I saw it in the pic and was mystified. It was a 'What is that" moment for me. Weathering will hide it, I hope.

I think my errors as a hack builder can be covered by weathering and 'battle damage'. We all will see.

Be well. Model on.

Should I quit this build now?

Eric

OldManModeler said:

Should I quit this build now?

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Only you can answer that..........but I think you got this,
Be well. Model on.

kevin said:

I think you got this

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... I second that motion!

Thank you, guys.

I became a 'Glue Member' because I appreciate this forum and all you folks within this hobby. Having built plastic models since childhood, I still learn something new every week just coming here and reading everyone's posts. "Pay it forward", as they say.

PE, and jerry cans... 4 of these to do....

I think of the soldiers in North Africa back then. The Brits and Germans, Italians and later the Americans boys. Kiwi's and Brits and maybe Aussies in the LRDG and SAS. Thousands of miles from home.
Back then.... Love was (is) eternal. Their wives and girlfriends and family were so vey far away. Yet, they endured. And I sit here in 2025 and bend bits of photo etch parts to honor them in a tiny model....



Onward.

I listen to this kind of music while bending PE.... So I don't give up. Because in the end, it doesn't matter. I do it for love of the history and for those boys who did it. Those young men who lived it.



Only this matters: John 3:16.

Be well. Model on.

Eric

OldManModeler said:

The Brits and Germans, Italians and later the Americans boys. Kiwi's and Brits and maybe Aussies in the LRDG and SAS

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You're forgetting the members of the largest all-volunteer army ever raised: Indians. Also the Free French.

Jakko said:

You're forgetting the members of the largest all-volunteer army ever raised: Indians. Also the Free French.

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Yes Sir. My apologies to the Indians and the free French. And to quasi mercenaries by trade or conscription.

OldManModeler said:

quasi mercenaries

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Yes, the famous Gurkha, of Nepal!
And no, Nepal was never part of the Commonwealth or the Raj. A feisty little kingdom that you invaded at your peril.

Since we seem to be listing non North African combatants, I'll also add to the list, which I'm sure still won't be complete:

The Vichy French
The French Foreign Legion
Greek Royal Hellenic soldiers and airmen
The South African Army, though in the Commonwealth, SA was about twice as far away as Great Britain
Polish soldiers, intelligence and airmen
...and to my surprise, in Tunisia, the 166th (Newfoundland) Field Artillery Regiment which was not yet part of Canada! (there's gotta be a build here!)

Cheers!

BarleyBop said:

Yes, the famous Gurkha, of Nepal!
And no, Nepal was never part of the Commonwealth or the Raj. A feisty little kingdom that you invaded at your peril.

Since we seem to be listing non North African combatants, I'll also add to the list, which I'm sure still won't be complete:

The Vichy French
The French Foreign Legion
Greek Royal Hellenic soldiers and airmen
The South African Army, though in the Commonwealth, SA was about twice as far away as Great Britain
Polish soldiers, intelligence and airmen
...and to my surprise, in Tunisia, the 166th (Newfoundland) Field Artillery Regiment which was not yet part of Canada! (there's gotta be a build here!)

Cheers!

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Let's not forget the local Arabs. Not just a few Axis and Allies died because of camel travelers whom sought the highest bidder.

SAAF film, here....


@BarleyBop , there's your north Africa aircraft builds... LOL

Flimsies in the film at about minutes 8.00 and 22.4.
.
At about minute 9:10, seeing them drink wine, it makes me wonder how many times they flew while drunk as shit. My, though, it would be a good way to go if you get shot down. A Fk it attitude.

A spider bite takes out a pilot at around minute 17.00.

I would guess that many pilot Ace's were drunk off their rocker whilst being incredible killing machines.

Be well. Model on.

Eric

So, the AFV Club 8 Rad build was coming along today. The builds separated parts were just day away from a Vallejo Dunkelgelb (dark yellow) or DunkelGrau (German panzer grey) surface primer. The small details were going on with no shortage of frustration. All that's left is the microscopic tool latch levers in PE, the smoke canister handles and the Notek light.

But, where is the Notek light? I can't find the most iconic part of a WWII German vehicle! The German helmet looking light on the front left fender! I glued the light itself to it's little post a few days ago, and put it in a 'safe' place. The PE fender mount is already on the model...



But the Notek light cannot be found. I cannot blame the carpet monster because my man-cave has concrete floor. I can only blame myself and scotch whiskey for storing it in a 'safe place'. I will search for it the next couple days. And if I can't find it I may look into my spare parts stash.

Ready, almost, for primer... gin, I mean gun, and wheels will be primed separately....



Be well. Model on.

Eric

OldManModeler said:

put it in a 'safe' place

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No worries, it is with my keys!

Looking good! All dem shiny parts!
This is the point where I ask myself: do I really wanna prime all that PE that I laboured over, and make it disappear?

Cheers!

BarleyBop said:

This is the point where I ask myself: do I really wanna prime all that PE that I laboured over, and make it disappear?

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Right!!!

OldManModeler said:

But, where is the Notek light?

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That's odd — according to the instructions on Scalemates, it should be parts B22 and B23, but printed in outlined type, which appears to mean it's on this sprue:



Confusingly, there are three "B" sprues in this kit, two with a solid B and one with an outlined one. Plus a BB sprue for good measure.

Jakko said:

That's odd — according to the instructions on Scalemates, it should be parts B22 and B23, but printed in outlined type, which appears to mean it's on this sprue:

View attachment 136444

Confusingly, there are three "B" sprues in this kit, two with a solid B and one with an outlined one. Plus a BB sprue for good measure.

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Wow, great detective work. You are correct. That is an included sprue (from a halftrack kit) that had the Notek light on it.

So, the good news is: I found the Notek light part! Whoo Hoo!

I already had a hard time finding out where the instructions even tell you to fit it It seems to appear out of nowhere on one of the illustations, until I realised there's another one a bit lower on the page that shows it being installed.

Jakko said:

I already had a hard time finding out where the instructions even tell you to fit it It seems to appear out of nowhere on one of the illustations, until I realised there's another one a bit lower on the page that shows it being installed.

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Yes. As I had mentioned earlier; The instructions on this kit are not first rate. The kit may be first rate, but the instructions are like old school Dragon. Which were almost useless.

Reminds me... Many many years I bought my son a plastic Dragon 1/6 scale WWII German machine gun kit, MG 34 or 42. He worked on it for a day and then frustrated, he asked me for help. He was about 16 y/o at the time. So I sat down with him and looked at the instructions.... Thinking that 'I can handle this'. Nope, the instructions were a joke. That fine kit with crap instructions is in my stash somewhere or maybe my son threw it away.