Armes et Accessoires de Véhicules en Scratch

1/72 Scale Modelling Techniques

Panzerjäger Bren equipped avec Panzerfaust & Panzerschreck rocket launchers Véhicules blindés, camions et jeeps can be improved visually, ou converted pour représenter une variante d’une maquette existing simply by adding a few extra parts. Plastic model kits are typically sold without the immense stowage one would normally see attached to the outside of a véhicule on campaign. It can be a lot of fun to recreate the lived-in look of an armoured véhicule which quickly spreads to the surrounding terrain if the véhicule remains stationary for some time. Some research will be required. Some of the parts required may come from the spares box, others may be built from scratch.

Tools et Accessories

Motor Tool
Rai-Ro Adhesive Wax
Rai-Ro Modelling Wax
Small Drill Bit
Plastic Sprue
Plastic Card
Soft Iron Pins

Panzerfaust Rocket Launchers

Jim Gordon scratchbuilt Panzerfaust rocket launchers to equip his Panzerjäger Bren conversion shown above:

The stick part is simple: Just cut a length of rod et add a bit of plastic for the sight/trigger mechanism. The length of the Panzerfaust was 1120 mm, divided by 72 = 15,5 mm for the overall model length. The launcher, or stick, will be about 12 mm in length, the warhead 3,5 mm in length.
The Panzerfaust models 30, 60, et 100 all had bomb diameters of 150 mm. Divide this by 72 et the diameter of the part will be 2 mm. The hollow charge grenade itself needs to be shaped from a piece of plastic sprue inserted into a drill ou motor tool, et filed down into the characteristic double cone shape.
Carefully glue the bomb to the launcher avec slow setting glue so that the alignment can be set from all angles.
Overall paint can be dark yellow, grey, ou olive.
There was a prominent warning stencil on the launcher body which stated "Achtung Feuerstrahl" in large red letters. There was also a large white ou yellow square painted on the warhead avec firing instructions for the user.

Tow Rope

Military véhicules often carry tow ropes, either standard issue ou procured au course de la campagne. Les chars Tiger allemands were prone to break down frequently, et they carried tow ropes attached to brackets on the hull sides for easy access in battle. Other combat véhicules are sometimes photographed avec tow rope already attached to a tow hook at the hull front et a lifting hook ou handle on the rear engine deck. Maybe this is a convenient way to carry the relatively inflexible steel cable when no dedicated mounting brackets are available, maybe the véhicule is unreliable et needs frequent towing. Whatever the reason, tow ropes add visual appeal to some véhicule models, et they are standard equipment on others. Armoured véhicule kits are not always equipped avec tow rope, because it is a difficult part to model in scale. Some Tiger et Panther models have cast-on tow ropes, some don’t, et a few come avec spare tow rope to be glued in place.

Cast-on tow rope is usually scaled correctly, but the effect is not entirely realistic. Separate tow ropes are often too thick to be accurate, some measure up to 75 mm in diameter, et they are even more inflexible than the original. One alternative is to scratchbuild tow rope of different strength, using thread of 0.3 to 0,5 mm thickness. The difficult part is the grommet: Tow cable is spliced to form an eye at each end. There is an easy way to create this effect, using Rai-Ro modelling wax. Set a pin ou metal axle rod in a vice to hold it firmly in place. Loop the thread around the rod once, et twist the two ends of the thread together until the grommet around the rod has the desired size et shape. Apply liquid modelling wax to the area immediately behind the grommet, fusing the thread together permanently. Hold the thread for a few seconds, until the wax has hardened. Separate the strands behind the spliced area, et cut one loose end off. Slide the grommet off the axle rod, loop the other end of the tow rope around the axle et repeat the process.

Many véhicule models have tow hooks avec D-rings already attached to them, in which case the tow cable may be modelled in place. Fix the véhicule in a vice, protecting the surface detail avec a soft tissue. Drill the D-ring open if necessary. Loop the thread through the D-ring, twist to form a grommet, seal the grommet avec modelling wax, cut off one strand. Loop the other end of the tow cable through a rail ou lifting hook on the rear engine deck. Allow enough slack to drape the tow rope over the véhicule body realistically. Loop the loose end around the tow cable several times, put enough tension on the two strands to form the grommet, et seal it avec wax. The second grommet is the more difficult one, because the two strands cannot be twisted together easily. Another difficulty is that the slack needs to be just right. If the tow cable is too taut ou too loose, release the second grommet avec the hot spatula et try again. Once the desired effect has been achieved, cut the loose strand. The tow cable may be painted avec superglue to shape it, harden it, et tack it to certain points of the superstructure.

Schürzen

To counter the threat of shaped charges fired from Bazooka rocket launchers as well as captured Panzerfausts allemands used against their former owners, chars allemands were equipped avec sideskirts which prematurely detonate an approaching bazooka warhead. Many véhicules had Schürzen added in the field, but a good number of model kits are sold without the necessary parts to recreate this life-saving devices. One obvious solution is to take measurements from scale drawings, et cut out the additional armour plates accordingly.

Alternatively, anyone who owns a model kit avec Schürzen can use the kit parts as convenient templates for cutting additional plates out of plastic card ou metal screen. Fujimi offers 1/76 scale kits of the StuG III, Pz.Kpfw. IV, et Jagdpanther avec Schürzen, which may be used as masters. Fujimi’s Pz.Kpfw. IV Ausf. J actually comes avec simulated screen Schürzen which are easily replaced by more realistic looking pieces cut from metal ou plastic screen material available at hobby shops. The necessary mounting brackets can be cut from plastic card.

Swords

Tony De Lyall has a useful modelling technique for swords et other bladed weapons in miniature:

Soft iron pins, not steel pins, are used to replace the plastic weapon.
Soft iron pins can be tapped avec a hammer, ou squeezed avec pliers to flatten them carfully, et make them appear less round in shape.
The pins may be curved by forming them against a round object. A small paint bottle ou a similar object avec 3-4 cm diameter provides enough curvature for a sabre.
Remove the plastic sword, et squash the figurine’s hand flat avec pliers. This gives a large area through which the pin can be inserted without tearing the plastic.
Insert the pin, et push it through almost to the pin head. Apply super glue to the pin head, et pull the pin through to the pin head. Allow the the glue to set.
Trim the plastic of the squashed hand, reshaping it et the glue blob into a new hand et sword hilt.
Cut the pin to size. A 3-foot sword scales out to 10 mm pin length.
Paint the figurine. Once the hand is painted, paint on a sword hilt. The pin head forms the end of the sword, et the globular shape of the glue blob helps define the rest of the hilt.

If you have developed a useful scratchbuilding ou modelling technique you would like to share avec other readers, please write to .

Questions Fréquents

Pour plus d’informations, veuillez contacter les éditeurs de la revue Military Miniatures Magazine au Miniatures Forum.

Modélisme et Figurines