Sd.Kfz.8 DB10 Gepanzerte 12T (Trumpeter 1/35 kit #01584) Chapter 16: Mission accomplished.

 

 

 

Previous chapter

And so, at last, after more than thirteen years of neglect, may I present the finished article. I hope you like it.

 

 ‘der Grashüpfer‘

 

 

Sd.Kfz.8 DB10 Gepanzerte 12T (Trumpeter 1/35 kit #01584) Chapter 15: Final stage weathering & tilt cover frame

 

 

 

Previous chapter

Oil paints were used again to accentuate areas at the rear of the vehicle over existing acrylic dust layers. This was done by adding both oil paints and pigments. Once dry, areas around the handles and steps had the dust layers smudged and dirty deposits were also added onto high wear surfaces. 

Sd.Kfz.8 DB10 Gepanzerte 12T (Trumpeter 1/35 kit #01584) Chapter 14: Second stage weathering (dust layer)

 

Previous chapter

 

The next stage of weathering effects is one I have used on a couple of projects to date, and the results can look convincing. Looking at progress so far, I decided to add a subtle toned-down application to just the lower front, rear, and sides, and see where it would take me.

Sd.Kfz.8 DB10 Gepanzerte 12T (Trumpeter 1/35 kit #01584) Chapter 13: Oil paint rendering

 Previous chapter

 

Beauty is in the eye of the beholder. 

These selectively applied and time consuming oil paint stages are not for everyone, but as soon as I saw Mike Rinaldi’s work in his Tank Art books, this was something that very much appealed to me. The richness, depth, and versatility that working with oil paint brings is unparalleled in my opinion and has now become an important step in most of my projects. In my pursuit for in-scale realism I will happily spend days going back and forth adding tiny effects to try and compliment the overall look, often spending hours on one particular feature. I love the results that can be achieved and find the whole process enormously therapeutic.

Sd.Kfz.8 DB10 Gepanzerte 12T (Trumpeter 1/35 kit #01584) Chapter 12: First stage weathering begins

Previous chapter

 

 

 

With the vehicle fully built up it was time to put a personal stamp on the project. For this first stage of weathering here are the steps I followed:

 

Sd.Kfz.8 DB10 Gepanzerte 12T (Trumpeter 1/35 kit #01584) Chapter 11: Connecting the body to the chassis

Previous chapter

After being kept apart for so long it was finally time to permanently fix both sub-assemblies together! The two mouldings are mated by way of small keyed joint connections. Following the build steps as per the instructions it's simple enough to turn the body upside down, align all the keyed connections and fix the chassis down onto the body. As already noted in Chapter 3 the connection is not at all precise and requires a little rework to achieve a clean flush fit between the two assemblies. The instructions have you mate the two parts early on in the build steps so handling the parts and sorting the issue is easy to resolve. It will be far more of a challenge if paint and fragile fixings are already added!

 

Sd.Kfz.8 DB10 Gepanzerte 12T (Trumpeter 1/35 kit #01584) Chapter 10: Weathering stage prep work

Previous chapter 

 

Before commencing the first weathering stages of the build, there were a few areas of the model that I still wasn’t 100% happy with. Firstly, the paint colour on the re-worked sprockets wasn’t a great match to the rest of the running gear. Although this was more likely due to my choice of primer colour than the actual base coat mix, they definately exhibited a more creamier tone as opposed to the greyish hue of the existing track wheels. Rather than masking and re-spraying paint I stumbled upon a solution. Applying Abteilung buff oil paint seemed to be the perfect answer. This was carefully stippled on and blended out from the wheel centre. 

Left for 72hrs to cure I then sealed the oil paint work with VMS matt varnish. This was essential as both enamels and pigment effect work would still be required to harmonise with the existing chassis tones.

 

Sd.Kfz.8 DB10 Gepanzerte 12T (Trumpeter 1/35 kit #01584) Chapter 9: Decals and front wheel options

 Previous chapter

 

 

Regarding decals, what’s provided in the kit is not surprisingly extremely limited. In addition to the instrument dials only a pair of licence plates along with a 'prototype' plate are included. Interestingly Trumpeter don't match the ones found on the restored vehicle!   

 

Both licence plates were added and sealed.

 

 

Sd.Kfz.8 DB10 Gepanzerte 12T (Trumpeter 1/35 kit #01584) Chapter 8: Painting the exterior

Previous chapter

It’s difficult to ascertain from the rescue images under all that rust a clear paint finish, but it’s almost certain it would have originally received a dark yellow base coat. As to whether it had any traces of camo, I have not read of any evidence that it had. The Polish resto team never added any, which leads me to believe that it didn’t, but with just the one surviving vehicle it's always possible that others did. 

Sd.Kfz.8 DB10 Gepanzerte 12T (Trumpeter 1/35 kit #01584) Chapter 7: Construction completion of the exterior

 

Previous chapter 

 

Viewing the recovered vehicle a fair chunk of upper body armour plate has been replaced, and weld lines criss-cross the repaired sections. Some prominent welds, such as on the rear plate to the lower body may well be original so it is curious to note the absence of any significant weld lines at all on the kit. And whilst not all the welds may be original, I have decided to add my own in the most visible areas like where the rear plate attaches to both side and lower plates. I have also re-scribed the panel lines as I felt they were too shallow.

 

Sd.Kfz.8 DB10 Gepanzerte 12T (Trumpeter 1/35 kit #01584) Chapter 6: Completing the interior

Previous chapter

Before the upper and lower body sub-assemblies were fixed permanently together the interior required a few parts to be painted and added. The largest items being the kit supplied wooden benches. Along with the steering wheel these were kept separate for painting. I had long since removed the kit fire extinguisher from the driver’s side wall as it was pointed out to me that it was of an early design. In its place now sits a 3D printed late style empty bracket. Two other features that look peculiarly placed are the MG ammo box and its leather pouch. As these were already fixed in the vehicle as per the instructions, and well bonded, they were left to avoid damage. They have yet to be detail painted.

 

Sd.Kfz.8 DB10 Gepanzerte 12T (Trumpeter 1/35 kit #01584) Chapter 5: Painting the re-worked sprockets and solid wheels

Previous chapter

 

 

 

 

The sprockets and solid tyred wheel sets have now received paint. They still require a very light application of dust to match the tones used on the track wheels. Some work is still required with oils to replicate the leaking wheel bearing hubs as seen on the restored vehicle. 

Sd.Kfz.8 DB10 Gepanzerte 12T (Trumpeter 1/35 kit #01584) Chapter 4: Re-worked sprockets complete

Previous chapter

Larger faced kit sprockets ready for primer with large kit PE step ring, and some 0.7mm bolt heads added to replicate the track pads retaining bolts. 

 

The reworked handed sprockets. 

 

    Left (Port sided) and right (starboard side) sprocket

 

 

Sd.Kfz.8 DB10 Gepanzerte 12T (Trumpeter 1/35 kit #01584) Chapter 3: The kit vs the restored vehicle and FIXING the sprocket issue

 Previous chapter

 

 

 

Now I have had time to examine my twelve-year old build in detail there are some issues I see with the kit compared to the actual restored vehicle. There are three main areas that I felt needed addressing. One is making good an original build mishap, the second is a very prominent inaccuracy issue with the bodywork, and the third concerns the fitment of the body to the chassis. Then there will be some additional detail to add here and there.

 

Sd.Kfz.8 DB10 Gepanzerte 12T (Trumpeter 1/35 kit #01584) Chapter 2: Resurrection time

Continuing on from Chapter 1 let's begin with a brief recap of this extremely rare vehicle.

The restored vehicle was recovered from the Pilica River in Poland. It is believed that only a handfull (period images show just three) of these were ever manufactured, making this surviving example pretty unique indeed! This armoured variant of the Sd.Kfz 8 was all but forgotten until it was recovered and then restored to running condition. Having a full lightly armoured hull around the chassis and drive train, it is believed that this was a prototype of an armoured artillery tractor.

Since commencing my build the below three period images are the only ones to be currently found online. The first one appears to show a vehicle fitted with pneumatic tyred front wheels and a four door rear panel.

Both the lower front panel shape and design, and the large upper panel overhang are very different on this example compared to what is offered in the Trumpeter kit.

 

Unlike the kit this vehicle has just two rear doors.

Sd.Kfz. 7. Building the 8 ton Mittlerer Zugkraftwagen Chapter 14: Dragon kit: Adding a towed 3.7mm Flak gun

 Previous chapter

Whilst waiting for scenic supplies for the diorama base, it was time to start work on the towed vehicle. In this case a Flak 36/37. This was taken from the recently released Tamiya/ICM Renault AHN combo kit. As the Sd.Ah 52 trailer wheels had been removed in the image I used a set of 3D resin brake drums from a Sd.Ah56/57 trailer. To replicate the hub and wheel studs I sanded the rear of a pair of outer Sd.Kfz 251 wheels until just the central hub remained. These were then added to the 3D drums and fixed to the trailer axles. Looking at the image the trailer also had a few grab handles that were not present on the kit, so these were made up from copper wire.

Sd.Kfz. 7. Building the 8 ton Mittlerer Zugkraftwagen Chapter 13: Dragon kit: adding accessories

 Previous chapter

It was time to test fit the painted accessories onto both the load area and cab ready for final fixing.  I suspect a few items will still have to be removed or placement tweaked but I'm nearly there.  Less is more and all that!  The green stuff sculpted tarps were made almost 10 years ago and are very crude in places. As some are fixed in place, they will require a little more work to make them look like convincing tarps, blankets, and clothing. I might have to resort to placing some extra material over certain areas to disguise some overscale edges etc. 

 

 Chapter 14

Sd.Kfz. 7. Building the 8 ton Mittlerer Zugkraftwagen Chapter 12: Dragon kit track fitment

 Previous chapter

 

  

 

With the underside of the vehicle now weathered, it was time to attach the running gear. The wheels have been weathered and the task of lining them all up went without incident. It is always a delicate mission getting all these interleaved components to fit as they did before paint. The wheel fit to the axles was a tad loose upon building, so a little paint from airbrushing on both surfaces has now made the fit nice and snug. As a result, I deliberately left the middle row pairs un-glued, so I had some wiggle room, and relied on just fixing the inner and outer pairs to their axles instead. 

Sd.Kfz. 7. Building the 8 ton Mittlerer Zugkraftwagen. Chapter 11: Dragon kit: Weathering continues

Previous chapter

 

After a month away from the bench I've taken a fresh look at how the whitewash looks and although it didn't come out at all as I was intending, a step away has made all the difference. I’m now slowly working my way through areas of the cab that I feel still need improving and have started on a list of small things to do to prepare for all the sub-assemblies and tracks coming together.

Sd.Kfz. 7. Building the 8 ton Mittlerer Zugkraftwagen. Chapter 10: Dragon kit: Decals and faded whitewash

 Previous chapter

Decals

Now the Alliance Model Works instrument decals had finally arrived it was time to get back to work on the 8-ton. As well as the instrument decals the Wehrmacht licence plates were also added. These were made up from the individually numbered kit decals. A weight stencil included on the kit decal sheet was also added to the driver’s side of the cab. They were all sealed with an airbrushed coat of VMS satin varnish.