SdKfz 251 Ausf C - 1 Sep 2020

[MARCO]

Me likes a lot!

[JCON]

Aug 18, 2020 13:37:10 GMT -6 RLFoster said:

After taking two days off, I made it back to the bench and spent the better part of four hours giving the build my standard three-step application of scratches and chips.

First I mixed a batch of grey at about the same lightness as the highlight color I applied earlier. Then using a small piece of sponge in some self-closing tweezers, I applied this color very lightly, focusing on the front and back as well as the edges of the various surfaces:



Next, I thinned and lightened the color a bit and using a very fine brush, applied it a bit more liberally, using the sponged areas as a general guide:



Finally, I mixed up a brownish grey dark color and used the same fine brush to apply darker "chips" to the largest of the light colored areas:



That does it for this step, but still leaves two or three more steps before we even start the earth tones and the real "weathering".

Until next time...

Well used look!!!

[dogfish7 (R.I.P.)]

Chips ahoy! Lookin good.

[RLFoster]

For the past several days, I've continued to work on the build at a slow, but steady pace. First, I needed to add all the scratches and chips to the running gear, so they match the look of the hull. Unfortunately, with the black background, this photo has zero contrast, but trust me, there are scratches and chips on all these parts:



With that done, I turned my attention to detailing out all of the little ancillary parts of the build. Things like the muffler:



And the tools, as well as the tips of the width indicators:



I also managed to paint the Tetra extinguisher on the rear door and even managed a passable hand-painted label. The door is surrounded in this photo by more of the parts awaiting my attention...a fuel can, the 8 rifles, and 2 MG's:



I think it will be at least another 2 or 3 days before I'm ready to start the weathering process.

Until next time...

[MARCO]

Nice!

[JCON]

More nice work!!!

[dogfish7 (R.I.P.)]

Lookin gooood.

[ogrejohn]

Nice work Robert! 

[RLFoster]

Thanks again, everyone!

Five days (well, really 3 days) more work and it's time for another update. This one is primarily focused on the earth tone weathering I'm doing on this build.

First, I mixed up a very light dust color (very light tan) and diluted it to the consistency of buttermilk. Then I applied it liberally to all the lower parts of the hull as well and the edges of the front and back. Then, using a soft brush moistened with thinner, I blended all the edges to give it a more natural appearance:



This was done fairly late in the day, so I let the model sit overnight before continuing. I next used a thinned dried mud color (medium tan) and began applying rain marks and generally streaking primarily to the areas under the fenders. Then, again using a fine brush just barely moistened with thinner, I gently cleaned up the streaks and tapered them:



Once the two sides on the hull was complete, I turned to the upper hull and added just a few lighter colored rain marks using the same medium tan color. You can also just make out one of the German rifles locked in it's forward stowage bin. I put 3 in each on the forward bins after cleaning and painting them the day before starting the weathering:



I then turned to pigments - primarily just a light and dark earth tone - and added some to the fenders. The darker color was kept to the darker areas of the color modulation and the lighter tone to the same:



Next up was speckling of the lower hull using both the same medium tan color and then (after this photo was taken) a darker earth tome.



As before, all of these steps were repeated with the wheels, but since the contrast is still terrible, I'll skip wasting a photo here.

With the exception of the tracks and the stowage, this brings the main part of the build to the home stretch. Little details like the exhaust soot, the antenna, machine guns, worn steel areas, and grease marks are all that's left. I think I'll start the track next.

Until next time...

[MARCO]

May I say "clean work" when you're working hard to make the model dirty? Looks nice!

[JCON]

I like it Robert!!! Coming along nicely indeed!!!

[Dukemaddog]

More extraordinary work from you Robert! Just when I think this couldn't get any better, you go and prove me wrong! Way to go Master!

[dogfish7 (R.I.P.)]

This build is full of subtle details. A pleasure to the eyes.

[RLFoster]

Time to put some stuff together!

First I took all the road wheels, added some general dirtying to the edges, and then randomly assembled all the parts on both sides. I also finished weathering the front tires and attached them to the build:



Next, I turned my attention to the tracks. I applied the typical flat black primer and followed that with a light coat of a brownish rusted steel base everywhere except the track pads -- those stayed black. For weathering, I started with a base of a light grayish brown on all of the steel surfaces except the track teeth. This was applied as a slurry of pigment powder and alcohol, lighter on the inner surface and heavier on the outer track edges. Finally, some additional speckling using a dried mud color was applied to the entire inner surfaces to tie everything together:



Once everything was dry, I attached the tracks to build. Here are shots of both sides:





I could complete the build with the antenna, MG's, and rear doors, but before (or while) attaching all of these things, I'm accumulating as assortment of things to add to the interior of the build to give the model a real "lived in" feel. This will include both spare parts from my spare parts bins as well as some scratched tarps, camo nets, etc.

Until next time...

[JCON]

That looks amazing Robert!!!

[dogfish7 (R.I.P.)]

Totally agree, Joe.

[tojo72]

Really looking good,nice work on those tiny tracks

[BUCKY]

The weathering on this is exceptional!! Keep it coming!

[RLFoster]

Thank you one last time for looking in and for your patience!

It's only taken 9 months, but during the entirety of nearly 7 of those, the model sat idle on the workbench. Now, I'm calling the build complete, but before posting the build in the "Completed" forum, I wanted to post one last update here.

For the entire time I've been working on this build, I've been basing most of my choices from two photos...one I found online and one from a Squadron Signal "In Action" book. The first one below depicts a cropped section of an online photo showing a German assembly area or minor field maintenance site. My decisions for painting and weathering the build primarily came from here. The second photo is from the book and is shown here in cropped form for discussion purposes only. I loved this picture from the first time I saw it because it really shows just how "lived in" a vehicle can become for it's crew and passengers:





Hopefully, these photos help show where my mindset has been in guiding my choices.

So, with that done, here's one last update photo showing my progress and I started to add stuff to the interior. Off to the side are an assortment of other parts, some of which made it into the build and others did not:



I hope you've enjoyed this build and look in on the completed model when I post the photos later today.

Thanks again...and...

Until next time...

[JCON]

Excellent job my friend!!!