ALRIGHT HERES HOW SHE LOOKS...  NOT THAT GRAT AT ALL...  NEXT TIME I WILL TAKE ALOT MORE CARE IN APPLYING THE ZIMM...  BUT ALTHOUGH NOT A SHOW WINNER I WILL PRESS FORWARD...  LESSON LEARNED...

Thank you guys. I think I will go with the green antenna then based off of your input.

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Bob - your panther is looking good, interesting scheme, and hope you can get it finished in time.

Dan - like that wash, really helps define even the smallest of details.

Stik - diggin the stowage gear, and impressed how you simulated the rope on the rear bin.  

Regarding the antenna, I'd go with what Dan responded with.  I'm no Tiger aficiondo, but have looked at a fair bit of period photos and would draw the same conclusion.  On another forum someone pulled up Heeresmitteilung H.V.1945 Nr. 2, stating the antenna would be painted and installed at the factory using the same base colour as the vehicle.    Your build might be special consideration, as the vehicle was repainted outside the factory.  

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I added a bit more celluclay to my base, and will hit it with some paint in a couple days.  After looking at b/w of African Tigers, I realized something was definitely wrong with the brass MG 34 I had installed in the hull.  Correct caliber, but is double the length!   I'll have to remove it and replace with the original plastic one.

regards,

Jack

Stik-nice job on the stowage...looks very realistic.

Thanks Gamera...hopefully I can finish up BEFORE the deadline on this one....bad habit I have of putting things off....

Wow, Jack, Bob, Dan, SP - those look so good I'm convinced the best must have been saved till last!

jibber

Tigerman, I know it's late but can you please add me to the roster. I'll be a Tiger, late production Dragon Kit #6406. It's been sitting on the shelf and this is the perfect time.  

Thanks, Jibber.

Well, you are at that, but I look forward to what you can do with it. Welcome aboard.

Dan, Jack, Dave, Stik, and Bob, fine work gentlemen. You are so close to the finish line.

Plankton - I look through several reference books note all b/w photos and it appeared the antenna was painted the same color as the vehicle. Spare antenna was stow in metal tube on the right rear hull top. The author who modeled and illustrate in color photos several vehicles Tiger I & 2 (The Modeler's Guide to the Tiger Tank - Patrick A. Stansell - 2003) painted the antenna the same color as the vehicle (grey, dark yellow, or green) Other reference books - Germany's Tiger Tank Series 'Tigers at the Front - Thomas Jentz - Photo Study compiled (b/w photos) and Tigers in Combat I - Wolfgang Schneider provides some color illustrations and also appeared in the same primary color (dark yellow, brown, grey). Hope that provides some direction to go with. Note I'm basing my current DAK vehicle on the color plates from "Bison Decals" which provides placement of decals and several vehicle color camo / alternative camo color for initial and early production Tiger I - you can down load the instruction sheet from their website. (picasaweb.google.co.th/bisondecals). Armor86

All those little pieces hanging on the tank make a great impression! Nice work!

A86, that wash definitely hit the spot! It toned down and tied together the paint, and brought out those details very nicely!

Today I worked on personal stowage. Photos of these tanks in Tunisia show minimal stowage so I kept to what I saw in photos, helmets and rucksacks

Okay, question for the Tiger aficionados here... I made up a radio antenna from brass rod and stretched tube styrene. What color should I paint it? Panzer Gray as it likely would have been originally issued in? Braun RAL 7020 as it may have been mounted when the tank was repainted in that color prior to shipment to Africa? Or Olive Green, as it may have been mounted and painted when the tank was repainted in that color? Any input please...

Dan-I agree that the wash makes the details 'pop' out along with giving your Tiger that 'slightly worn' look-looks good.  I especially like the netting you've added.

Washed applied - DAK Tiger - details stand out more - Armor86

Figured it was time to heck in and see what's happening in here.  I have been lurking on and off and I gotta say there is some butt kickin' work going on in here.

I've been keeping up with everyone's posting but not commenting-sorry-everyone's work is outstanding-really-this is probably one of the highest quality armor builds that I've had the honor of being part of.  All of the builds have been impressive-the weathering, camo schemes, added details, figures....really-all top notch work.

On that note, my WW I Fokker will be complete by 8/1 so I will be able to get back to my Panther.  Tracks are on but that's the only update since last posting

Still need to do some touch up painting on the tracks and secure them down on the road wheels, paint & attach tools, do some damage repair from the track install (really, I should start following the instructions) and then some weathering.

Thanks Jack - used Verlinden Productions (VP) Camouflage Netting No. 0042 - several period photos showed the vehicle 132 using camo netting in the Tunisian theater ... figure it was a needed accessory ... hope to finish the wash tonight.  I have medical gauze, it did not seen to have the right scale in the photos. Did you use an after market track for the tiger?  

Malone -  great looking PE detail - I remember 6 months ago - mine had that flashing look too.

Dave - looks great.

Armor86

Tigerman, I know it's late but can you please add me to the roster. I'll be a Tiger, late production Dragon Kit #6406. It's been sitting on the shelf and this is the perfect time.  

Thanks, Jibber.

gorgeous panther. all i can say is wow!!!!

i would hit the decals with a dullcot or something flat that is the only thing i see on a master piece.  I can not wait to get another panther or two to build again.

oh did i mention great job on the chipping, i keep looking at it and keep seeing more and more things that are awesome.

Malone, that is some beautiful work with all those shiny parts... almost ready for paint?

Hasen, now you have me wanting to build a Panther.... that is SHARP!

Jack, that looks great! Love the dusty weathered look that you chose!

Dan - like the netting you added to the Tiger, really gives it that unique look.     Is it an after market product, or medical guaze?

Malone -  eye catching work with the PE details.

Dave - Panther, looks super !      - wish I could get a flawless paint application like you have here.

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Well, I think the kit itself is done, just the base to go.  

I had used the lengths of Tamiya tracks to make the  impressions in the ground, but the after market individual links from AFV Club don't sit properly in the grooves, so will have to chisel out the area.  Will post more and final pics once that's all taken care of.

regards,

Jack

Malone - Great detail work! All that playing around with the mini scales is really paying off when you get to 1:35, eh? Must be easy for you now...  I'm still anxious to see the zimm under paint. 

Here's where I'm at. Had some pretty good time at the bench on Friday and today. Still a fair amount to do, but I can see the light at the end of the tunnel. Last major hurdle is getting the tracks on. I also have a handful of tools and equipment along with some brackets to add.

and a few detail shots. I was trying to make the chipping very subtle. In some cases I succeeded, others I still went a little farther than I wanted. Someday I'll get it down... right? 

ahhh! I see fingerprints!  Those will have to be dealt with as well. 

Anyway, let me know if anything is smacking you in the face that I may have missed. Thanks for lookin'.

Sharp work Malone.

Thanks guys. There was a lot more too it than I thought first jumping in. Looking at pictures of tigers you really don't appreciate how much is really going on on these things.

Sooo...  Threw some primer one this evening and I must say at first I was highly upset with the tamiya zimm. The pattern itself is ok but the edges look like sheer cliffs. So I stopped. Took a break and went back in and covered them all with tamuya surface primer. After a little more body work ill let you guys know what's up. I got into a rush so no pics. But I haven't started on the turret so ill document how it all looks with it. I'm hoping by then ill have a technique.

Excellent PE work!

All of them came though clear. Wow, that's some sharp PE work! Wish I were that good with the stuff.

hopefully this works...

I can see the photo just fine, nice work! Love those PE hasps for the rear storage bin.

Hindsight 20/20. Glad pics didn't post I guess. Forgot to add about fifty bolt heads and wing nuts. I shall prevail though.

And a photobucket fail. Sorry guys. I didn't catch it till now. Shall return tomorrow.

ALRIGHT FINALLY SOME PHOTOS...  AND YEAH THE BAKELITE IS A RED BROWN...  FOR OUR SCALE I USUALLY JUST PUT A DROP OF RED BROWN IN SOME BLACK AND LEAVE THE END CAPS BLACK...

I have read that some items on German WWII tank tools were made from "Bakelite", an early plastic. It was very sturdy heavy duty stuff. Anybody remember old rotary landline telephones? Those were made from that stuff. Anyways, I have a late WWII production P38 pistol in my collection and it has Bakelite grips. They are a dark Red Brown in color, and for lack of a better term, almost look like particle board in their composition.

Man, all these Tigers are looking great. (like Tony says, lol)  I really am liking all of the weathering. Making me wish I had a early/mid Tiger to build. (I have a Tamiya late version I'll build sometime...)

Thanks for all the encouragement on my Panther, fellas. 

Jack, I'm glad you mentioned the wire cutters... as I have, at this point, forgotten to add the brackets that would hold the handle ends in place. As I'm sure you've probably read, or researched by now, the handles were made of some material other than wood and appeared reddish/orange/brown color. I've read and seen several different examples of the end caps. I've opted for a darker color as I like the contrast. I've even seen examples of the cutters themselves being painted over in the vehicle base color, etc. So to sorta answer your question; yes the end caps that you see are part of the tool itself and not part of how it was attached to the vehicle. Color could be argued probably be argued at length, but more often than not they seem to appear darker than the handles proper.