pingvuiini
Member
- Joined
- Dec 8, 2012
- Messages
- 123
After seeing AJay's fantastic Hetzer build, I wanted to share my recent Hetzer project. I got this Italeri kit as part of a lot already built but with some pieces broken off and missing.
Some of the parts have been assembled incorrectly, the most egregious of which was the drive sprockets which were installed at a weird angle and thus made installing the tracks almost impossible. (WTAF??!!??!)
It looks like most of the models from the lot were stored outside for a long time as they all had dirt on them as if they had been rained on. The plastic on the thinner parts seemed very brittle. The model came with the hull completely unpainted but with decals applied and all the details painted.
The first thing I did was scrape off the decals, then washed everything and let dry. Next I put the model in the freezer overnight and in the morning I was able to crack off the sprockets and the schürzen intact. Aside from the sprockets the suspension seemed in good shape. I reinstalled the sprockets at the right angle. Then I glued styrene rod pins to the schürzen brackets and enlarged the holes in the hull so the pins would slip in, thus making them completely removable for easier track installation.
Since this came as part of a lot already built there were no instructions. I did a little bit of research online and saw that a big detail that was missing was a large angled exhaust tube in the back. Again using styrene tubing I was able to fashion something that sorta looks like what's supposed to be there. There were two hatches that were also missing, but I decided to cover those areas up later with a scratchbuilt tarp as I was getting impatient to paint and weather.
I was airbrushing another model with semigloss black acrylic and there was a lot still left in the airbrush cup when I was finished. I saw the Hetzer sitting close by so on a whim I decided to give it a coat of the semigloss black as sort of a primer coat and to use up the paint. It actually looked pretty cool and I regret not taking photos of it. After drying for a day I hand painted flat white with a brush to give it that 'in the field' uneven whitewash look. After that dried I applied decals, dull coated and added the tarp to hide the missing hatches and also added camouflage net to the barrel.
Then something interesting happened. I started to do the weathering with a liberal wash of mineral spirits and oils. As I was dabbing with the brush some of the white paint started coming off but not the semigloss black underneath. At first I started swearing like a sailor, but after I settled down I looked at it and realized that it looked exactly like chipped paint! So I forged ahead and continued to dab here and there, but at the same time trying to control myself and not overdo it as I usually do. After that serendipitous technique was finished (a technique that I hope to replicate in the future) I let it dry and then continued on with my usual excessive and unreasonable weathering.
Although some of the schürzen and other items like the jack are missing, it seems to add to the overall heavy combat look. I tried to bend some of the fenders with pliers, but the aforementioned brittleness of the old plastic kept me from doing so. The one piece tracks were in really good shape, but they are really rubbery and don't settle on the wheels as nicely as I would like. A set of Friulmodel tracks would be really nice, but I just couldn't bring myself to spend so much money (more than half what the whole lot cost!) on this particular model.
I've done several refurbs now and I am gaining more confidence with repairing and scratchbuilding. It's fun trying to figure out how to fix things and giving a new look. Some of the other kits in the lot look much more challenging, but I hope to post about them later.
Anyways, here are pics of the final result of the Hetzer. Thanks for looking!
Some of the parts have been assembled incorrectly, the most egregious of which was the drive sprockets which were installed at a weird angle and thus made installing the tracks almost impossible. (WTAF??!!??!)
It looks like most of the models from the lot were stored outside for a long time as they all had dirt on them as if they had been rained on. The plastic on the thinner parts seemed very brittle. The model came with the hull completely unpainted but with decals applied and all the details painted.
The first thing I did was scrape off the decals, then washed everything and let dry. Next I put the model in the freezer overnight and in the morning I was able to crack off the sprockets and the schürzen intact. Aside from the sprockets the suspension seemed in good shape. I reinstalled the sprockets at the right angle. Then I glued styrene rod pins to the schürzen brackets and enlarged the holes in the hull so the pins would slip in, thus making them completely removable for easier track installation.
Since this came as part of a lot already built there were no instructions. I did a little bit of research online and saw that a big detail that was missing was a large angled exhaust tube in the back. Again using styrene tubing I was able to fashion something that sorta looks like what's supposed to be there. There were two hatches that were also missing, but I decided to cover those areas up later with a scratchbuilt tarp as I was getting impatient to paint and weather.
I was airbrushing another model with semigloss black acrylic and there was a lot still left in the airbrush cup when I was finished. I saw the Hetzer sitting close by so on a whim I decided to give it a coat of the semigloss black as sort of a primer coat and to use up the paint. It actually looked pretty cool and I regret not taking photos of it. After drying for a day I hand painted flat white with a brush to give it that 'in the field' uneven whitewash look. After that dried I applied decals, dull coated and added the tarp to hide the missing hatches and also added camouflage net to the barrel.
Then something interesting happened. I started to do the weathering with a liberal wash of mineral spirits and oils. As I was dabbing with the brush some of the white paint started coming off but not the semigloss black underneath. At first I started swearing like a sailor, but after I settled down I looked at it and realized that it looked exactly like chipped paint! So I forged ahead and continued to dab here and there, but at the same time trying to control myself and not overdo it as I usually do. After that serendipitous technique was finished (a technique that I hope to replicate in the future) I let it dry and then continued on with my usual excessive and unreasonable weathering.
Although some of the schürzen and other items like the jack are missing, it seems to add to the overall heavy combat look. I tried to bend some of the fenders with pliers, but the aforementioned brittleness of the old plastic kept me from doing so. The one piece tracks were in really good shape, but they are really rubbery and don't settle on the wheels as nicely as I would like. A set of Friulmodel tracks would be really nice, but I just couldn't bring myself to spend so much money (more than half what the whole lot cost!) on this particular model.
I've done several refurbs now and I am gaining more confidence with repairing and scratchbuilding. It's fun trying to figure out how to fix things and giving a new look. Some of the other kits in the lot look much more challenging, but I hope to post about them later.
Anyways, here are pics of the final result of the Hetzer. Thanks for looking!
