Shellback:  YOU ARE INSANE!!!...  Those wing nuts are along the line of wing_nut's insane level of detailing!!!  Tongue-in-cheek of course, fantastic work!  Nice technique with the eraser too...I'll remember that for the future.  I am going for the same effect (I couldn't image the grilles would be flush/ perfect when all the fenders on my tank are bent or missing)  I literally crumpled the grilles in my fingers then straightened them up enough to get the look I wanted...gluing worked fine with CA, I'm surprised you had a problem.   

BTW:  I dig your work on the bondo texturing...it's a little exaggerated compared to real life but I think that's absolutely appropriate to achieve the effect...

Colonel - Got you covered in thoughts and prayers. Godspeed. Joe

Great job all around guys!!!

Something has come up with my 86 year old mother so I'm going to have to put off my build for a few weeks, it's just one of those things in life that's going to take control for a while.

I'll keep checking in and try to keep up with the good work you all are doing. As soon as I can get back to the build I'll start posting pictures.

jgeratic1

From what I understand, the dot filter method was created to "live'n up" a flat monotone surface - something you don't have when zimmerit is present, what with the light and shadows dancing across the surface.   Attempting that technique here would be similar to applying it to track surfaces, and I don't think anyone has tried that - yet.  Rain streaking, dust and maybe some rust streaks is plenty IMO.

regards,

Jack

Jack - Thank you for shedding some sensible light on that. It is along the lines of what I was thinking.

SMJ - Thanks for your reinforcement. A good wash should indeed produce the effect I'm after.

 An all around Astounding to everyone for the simply fantastic work here. I don't have a computer at home so by the time I get access folks here are painting awesome camo, demonstrating jaw dropping techniques and building PE locks that are incredible. I'm rather humbled by the break neck speed everyone seems to be clipping along at. Heck, some of ya'll are getting to the weathering stage while I'm finding snippets of time to nip off 100 track links for one run. Regardless, I am absolutely enjoying this GB and the amazing talent here.

                                 Joe

Up late so i made these wing nuts from .022 copper wire . I used needle nose pliers to crush and flare the end of the wire and then i used a # 11 blade to split the end into the wings .

Love the brass mg Andy. A definite improvement over the kits.

Thunder , sounds good . I'm thinking about trying Tamiya paints when i get to the final paint on this one . Thanks for the paint info .

Andy , thanks my friend

Shellback -- yep, Tamiya Acrylics all the way on this job. I used Tony Greenland's recommendations, XF-10, XF-11 and XF-60. Not sure if I'll get to the touchups today, lots to do, but hopefully tomorrow I'll respot the green, possibly spray the tracks and get a basic dark dirt coat on the underpinning too.

M/TB379

Carl-  Will this work?  AK-Interactive sells RB barrels too.  That's where I brought mine from.  Know its not wide selection but I do see KT Late model barrel on sale for only $9. 

http://www.ak-interactive-usa.com/product-35B04.html

Excellent work on the grills... I used something else and it poked a hole right thru so an eraser sounds better!  Thanks!

Bish- Glad I am not alone!  I noticed if you bend the PE few times it looses its strength quickly so I have to be very careful to do it once not to over bend.  Clasps are very fragile too.  So far I personally prefer Royal Model and Aber with thicket brass.  But Voyager was the only set available for early Tiger I and it was much cheaper too.  

I attached the pe grills last night . They are stainless steel and i'm thinking that causes them to not adhere to c.a. glue . I'd put the 6 parts on and 30 min later half of them would be knocked off due to handleing . I got tired of this and attached the pe grills woth Grandt line bolts .

Going with my theme of a roughed up tank i bent  the grills by using an erraser to push the grills into the recessed areas in the grill grates and bending up some of the corners .

Bish , thanks .Good to be here with you .

CARL, thanks, the KT looks very nice, i like what you have done to the surface.

deafpanzer

Shellback

Andy , Man you are you really going to town with the p.e. details . That r.b. barrel looks cool . What set is the p.e. ?

Carl- Thanks!  Yes I am hooked to PE.  Your fault!   PE set is from Voyager... pretty good but very soft and fragile.  Think I brought it via evilBay for $20-$25 on sale.  

Gamera- Thanks buddy! 

I am useing a Voyager set as well, the first time i have tried one. The only thing i don't like is that the attachment points are not wide enough to remove the parts with PE cutters, but i have found that with Aber as well. I have also found the instructions a little confuseing, which doesn't help when i am doing a CH kit with good old Dragon instructions.

Andy ....man thats a great looking fret .......ahh................ set ?

I may have to go to e-bay to get an R.B. models barrel for this King ..R.B.'s web site shows out of stock .

Shellback

Andy , Man you are you really going to town with the p.e. details . That r.b. barrel looks cool . What set is the p.e. ?

Carl- Thanks!  Yes I am hooked to PE.  Your fault!   PE set is from Voyager... pretty good but very soft and fragile.  Think I brought it via evilBay for $20-$25 on sale.  

Gamera- Thanks buddy! 

Hey thanks guys! Still now I'm thinking I like how Mike's stripes came out better than mine! Great job there Mike.

Andy: wow, those PE tool mounts and the brass MG look fantastic!

Thanks guys for  the comments .

Thunder , the camo is looking really good . Did you use acrylics ?

Andy , Man you are you really going to town with the p.e. details . That r.b. barrel looks cool . What set is the p.e. ?

This GB has reached FEEDING FRENZY proportions!!!  It's hard to keep up with all the action! 

Shellback:  The textured bondo turned out great! 

malone duke:  Like that camo', was that sprayed freehand?

Hasenpfepper:  0 to 27 weld seams!?...I'd say your an expert now!  I feel your pain on the PE, worth the effort though!

Gamera/ T379:  Great camo' work!

JOE RIX:  jgeratic explained the dot filtering technique well and yes the zim' would limit its effectiveness.  if you're going with the dunkelgelb finish, no camo', just add the typical wash(es) and let it bring out the zims' details. ...go with a thin wash and use several applications if needed, it darkens the base coat quickly!

Guys- Little update... thanks to lousy Colts vs Jets game it gave me more bench time yesterday.  Little more PE... replaced MG with RB barrel.  Halves of the hull has been glued together...

For the first time I am using a kit that offers two different tool sets... one comes without molded clasps so I am really enjoying this since I don't have to cut the molded clasps off.  

Still a long way to go... thanks for looking!

Shellback

Andy , looks like you P.E. 'd all over the rear of your Tiger ......................

Carl- LMAO!  It happens when you drink too much beer or coffee...   Thanks brother!   Did I ever tell I loved the texture on your KT already?  

Hasen- LOVE the Zimm!!!  Now I have to do the same on my future Panther build... thanks alot!  

Ben- Those clasps on the storage box looks great!  Bet they were not that difficult, huh?!?!? LOL Fake nails... I didn't realize you wear those.  Please forgive me I wasn't aware it's a thing for men in England now. Thanks for the tip!!! 

Bish- You got more PE than mine... boy I better get busy!  LOL Looking real good!!! 

Gamera- Great job spraying the cam! 

TB- You are far ahead already!  Stunning camo work! 

Great camo's Cliff and Mike. Wish I had my camo on now.

Ditto, Carl, it's uber-realistic!

I took the bull by the horns today, changed down to the fine tip and needle and cranked the pressure up for some fineline work. I did the DY first, then filled in the RB, both lightened 20% for the same scale-colour effect. I would say that after 33 years of airbrushing I have finally seen an airbrush produce fine lines, and while they are not all that visisble in the picture, they were surprisingly compelling as they went on. Of course I mis-cued here and there and got some blats of DY, I'll need to make up some more green and go round tidying up, removing the blats and general overspray, but the general effect is not too bad. I had hoped for a more scalloped effect, which might develop as the green is redone.

Here she is:

She feels "flat" at the moment, but the wash and drybrush process should make everything pop.

I also added the extra colours to the running gear, so after the final touchups there'll be only the tracks to spray, and the metalics for the tools.

Cheers, Mike/TB379

Carl, that surface texture is looking way cool.

regards,

Jack

Thanks guys and good point there Jack, I think just the wash and a little drybrushing should look fine on the zimmerit.

Ben: Looks good, I won't even try to do something like those crazy little padlocks.

Carl: Love how the rough cast texture came out, great work!

Ben , cool idea , i'll look for that .

I have finished texturing the hull and i painted it with a coat of panzer gray as a primer to see how she looks  When apply the camo over this the texturing will not be as obviouse . I'm leaving off most of the tools and cables so i will be going back and scratch build the brackets .

From what I understand, the dot filter method was created to "live'n up" a flat monotone surface - something you don't have when zimmerit is present, what with the light and shadows dancing across the surface.   Attempting that technique here would be similar to applying it to track surfaces, and I don't think anyone has tried that - yet.  Rain streaking, dust and maybe some rust streaks is plenty IMO.

regards,

Jack

Hi guys,

Following on from my earlier post showing the track guards now they have been fitted I'm going to make a post showing the final build 'naked' as I'll be starting painting next week.

I seriously attempted the PE clasps but they were beyond me but I did my best - I had to leave off the padlocks as I was getting in a mess!

The PE Zim strip up-front is also in place - I've just realised I should have actually thought about lining up the Zim lines but hey ho!

Photos:

I tried my best but REALLY found these hard. They aren't the best and the padlocks were so small my eyes hurt but once painted up I think they'll look just fine

This stuff is great for PE work with tiny objects. It's a CA based glue for sticking on false nails - just make sure you buy one with a brush and not a dropper bottle. It takes longer to set than usual CA allowing fine adjustment of PE parts:

Cheers guys,

Paint starts next weekend!

Ben

Tread , thanks for that !

Bish , looks good .

Gamera , striped camo looks good . Once you weather it the colors get all gets smudged up anyway .

Nice looking camo. When it comes to DY, i really don't think it matters to be 100% accurate. I recall reading something which said when a museum was restoring a 251, they stripped off thge paint and found something like 9 different shades of DY. It all depends of who supplied the paint at the time. And i thibnk the same would go for the other colours as well.