German Early Sturmgeschütz Ausf.-A

[Rob59]

As a matter of fact Eric, I always try to use stuff I have laying around.
In and around the house there are always parts we can use in our modelling hobby.
They might be not 100% scale, but that is just the way I did build most of my models.
Everybody can buy stuff which is the easy way. But, building things from used stuff for example, makes it a bit special to me, it gives me somekind of satisfaction that I accomplished a build, or a part of a build, with things that didn't cost me anything.
This hobby is already expensive enough, so everything that can be had for free is more than welcome (at least in my case).
Of course there are parts that hardly can be homemade, so they must be bought when you do not have a 3D printer...
I do have several panzers with Schurzen (side skirts), some StuG's, some Panzer IV's, some Panthers and Jagdpanthers.
All of them, except 1 Panzer IV which has the poly schurzen I got as a gift from a member on the German HL forum, do have handmade aluminum schurzen or side skirts with brass brackets.
It takes some time to figure out how to attach them in a way it looks good, and looking slightly scale too.
The brackets and such, I always bend out of brass and I screw it all together with 1.4mm screws/nuts.
You do not want to know, how often the misses and me were crawling on the floor trying to find one of those damn 1,4mm nuts....
My stuff needs to be bullit proof for outdoor driving.
By screwing it all together, I never lost or broke anything outdoors.
The grills on the motordecks, I always cut out of kitchen sieves.
Theses don't cost sh*t and still look good on a finished Panzer.
But, as I do use the Panzers outdoors, some detailing might not be that important, compared to vitrine/static models.
My Panzers are looked at from a distance of, let's say 3-5m.
So if my commander has blue or back eyes, nobody will notice.
When the grills on the engine deck are not perfect, who cares? It is all about the overall look!
No offense, but this is the way I see things, other builders will have different opinions and that is more than okay with me.
With a showcase model it is a different story!
Everybody can look at the model/tankcrews from a very short distance and every "imperfection" will be visible.
Also on static models, accesories do not need to be bullit proof, what will happen to them?
By looking at a model, no parts ever broke off, right?
Everybody should build with their capabilities, within their budget and most important what they like!
So fellow modellers, do not be so hard on yourself and do not fear what the more experienced builders on here think of what you made.
They started once too.
Amen.
Rob.

[Ecam]

Well said and I agree with you too!

[ColemanCollector]

Me three!
Nothing better than finding something in the shop--or kitchen--that'll work perfectly on a tank build.

Mike.