Off to a good start! (Patreon)

My friends, I started assembling the Ferdinand yesterday and so far it's been a fun model. After a long time, I was able to ignore the construction steps and focus on the main body of the vehicle. There are lots of weld lines that had to be re-scribed with chisels, and some welds that weren't even represented in the kit! Those are located on the lower rear plate.

I also added the basic steel textures with a combo of Tamiya putty and Mr. Cement S. These were gently polished with a sponge, and the excess was removed from the armor plate cross-sections. I also added a bunch of other details to the hull, mainly those that will also have welds around them.

The engine deck is dry-fitted for now, as well as the superstructure. The next step is gonna transform it into a heavy metal beast! Welding!

Also, I had a set of 3D-printed Elefant tracks from Panzerwerk lying around. But then I realized that the Elefant had small ice cleats on the tracks, while Ferdinand had three rectangular blocks. In other words, wrong tracks! So I quickly ordered a set of Friuls, and while I was at it, I added a basic Eduard PE set into the basket. After a pretty long while, I'll be working with blackened metal tracks again! The last model to sport these was the Karl Mortar!

PS: Some of you suggested a bunch of 3D designed correction details for this model which are available to purchase on Cults3D. I looked at them and while they look good, my printer wouldn't do them justice. In fact, I've been considering a new 14K printer for a while, but my current expenses in the backyard are the main priority.