1/35 Tamiya Panther Type G--Completed 31 January 2026

[Ron2]

Thanks Ron. You won't regret trying these tracks out. They're pricey but.....they are worth it.

Pricey is right! Not as bad as metal tracks tho.

 

[locomotive]

Just didn't know how much was too much when applying

Looking at photos from the war, there really is no such thing as too much.
They led a hard life and didnt get valeted very often.

 

[Ron2]

Looking at photos from the war, there really is no such thing as too much.
They led a hard life and didnt get valeted very often.
View attachment 175128

Are those tracks broken? Look loose at front.

 

[locomotive]

Are those tracks broken? Look loose at front.

Yeah it looks that way

 

[Jakko]

Looking at photos from the war, there really is no such thing as too much.

That's not a photo from the war I've never seen it before, but this is a Jagdpanzer IV that's being recovered after (I think) having been buried somewhere in Russia or thereabouts for 80 years or so. The army green vehicle in the background, that a puff of smoke is just coming out of, is an upgraded T-55 of some kind. Further in the background is a StuG III hull with no running gear on it, which also suggests it's being recovered from where the stripped hull was left during the war.

 

[mustang1989]

Thank you for the pictures @locomotive . Those do look post war but it gives me an idea of just how dirty these things can get when being freshly recovered for future reference.

 

[mustang1989]

Spent a LOT of time with these tracks trying to get the right look without messing them all up. I mean.......I wanted 'em dirty but not filthy. Even coming home after being stuck, while the hull would still have some mud on it, the tracks would shed most of that as the vehicle was being driven. I put a light coat of grit on the tracks and wiped the excess off of the track cleats. Then I came back over them with a light coat of Dark Weathering Pasted thinned with some oderless thinner for oils. I believe I have the results I was after now with a perfect balance of residual mud on the tracks. All I have to do is set track tension across the tops of the road wheels and this side is done.

 

[wjbrandel]

Good work so far. It is looking very nice.

 

[mustang1989]

Good work so far. It is looking very nice.

Thanks bud.

I managed to get the L/H side of the track skirt section painted up and then worked on painting and initial weathering on the pioneer tools. I spent a little more time this morning working on it which added up to around 2+ hours bench time total.

I installed almost all of the tools and gave them a used look since she had just recently gotten freed from being stuck in the mud. I've also got a couple of side skirts installed as well. I'm going to go back over the side skirt a little and tone the residual mud trailing down from the shovel a bit. Got a little carried away with that so I'll clean that up a bit a little later on.

 

[mustang1989]

I've been going fairly slow so I don't get as much wrong with the build.

I'm down to the short list now with only the spare road wheel painting & weathering, exhaust muffler shroud painting & rust effects, turret machine gun paint, detailing and install, odds & ends like canteens and individual equipment install and finally the driver commander figure paint up and install left to do.

Current progress pictures.

 

[BarleyBop]

the short list

Funny how quickly we forget doing 'the long list'! Sometimes I think if I remembered I might reconsider my choice of hobbies!

 

[Ron2]

I've been going fairly slow so I don't get as much wrong with the build.

I'm down to the short list now with only the spare road wheel painting & weathering, exhaust muffler shroud painting & rust effects, turret machine gun paint, detailing and install, odds & ends like canteens and individual equipment install and finally the driver commander figure paint up and install left to do.

Current progress pictures.

That's a nice looking tank!

 

[mustang1989]

Funny how quickly we forget doing 'the long list'! Sometimes I think if I remembered I might reconsider my choice of hobbies!

All too true. lol

That's a nice looking tank!

Thanks Ron.

Forgot to post this up. Got one of the spare road wheels mounted to the rear of the turret yesterday. Gonna try and wrap this puppy up in the next couple of weeks.

 

[Ron2]

All too true. lol

Thanks Ron.

Forgot to post this up. Got one of the spare road wheels mounted to the rear of the turret yesterday. Gonna try and wrap this puppy up in the next couple of weeks.

Looks great!

 

[mustang1989]

Looks great!

Thanks Ron.

I can't believe I'm actually saying this folks, but this build has now come to a close. I have learned a great deal with this build and never thought I would build an armor subject but after watching all of the good builds here in the past as well as the present, I can now say that I have pulled off what I would like to call a successful outcome.

After stocking up on all of the paints, weathering mediums and supplies........ I went to work. I used markings from Star Decals to depict a Panther in East Prussia in January...ish of 1945 which is why you'll notice the winter camouflage spare road wheels on the sides of the turret and aft part of hull. Paint scheme is of a late war type as well. To help the base kit out some, I used 3D printed resin tracks from Panzerwerk Design. These things are so easy to put together that it's almost a crime. Tedious.....yes.....but go together very easy and make for a fully workable track. I also used some Tamiya photoetch on the build as well as an Eduard printed MG34 machine gun for the turret. The OOB tow cable was replaced by an offering from Eurekai Model Accessories and the OOB gun barrel was replaced by one from Aber.

Thank you guys for all of the support and comments along the way

 

[Ron2]

Thanks Ron.

I can't believe I'm actually saying this folks, but this build has now come to a close. I have learned a great deal with this build and never thought I would build an armor subject but after watching all of the good builds here in the past as well as the present, I can now say that I have pulled off what I would like to call a successful outcome.

After stocking up on all of the paints, weathering mediums and supplies........ I went to work. I used markings from Star Decals to depict a Panther in East Prussia in January...ish of 1945 which is why you'll notice the winter camouflage spare road wheels on the sides of the turret and aft part of hull. Paint scheme is of a late war type as well. To help the base kit out some, I used 3D printed resin tracks from Panzerwerk Design. These things are so easy to put together that it's almost a crime. Tedious.....yes.....but go together very easy and make for a fully workable track. I also used some Tamiya photoetch on the build as well as an Eduard printed MG34 machine gun for the turret. The OOB tow cable was replaced by an offering from Eurekai Model Accessories and the OOB gun barrel was replaced by one from Aber.

Thank you guys for all of the support and comments along the way

Very impressive! Do the tracks get glued or were they the type that snap together?

 

[mustang1989]

Very impressive! Do the tracks get glued or were they the type that snap together?

They merely snap together with two retaining pins per track Ron. That reminds me. I may need to glue the bottom runs of tracks to the bottom of the road wheels. lol
Thank you for the comments bud.

 

[TimM63]

Great job on this one.

 

[kevin]

That looks pretty darn good!

 

[Pantherman]

Thanks Ron.

I can't believe I'm actually saying this folks, but this build has now come to a close. I have learned a great deal with this build and never thought I would build an armor subject but after watching all of the good builds here in the past as well as the present, I can now say that I have pulled off what I would like to call a successful outcome.

After stocking up on all of the paints, weathering mediums and supplies........ I went to work. I used markings from Star Decals to depict a Panther in East Prussia in January...ish of 1945 which is why you'll notice the winter camouflage spare road wheels on the sides of the turret and aft part of hull. Paint scheme is of a late war type as well. To help the base kit out some, I used 3D printed resin tracks from Panzerwerk Design. These things are so easy to put together that it's almost a crime. Tedious.....yes.....but go together very easy and make for a fully workable track. I also used some Tamiya photoetch on the build as well as an Eduard printed MG34 machine gun for the turret. The OOB tow cable was replaced by an offering from Eurekai Model Accessories and the OOB gun barrel was replaced by one from Aber.

Thank you guys for all of the support and comments along the way

Great build. Pantherman

 

[BarleyBop]

Nice!
Thoughtful selection of AM accessories to pimp your ride!
Think there'll be more armour now that you nailed this one?

 

[user 22148]

That's a superb bit of work Joe - well up to your usual excellent standards!

 

[mustang1989]

Sorry for the late reply fellas. Been out of state for the past week and a half and had some other stuff going on in the background in real life.

Thank you all for the very kind and generous comments.

 

[Dr. Armor_72]

For a first build it is quite well done. What will be the next one?

 

[mustang1989]

For a first build it is quite well done. What will be the next one?

Thank bud. Should be coming up pretty soon. Gonna take on a MiniArt Werkstattkraftwagen Auf RSO/01. Pretty cool looking kit

 

[Dr. Armor_72]

Gonna take on a MiniArt

Oh no! I know those kits. The number of parts is so big that ... . So, you have to be patient.

 

[BarleyBop]

those kits

Mini Art / Maxi Part!

 

[mustang1989]

Oh no! I know those kits. The number of parts is so big that ... . So, you have to be patient.

Mini Art / Maxi Part!

LOL!! I hear you both and thank you for the heads up. Believe me......I've got a good heads up about these and have dealt with kits with fewer parts counts that I've increased tenfold with AM PE and resin items.

I'm gonna go slow with this one.

 

[Dr. Armor_72]

Mini Art / Maxi Part!

That is totally true!

 

[Littlemarten]

I'm gonna go slow with this one.

If you are in a hurry, you are in the wrong hobby.

That tank is a beautiful build.