Each time I think I've finished printing I think of a few more AFVs it would be "nice to have"!
So I've been beefing up my DAK force and adding to the terrain features with a few new additions.
Firstly, I created some larger palm tree models by using the palm tree trunk that is a built in file within 3D Builder and added to this foliage made from cutting the top off a bush that I found in Thingiverse. This was stretched out to form an upturned saucer shape and I hollowed out a small recess in the underside to accommodate the trunk. When printed out and assembled, I mounted them on mdf and textured the base with Vallejo White Pumice. They were painted up using a mixture of Citadel Contrast and Vallejo acrylics.
Then I drew up some adobe walls in 3D builder. These are very simple structures but will provide some linear cover in games.
I then created some "Burning tank" markers. These were built up in 3D Builder by combining a selection of differing sized, low resolution "Bush" files to resemble a pall of flame & smoke. Painted up using Citadel Contrast paints I was quite pleased with the finished results. I will make some more, but I think I will make them a little larger so the will work with this scale and 15mm too. I think the same principle could work for smoke markers too, so I will experiment further!
All the vehicles I printed are M Bergman files from Thingiverse. Some from his 1:200 collection and others his 1:100 collection. To be honest for these "N"Gauge models I prefer to enlarge the 1:200 models as their simplicity lends itself to easy printing and cleaning up. Sometimes the 1:100 models are too detailed to easily reduce in size and my 0.4mm nozzle is too big to render that detail. An example would be the SDKFZ 250 in the above picture. The hull walls are too thin to print at this scale, so to strengthen the model I had to fill in the body with additional material before printing.
The model of Rommel's half-track even had a very delicate (fragile!) radio frame to print out, making a nice HQ model.
For aerial recognition flags I found a swastika flag on Google images and printed several out at 10 x 5mm. The back of each flag was soaked in PVA before pressing down onto the vehicles to follow the hull/turret contours. The purpose in gaming terms will be to indicate commanding elements where required.
So I have the ability to game early war scenarios, I've added a Zug of Panzer IIs. These came from Tiger Ace's rework of some Bergman files and are designed in 1:100. Reducing these to "N" Gauge caused the track guards to suffer as they are now very thin. They don't look too bad though and will pass for "Battle damage"!
The final addition for this session is my Flak 36 88mm anti-tank gun. The gun was a Tiger Ace file which I added to a circular base in 3D Builder. In addition I included some crew figures, ammo boxes and spent cases. The base was textured with Vallejo White Pumice before painting. Altogether the model is a little over scale (about 1:125) but looks the part.
I created a towed version using Tiger Ace's barrel assembly married to a very simplified towed chassis I also found on Thingiverse. The SDKFZ 9 towing vehicle is a M Bergman 1:200 file.
Really pleased with these. I've also added another 4 Panzer IV's which I printed out accidentally! I'm now going to add some Italian vehicles and a few more allied items for variety....
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