Baseplates in various sizes

I have 3d-printed a lot of models and the wheels and 

tracks can sometimes be fragile and to save my little 

gems as much as possible I have chosen to base

them. I have chosen to use thin steelplate because 

the will not warp and are easy to cut and use. 

The only base-plate on the pictures that not are fitted with

the measurements is the circular and it is both thicker than 

the rest and has a diameter of 40mm. The circular-baseplate 

will primarily be used as a flight-stand for my aircrafts and 

helicopters in the 1/300-scale.

To keep track on all my baseplates I have made a small hole 

in each an fitted with a cord and this is very good when you 

try out the right size for each model.

All these bases come from roof-sheets that were leftovers 

after a renovation in a house nearby and the are painted 

black on one side and black on the other.

Beutepanzers and recoveryvehicles

Finally we have come to my beloved "beutepanzers"(translated 

from german: looted tanks).

These gems are 3d-printed and I like them a lot. First up is the 

heavy KV-1 with a replaced german gun (PAK 40) instead of 

the soviet standard. This model made after a rare photograph 

taken on the eastern fron during world war 2 and the history 

says it was a testmodel and never used en masse. The germans 

were skilled to reuse almost anything that they came across to 

help their army to become more mobile. Next are T-34/76 soviet 

medium tanks that has been upgraded with schuerzen (extra 

armour-plates) and a cuppola. The T-34-tanks in german service

were also fitted with a radio. To make the leading tank more 

visible on the gaming-table I also added a tank-commander.

Two soviet T-70 light tanks will be used as one soviet and the 

other as a german beutepanzer, both are fitted with a tank-

commander. On the eastern front a lot of tanks broke down 

and had to be recovered and I have bougth 2 very nice 

models that I have fitted with soviet tankdrivers to show 

that they are lend lease from the USA. The recovery vehicles 

are Sherman ARV and the second is a Grant ARV.

Last but not least the very nice german Berge-panther with 

a lots of extra details added.

All models will be very nice to paint. To be continued. :)

Octagon-dicetrays, homemade

I have been sitting on wooden parts for years and after the operation I

wanted to let these come to use. Walnut, maple and a bottomplate made of

pine will become my dicetray number 3.

I have not decided if I will lacquer all parts in a clearcoat or only the octagon and

paint the bottom in white.

To add that extra "cosy" dicefeeling I also added a  soft rubber-inlay that will be fitted

with either blue or green felt.

This dicetray will be used in all games and also to inspire my children to start playing

RPG-games and miniature-skirmish-games.

I also made a nice second hand-find, a wooden teabag-boox that will store most of my

collection containing dices and game-accessories.

To be continued.

Damaged STUGs are salvaged

 One of my favourite 15mm-models in the german collection are the STUG´s and STUH´s.

I bought some of these new and some on second hand in various condition.

If you speak about the working horse of the german tank-force you must choose the

Panzerkampfwagen IV and also the STUG. Later in the war the STUG was upgraded with a

powerful cannon (PAK 40) extra protection (sideskirts etc).

Working on my pile of shame I also fix my finnish collection with 3d-printed models(STURMIS).

I like 3d-printed models but cannons and small details can be very fragile and I have bought

a small second-hand stash containing bits to 15mm-models made of tin.

I also added a tank-commander and I will also upgrade with camo-nets and ammo-boxes etc

to add that extra feeling and diversity to the models.

To be continued.

Sdkfz 8 Bufla or PAK43 is the question!?

Looking in my "pile of shame" I found 2 models of german Sdkfz 8 Bufla and also

two bases of dug in artillery-positions but the latter mas missing a vital part...the gun.

I thought to myself why don´t make these models modular!?

In the beginning of the World war 2 the germans built 10 pieces of the 88mm mounted

on tracks and named it Sdkfz 8 Bufla. This bunkerbuster was very effective and was

used mainly in Poland and France but was retired in 1943 (Eastern front).

In a friendly game these Sdkfz 8-models could be used anywhere but if you play a 

campaign or fancy the late war they are not allowed to enter the gaming table.

In Berlin and East-prussia 1944 - 45 the gun on these models could easy become fixed

PAK 43-artillery positions and a deadly menace to any gamer. :)

The PAK 43 was a very heavy artillery-piece and difficult to both operate and move but

when at place it could knock out almost any enemy-tanks at a distance.

I also show one of the legendary 88mm-gun that is similar in strength as the PAK 43.

Next step will be to repaint all of the shown models on the pictures.

Have a nice and sunny weekend!

 

Soviet creative tank-projects

When it comes to gaming 15mm and especially Flames of war I really like the

diversity of models on the gaming-tables.

My collection of these small "gems" is ever growing and to collect is a big part

of my hobby so far. On my shelf I have German, Soviet, Finnish and Japanese

models in the 15mm-scale to play Flames or war or similar games.

During the pandemic I bought both the Soviet T-43 and SU-76i but the boxes

has been almost forgotten until today. The T-43´s are all from Battlefront but

the SU-76i are a mixture of 3D-print and Battlefront.

T-43 was built in 1942 and was intended to replace both T-34 and KV-1 as an up-

armoured medium tank but was never mass-produced when the T34/85 became

logical choice .

The SU-76i is originally a german tank with the gun/gun-turret removed and replaced

by a soviet superstructure and fitted with the 76,2mm soviet anti-tank gun.

About 300 Panzer III´s and STUG´s were a part of the loot when the germans surrendered

in Stalingrad and they were transported to soviet factories to become the SU-76i (the "i"

stands for inostrannaya and means foreign in russian).

Both models in my opinion had fragile gun-barrels so I decided to replace and scratch-

build them using leftovers from"bits-sprues".

I like both models and it will be fun to paint them in the near future.

3D-model on order

I got an personal order to make a 3d-model of a vision a time ago.

The vision was a building that could have been when built both a school and

a kindergarten under the same roof.

I got some drawings showing 2d-views and the outside measurements of the

vision of the build from the architect and the rest to make the 3d-model did I 

figure out myself on my free-time.

To not narrow the vision of the build I choose to make it in plain white.

The building and small roofs are printed using a 3d-filament and the spiral-

staircase is printed using a 3d-resin-printer.

Fixing missprints

When I 3d-printed vehicles I also got some misprints for free.

Instead of using them as wrecks I tried to save them and made some

renovation. It was mainly the wheels that got some kind of error and

I made new ones using bits-leftovers.

After some work I have revived:

3 models of Zis 5 (soviet tank truck)

2 models of Opel blitz 3,6-36 S/SSM (german cargo-truck on tracks)

3 models of T-26 (soviet ligt tank)

2 models of GMC 2,5 tonne cargotruck (US)

3 models of M3/A1 armoured scoutcar (US)