Hey, hey.
I just had an accident in the garage that destroyed a model (Alas, poor Sturmpanzer IV. We had great hopes for thee.), damaged my airbrush, and hurt my hand. Doh! It was actually kinda funny. Anyway, I am out of action for a week or three. Regularly schedule programming will resume once the swelling goes down and I stop bleeding all over everything.
Damn Doug that’s a triple whammy - model destruction, equipment damage, and bodily injury! That hurts in more ways than one! Sorry to hear about the calamity and hope you heal up soon.
Doug, I hope you heal ASAP and everything goes well.
That turn of events sucks!
Thank you for the kind words! My hand is still sore but all the fingers work and the swelling is gone. 
I even put in a few hours of model building yesterday and today.
Thank you! My hand is healing pretty well and I am building again.
About thirty minutes before my very stupid accident, I had a premonition that something bad was about to happen. I had just finished putting a final clear coat on the Sturmgeshutz IV and it was sitting in a box on the floor of the garage next to me. I almost stopped airbrushing for the day but decided to press on. For the first time in two weeks, I felt conditions were perfect for finishing the camouflage on the Sturmpanzer IV. However, before proceeding with the Sturmpanzer IV, I took the Sturmgeshutz IV inside and put it in a safe place. That concession to my premonition saved it.
Finished: Dragon Models Limited 6520 Sd. Kfz. 167 StuG. IV Early Production
Over the last few days I slowly completed final assembly of this project. Everything fit very well which was a pleasant surprise.
Oil paints and mottling where used to break up the monotone camouflage scheme. In some respects, this worked. However, the final result still lacks sufficient color contrast. It looks like a dirty yellow brick.
The home made zimmerit and apron plate panels turned out fairly well. The jack block–hidden by an apron plate–and rear mounted tow cable turned out particularly well.
Some features may not look realistic. The left mounted tow cable drapes with a very gentle bend. The antennas are not perfectly straight. The tools include some weathering to simulate light use. The wood texture on tool handles could be better.
As with previous tank models in this thread, the running gear includes lots of colors but does not look especially realistic.
This is probably the best model in this thread. Construction and basic painting went well. Washes and oil paints went where intended. It includes a few custom features to make things more interesting. However, it desperately needs some vibrant colors to contrast with and break up all the earth tones. Texture paints applied to the running gear would also increase realism.
Doug, good to know your hand is on the mend. Sounds like a very unfortunate ordeal.
The Stug IV is looking Stug-a-licious! I especially like the effects on the skirt bottoms very eye catching. Likewise, I like the dark yellow mottled coloring effects.
Thank you, Wade!
I think I have the crazy mottling thing down. Now I need to learn some new tricks. Tarps. Tarps would be good.
For the last two weeks, I have dedicated all my model building time to 4 campaign projects which will eventually show up here. On the side, I am also continuing to clean up my former office and mine it for model kits and supplies. Almost every little box and baggy holds some long forgotten wonder including a large quantity of spare parts.
Most of the spare parts are now herded up and located in the box above. Another batch reside in a plastic project box. Unfortunately, this arrangement still takes up a lot of room and makes part scavenging difficult.
The new plan is to break down all spare parts sprues and store spare parts in the large tackle box shown above. The tackle box was also salvaged from the office. This plan has strengths and weaknesses. On the strength side, spare parts will take up a lot less space–the tackle box, a baggie for oversized parts, and a baggie for sprue bits. On the weakness side, the compartments are rather deep such that once one begins to fill up, finding something very specific, like a Panzer IV fender spring, will become very difficult.
One way to avoid the clutter problem is to use up the great bulk of spare parts. as they come in, on scratch building projects. I consider scratch building conjectural and science fiction vehicles perhaps the greatest joy of model building.
After finishing pressing campaign projects, perhaps it is time to revisit scratch building. Left over sprues can become a 1/35 scale cabin. Spare parts can become a conjectural vehicle or tank.
September 13th, 2023 will mark the 24th anniversary of the Moon being blown out of orbit. A post apocalypse campaign recently started. That seems like an interesting syncronicity.
I loved Space 1999 when I was a teenager. I recently watched series 1 with a friend who bought the DVD’s over - our consensus afterwards was, “What the heck were we on back then???”
I prefer Gerry Anderson’s earlier 1970-71 series ‘UFO’, which was then set in the 1980’s. Nothing like body snatching aliens, Thunderbird-esk vehicles … and something to get a teenagers blood rushing…
In my opinion, the first season of Space:1999 was an exploration of epistemology, undulating between sublime expositions on the nature of existence and Lovecraftian horror–there is something very strange out there, we will never understand it, and it will probably try to kill us. Even though episodes often became muddled and failed, I appreciated what the writers were hoping to accomplish.
UFO was a genuinely good psychological thriller. Ed Bishop was excellent as the commander of SHADO and the supporting cast was actually quite good. The vehicles were not of Eagle caliber but Anderson played his winning formula of futuristic technology very well.
I thoroughly enjoyed both shows, and only wish they had lasted longer.
Ken
After 4 days, my project to salvage spare parts and break down old sprues is almost complete.
Notable finds from salvage work include a complete M4 HVSS suspension, a Panther tank upper hull, and a set of Panzer I tracks. The three bags of sprue rubble will go into the recycle bin.
…
In my quest to find accurate, cheap, easy models for painting practice, I came across a series of1/35 scale Aerosans produced by Trumpeter. Aerosans, also called aerosleds, are propeller driven machines that move over open, snow covered ground on skis. Soviet soldiers used them extensively during World War II. After the war, they continued in service as border patrol vehicles. Small aerosans carried very light armor and a machine gun. Heavier aerosans were used to ferry supplies. Based on my reading, Trumpeter aerosans have moderate to severe accuracy issues. That made me sad because, after learning of their existence, I wanted to build a few.
For the last two weeks I have considered the idea of scratch building an aerosan. Since I lack reference books on such vehicles, building an accurate replica is impossible. However, i could build a conjectural aerosan used by the Americans or Germans. This line of thought led to the spare parts salvage project above and many ideas for conjectural aerosans.
Most apocalypse stories are set in a post nuclear war desert environment. What if a nuclear war, fought in 1945, launched enough material into Earth’s atmosphere to blot out the sun, rapidly cooling the Earth and triggering an ice age? In such an environment, perhaps, Americans and Germans would develop vehicles for traversing vast, snow covered expanses.
As a final piece to this puzzle, I recently learned about the Alvis Stalwat. I immediately wanted one in my collection but no plastic model of the vehicle exists. Again, I lack information required to scratch build one.
Enough salvaged parts exist to built two conjectural vehicles for a nuclear ice age environment, one for the Post Apocalypse campaign and one for the Science Fiction campaign. The first would be an aerosled based on late World War II German armored vehicles. The second would be a large, tracked, American exploration vehicle with the general body plan of an Alvis Stalwat, riding on an HVSS suspention. That would give me an aerosan, a pseudo Alvis Stalwart, and two opportunities to practice winter paint schemes.
The only things in my way are Lulubelle and a Jeep…
Two months back, I began work on a Tamiya M41 for the Summer Nostalgia campaign. Due to a problem with replacement tracks, I was forced to withdraw the M41 from that campaign. However, I did order a second set of replacement tracks for the M41 and those arrived last week.
Tamiya’s M41 lacks lightening holes in the idler wheels and drive sprockets. I attempted to correct this.
As shown in the picture above, I measured out and drilled lightening holes around the inner portion of one idler wheel.
The camera reveals what my eyes can barely perceive. The results are unsatisfactory. If I want the suspension to look right, I will need to completely replace the Tamiya parts.
Doug, there maybe some 3D printed idler options that could work. I’m not familiar with Cults3D but they have a set.
Thank you, Wade! I have to laugh. After spending $90 US, I still cannot build an M41 without further expenditures.
$90 isn’t too bad these day! Practically a bargain! 
On a serious note, had same happen happen with my Tamiya T-55 that’s been stuck in process for a long time…$35 in aftermarket tracks, $18 metal gun barrel & $25 of PE, brass name plate $7…~$85
Ya know…you’re right. Thirteen years ago, during my previous fling with model building, my high was over $200 US for a Hasegawa Ju-87. That is still a small sum compared to the massive projects that often appear in these forums. A couple days ago, I found an old Lion Roar super set for a Jagdpanther. That must have cost some significant coin. Yesterday, I was looking at decals and upgrades for a Polar Lights Enterprise that would cost well over $400 US.
Yet, I feel very foolish. For the $90 US spent chasing after an M41, I could have purchased any two modern super models on my want list. For the time already expended, I could have built and painted those super models with hours to spare.
Over the last thirteen years, my model building goals really changed. So did the model industry. Back then, I enjoyed dressing up an old model. Rushing through a project to build up a collection was never a consideration.
Since then, my skills as a model builder have markedly deteriorated and thoughts of mortality now loom. Long, expensive, difficult projects have become obstacles to progress, both to building up a collection and acquiring painting skill. Super kits now lie about like fallen apples. It seems logical to put my effort into modern super kits with their lower cost in effort, money and time for a high probability of success.
Over the last few months, I have wrestled with this issue and written about it on a number of occasions. There is also some burnout involved because I am struggling. Please pardon my ruminations and the negative waves.
Doug, definitely understand what you’re saying. I’ve felt the same about the Uber projects for a long time. After an OOB Pz IV took 120 hours, buildability became important to me. I’d rather have ten quality completed vs one uber project completed.
Better tools helped me increase building speed and keep same quality or improve. High quality nippers that almost flush cut, premium sanding sticks, sanding blocks, good rotary tool, better blades, Tamiya diamond photo-etch file etc, PE folder like The Bug etc.
Strong social group of good modeling friends also helps. One has to be selective and steer clear of certain caustic personalities that are fairly common in hobby circles.
I feel sort of burned out on German WW2 AFV’s at the moment since 4 of last 5 were panzers. Shifting to the other Evil Empire of the 20th Century and finishing something from the USSR next.
Best regards
Doug, write it all. Go ahead and share. This is a social forum just as much as a technical one. And I’m right there with you and Wade. Thing is, I never stopped building, or buying. But in two weeks, on September 2nd, I turn 60. 60. It’s suddenly become a significant number and I’m having a late mid-life crisis. I just got a snazzy new car so that item is checked off the list. I’m very happily married, so I don’t need a girlfriend. It’s just that 60 sounds like a peak for me and it’s a rapid downhill from there. I’m retired Army, so I have time to model. But I used to look at my Holy Stash (600 AFV kits) and think “Look what I can build!” Now in the last 3 months leading up to my birthday I’ve looked at it and thought 'What am I gonna do with all these kits?"
I have a kit that I bought two years ago that really piqued my interest and I went hog-wild on. The Zvezda Pantsir S-1. It’s a beautiful kit and got rave reviews. I also collected resin tires, brass barrels, and five Russian photo etch sets for it. I decided it was going to be a winter mega-build, scheduled for 2022-2023. I easily spent $300 on everything. Why that kit? I dunno. But it’s all still in the box. It’s been re-scheduled for this winter. But I’ve got two kits on my bench waiting to be finished and that RFM JTLV is sitting here calling to me - it’s just so beautiful a kit. And I’ve got the Takom 1/16 Jeep that I bought the SOL resin SAS Jeep kit for - that’s high on the list, it will look so cool.
I’m not worried about the number of kits I complete, but like you, I’m worried about running out of time. I also babysit my two Grandsons (3 and 1) twice a week, so my world orbits around more than modeling. So much to do, so little time…
