Entry #1 - Building Tristar's Panzer IV Ausf. C

Questioning Boy: Mr. Owl, how many licks does it take to get to the Tootsie Roll center of a Tootsie Pop? 

Mr. Owl: Let's find out. A One... A.two-HOO...A three.. 

(crunch sound effect) 

Mr. Owl: A Three!

So, how many Tristar kits does it take me to build one decent Panzer IV Ausf. C model?   Surprisingly, my answer is exactly the same.  Three.  

 

Now, to be fair, I purchased the first kit at a model show for $20 but it was partially constructed.  The previous owner used copious amounts of tube glue all over the place.  It would take too much effort to clean and repair the lower hull.  So, onto to the second kit (purchased at full price).  The second kit was a learning lesson.  What did I learn?  Tristar kits are like a jigsaw puzzles with pieces that are all the same color.  

My advice, make sure everything fits before gluing together.  Also, work out the best assembly order (sometimes contrary to the instructions) to prevent fit issues in the later stages.  Like I said, Tristar are puzzles that are disguised as models.  Should they be called Puzmods?  Modzles?  

Anyway, the second model's lower hull geometry was way off and would cause problems later on.  But hey, I learned some valuable lessons.  

Moving onto the third kit (again, purchased at full price).  At least I will have plenty of spare parts for any future hiccups.  The secret this time around was first to glue the two support pieces (Part E-1), let the glue fully dry and then place side walls (A-18 and A-19).  Voila!

  

The only other major issue that I had, which happened on all 3 kits, was a pretty significant gap on the rear bottom of the lower hull.  To fix this I placed some round rod inside the gap, used heavy amount of Tamiya glue to melt the plastic, allowed to dry and then sand to a smooth finish.