Armortek

Thanks for the input and praise guys, I do like the period photos of the Panthers and the Tigers.( some I've not seen before )
Mark the Tamiya paint range is excellent if a little expensive way to cover such a big model, the xf spray paint end result colour will depend alot on the undercoat which can also be a useful advantage for creating depth and shade.

Buckets and barrels.
The pics of the vehicles with the barrels at high elevation are a good example of when to use that pose ie during a road march or maintenance stop etc ( my theory just went out the window ref keeping the cannon low ) These vehicles are real so anything goes.
The buckets, every unit carries them they are the toilet inside the vehicle when buttoned up and so on ( they also make good shooting targets for small arms coz they make a clank when you've hit it). My problem with buckets be they white pink or oak funnel is irrelevant, some look cool some look pants, the round bottom buckets are to lower into wells and low rivers with a rope as they fall over and fill up automatically when dropped into water ...they look nice, Gerhards Panther bucket looks very good. All fine for a still shot but its are old friend inertia again, you watch a 1/6th scale bucket swinging about on video .....it looks pants! Unless you edit some cool effects in which bring me on to the next paragraph.

We ought to have a thread for a video/filming discussion topic next, that would be interesting for me as i have tons to bang on about in that respect, and much to learn.....cheers Phil.

Hello Phil,

besides my photoes I also have several video clips of moving tanks, taken by my onboard cam. But they all have the same problem as my stills: the shown models are mostly no Armortek's........

Well me ol mate you will have to shoot some more video using your At vehicles In between the rain storms I have been adding weld beads to the Berges winch spade, and theres miles of the dam stuff.

The knocked out Tiger1 European street diorama for discussion. Please feel free to pull it to pieces guys ...good and bad points, tell us what you see.
I have included the colour pic so that you can see how the crude contrasting paint job appears before its colour edits are applied, its a shame that the barrel is not totally visible, but the shear scale of producing a diorama in 1/6th indoors becomes apparent when you start unfolding the second and third tressel table to support you little world thats becoming bigger and bigger as you add more of the wifes garden.
The building is a three foor 1/12th scale raised up on a platform and kept close to give the illusion of the correct scale ....cheers phil.

Heres a scale that I find difficult to get right , 1/16th. (I hope this pic is ok to post as its obviously not Armortek ) I think its important for comparison and a good reason to choose 1/6th Armortek models as they look so good! So back to Armortek please no more plastic examples

Some more photos some good some bad?
Anyway the first pic. Bad points first, this brings me on to camouflage vehicle and personnel!
In our chosen scale camouflage is a tricky one, to my eyes camo figure clothing especially the one piece overalls type just do not work for some reason, look at pic one, the motorcyclist pants look pants! Its slightly better in black and white but just not convincing, it ruins a fairly good simple diorama ( it suggests the unit has stopped or has been stopped and are chatting/exchanging info at the road side, when you put a diorama together make it believable)
The motor cycle has cross head screws holding it together.
Its not a very sophisticated example of a motorcycle so not so good close up.
The figures wrist joints stick out.
Not much kit in shot.

The good points, In black and white its not bad.
The first photo in sequence suggests that the guys on the road have just called to the Tiger 1 commander and so the second photo seems to suggest that he has moved from his hatch, to the loaders in a casual way to chat, which works.( all these points help our subconscious believe that its real)
The Tiger 1 in mono camo looks ok.
Nice figure poses ...nice and relaxed, off to the front rather than tiered and shaken coming back.
Nice close up arrangement..theres not a lot going on, but there is for such a close up shot.
Easy diorama to achieve.
Please feel free as all comments are taken on board..Phil

I found this old Photo of a Tiger 1, I think its worth posting to this thread as Im not entirely sure if its real.
If you study it carefully there are a few elements that just dont add up.
I will tell you what i see!

Its a great photo of a early Tiger, nice 3/4 view from the rear ( almost perfect I think).
The story, the evidence.
It looks like the crew have set off the demolition charge inside the vehicle, which has lifted the turret but the hatches are undamaged?
The loaders hatch is not bent in anyway that I can see( it may have been left open as the crew member made his exit after setting the demolition charge fuse).
The commanders hatch is closed? maybe the demo charge was a small one, not the standard issue.
Nice background.
The escape hatch is open but difficult to see any damage.
The radio operators hatch is open and undamaged.
Good exposure, good light, good shadows.
Shes very clean, very very clean, maybe to much so!(no oil staining) you would expect to see some contamination around the rear and the wheel hubs.?
What are those strange (I am not familiar with the fin projectile witness/entry holes) projectile entry holes in the turret bin and Air filters, maybe someone could explain?

The tracks...they look nicely adjusted nice and heavy, but something an't quite right, they look a bit chunky to me.
No track marks in the gravel, in front or behind.
The side guards that are left on the off side dont look quite right, and the missing ones front and rear have left no marks of either being there or being ripped off.


NA I RECKON ITS FAKE!

I don't think that such a photo will be made under battle conditions (under fire of enemy). Why then the viewing angle (a little too low, like a cowering person)? No track marks, and the appearance of the track links and the road wheels......? An explosion which lifts the turret, and no pressure signs to the hull / the road train, the track links, the underground?

The damages to the rear and the storage box of the turret may be caused by frags of shells, but there are no other signs of impacts such like scratches, paint damages and so on.

Altogether a fake, isn't it?

> What are those strange (I am not familiar with the fin projectile witness/entry holes)
> projectile entry holes in the turret bin and Air filters, maybe someone could explain?

Philips screwdriver

Adrian.

Good morning Gerhard, nice to see you are paying attention! .
I didnt get your photos via email, but we have contact.

Nice try with that Tiger though, another give away are the twists or weave in that tow rope.
I reckon its plastic but a good one at that.

I think you have the tool there Adrian

With the help of google reversed image search... it is a 1:25 tamiya model done by a modeller who builts wrecked tanks

http://www.armorama.com/modules.php?op= ... 947&page=1

Thanks Maarten, he is a real artist and in a difficult scale too, I bet hes got squint lines around his eyes .
I wounder if he looks at our stuff? If he out there maybe he could let me know on my Youtube channel.....Phil

What are those strange (I am not familiar with the fin projectile witness/entry holes) projectile entry holes in the turret bin and Air filters, maybe someone could explain?

As Adrian says, Phillips screwdriver. The fin round (APFSDS) wasn't introduced until the 1970s and is therefore an anachronism for WW2.

Stephen

Hi Stephen, do you still have the smell of old oil,rubber,that metalic odour and nato paint up your nose from the tank hall?...I love it and miss it a bit. I had a discarding round in my collection for a while, it used to glow in the dark lol regards Phil.