SdKfz 164 Nashorn by Alwyn Turner

[silversurfer1947]

My figure is not articulated so it looks like I shall have to become a self taught plastic surgeon. Now where's my razor saw?

[silversurfer1947]

This represents an all round view of

the upper hull as it is at present.

[Ad Lav]

Love it!

[wibblywobbly]

It's looking good, really, really good!!

[silversurfer1947]

Next stage, whilst still working on the extra details, is the weathering. This is still somewhat of a dark art to me, but we shall see what happens. Watch this space.

[silversurfer1947]

Made a start on the weathering etc and it has not gone well. I figured to use the same filter as I used on the Puma, which worked fine. I started brushing, using the same rush as before, but this time I was getting brush marks. I got this off as best I could and then tried airbrushing. The paint looked fairly thin, so I used it straight out of the bottle. I think my airbrush is not working correctly as I was not getting a consistent spray. Some areas have come out quite dark. I did think about trying to remove it, but reckoned I would make a bigger mess. I am just hoping by the time I've finished with everything else that it won't show too much. Maybe a final dust coat will hide the worst.

[silversurfer1947]

Here is the figure I am hoping to be able to modify to man the 88mm. He is resting quietly in pre-op prior to having both his legs amputated and re-aligned. I promise he won't feel a thing.

Good thing he has no idea what I'm going to do with his arms.

[silversurfer1947]

He is one this set of 3 German driver figures
https://www.shapeways.com/product/PGXCH ... vers-set-1

[silversurfer1947]

They are made of what is called "White strong and flexible" which probably is nylon. Glueing is an interesting subject. I asked the designer, who recommended what he called white carpenter's glue. I assume this to be PVA. I tried this and it did not appear to work. Ordinary superglue is no good as it gets absorbed, the material being very porous. I have reattached the legs, using Milliput to fill the gap. That stuck to one side, so I administered a dose of UHU to the other side, and it appears to be holding. I tried a selection of plastic cements and none of those worked at all. One suggestion on a forum was to use superglue in gel form, which stops the absorption.
For painting, you have the same porosity problem, so a good coat of primer is essential. It is advised to soak the parts in a solution of washing up liquid for several hours and give them a scrub with a toothbrush before priming. The finish on the figures is quite granular. Sanding them down is not really an option as you would remove all the detail. Similarly, trying to get a smooth surface using filler would, to my mind, have the same problems. What I did with one as an experiment was to use toothpaste and a toothbrush. There did seem to be some improvement. A second figure is being painted without the treatment so I can see the difference. The overall finish does not compare with resin figures or plastic kits, but you do have access to a range of figures. I have taken the view that they will generally be viewed from a distance, so the finish will not be so obvious. Pictures will appear when the figures are finished.

[AlwynTurner]

I have recently discovered Gorilla superglue, which appears to stick anything to anything and is not instant grab but very quick setting. Might be worth trying that.

Alwyn