Agent G

I cannot understand how an issue like that could occur. We have photos, drawings and plans and there might even be a Dora out there somewhere. It's like several topics on this board recently, how does that happen? Thank goodness for multiple kits and a well stocked spares bin. That is looking great and I love the BMF underside! I raided the bead section at Hobby Lobby today and found some 2mm plated brass "crimp beads". They were a perfect fit for the antenna rod. I added aluminum tube to the upright stantions, CA'ed the beads to that then threaded the rod through. The aluminum tube has a thicker wall so it looks more like the actual fitting. I got the turret mostly finished and mounted. The real tank did not have a cannon. It was a dummy and the only weapon was a single machine gun in a swivel ball mount. I cut a hole in the mantlet and scratched the MG mount from a spare engine piece, sheet and putty. I drilled the sight hole and a hole for the barrel. I'm using my trademark covered barrel. You can also see where I used one of my resin castings for the armored bolt where the hull MG was mounted, it was deleted on the real tank. They needed room for all the radios. G

MrsG grew up around Grand and Pulaski. She waitressed at the diner across from Jimmy's Hotdog stand. She remembers a lot even though she's been in Vegas 27 years. G

They took a wrong turn at Albuquerque....................... G

Bob, Bring the MaK to our "All the Rest" Group Build. G

That's a winner! Bring it on Ben. G

Well as I see it this group build is for anything not mentioned in any other category on the forum. Planes, trains, ships, figures, tanks etc. In other woords something other than a model car. That's my 2 cents, everybody else can chime in as needed. G

Oh heck yes. G

What kind of car Ben? G

Again build for you, not the show. This cannot be stressed enough. As stated, master the basics, perfect your style, build what you want, when you want to build it. Keep pushing yourself. Try new things, the internet is your friend. I treat every completed model as practise for the next. Rarely, if ever do I revisit a model and add to it. I just push it and try new things on the next kit. G

Me neither, that's why I limit myself to only a few sites. This being one of them. G

Ray I'm at work right now and my nanny grams won't let me see the pics. Let me state something right off the bat. No where does it say that absolutely correct detail is required in what is supposed to be a fun hobby. There is no such thing as proper color either. "In the ball park" is just fine. I have always said that as modelers we strive for that perfect camo job, perfectly matched color, and exact detail, when in the real world they were anything but perfect. Build it and display it the way you see fit. We'll all watch. G

I got to spend all yesterday evening and all day today at the bench. Here's where I'm at now. Began the frame antenna mounts. I used some .030 rod, .040 brass tube and discs punched from .010 sheet. It's very delicate but real close to scale. The rods are anchored from underneath by epoxy putty. The brass tube is slipped over and CA'd to the rod. This is the armored cover for the antenna wire. I made it from tube and capped the upper end. G

Thank you Skip, that means a lot. Thanks for the clarification Harry. Grandma passed when I was 12, that was a loooong time ago so the German is nearly gone. Tom, I read a lot about that time in history, fascinated because I had relatives on both sides. I believe it wasn't just hot, but hotter than we can ever imagine. I ran across a passage in a reference book the other day. In the event of a sandstorm the vehicle would be turned in such a fashion to put the engine down wind and the crew sheltered in place with all vision ports closed. So a truck would be tail end into the wind and have all the windows rolled up. A tank though, would be nose into the wind and completely buttoned up. That is almost unimaginable given no climate control system or filtration. It's reportedly bad enough in a modern M1A1 with filtration and AC much less this little beast. G

Ask away Ray! G

Here's what I'm working from for the Panzerbefehlswagen III E. This is an H model but the turret hull and antenna are the same only the width of the tracks and rear idler wheel are different. I got the diagram from the internet and thus don't know who to credit. I have made molds and resin cast spare antenna bases, vision ports and the big armored bolts that hold it all together. G

Attention to detail, that's what makes it. I took a few more pictures today. Painted some water cans for the Pz III L. I used a piece of sponge to paint the white crosses. Painted some stowage items as well. I obtained these items from Value Gear at an IPMS show in Phoenix. This is good stuff and very reasonably priced too. Here's where I'm at with the Pz III E command tank. The first tanks shipped to Tripoli from Naples had lengths of track hung all over them as replacements. Spare tires so to speak. It wasn't untill later on when Allied guns became more dangerous the track links also became added protection. I formed this set from aftermarket spares I had lying around unremembered for years.The pins are temporary, I will construct accurate ones soon. G

Last week Saturday my beloved brother in law departed from this world to the next. He and my sister had been married 48 years. While not unexpected, he has had health issues for decades, it wasn't a shock when my neice called. When my neice and I spoke she told me her mother was far and away ready to get on with her life. Today I called my sister and put her on speaker my wife. I found she is her normal self and incredibly upbeat but then again this is a strong woman who never gets ruffled. I broached the idea of her possibly travelling here to Las Vegas for a visit. She said she was planning on a trip to Colorado with her grown children and invited us to meet hem there. We plan on attending. It was nice to see adversity didn't detract from my sister's life. G

That looks really nice. I agree with the rest leave this one alone, she looks good as is. G

My 1996 Ford F150 XLT Lariat. I found her in '05 by accident while chauffering my mom around. Mom's Saturn needed servicing and there on the used car lot sat the truck. Knowing it had to be cherry, as it was not immediately wholesaled, I took her for a spin. Brought her home a few days later. The truck was used but not abused, everything worked and she was my favorite color combo from that year, red and silver. 5.0, AOD, typical Ford PU. Sold her when I moved to Las Vegas two years later as I was unsure when I'd be purchasing a home. I miss that one for sure. G

MrsG is a runner. She and her brother ran all the local marathons for years until a knee injury sidelined her for quite a bit. She's back at it in a moderate way now. I guess you could say her level of fitness is what she can show for her efforts, oh and shoes, lots and lots of shoes. G

Superb work. G

Truth be told I probably wrote it wrong............................... G

Most paints. Enamels act stupid, bead up, refuse to dry, refuse to cover, you name it. Laquers simply "blush" and refuse to gloss up. They go on then develop a white pasty appearence. Being laquers, this penetrates all the coats as they merge into one anyway. Acrylics spray better with a touch of moisture in the air but there is definately a sweet spot as stated by Bill. G

Using rattlecans means painting outside for most of us. I moved from the hot humid midwest to the arid high desert a few years back and both present unique challenges. In Missouri I always did what Carl suggests until one evening. I took the piece outside, sprayed and watched the paint bead up and bounce off the surface. The humidity allowed condensation to form. From then on it was middle of the day as stated. 90% humidty was the norm there. Acrylics sprayed in an airbrush were fine year round. Here in Las Vegas I find that if I take something outside in the middle of the day it is way too hot unless I take extra precautions. Every can is thoroughly shaken before stepping out. I go out and wait a minute for the body to warm up then spray in the shade. I bring everything in and wait a half hour. Then I put the piece outside in the shade and watch it dry in minutes. Can you say baked enamel finish? 5% humidity in the summer. 40%-60% humidity is ok in my book. Rain and wet are the enemies as stated. G

Bob, Jim Thank you both. Jim, yes it is. The original was based on the Panzer 1b chassis, hence the five roadwheels. G