MENG 1/35 Sd.kfz. 173 Jagdpanther

[Floki]

But on the question of paint, I agree with the AK Real Colors suggestion. Those are great paints. One side bar on the colors, as far as order of application. German AFVs produced up to Fall 1944 came out of the factory in the Dunkelgelb base color, and the Olivegrun and/or Red Brown camo was applied by the receiving units. In Fall 1944, to speed up production, the base color was left as Red Brown primer, with Olivgrun and Dunkelgelb being applied over that, usually at the factory. In late winter/early spring1945, the base color was changed to Olivgrun at the factory, with Dunkelgelb & Red Brown being applied at the factory as well. Application of zimmerit anti magnetic mine paste was discontinued around the time of the switch from Dunkelgelb to Red Brown primer base as well.

The camo scheme your going for would be a good candidate for silly putty or blue tac masking. With the base coat being Dunkelgelb. Also some of the factory applied camo schemes where very interesting my favorite was the octopus camo scheme.

[speedgraflex]

You have to love Karl.

[Stikpusher]

If you’re building 212 based off of that photo, I’d suggest the Olivgrun base, with a disruptive pattern of Dunkelgelb and Rotbraun. The running gear, even though most likely covered in mud and muck, is much closer tonaly to the green on the side skirts, and not the Dunkelgelb.

[KSaarni]

First of all, many thanks to all of you regarding the opinions of the paints; Torben, Bruce, Clint, Jeeves and Carlos!
Good stuff, appreciated!

Carlos and Clint, thank you very much answering in advance my "next question", which color should be the base-color for the "212".

Thank you Clint for your willingness to share your paint ratios for Tamiya paints, to get the right nuances, very much appreicated!

Thank you Bruce for all the reference pictures of the "212".. Interesting that MENG believes the color of "212" was black, but the reference picture you have found shows red numbers..
( and I don't mind either the laquer smell ...)

Meanwhile I have found one internet shop on this side of the pond, selling Mission models colors, adding them in my list.
(https://www.modellbau-koenig.de/en)
Has some other interesting stuff as well...


- Kari

[speedgraflex]

[KSaarni]

Thanks Bruce for the pics!

Work has continued in constructing the beast.

First the mighty 88 mm gun was made, what a beautiful piece. I will probably, just of courtesy, practice to paint it.


There are some tiny gaps here and there that needs to be filled. I have had an AM metal barrel for this 88mm, but cannot find it anywhere... I would have used it instead of this plastic barrel... which again is not bad at all.

All the suspension arms have been aligned to exact position and then glued.



In this version, there are many handles spread all over the sides and some in the front. With the kit comes a couple of well protected PE sheets:



But very quickly I realised, PE parts are very flat and the handles are probably in reality round instead of flat.. So I used some iron thread and replaced them. Using a wooden coctail stick, the piece was locked in place before using Bondic on the other side to UV glue it into place.





And finally it was time to put the hull (or what the formal name is) together...




- Kari

[speedgraflex]

WOW!

Only superlatives will do here! Such fantastic work, Kari!

1. With your painting questions, have you decided if “212” will be red, white or black? Also, now that the enormous canon is complete, how will you paint this?

2. Congratulations on an absolutely ingenious, well-thought improvement to the kit’s grab handles. May I ask is “iron thread” a metal wire. Although your English is impeccably accurate, I am curious what you are using here to make the grabs, and thought perhaps this was a translation of metal to “iron” and wire to “thread.”

3. Your bench photography is absolutely incredible! I especially appreciate the action shots or “activity shots,” which are so hard to stage convincingly. The peeling away of the well-protected PE, the beam of UV light - with all the details of what is being secured and the ruler showcasing the axle positions are so well done. I always save images to my “Best of Kari” folder!

4. Perhaps by NOT adding the Meng Jagdpanther to you signature is better. I feel like you that sometimes our fascination with fabricating a piece of history is kind of like the moment when we look out the backyard window and see a strange animal there... we are naturally curious to investigate further, but we know we must temper curiosity with caution, above all we must find the deep desire to know more... my personal speculation: when I add that I am building a Mustang P-51D that it is my obligation is to have a completed aircraft emerge from the factory doors after a suitable amount of time, effort and cash has been spent. What is happening to me is I am generating a small collection of serious attempts. Who cares about me! I think you ought to keep this very special experience “off the books” for now, and build straight from the heart, Kari. Always.

[KSaarni]

Thank you Bruce, you are too kind!

I will go for the black 212 only because of the kit decals, that are black. But the red 212 would be visually much nicer.
Need to study a little bit the coloring, have not yet figured it out..

Hehh, this is sort of funny thing, this with wire and thread... There are people who mix with left and right, they just don't get it right, ever. And for me, the words thread and wire is similar. . Seriously, I just never remember to use the word wire, even if the word is so "damn" common.. But nope, it changes to thread... But this is an example of having four different languages in my thoughts. There is Finnish, Swedish, English and in an increasing amount also Dutch language.. A mess sometimes! :-)

What a coincidence regarding my signature!! (had even to use two exclamation mark because of the coincidence). I also realized (only) this evening, that my signature is a little bit outdated.... :-)

***
Even if MENGs kit is fabulous, the first annoying gap popped-up.
A gap in one corner of the hull pieces. I just could not press/push/squeeze the pieces tight against eachother. Not in dryfitting and definitely not when using "MrCement S" as help. The gap stayed there!



So the solution; stretched sprue in the gap.. Naturally I first tried to use the kits own sprue, logical... But was very surprised, but I could not stretch practically anything what so ever, using MENGs plastic... Either it stayed thick, or it was cut off too early etc.. Very weird... So I had to go and look for Eduard sprues, which are very good raw-material for this. And indeed, had no problems what-so-ever to produce one inch of stretched sprue...




Let's see what next!

- Kari

[Floki]

Some beautiful work so far Kari. My Grandpa was Finnish/German and would teach my cousin and I some Finnish but mostly German since that was mostly what my Grandma spoke she still hasn't learned much English and now that she's in her 90s probably isn't going to learn much more. Finnish is very hard too is it your mother language?

[KSaarni]

Kiitos Clint,

and so interesting to know about your grandpa!
Where from Finland does his family come from ?

Indeed, Finnish language is quite difficult to learn, both the gramma part and the pronounciation. I am a bi-lingual, Swedish language is my "official" mother language, but my Finnish is more or a less equally good/bad. I am part of the minority of Swedish speaking Finns in Finland (~5.3% of the population) and not to be mixed at all with Swedes living in Sweden.

- Kari