Well, the PzJg.I model that I started back in Dec '07 (!) has finally been completed.
Some of you may remember that I started a blog on the build of this kit, which can be located here:
http://www.track-link.net/forum/site_blogs/8718
Photos of the completed vehicle can be seen here:
http://picasaweb.google.com.au/bruce.probst/PzJgI1?feat=directlink
I don't have a good excuse for being so tardy in finishing this, especially as I stopped when it was so nearly done. There just always seemed to be something else to do.
Any way, the kit was completed much as has already been described in the text of the blog. The paint job is supposed to represent the hastily-applied sand colour wearing off the underlying panzer gray ... not so sure how well that's come off, but I'll live with it. Sealed with Future, decals as usual from Bison (they're 1/72nd scale, but at this size the difference from 1/76th is measured in fractions of a millimetre), given a wash in Lifecolor "Tensocrom Active Surface Agent" (i.e., a filter, I guess) "Sand" (with some splashes of "Rust" here and there also) and finally sprayed with Mr Hobby Matt Clear.
If it wasn't for the damage to that track I'd be quite pleased with it. As it is I think the scratchbuilt jerry can rack and mesh screen came out satisfactorily (and even the ultra-simple addition of the stretched-sprue aerials make a big visual difference, I think).
Next-up: a T-34 two-fer: a simultaneous build-and-paint of the Matchbox and Fujimi T34/76, both 1/76th scale of course. The Fujimi kit, which is quite excellent, shall likely be built with barely any modifications; the MB kit, which is not nearly so excellent, shall receive some extra work (not least, new tracks from somewhere -- the original rubber band tracks have disintegrated!).
Bruce Probst
Melbourne, Australia
