I've got a 4-day weekend!! I should get some building done. Hopefully all the zimmerit and construction.

Update - DAK Tiger - Finish Road wheels - track installed on one side ... had to remove front fender, will need to re-install photos enclosed.Armor86

Tracks look great Dan.

Hey there Tigerman, I forgot that I had originally signed up for here, although with the intent of a modern German Kitty, a Leopard of some sort. That being said, I have pulled this sidelined Tiger build as my primary project until completed. It's Italeri's Tiger I initial production that I will be doing in a Tunisian scheme from early 1943, and is about 15% done max...

http://cs.finescale.com/fsm/modeling_subjects/f/3/t/154743.aspx

Mind if I use this for my GB project here?

No, please bring it aboard.

Ok then ;-)

HERE'S A BIT MORE WORK DONE, THIS IS FROM LAST WEEK SO ILL HAVE MORE SOON...

I REALLY SHOULD PAY MORE ATTENTION...

Excellent PE work Malone.

Where to start this story???  Well, this one was started awhile back and then sidelined, but not for any horrendous reason. Mainly just because it was part of a GB (at the local AMPS Chapter) where I had a far off deadline and other GBs I had signed up for (on here) did not. Well the deadline is now approaching so this is now my top priority project...

I had mainly completed a lot of sub assemblies and the running gear so far. With my tax return I picked up a set of AFV Club indy link tracks to replace the incorrect kit tracks. Those fit this kit perfectly and I do recommend them to anyone who takes this build on. They assemble quickly once you get in a rhythm...

second side after 2 sessions

and what was left over to do next...

and after the next hour long session

Well today was adding parts to earlier sub assemblies, and some scratch building....

I added most of the fiddly bits to the engine access hatch, with the exception of the Fiefel filter hoses and their brackets

and completed the driver/assistant drivers hatches

Now the kit comes with a very basic engine and some open grill work that you can see down into the hull to show....emptiness...

so what to do??? first up I had obtained some cast off Tiger parts from Jim Wechsler at AMPS (thank you sir), including the fans and radiators for the rear portions of the grills, but that still left the front part vacant. So I did a Tiger Cutaway view image search to see what should be there. It looked like some sort of fuel tanks. I had some spare T-34 external armored box tanks that were close to the correct shape, but not the proper size. So some measuring and improvising with sheet plastic and brass screen based off of the views and I had this...

and with the top deck in place (but not glued until after I paint it) and now there is something to see there- not perfect and exact, but far better than it was...

and finally some work on the turret. I replaced the sorry excuses for canteen and gas mask case with decent ones from my spares bin and added some sheet plastic to teh rear of the mount for some other goodies I will be adding...

and finally the reason for the Tiger... the barrel of the 88

I should be getting some paint on tomorrow on the interior parts...

I can safely say that I won't complete my Tiger on time. I'll try to get as much done as possible, but I'm ready to move onto something different. 

It's your GB Eric... extend the end date ;-)

OK, most of this work was done yesterday, but I took the photos today around noon...

sub assemblies for the turret- hatches and stowage bin

exhausts

and my finished turret interior with added gunners station, turret sidewall stowage, and recoil guard & shell catcher and co ax MG added to the main gun

also I finally found these Dragon figures as possible for sitting in the turret hatches

what do you guys think?

Your Tiger is looking awesome! The figures have nice poses as well. I like it!

Nice looking Tiger Stik. Personally, I prefer the commander figure in the hatch. He looks like he is looking down while one of the crew is talking to him from inside. Not to sure about the other guy sitting there though. maybe on the side of the turret.

Yeah, he is a definite maybe. I need to check my stores box and see whta other potential crew figures that I have for this kit...

DAK Tiger - tracks install, going through the Bison Decal set - going with 132 number vehicle. Once decal finish weathering .... Photos below - Armor86

stikpusher

It's your GB Eric... extend the end date ;-)

Already did it once. Not going to again.

ah well ;-)

Well today was a good airbrushing session on interior components- interior ivory, primer red, panzer gray, and satin black.

Humbrol Tank Gray/Panzer Gray on the interior surfaces of the hatches- and also in the lower hull open areas... I am having a hard time overpowering the urge to scratch build more in there... that is contagious!

primer red (Humbrol Wine Red) in the engine compartment

Humbrol Satin Black on engine components

and together

Now that it is all painted, you cant see much of anything through the grills... of course... 

The Turret interior now uniform in  MM Interior Tan/ Elfenbein

I can finish getting hull parts glued together starting tomorrow... 

Aside from the tracks (and my own mods),OOB this is actually a simple fast building kit...

Looking good, Stik! It's a shame that most of the details you added are hard to see once everything is glued together...

I'll start working on my Tiger 2 this weekend.

Cheers, Clemens

Thank you Clemens. Yes, most of that detail that I added can only be seen under a bright light... LOL! Ah well... I am looking forward to that King Tiger of yours.

Hey Dan and SP, those are some nice looking Tigers!!! Really like how the treads look on your's Dan and the engine detail you added SP.

Eric: Lol, I've had to default on my last GB too, kinda sucks when life gets in the way but hey, it's only a hobby right?

Stik and 86. Great work guys. Eagerly awaiting more.

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.

  I do believe after this one I'm gonna have to defect to the allied side for a bit. Been goose stepping for awhile now.

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.

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.

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....

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...

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.