Heng Long Jagdpanther - first tank

[nochin98]

Just getting into modding a HL jagdpanther, thought I'd post some photos to get feedback as I went. I've done some of the internal mods so far (fixed the recoil, removed the annoying jerking when the tank fires) thanks to all the knowledge on these websites.

Was a bit bored this evening and wanted to try my hand at zimmerit....

Using Premier brand Light Weight clay. Now I know Milliput is the recommended material, but I can't seem to find a store that stocks it here in Canada, and decided to try this. Seems to be easy to work with, dries solid and adheres to the plastic.

Here's a pic of a small part of the back of the jagdpanther that I've done. Would like some feedback - positive or constructive. I'm unsure if I'm happy with the result, though it's not bad. Will have some sanding/clean-up around the edges to do once it dries

[nochin98]

Yeah, the Premier brand Light Weight clay is crap. Doesn't bond to the plastic. Need to get some Milliput. Anyone know where this can be found in Canada? Even an online Canadian retailer?

[ausf]

It's hard to tell from the photo, but the biggest problem with hand applied zim is the thickness. It really should be left to just the ridges raised to look scale.

Here's a link to an article I did about 6 years ago. The subject is 1/35, but you could use the same technique. Possible even a hacksaw blade as the applicator.

http://ausfwerks.com/techniques/zim/main.html

[nochin98]

Interesting, thanks!

[nochin98]

Got some Apoxie Sculpt (thanks to ausf's techniques link; and some feedback that Milliput is near impossible to get in Canada), and still tried hand applied...might have to invest in the hacksaw idea....

Any tricks on keeping the lines straight when using the hand applied method would be appreciated.

Tried my hand at the welds, didn't turn out too bad if I say so myself.

Still, lots of fun playing around with this.

[ausf]

Welds look great, Keep in mind that you can fine tune the Aves after it hardens. I use it professionally for sculpture, it's an amazing material, I'm glad you found it locally. I actually do most of the work after it hardens, carving it.

The easiest way to make straight lines is to pre-mark with pencil, then use a blade or even recreate the Tamiya tool to the size you want in flat metal. I've done 1/16 with flat brass that I've filed the notches the size I want. It doesn't have to be a big piece, you're recreating something that was done by hand with a trowel. Just try to get it as thin as possible. Work in small patches.

Now that you have the stuff, look how cool it is:

http://ausfwerks.com//techniques/apoxie/stren.html

[nochin98]

OK...this stuff is great, workable and easy to remove if you make mistakes...like me.

3rd attempt at zim, kinda happy with this result. I'll probably remove it and start again once I figure out how I want this tank to look and get better at working with this stuff.

Had an old lawn sprinkler laying around, and noticed that the adjusting rings looked like they might work...dismantled the thing and gave it a try.

They worked quite well, easy to use and allowed me to keep the lines straight up the side of the tank.

[ausf]

That looks really good. You can wet the sprinkler piece with a bit of water or dust it with talc if you find the Aves sticking to it. Remember it's really great after it sets overnight, but try to take off stuff you definitely don't want and clean your tools before it fully hardens.

The only thing you need to be careful of with pressing texture as opposed to scraping it is you have less control over the thickness. I applied waffle zim to a StuG which must be pressed and keeping it thin and uniform was very hard.

The Aves should be in every modelers toolkit. I use it to set screws, fix broken pieces, adhere clamps and tools make tarps and mud. I even use it on the seals of my vacuum and pressure chambers.

Best part is it's the least toxic of all the available putties. It used to be marketed as non-toxic, but I think they dropped that from the label.

Here's a Russian (Mongolian) tanker I sculpted with it. It's 1/35. That little star on top is really hard to see with the naked eye. The entire head is about the size of the LED on your Jagd mantlet. All made possible with Aves.

[nochin98]

wow. that's amazing.

[buckeye36]

ausf, Have you made any 1/16 tank crews?