Dragon Pzkpfw IV Ausf. F2(G) DAK (2009)

[Bill Plunk]

Since the build has entered what I call the "hurry up and wait" stage, I took advantage of some pockets of time this week that would allow for short bursts of time but long periods of waiting. I resolved my tow cable issue by dispensing entirely with the kit-supplied wire and instead used some high quality crochet rope soaked with Metalizer Non-Buffing Gunmetal and attached to the sytrene cable heads provided in the kit with some CA gel. It does the job although not quite as good as the braided wire look...but it was just too springy to work.

That was the final detail, so the model received an overall coat of Future applied by airbrush and allowed to sit overnight. The markings were added using the Bison set for the turret numbers and balkenkreuze. All of the decals were applied using Walther's Solvaset to get them to snug down tight and the turret markings in particular required several doses and careful adjustments with a soft brush to get them to conform to the irregular surfaces. The numbers come as single decals instead of separate numbers, so this had its advantages and disadvantages. Since I wanted to display the left view port in the open position, it was necessary to apply the decal with it closed first (the workable nature of the port is very convenient at this stage!), then use a sharp #11 blade tip to carefully cut through the decal to allow it to open. Additional doses of the Solvaset were used to insure that the edges smoothed out. Once the decals had thoroughly dried, I glued the port in a fixed open position from the inside using liquid glue. A second sealing coat of Future was applied to protect the decals and will be allowed to sit overnight before I start in on the weathering tomorrow.







Total time this session: 2.25 hours

Total Time to Date: 60.25 hours

[Bill Plunk]

Today's efforts got down to business with the weathering. First up was the application of a dot filter consisting of Flat White, Afrika Grunbraun, and Panzer Schwarzgrau. These were blended together using a square tip brush dampened with thinner. I worked section by section starting with the hull first.



Once the hull was done, the turret was next using the same colors and approach. I took frequent breaks throughout the process to limit the thinner exposure and to avoid getting too hunch-backed. Sometimes I get too into the process though and it's only when my shoulders start to stiffen that I realize it's time for a breather! Working with light colors to begin with, my aim was to blend and fade the two-tone scheme just a bit in keeping with the desert environment and the light overall weathering I have planned for this one.



The next step was the application of a pin wash of Raw Umber. I applied this with a small pointed brush, again working section by section. A heavier brush and heavier concentration of wash was applied to the lower hull and running gear since that area is going to receive pigment weathering and needed to have some stronger tones as a result. I then went back over the pin wash with the same small brush lightly dampened with thinner and removed any excess and cleaned up any tide marks where they occurred. The Raw Umber provides a nice contrast to the lighter tones so a little bit goes a long way.



This will sit overnight and I'll take another look for any areas that need touching up before applying a flat coat and then moving on to the pigments.

Total session time: 6.5 hours

Total time to date: 66.75 hours

[Bill Plunk]

Today's efforts focused on the lower hull and the remaining pigment weathering. Some details were addressed first such as the addition of the turret mounted spare tracks as extra armor which was tacked carefully into place with glue to the undersides of the track faces on the top first then, once set, the sides were given the same treatment. The entire vehicle then received a coat of Testors Lusterless Flat in the spray can and then set off to the side for a couple of hours to thoroughly dry before further handling.



Since this vehicle is a desert vehicle and is already a light color, the pigment weathering was focused on the darker elements and giving them a dusty look vs. the entire vehicle where it wouldn't be visible in the end. I used Mig's Gulf War Sand and combined it with tap water with a drop of dish washing liquid soap to break the surface tension. The wet mix was applied to the entire lower hull, running gear, all the spare track runs, and various other items/areas that needed a dusty appearance. This was then allowed to air dry over the course of about an hour...this is another of those "hurry up and wait" stages, so I often use these to begin cleaning up the bench, sorting out the leftover parts, etc. to stay "busy" and not get in a hurry.



The Gulf War Sand application was now attacked and reduced by using a series of stiff bristled brushes and a combination of wet and dry Q-tips to adjust the look. I wear a dust mask during this phase to insure I don't get an overdose of inhaled fine particles and work in sections, avoiding putting too much stress on the tracks in particular. Once everything was in order, the tracks were permanently locked down with the desired sag by gluing them in place to the idler, return rollers, and road wheels.



The final step was to remove the blue tack from the driver's visor, the gunner's turret front port, and install the missing commander's cupola block. I very carefully applied a very small amount of black artist pastels to the inner surfaces of the muzzle brake and then dry-brushed some Afrika Braun to blend back any stray traces on the exterior.



This one will sit overnight and I'll give it a once-over to see if there are any other areas that need to be fine-tuned or adjusted, then it will be photo-booth time for the finished shots.

Total Session Time: 4.75 hours

Total Project Time: 71.50 hours

[Bill Plunk]

This one is now done and on the shelf!

[Bill Plunk]

This build is also featured in Kagero's Super Model No. 21 on pp. 62-65 published March 2009.