Yeah great job there on the Tiger Jack, and the base really sets her off to best effect.

Jack & Stik-I have to agree with the rest of the group-both Tigers look great.  I especially like the base you've put together Jack....it really adds to the Tiger.

Your Tiger and it's base are looking awesome, Jack!

jack: your Tiger looks great.  Love teh name plate on that base. Are you doing "731?"  If so, Archer has a set of complete markings here www.archertransfers.com/AR49004.html

Stik: you Tiger's looking marvelous!

Oh it is taking over my thought process here MD.... and I am not letting myself get sidetracked on anything else!

Jgeratic. Ditto for me man. That base and tiger sure are sweet.

Stik good work man. You're making that kit work!

Clemens, that sounds good about getting your suspension arms done.

Jack your Tiger is looking great! I really like that base. Thank you for the kind words.

Hey guys, good to see some new blood joining the group.

Stik - clever work with the interior, showcasing quite the resourcefulness with the scratchbuild and sparesbox.

Dan - that two tone camou looks quite convincing, I like it.

Malone - keen work with the PE.

Clemens - very nice, a clean construction goes a long way towards an excellent build.

---------------------------------------------

I am back to finish my cat.   Was away to meet another GB deadline, but now can focus back to this one. 

First task to tackle is those home made decals.  My new approach is to use clear film, so have painted the required areas white, as inkjet printers cannot print that colour (turret numbers are only white outlines).   Pictured below is where I'm currently at.

regards,

Jack

Looking great, Stik!

I got all the suspention arms glued to the lower hull and moved to the rear plate now.

Cheers, Clemens

Page 190

As promised yesterday, before I was out and about on my morning errands today, I took photos of the finished turret interior before it was all closed up...

then I glued the turret roof on and went about my morning/midday errands, one of which was a stop by my storage unit for these guys...

once I got home I finished up the turret

and this is what you can pretty much see thru the open turret hatches... just a bit more in person

then it was time to work on the hull... using a few references I placed the tools as best I could and replaced a few of them that I could with some Tamiya tools for a Panzer IV OVM Tool set because they were better detailed. I also added the wiring plugs for the headlights using some styrene nubs cut from parts in my spares bin

now Academy's Sherman & Tank Destroyer kits come with some beautiful detail parts that you shave off of the sprue

using those (and the handles from the kit wire cutters which I replaced) I created these toggle bolts for a cover near the hull MG mount

and I used some to make the latches for the turret bin

Initial Production Tigers used by the 501st in Africa had a hinged exhaust flap that was not included in my kit, so I raided my spares bin, modified some armored filler cap covers and glued those into place

I still need to scratch build some brackets for spare track shoes on the hull rear

and I need to scratch build some brackets/bracing for the headlights and add the wiring, and add the tow cables and engine deck grills, but as of now, this Tiger is about 97% built

Most impressive! Almost 190 pages of Steel Cats!

Thanks for the insight Malone-I'm going to have to try that on the next build.

Right now I'm struggling on whether to attempt to piece the tracks together in sections, remove, paint & re-assemble or just assemble the tracks on the Panther and then paint....time to get the decision making nickle out....

spartan, that big guy is looking real good man...

armor86...  it keeps getting better and better...

 as for me still plugging...  some pics tomorrow...  as for the tools, its easier for me to add them before paint cause i usually gum things up when i try to add them after. plus i feel by adding them now the primer and paint layers help hold everything together better.

Thank you very much, guys.

Stik: The hull had a little "accident"... Just kidding, I'll add the parts of the suspention today. The whole hull should be finished untill Sunday...

Gamera: Yes, it is about as big as the hull of a Stuart! That tank is going to be huge!

Cheers, Clemens

Nice work guys. Keep plugging away.

Clemons: Nice work there on the KT turret, it's about the size of a M5 Stuart isn't it?

Dan: Good looking camo!

Now with markings - 132 - 'Tunisian' Tiger - started family vacation ... back to it in a little more than a week and should have it complete by end of July ... photos below a little with getting hull side decal with cables .... couple more items to install (extra track) and finish with weathering it. See a lot of great work going on even tho there's only 2 months left. Armor86

Malone-continuing to impress-PE makes a world of difference....still don't see how you guys can paint the tools when they're attached...

Stik-love the interior detail-it's a shame to have to button it up...

Clemens-very nice job on the turret

Gamera, thanks! I added about 1/3 of that detail to the turret interior to make it better. but once it's all glued togethr it will be very hard to see much of it without a light. I tell you what though, this makes me want to get one of the Academy Tigers with the full interior and go all the way with that...

Schatten, that turret is looking real good there! Now where is the hull? ;-)

Today's work for me was limited to finishing up the paintwork in the turret interior. I wil get pics posted of my progress tomorrow before I get it all sealed up.

Looking really nice , guys!

I've made some progress on my kit as well:

The turret is completely build except for a little handle at the loader's hatch (I'll make that one out of wire), the muzzle brake and some seam filling on the bottom. The gun and mantlet are removable.

Here are some pics.

Those seams need some work:

I also glued some parts to the lower hull, but I want to finish the suspention first before taking some pics.

I'm not sure on how I'll paint my Tiger, but I think I'll go for one with white camo. If you have some tips on painting white-washed vehicles, please let me know.

I hope you like it (my first tank of that massive size...)

Cheers, Clemens 

Nice work guys!

MD: The PE screens look good! And I like the power cable to added to the front plate light.

SP: Good looking interior there. I've kinda passed over the Italeri kits but the interior detail there looks great, more than I've seen on a lot of Dragon and Tamiya kits.

Thanks. It's finally starting to look like a Tiger now...

Nice progress Stik.

Wow that is looking good Malone! Beautiful work! 

Well all fenders and most hull fitting pretty much attached. I am holding off on pioneer tools/stowage until I decide on which turret number this tank will be. There was some variation in that on the Tigers in this unit.

I need to scratch build some brackets for the spare track shoes that were carried on the rear hull by the 501st Tigers

and I worked on the turret interior detail painting...

Monday will probably be my next major update...

PROMISED PICS, LET ME KNOW IF I SHOUL;D FIX ANYTHING...

malone duke

Tigerman I feel ya man. My progress has slowed considerably as well. Kids are out of school and the sun has been shining so been spending more time out than in. But I have been slowly plugging away. Bout to have the hull all done up and preparing for the turret. Ill take some pics tonight and post tomorrow.

Hey, it's all good. I got my Jagdpanther done for the GB, so it was a success. I just bit off more then I could chew with the Dragon Tiger. Yes, life too interfered. Onward to the next build.

Thanks Bob! Have fun with those Magic tracks... I know just what you nean about putting in/on parts that cant be seen ;-) I'll have some  ore progress pics tomorrow providing no disasters happen... I look forward to some updates pics from you too...

Very nice Stik-can't wait until the next batch of pics.

I spent a few minutes and completed the run of tracks that go around the drive wheel-different from the Magic Tracks-have to remove from the spruce and attach the guide horns....which can't be seen anyway...oh well, I know they are there....I have them wrapped around the drive gear at the moment...might attempt to finish up the Magic Tracks before the end of the weekend....I also have another GB commitment that ends 7/31 so I might have to move the Panther to the back for a few days....

Thank you guys! i appreciate your kind words. This build is taking over my freetime thinking as I ponder all the little things to make it better...everything is taking shape nicely now...

More progress today... with one item being a huge step forward to completion...

well I figured since the grills are gonna let any airbrushed paint thru into my engine compartment work, that was not a good idea, so I cut up some index card to fit as masks below the grillwork... then I glued the upper hull deck and engine in place... I made them longer than needed so I can pull them out thru the turret ring...

then I drilled out the bore on the bow MG and installed the ball mount on the front upper plate

and then glued that plate in place

and finally I glued the engine access hatch in place

Tomorrow if all goes well, now that the main hull is all assembled, I ought to be able to get all the rest of the lower hull work completed... fenders, air filters, etc.

Dan-your Tiger continues to look great-I love the camo scheme....looking forward to more progress pics.

Stik-Welcome aboard-very impressive work on the interior...can't wait to see some paint.

Eric-I understand completely....still waiting for the track fairies to come and finish the Magic Tracks for me...

Malone-PE looks great...and I like the zimmert...very nice...I forget-is that the Tamiya zim or someone else's?

Clemens-Welcome aboard-looking forward to watching your King Tiger come together.