Marc - that's coming along quite well... The surface work looks great as do all those welds and such. I couldn't tell from the pics, but did you "weld" the fender attachment bosses on the hull? As Darth Vader said to Luke in RotJ "Impressive... most impressive.  I'm thinking this is gonna look sweeeet with some paint on it. Doesn't look too far off either. (I can't be your KTB since I am too slow...)

Jack - Great progress and thanks for the font resource. Picked a few up myself.

Carl - The tracks looks very cool with the patina, however, I think you are a much braver man than I... not sure I'd be playing around with that stuff after looking at the bottle. You have to wear a HazMat suit to do your tracks? 

Andy - Well the other guys have already heaped enough praise on ya. We don't need you getting a big head now...  So I'll just give it .

I'll be back to the Panther very soon. I haven't really done anything since the last update since I came down with some sort of flu thingy last weekend. Feeling a lot better now, so onward. 

I HAD a rule: no GB entries unless I had it in the stash. You guys are making me want to break that rule.

Wonderful looking Marc.

Jack, I found some techmod decals in my Kagero book on the jagdpanther. However, they are one big piece with lots of decal. That is one thing I noticed on the Cartograf is the lack of extra, therefore cutting down on silvering.

Jack I really like that idea of the name plate.  Don will have to consider the idea officially stolen

Well the welding torch has not been put away completely  Still some to do around hinges and little noogies like that. But the main stuff is done and the rolled steel is finished. Finally able to add some of the goodies.

I found some straight pins that look like an appropriate size for the track pin and lifting lugs. Dritz long size 21. Grinding the head was easy enough. Don't have to do that for each link ??? but made a few for the track pins for the extra treads for the side of the turret.

Did you know the Third Reich predicted the show "Star Trek"? Why else would they may a hatch that looks like the star ship Enterprise?

armor86 - great closeups of your continued detail work.  Notice you have the main cables attached - will these be painted at the same time as the vehicle?

Andy and Carl  - some really epic weathering you guys got going on there.  I tried googling information on that petina product and one of the first entries was  it's Material Safety Data Sheet

Eric - any luck finding some decals?  Late last year, Squadron had a book sale and I got Kagero's decal book on the Tiger I.  There is a set of three of the number 212 in b/with white outline by Cartograf.  They are roughly 9mm in height.  Let me know if you're interested.

My update is of a different nature.  Sat down for some photoshop work, designing a name plate for the base I have in mind.  I'm thinking of trying  Don Stauffer's idea of printing just the black on clear decal and then fixing it over a piece of brass cut to size.

I bookmarked this free font site http://www.fontspace.com/

Gothic German on their search engine netted me 28 pages of fonts!

regards,

Jack

Thank you guys!  You all are way too nice... it has been fun building in this GB.  I have been working on my first diorama base from scratch... first attempt... will post an update when it is done.  

Keep it coming!

Thanks Greg, I appreciate the help. I've used them twice and they are awesome.

deaf, that tiger is freaking outstanding man.  

let me take a look I keep extras in an envelope.

If anyone has Cartograf decals with the thin black number with thin white outline found on late Panzers, I need 1's and 2's. Thanks. I hate to open a new box to take them out, because I never know if I'll sell or trade a kit.

Thanks.

Andy , thats such a good looking and splendid looking Tiger !

Again, what can I say - great work all around!!!

And I still haven't found the bleeping loader's hatch, I think I'm going to rob one off one of my old Tamiya or Nichimo KT kits. Other than that I'm trying to get the three figures lined up on the base - their closed fists are too small for me to drill a hole though their hands and tread it though so I'm having to cut the rod and glue it in there.

Andy - Another outstanding build - Armor86

Eric - Shooting with a Sony Cyber-shot 10.1 Mega Pixels Camera with a 10x Optical zoom, mostly auto focus, exposure, f-stop settings with Micro / close-up capability.

Dave - thanks - the jack block was sanded smooth then I went back over with a blade to create the wood grain. Armor86

A bit of a setback. The magic tracks didn't work with the sprockets like I thought they would, so I'll use the kit tracks which are pretty decent in their own right.

Thunder , i'vehad this kit since it first came out .........20 yrs ago ?

Eric , yup , i'm back . You bet them tracks are scarry ! Partly the reason i used Friuls insted of the kits .

Greg , appreciated .

Bish , those are 1 inch long straight pins .

Bish , thanks .

Hey Andy.

Bob , trick might be to get a load of patience before attempting these ! But no , i cant think of anything special otherwise . Dang things are heavy . Best thing about them is the flexibility and that lends to the cool looking sag of the tracks .

Tojo , thanks . Got some catching up to do here .

See you guys around the G.B.

Carl

His Carl,those tracks look good,looking forward to the build.

Gjeratic1,looking good with those details

Andy,what can I say,but you have joined the masters

Andy -- echoing Bob, my eye cannot pick what could possibly be left to do on a build so realistic I can smell oil and rust when I look at it!

Am easing back into benchwork, have two older completions underway back to back, when I feel confident I'll get back to the KT, which is still at the painting stage.

Cheers, Mike/TB379

Jack-your Tiger is continuing to come along...I always enjoy seeing progress pics.

Carl-welcome back-you're off to another great start.  I've never worked with Fruli's before-any tricks I need to know before I do?

Andy-Wow!  Love the close ups-I can't imagine the real thing looking any more realistic.

Andy. Wow, wow and wow!

As to your comment on my Jagdkitty, so you love and leave 'em eh? LOL

Guys- So much to catch up... managed to work on my Tiggy nearly every night for last two weeks.  Its about 99% complete... 

Spare tracks... still planning to add some dirt randomly to make it less monotoned.

Still working on the mufflers.  I completely forgot to add Mr Surfacer like I have done to all of my past builds.  Brain f@rt you can say... 

All tools have been painted with details...

Next time I post an update it will be on a diorama base I am about to make from scratch for the first time.  Thanks for looking! 

Anthony- Once again great job on your Tiggy with WW!  I really like those figures too! 

Eric-  Lovely camo work on your JP and I want to take it out for one night stand... 

Jack- You are rock n rollin' with your Tiger build... great info you have shared with us.  Always great having you with us in GBs with your knowledge.  

Bob- Happy to see your build and it is looking real good! 

Hasen- Never get tired of looking at your Panther Zimm... keep it coming. 

Armorguy- Stunning PE work on the wood block!  Texture on surface looks PUURRRfect! 

RBaer- That is one of my fav camo schemes and I am glad you went for it. Great looking KT you got and It was a pleasure watching your build-

Marc- I think it is very safe to say that I will finish my Tiggy before you finish your fourth build. LOL  Great looking weld seams for sure! 

Carl- Where's Cheetos? LOL Never will ever get tired of looking at your builds.  Looking great as usual!

pyrman64

Eric: have you tried using Archer Fine Tranfsers dry transfers?  Personally, I think they're the "cat's meow" when it comes to AFV markings - no having to deal with gloss coating, decal softeners/setting solutions, and then the dull coating.  BTW, did you see mu post re: the turret numbering?

Carl: that gun block looks great....looking forward to watching the build.

Yes, I have! In fact, I added Archer Balkenkrauzes to it. They're a bit spendy, but i might just search around for some. Sadly I put the gloss on already.

Shellback, nice start on this. What did you use for those track pins.

Eric: have you tried using Archer Fine Tranfsers dry transfers?  Personally, I think they're the "cat's meow" when it comes to AFV markings - no having to deal with gloss coating, decal softeners/setting solutions, and then the dull coating.  BTW, did you see mu post re: the turret numbering?

Carl: that gun block looks great....looking forward to watching the build.

Yay, Carl is back! Glad to have you back in the thread. I too had that kit, but sold it because the tracks scared me off like a little girl.  That was many moons ago.

Marc, love those weld beads sir. 

I appreciate the offer and if you have any spare Cartograf decals of the thin back numbers with the thin white outline, I'll take them. I need low numbers like 1's and 2's. 

I wanted that kit a few years back, never managed to get it... The tracks look great!

M/TB379

I'm back .........with this kit

And of course the sprue lay out

Heres the little bit of painting i did on the cannon and mount . Its sealed up inside the casement now .

I'm doing a first for me and using Friuls tracks , set  ATL 22 .I treated the links with Novacan petina .

I used straight pins to connect the links ,they have since been cut flush .

Marc-your KT is coming along very nicely....I'm taking notes...

Quick question-what did you use to thin the Bondo with?

thanks

tigerman

I'm working on the markings right now. I'm going with a ficticious 505 number. That is all I have in my spare cartiograf decals. My guess is the number is much too high. Does anyone know the number range?

Eric,

The sPzAbt 505 was organised into 3Kp with 3 Zug each (as were most of the heavy Tiger battalions.)  According to TIC I, the numbering was as follows as of 8/44:

Abt. Stab: I II III

1.Kp: 100 101

• 111 112 113 114
• 121 122 123 124
• 131 132 133 134

2.Kp: 200 201

• 211 212 213 214
• 221 222 223 224
• 231 232 233 234

3.Kp: 300 301

• 311 312 313 314
• 321 322 323 324
• 331 332 333 334

In regular Panzer Abt/Rgt's higher numbers could be found.  It wasn't unusual for the Abt Stab to have numbers starting with 0, 5, 8 or even 9. 

Also, sPzAbt.508 used a 1-digit system in 2/44, with all 1.Kp having only a "1". 2.Kp Tigers only had a "2" and 3.Kp having only a "3" on the turret.   In Nord Afrika, 10.PzDiv, acquired the Tigers from sPzAbt.501, changing the first digit from 1 to 7 and 2 to 8.

Further research shows 30 additional Tigers were in sPzAbt.502 in 3/44.  The 1.Kp Tigers were numbered 100-108, 111-119, 121-124 and 131-134.  The 2.Kp had Tigers numbered 200-208, 211-219, 221-224 and 231-234. The 3.Kp numbers were 300-308, 311-319, 321-324 and 331-334.