bigfiver69

Thanks for the props fellas, but you're wrong about not having the skills.... if you can put together a model tank or airplane out of the box, you can do this. At this scale, scratchbuilding is actually a lot easier than in 1/72 or 1/35. Your best friends in a build like this are a sharp utility knife, a metal ruler, a decent set of plans, some patience, and a whole lot of crazy glue and auto-filler. I literally built this in 15 to 20 minute bursts... I'd sit down and do a little bit at a time. It's taken 8 months. Whenever I messed something up(happened a lot) I'd walk away and come back later.

The thing that made this build relatively easy was that Iused the WSN T34 tub and electronics... in retrospect, I should have fitted it out with a more robust rc system and gears. For my next build (probably a Hetzer) I am going to have to get an rc rig and do the electronics, and I find that really intimidating.

If anyone is interested in beefing up their scratchbuilding skills, there are a bunch of cool and relatively simple projects out there to try. I'm surprised we haven't seen more HLPanzer IVs converted to Ostwinds... that's a great way to get your feet wet. When the HL and Mato Shermans arrive, there will be a lot of great conversions that don't take a lot of time or heavy skills to do - hedgecutters, D-Day snorkels, etc. Hopefully, someone will do a Priest self-propelled gun.

Thanks again to everyone who has commented and encouraged me on this project... it's been really motivating and it has kept me going!

Final pictures of the complete kit coming next week. Maybe even a video link if I can figure that out.

Shep

bigfiver69

Well, the Crusader 3 is all done.

The last things to do were all finishing elements. I added a think dark gray wash, using watercolor paints - easily correctable if I messed up. Then, I gave the entire tank a light drybush of the tan base coat color, tinted with a little flat white. I then added the tactical and unit decals. Then, I used various shades of pastel to blend everything together, and gave everything a light mist of dullcote to flatten it out. I then gave a little fleck of silver here and there for wear and battle damage.

All the colours were Tamiya. Took 3 bottles of XF-59 Desert Yellow. As far as other materials go, it took about150 rivets, and 8 tubes of Krazy Glue (I buy it for a buck a tube at the dollar store.)

As far as cost goes, this tank ran me less than $200. $100 for the t34, and $30 for two sets of Panzer 3 tracks, which came from Mato and ebay. Then, another $50 for styrene, evergreen rod, plastruct hex rod and reference materials.

Overall, I'm happy. There are some things that I would do differently in hindsight, but I chalk it up to live and learn.

Thanks again to everyone who watched the build, and double thanks to everyone who offered words of encouragement. Now... on to the Hetzer!!!

borealis

Beautiful!

Plastic scouser

Nice work Shep,
 I have been following this build from the start waiting to see the finished item and you havent let us down that is one Nice Crusader, I look forward to the Hetzer build and may follow your example as i,ve always fancied a Hetzer or one of  the numerous Panzer 38 chassis variants.


Cheers Ian

ManMachine

Wow, beutiful build! Yu have done a great job!

Gabriel

bigfiver69

Hi guys,

In response to a request I had to post a build video, here's a link to a youtube video of this build... it basically follows the process mentioned above.

I'll be posting some running footage in the coming days.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sq9LdsHsf6U

Shep

Miggers

Really good effort and a sensational outcome.
Very well done.

As a bloke that lives in one of the "Desert Rats" regiments(The Staffordshire Regiment,they were part of the famous 8th Army)
can I say that it's very nice to see an example of one of the Desert Rats FV's done in this scale and an RC one to boot.

Mark

Rex Ross

I'm speechless...........that's some incredible work ya got there! Your rivet detail is mind boggling. I scratchbuilt an M3 Lee that gave me brain damage. I believe the 8 month build time, all of my scratchbuilds take 4 times what I originally estimate. Truly beautiful work!

bigfiver69

Cheers for the encouraging words, fellas!

I'm away on business this week, but when I get back, I'm starting work on the scratchbuilt Hetzer.

Keep an eye out for the build thread here on the boards.

Shep

Rex Ross

Dang!.....I'm just a day or two from painting my scratchbuilt Hetzer. I thought for sure I would be the only one in the world to have one. But I thought that about a lot of my scratchbuilds. Oh well..... I'll betcha money that Heng Long will come out with one in about a year for $100. Good luck with yours, my "one week" project is now entering week #3.

bigfiver69

Show some pics!!!

Hmmm... maybe I should make a Panzer 38(t) instead... or both!

Shep

oztruck

Wonderful work, good eye for detail, and the ability to do a step by step video guide XLNT. Please keep us up to date with this build and any others you have done or are planing to do.

moonshadow5739

Well, thats what I have thought about my hetzer project,....just now starting it...BTW....I will be doing cast resin hulls, as I am planning to mass produce them.....OK,...SOMEWHAT mass produce them.....as several club members down here in Texas (TAA) wants one as wll, so it looks like around the first of the year that we will be able to feild a COMPANY of hetzers! hehehehehehehe There is a running hetzer at the Texas Military Forces Museum here in Austin that I have access to so I can get PLENTY of good pics of roof and rear deck details!
-Mike

edoubleaz

My Feedback: (1)

This tank better be a battler someday! The forces at DAK are chomping at the bit to exchange some fire!

Rex Ross

I'll try to take some decent photos after I do a camo paint job. I always hope that a paint job will hide all of my goofs, inaccuracies, and crappy work. Nothing I build should ever be viewed closer than 6 feet, 12 if you have good eyesight.

I never considered doing "photos of a work in progress" because my photographic skills are terrible. It may have made me a better scratchbuilder, knowing that others would view and judge my hobby efforts. The progress pics of other modelers is always of great interest to me and I have picked up many good ideas from guys who know what they are doing.

The lack of R/C British tanks interests me right now. Italian too. A Matilda and Comet are in the back of my mind for future projects.

Rex Ross

You lucky devil! The roof and rear deck details are the key to this puppy. I looked at the flat sides of the Hetzer in photos and thought "piece of cake". I shoulda put my glasses on first.

Will yours be R/C with the Tamiya IR battle system? Mine is just gonna be a simple R/C.

Alan123

Great work, always nice to see something different and innovative.

Good job.

Cheers

Alan