LATE STUG,10PzGREN DIV,MORAVIA 1945

[tankme]

Gonna be a great lookin' Stug. Love Mr. Surfacer. Not sure how I got along without it.

[HERMAN BIX]

Gonna be a great lookin' Stug. Love Mr. Surfacer. Not sure how I got along without it.

It sure is a magnificent cure-all for pretty much everything !
Thanks Mr Tankme, I sure hope it looks like the picture in the book once its done

[HERMAN BIX]

Got the tracks out for a test fit and length check.
As these are late PzIV tracks, they are longer than I need, which is great, and are a full-eye closed pin version. from Mato allegedly out of Ozarmour here.
Now Im not a fan of narrow tracks.................on anything.............so to put these on this is a big reach for me
Although the subject picture has what appear to be the standard smooth faced early track, these late ones were available here and I'm going with that they were later version chevron tracks that were worn out ..............
Shortened them both a bit & used dress making pins to join them for fit testing.
Took up a bit of slack on the tensioners & think its ok for now and they should be spot on once run a bit & bedded in.

Down side is, the thing looks like a parade show pony
I know, be patient boy-its not a race, but without paint on the tracks and gleaming brand new paint, it's just horrible ! (like not-one-of-mine) horrible.

[HERMAN BIX]

A bit more done...........
Altered the HL spare wheel mounts that were on the rear deck to take a couple of Mato metal spare wheels now relocated to the front guards.
Used a plastic bolt head that I removed from the drivers extra armour(as per the real picture) to double as retaining nuts for the washer plate on top of the spare wheels.
Just used a bit of scrap styrene as the washer plates which should paint up ok once done.

The "shopping -basket" on the rear deck has been a bit of a problem. Simply due to lack of material. Small section brass trip from K&S is very rare here.
Plenty of wider stuff, but nothing in the way of 2mm wide by 0.5mm thick. Well not that I could find anyway. So that being the catalyst for an alternative, I did manage to scrounge up a half length of C-channel that is barely recognisable as a C section shape. Dressing the inside edge & folding over to make a tag, that was drilled 1mm , these were suitably arranged to replicate the picture on the deck with super glue & dress making pins jammed through them into the hull space.
All I can use for the single run of rail around the top is styrene, but that should be ok durability wise, well it simply has to be
Not sure of the complexity or make up of any stowage yet, but whatever it turns out to be, it will have to aid in the support of the basket frame rather than rely on the frame to keep it in place.
I have plenty of angle section brass that I would have used, but the period picture shows a very rudimentary frame that I couldnt get away with not replicating as much as possible.
Once the glue & pins are set I can make & fit the top rail.

[tankme]

I'm sure those deck baskets were made from whatever was laying around anyway...

[HERMAN BIX]

I'm sure those deck baskets were made from whatever was laying around anyway...

Im sure they were. I assume the support units had a bit of material available that they needed to ensure the wheels kept turning as much as possible. This machine must have made it back to some sort of support/maintenance unit which enabled them to make the Ersatz Schurzen into what is seen in the period photo.
Safe to say the crew didnt have a gas set & welder stashed in their gas mask containers !!

[HERMAN BIX]

Well, for what its worth, the "shopping trolley" frame is on.
Its against my DNA to not use a material that can be handled and stay in place, but if its wait for ages of carry on, styrene strip it is.
At least the struts are brass & secured pretty well.
I also didnt end up using the printed muzzle brake, it was just a bit brittle. Rather than the spot on accurate but brittle and probable failure prone printed version, I went with a plan B aluminium option I had arrive from Germany with the mantlet. Barrels have a tendency to bash into things when being used, even if the 'driver' is careful. I err'd on the side of caution.
Once the stowage in in place it should add to the supporting buffer of the styrene frame rail.

For now its "music-on-hold" while Mr Glovers little bolts make their way over the Tasman.

[BarryC]

Coming along nicely Herman!

Barry

[761st]

Anazing build! Well done!

[HERMAN BIX]

Coming along nicely Herman!

Barry

Thanks mate, certainly not an Alien offering like yours, but its good enough for this kid