Looking for Suggestions

[teejay99]

Some of the military models and dioramas I've seen , while surfing about 50 various sites , really fascinate me to the point where I'm going to be buying my first armor kit ....not necessarily tomorrow , but soon . So I have a few questions :

1) Is 1/35 the scale of choice ? ( I've been HO model railroading for many years , so would welcome the bigger scale for my tired old eyes    )

2) I'll probably get a tank first and scratch build a small diorama ...ruins etc . What manufacturer is ( in your opinions ) best value for the dollar ?

3)Are most armor models styrene ? Are there any in resin or is that mostly structures ?

4) Anything else you might consider worthwhile .

5) I'm probably looking at WW1 or WW2 , nothing newer .

Thanks , Terry

[marc_reusser]

Terry..here are my two cents for what they are worth.

1) Is 1/35 the scale of choice ?

This is a personal choice, though 1/35 is by far the most common scale and has the most detail, upgrade, aftermarket and accesory parts.  I/48 is also becoming a popular scale, and there are also a very good selection of detail and aftermarket parts. (there are also those that do 1/72 scale....but I feel that is a whole different modeling mindset)....the one benefit that 1/48 has is that the ,odel is obviously smalle, so there is less surface area to deal with insofar as prep., paint, etc.....yet there are still enough PE, barrel, and other deatail sets available that you can create a higly detailed model. 


2) I'll probably get a tank first and scratch build a small diorama ...ruins etc . What manufacturer is ( in your opinions ) best value for the dollar ?

I would recommend a Dragon Models (DML) "Smart Kit".....especially their newer kits, Dragon kits are generally very well engineered, very well molded, go together very clean, and often come with some basic PE details as well as the individual link tracks. They can be built OOB and achieve a very nice looking model. (depending on the specific subject, and where you buy it, expect to pay somewhere around $35-$40 for a smart kit, and up to $70 for the "limited" or highly detailed "super" kits. Note: that there are some older series smart kits that are not quite as good as the newer ones....don't know which these are, but they are generally the ones that are a sold as less expensive than the average).  If you want to add aftermarket parts/details there are ton's made for DML kits.

Tamiya makes well fitting kits and have good detail...especially the newer ones. Tamiya for a long time was the high quality mfr.....and still makes a good basic kit that build s well and fits good....but it has been eclipsed by DMLs superior detailing and slide mold injection technology. Nothing wrong with building a Tamiya kit and a good basic way to cut your teeth on the subject with less of an investement.  Tamiya does make some of the best mass produced 1/48 kits...so if 1/48 is the route you want to try, I would buy one of theirs.

Trumpeter kits such as the KV-1 or KV-2 are also good solid kits with nice detail, and good fit.


3)Are most armor models styrene ? Are there any in resin or is that mostly structures ?

The mass production mfr kits are styrene (Tamiya 1/48 uses metal lower hulls, and the rest styrene). Resin is more the realm of the specialized/limited run, high end, or aftermarket mfrs. There are some stunningly beautiful and detailed resin kits ny a variety of mfrs...but you DO pay for them...some run into the multiple hundreds of dollars. The cool thing about many of the resin kits is that they are often of more unique or specialty vehicles or variants, so you can find and build something really cool and not often seen out on the forums. Resin is also used in upgrade/modification kits...these are kits that modify a standard styrene kit into a special type or variant. I would recommend you stay with styrene for your first several kit builds.....resin in armor is not like resin in RR...it can't just be slapped together.


4) Anything else you might consider worthwhile .

For putty.....DO NOT...use Squadron putty...it's crap.  Buy a tube of Tamiya "Basic Type" puttty (you may have some problem finding it in the US...there seems to be some kind of import issue....but you can buy it on EBAY from japan or china....Or order it direct through sellers like 'Hobby Link Japan'....In the states you can check 'Great Models'.)  When sanding putty or the styrene I suggest to always "wet sand".

I don't know your pain threshold, but for your first kit(s) I would suggest you avoid AFV's with interleaved roadwheels...such as the Tiger, or Panther....they have a lot of wheels and these take a good amount of time to prep and paint. I would also suggest you avoid "open top" AFV's...these are the self propelled gun type vehicles that you can see the entire fighting compartment.....these take a lot of work, skill and patience. 

I don't know what your aesthetic pref. or interest is, but IMO good basic builds to wet your feet would be tanks like the Hetzer, KV-1, KV-2, or a StuG....a Pz. II, III, or IV would also be good basic builds, and there are a lot of kits for these as well as a lot of info. .....however they have more small parts than the Hetzer.  Note too that just because a kit is of a smaller tank (Like the DML Pz-I, does not mean it esier to build or has less parts....I for exampple found the Pz-I a very fidgety kit)

Despite the high quality of DML...you want to make sure you get one of the newer (in the last couple of years) kits....these are the ones with more PE and more cool 3D drawings on the box showing the casting details (you can also go online and research the kit#).....the older ones are still good kits....but their detail, and molding technology are constantly getting better...thus make for an easier kit to build.


5) I'm probably looking at WW1 or WW2 , nothing newer .

Though I love WWI stuff, there are not many non-resin kits out there...and those styrene ones that are (such as by EMHAR)...are dismal compared to what is available for WW2 kits....so I would stick with WW2 to start.  If you like the "riveted" look, there are some early war WW2 vehicles (such as the DML or Tristar "38t") that have this detailing...there are some others but my mind is having a senior moment.


HTH,

M

[teejay99]

Thanks Marc , you gave  me a lot to "chew on " for a while .
This whole military deal has bitten me much like the On30 Critters did a few years back ...just what I need , another diversion .

The reason I mentioned WW1 models is because I like the looks of that British Mark series , MI , M2 , MV , with those side guns . Most of the models I've seen for sale are cheap and in small scale 1/72 . I did see one done up on line that really looked good but I didn't save it and , of course , can't find it now .

What blew me away was , out of dozens of quality dioramas , was one by Shigeyuki Mizuno , and I had never heard of him or any of these other  dudes before . Most were small dioramas and I got hooked !

I did look up Dragon Models ....already had Tamiya on the favourites . So lots to pore through .

Thanks  again ,

T

[gin sot]

My first tank model was Tamiya's M41 Walker Bulldog, which was a happy serendipity.  It made a good starting point for a young and impatient modeler for a number of reasons.

It's an older kit (one of Tamiya's initial early 1970s offerings, IIRC), which means simple parts breakdown-- no complicated suspension to get bogged down on, but it's Tamiya, so the detail is crisp and the fit is well-engineered.

As an older release, it was inexpensive enough that I wouldn't get all butt hurt if I somehow FUBARed it.  There were $35-$45 dollar kits even then, which would've been a huge investment for me at the time.

Single color paint jobs are a great way to maintain project momentum.

It never saw much service in US hands so I didn't get all wrapped around the axle over building some hyper-detailed "tribute to the brave men who blah blah blah" monument out of it.

Anyway, at least one fourteen year-old armed with black and green spray paint turned one out well enough to win second-place in the open armor category at a local IPMS contest.   

[DaKra]

Agreed.   The old Tamiya models are classics.   I think they reached a high point for affordability / buildability vs detail / accuracy in the 80s.  All those kits are inexpensive, fun builds that turn into very respectable models.   With a little dilligence you can get them 2nd hand for around the original 1980s prices, sometimes less. 

Allied armor is great for solid color schemes and relatively simple running gear.  The nice thing about a model you didn't invest a lot of hours or cash into, when you get to the paint and weathering stage, you can have fun and experiment with effects, without feeling that anxiety like you're about to drop a priceless Ming vase.   

If anyone asks me for advice on weathering MRR models, I always tell them to go look at the armor guys.  Building plastic tanks is one of the best ways to gain weathering skills and develop an eye for prototypes.   

Dave

[Tom Neeson]

Hi Terry

Most older kits and some newer kits include one piece "rubber band" tracks. Some newer and I believe ALL Dragon kits include individual track links. More recent Dragon kits include "Magic Tracks", where you get a bag of track links, no need to cut from the sprues. And then there are a multitude of aftermarket track sets available. These indie tracks can give you a "You've got to be kidding" moment, but they really are not that hard to put together.

I am building a Dragon Panther G smart kit right now. Here is a pic of the assembled tracks:

[Tom Neeson]

I would suggest the Tamiya Sd.Kfz. 232 8-Rad, it's an older kit that still holds up well, is all closed up and has no tracks. Plus it just looks cool.

Any questions on track assembly, just ask here or PM me.

HTH,
Tom

[DaKra]

I prefer the individual links, but the old single piece vinyl tracks can look pretty good, if care is used to make them drape properly.  So if its an issue of prioritizing ease & cost over detail, the "rubber band" tracks aren't as a bad compromise as they might sound.  There are also aftermarket injection molded track link sets available to replace vinyl tracks.   

Dave   

[teejay99]

Thanks for all the suggestions so far .

Tom , the armor that you mentioned is a very cool , "busy " looking item but I think I'll go with treads rather than wheels on my first model ....just a personal preference .

I did some surfing and found a British site by Lou Stener who has the WWI items I like the looks of . I didn't know there were anatomically correct tanks , with all the male/female Mark 1, 2 ,3 , 4 ,5 etc. British tanks  .
These appear to be 1/35 scale but it doesn't mention it anywhere , and they are the expensive resin kits ...about $200 U.S , unless you get the cheaper "dress up " kits to upgrade el-cheapo plastic models . In addition , it appears that Mr. Stener is going out of business !

Reading elsewhere , the general consensus of Tamiya kits , even old ones , is very positive so I think I will come back down to earth and go that direction . I do like some of the Russian armor , too , as far as looks go .

T