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1/16 Scale Armour...Do you like building in that scale?

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  • Member since
    November 2004
1/16 Scale Armour...Do you like building in that scale?
Posted by jhawk on Wednesday, September 27, 2023 2:57 PM

I'm seeing more and more 1/16 scale armour vehicles coming out.  In the past, I've never had any interest in that scale.  But, the more I see, the more I'm interested.  Have any of you built 1/16 scale yet? What do you think?  What surprised you about the experience?  Thanks in advance.  

  • Member since
    March 2003
  • From: Western North Carolina
Posted by Tojo72 on Thursday, September 28, 2023 7:31 AM

I don't know yet,I really don't have the room to build and display too many 1/16 models,but I was intrigued by Andy's 1/16 Tiger,the price was right and I wnt to give it a shot it's just going to be a one off from what I normally do,but probably gonna start it later this fall.

I would think that since it's bigger,your mistakes will show up easier,and at that scale if you don't detail,paint,and weather appropriately,it may look toy like.

  • Member since
    June 2014
Posted by BrandonK on Thursday, September 28, 2023 9:27 AM

My biggest let down, if you will, regarding 1/16th kits is that they are just upscaled 35th with no extra detail at that scale. If I'm gonna drop that kinda coin on a huge kit, it better be one parts rich kit. From what I've seen of most of the new kits is that they are just big with no more detail and that kinda sucks. And yes, at that scale you better be on point with your work and extra detail or it will be toy like.

BK

On the bench:

A lot !! And I mean A LOT!!

2024 Kits on deck / in process / completed   

                         14 / 5 / 2  

                              Tongue Tied

  • Member since
    March 2007
  • From: Northeast WA State
Posted by armornut on Thursday, September 28, 2023 4:25 PM

   I got most of the way through a 1/16 Stug until a was mentally derailed by a hard core rivet counter.....that won't happen again.

      I agree with both Tojo and BrandonK, space is hard to come by and gets ate up fast by those large kits. It would be great if more interior detail was provided but from experience of buying an older 1/16 Trumpeter King Tiger, unless your flush with disposable income they are cost prohibative to most.

     Also agree that finish and weathering is HUGELY,(pun intended), important as you could end up with a G.I. Joe prop quickly.

      Allsaid and done I want to build more and everyone who can should atleast try before poo pooing to bad.

we're modelers it's what we do

  • Member since
    November 2004
Posted by jhawk on Friday, September 29, 2023 12:09 PM

I, too, don't have a lot of shelf space for this size model.  I built a few 1/32 jet aircraft and they may have to be tossed or sold at some point to get more shelf space.  A 1/16 AFV would be a tight squeeze.  I mainly wonder about painting and weather techniques and how they would change on a model that size.  I wonder how much paint it takes just to put done a base coat?!  How long would it take to dry brush the highlights (yes, I still dry brush)?  Streaking effects?!  I still struggle to get those done correctly on 1/35 scale stuff.  I don't have a modeling club anywhere near me, so the closest I can come to viewing a 1/16 build is YouTube.  

  • Member since
    March 2003
  • From: Western North Carolina
Posted by Tojo72 on Friday, September 29, 2023 5:23 PM

I bought some panzer colors in spray cans,Vallejo and AK make some colors,didn't want to deal with airbrushing a giant Tiger.I plan this as an ongoing side project,yes it will take time to apply all the different techniques,but I'm in no rush,if I feel burned out on it,I'll work on something else too at the same time.

  • Member since
    December 2002
  • From: Fort Knox
Posted by Rob Gronovius on Saturday, September 30, 2023 7:19 PM

I'd say the increased scale is due to the aging of the hobbyists. Bigger is easier to see.

  • Member since
    November 2009
  • From: SW Virginia
Posted by Gamera on Monday, October 2, 2023 11:29 PM

Yeah, the increased size ought to make the model easier to work with. However; I always end up feeling I need to add extra detail like several others have already commented. So it ends up defeating the purpose of building bigger. 

I started a 1/32nd Zero years ago. Got through adding a bunch of stuff to the cockpit and just burned out on it. She's still sitting there in the box. 

"I dream in fire but work in clay." -Arthur Machen

 

  • Member since
    March 2007
Posted by MASTER DETAILS FROM USA on Wednesday, October 4, 2023 12:37 PM

I started out building in 1/48 scale and then 1/35th. While I haven't built in 1/16 scale, I do now build in 1/6 scale almost exclusively. I recently finished a completely scratch-built M3 Stuart (diesel) tank in that scale. Personally, I find that the larger the scale, the easier it is to work with and more details can be easily replicated. 1/16 scale is twice as big as 1/32 scale so imagine building an old Monogram SdK.fz. IV if it were twice as big. I also find that painting and weathering the larger scale models give me more control while the techniques are virtually the same. I've seen quite a few expertly finished 1/16 scale armor models at shows and they are impressive. What I don't like about the smaller scales is that a lot of the interior work becomes virtually invisible when you're finished. Of course, the larger you build the more intense the negotiations with your wife for shelf space!

Tags: ARTGOD
  • Member since
    March 2007
Posted by MASTER DETAILS FROM USA on Wednesday, October 4, 2023 12:40 PM

And, the bigger the scale the more detail that can be replicated.

Tags: ARTGOD
  • Member since
    September 2012
Posted by GMorrison on Wednesday, October 4, 2023 3:07 PM

MASTER DETAILS FROM USA
1/16 scale is twice as big as 1/32 scale

In fact by the square- cube law it is eight times as big!

 

Bill

 Modeling is an excuse to buy books.

 

  • Member since
    April 2003
  • From: USA
Posted by keavdog on Wednesday, October 4, 2023 4:47 PM

I've done several 1/16 scale figures and it's my prefered scale there.  I've done nothing else in that scale but have a Trumpeter MRAP that was a gift from my son-in-law who rode around in one in Afghanistan with the 10th mountain.  Planning on tackling that monster next year.  Don't do armor (or is it just a truck/car?) really so this will be new-new to me.

Thanks,

John

  • Member since
    August 2004
  • From: Forest Hill, Maryland
Posted by cwalker3 on Wednesday, October 4, 2023 5:37 PM

I've built two and that's all for me. If you're not really into weathering, and I'm not, then these arent the kits for you. They're much to toy like unless you weather the bejeesus out of them. I bought them originally because, like Rob said, my aging eyes appreciated the larger parts. And said parts also made the kits joys to build as I didn't have to fiddle with microscopic parts. But I'm just not good at weathering so I'll stick to 1/35 and maybe a 1/32 plane now and then.

Cary

 


  • Member since
    October 2023
Posted by The Buck Dancer on Thursday, October 5, 2023 8:36 AM

Hmmmm....interesting idea regarding the aged hobbyist. I have built a few (T34-85 and Tiger I) and they do eat up space, but also allow for working with larger areas, and are easier to correct errors and even experiment with some different techniques. And there are few if any flyspeck parts to deal with.

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