Sd.Kfz 184 Ferdinand

DML # 6495 Premium edition with Masterclub tracks and Eureka cables

Kit review: https://www.scalemates.com/kits/dragon-6495-ferdinand--141815

This a beautifull kit and includes a comprehensive fret of photo-etch that includes an alternative to the plastic track guards. It also builds up really well. I decided to model this without any of the tools, so I left the jack block and jack racks empty. I also built the photo-etch toolbox empty and added a bit of damage for good measure.

The drivers vision block armoured cover is available in plastic and PE but as there is no partitioning panels between the blocks included in the PE version, I used a combination of both. All the handles were replaced with brass rod.

 
The drive sprocket was glued in place but to aid track fitment the idler was left to rotate. Fitment of the Masterclub tracks is pretty snug on the sprocket and idler teeth so once paint is applied, I have a feeling it could be quite a tight fit so fingers crossed.

Primed with Tamiya’s fine Primer in a rattle can. I haven’t used this for a while mainly because of cost but now they offer a Red Oxide colour it’s a no brainer to use on German armour, especially if you fancy employing the hairspray technique. 

 

After carefully washing and drying the model overnight it took about three light passes to get a good coverage over the entire model. This was then left for a couple of days to cure.

 

The model then received a couple of fine coats of Tresseme’s fine mist hairspray. Using Tamiya acrylics, I started with a XF-90 and XF-60 mix for the lower hull and running gear. Moving upwards a mix of XF60 was sprayed over the lower hull. A mix of XF-60 and XF-88 was then applied higher up onto the casemate and on the engine deck. Then a pure XF-88 coat on to the very highest areas and lastly a mix of XF-88 and X2 sprayed from above covered all upper surfaces.

Once dry I set about carefully agitating the hairspray underneath. As most surfaces only received a light coating of maybe three of the above mixes at most, I was hopeful that I could still maintain a decent degree of control over the scratches, scuffs and scrapes that I was going to apply.

 

The Tamiya Primer worked perfectly. I know it did as I knocked the muzzle break a few times whilst handling and not a scratch was found. It also held up fantastically well after light agitation of the hairspray and at no place on the model did the primer degrade down to the plastic even after scratching the surface with cocktail sticks etc. So far so good.

Various components of the model such as outer hatch plates and raised details were brush painted with Vallejo Acrylic Buff, yellow and sand mixes.

I then moved onto the tracks. This is when I realised, I hadn't purchased the Friuls ones I thought they were!. They were Masterclub metal tracks. In fact, the small packaging was still in the kit box but as they were already assembled, I just hadn’t noticed! These are # MTL35004 and use the resin track pins. Whilst handling it was apparent that some of the pins were very loose and a few fell out! I gave them a quick brush of acrylic paint and popped them back in. This seemed to do the trick.

I cleaned the tracks carefully with a toothbrush and soapy water and after letting them dry overnight I used Solid Scales Solid Track product for the first time. It only took a 2-3minute dip for the tracks to change to a nice dark grey colour. After cleaning in soapy water, they were treated to various enamel washes and speckling with a myriad of acrylic and pigments mixes. A dirty process but well worth it.

 

My next step was one I hadn’t tried before. I had read an Adam Wilder blog in which, after applying the colour modulation technique, although pleased with the contrast obtained, he felt that he no longer had the correct Dunkelgelb hue. This he easily corrected by spraying a very thin coat of Tamiya X-24 Clear Yellow over the model. This has the effect of re-establishing a proper yellow shade to the base coat. As his build was also on a similar tank destroyer this was a perfect opportunity to see how my work compared.

I thinned the X-24 50% with Tamiya acrylic thinners and proceeded to arbrush the whole model. After leaving to dry overnight I then applied  pin washes made up of various Abteilung 502 oils and odourless turpentine. The next step involved carefully cleaning up any excess wash from the surrounding surface. Then after allowing the oils to dry for 24hrs, using a flat brush with the absolute minimum of Abtielung turps on, I carefully blended in any remaining wash.

 

Pin wash end result.

Time to test for track fitment. After cleaning the wheel stubs of paint and fitting the wheels I used an appropriate length of brass wire to temporarily connect both the track runs. I could now find out if the track sag looked convincing on both sides and that the track fitted over the sprocket and idler teeth. I am relieved to say proceedings regarding fitment to the sprockets went without a hitch, however I might still have to remove a single link on each side.
 

Progress so far

The answer to whether to add camo is still not decided. The majority of period images show an aplication of green lines in a spiderweb pattern but it would have left the factory in a plain dark yellow paint job so we will see. The plan is to place this on a heavy duty 6 axle 80ton rated railway platform wagon, so it could be portrayed having arrived at the bridgehead before any field applied camo was added. 

 

Items already obtained for the base include: