TAIGEN PZ IV 4TH BATTLE OF KHARKOV 14 AUGUST 1943

[HERMAN BIX]

Good to see it back in your hands, Herman. While I'm even less of a Panzer IV fan than you are, I think that if anyone could make me like one, it's you! The Schurzen will bulk out the silhouette and help fix the Panzer IV's aesthetic-nightmare proportions. Any chance of some Ostketten to help with that, too?

Funny you mention Ostketten. I was looking at a Winter theme but went away from it in favor of the summer version as I only went winter thoughts to get a set of Grenadiers on it in winter uniform.
Then I reailsed I am no figure painter and would have to spend a year painting them only to mess them up
I will stick with the summer theme but mess it up a bit.
Although Im just as likely to change my mind & go frozen

[HERMAN BIX]

Very minor progress.
The Taigen PzIV has an eye catching gap over the top of the mantlet that can be seen no matter the angle it seems
I reckon I could be blind drunk, facing backwards, have recently received a nasty head injury AAANNNdddddd still see the thing
As Taigen have taken the time to add micro stitch welds on various places, and every stuff'n bolt profile on the UNDERNEATH of the hull, but left the rear deck flat and the drive & idlers heights so wrong its criminal, I have to wonder they were thinking ? or were they at all !! ??
Trimmed a bit of styrene to allow the barrel to recoil, but fill the gap. Over that I used a bit of Mr Surfacer 500 to get a bit of feel to the thing. Carried on the Mr Surfacer theory and went over the turret front plate, lower front hull and mantlet to get a bit of life to the metal finish.
Seems to have worked.

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[Herr Dr. Professor]

"Trimmed a bit of styrene to allow the barrel to recoil." It took me a few minutes to figure out why I was not seeing the "bit of styrene." Then I realized that the longitudinal gap between the gun mount and the coaxial MG cover is not that to which you refer. Rather, the styrene and Mr. Surfacer are already covering the gap to which you refer. Egad! A tanker could fall in if that bit of plastic were not worked in there!

[HERMAN BIX]

Yes Sir it’s a nasty gap.
Simple fix but visually an important one.

[HERMAN BIX]

In this 16th scale world we operate in, I reckon there is nothing more satisfying than the sight and smell of primer going on !!
This PzIV model has had the hard work done pretty much, so all I had to do is finish a few things off & get it painted.
To get that under way, its primer.
Not the stuff I would normally use as its an American product which seems not to be getting imported down here now.
Still, the idea is Red Oxide..............and thats what its got !

With this simple-ish application, I already have a new zest for the Pz IV.
A fully skirted Pz IV is not a simple thing to cover. Lots of gaps, thin edges, tools on the guards, the skirts and mounts of course, and the small & numerous roadwheels that are not easy to remove from the hull without damage.
Now Im cooking

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[HERMAN BIX]

A virtual sea of red-oxide !!

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[BarryC]

Man that's RED!

Great work there Herman!

Barry

[Herr Dr. Professor]

"Its an American product which seems not to be getting imported down here now." Is that RustOleum, Bix?

[Ad Lav]

A tad bright but not bad for a primer.

Cheaper than buying actual red oxide from Mig/Ammo?

Good start Bixy

[HERMAN BIX]

"Its an American product which seems not to be getting imported down here now." Is that RustOleum, Bix?

The stuff I normally use is Holts Dupliclour