ARMOR - Tamiya 1/16 Tiger 1 Group Build

Ah...

You have a point, forgot all those transfer materials prefer untainted material... as do dyes (should remember, dyed enough gaming mats)

Adding the film to both sides would almost act like a laminate material, and I can see where it would stiffen the cotton.

Awaiting pics...

But still hoping makes 1/16 transfers available...

Stunned....

Thats what I am, yep. I dinna think companies did this anymore, but it seems some are still appreciate their customers.

To elaborate, I got my reply from Aber today. It was in the form of a small padded packet, about 4" x 8". When I saw it was from P. P. H. "Aber" in Poland, I carefully opened it, and carefully tipped the contents into my palm. What slid out was not only a full track hanger packet, but a tow loop form packet too! (the curved assemblies that ya wrap the cable around to make the tow loops on the ends)

No bill, no invoice, no notes. My address on the envelope was ~hand~ lettered. 3.20 Zt postage (Polish Zlotych, about 1.09 Cdn or 0.80 USD)

Dunno if I dare send a thank you, cause if its some quiet good samaritan in the company, I don't wanna get anyone in trouble.

Guess I don't need ~that~ sig-file any more...

Hi all. Just joined, but have known Wolf for a day or two.
For you who have ordered from BYA, they are slow, but it always arrives.
On the Tiger suspension, I installed mine over a month ago. Works really well! A word or two of advice, however. Replace the set screws, which are metric, with higher quality ones from your local hobby shop or Ace Hardware. The supplied ones are too soft. And, the 5.5mm wrench is really nice to have, especially for adjustments.
To adjust, first weigh the tank complete as run. Measure your ground clearance. Then, remove everything, including transmissions, from the inside. Now, you are ready to begin. Follow their excellent instructions, and after all is installed, you are ready to adjust. Now comes the real use for the 5.5 wrench.
Add enough weight to the tank , balance front to rear, to get to the fighting weight. Starting from the centre, adjust your suspension to achieve the proper ground clearance. This is a check and adjust sequence, but not too bad. Then, if you want the characteristic nose down lurch when stopping, take a little pressure off the front four roadwheels, and add a little pressure to next two only. check ground clearance again, and try her out! Mine works so well, I intend to order several more for some of the rest of the zug. Any questions, please email me, or post and email me mentioning post, as my work schedule can be a little hectic at times.

Jager

Howdy, Tiger builders! (Welcome to FSM, jager!)
I just noticed that this sticky was cut free to live on its own.

I gotta offer my apologies to Erock, Erush, and Okieboy (along with me, the original members of this group build) for never actually starting the dang build!!!
I sure did learn a lot from those guys (still am from you other Tiger builders), and especially appreciate the effort Erock put into the Tigerphobia website, and the efforts Erush put into trying to get me to move my butt and get on with the build.
(By the way, you ain't done yet, is ya, Erush??)

Erock's and Okieboy's outstanding Tigers (yes, they did actually finish!) will certainly be a source of inspiration once I finally do get to work on that big kitty.

So, to my fellow Tiger I group builders, sorry I never was able to start!
To the folks keeping this thread alive, good luck, and let's see some great Tigers!

Ya never know...I might just surpise ya'll (and myself) by actually starting the build, too!

QUOTE: Originally posted by J-Hulk (By the way, you ain't done yet, is ya, Erush??)

....but at least mine's in progress and not being used as an ottoman!!

You know Brian, you could probably start now and still finish before I do

Eric

Welcome jager, your information has been most useful, thanks for sharing.

I've noticed we've been cut loose, that s@cks..... it's up to us too keep this great thread alive.

WhiteWolf
Incredible story, it's nice to see Aber doing such a fantastic service for it's customer. Glad you have the brackets you need.

BUDA

Bookmarked and hope to continue along with the others still building. Now that the weather has gotten better I hope to start shooting a little paint and start moving along again. Lookin forward to see some pic's of Tigers!

Well, almost ready to mount my Aber track link hangers...

Did anyone with a set have to drill out any of your parts, or poke some pale clay-like substance out of the holes? I'm wondering if I may have been sent what amounts to the 'rejects'...

I ask as I had to drill out 3 of the upper grab arm holes on one side, and clear as many of what I suspect is casting remains. No big deal there.

I'm also noting that some of my upper clasp arms do not pivot on a horizontal axis. If I was laying on the turret looking out over the clasp arm, they would appear to be tilted from the horizontal as much as 5 degrees clockwise on the worst arm. The only way I can compensate is to over-bore the clasp arm holes, then let the CA fill the over-bore and correct the tilt.

Aber sent me 9 sets, and as only two are ~badly~ canted, I only need to repair one (or not, as some tigers only had two hangers on the starboard side.

Looking at 'em though, it makes me wonder... why dinna the damned links rock backward out of the upper clip, 'cause the lower pin aint very long, and those links gotta be heavy... wouldn't it wrench the pin off the bracket?

HOLY CR@P [:0][:0][:0][:0][:0]

Check out this 1/16 Tiger 1 build that this guy is doing over at the Armorama site:

http://www.armorama.com/modules.php?op=modload&name=PostBoard&file=index&req=viewtopic&topic_id=28285&page=1

He's replacing most of the detail parts with metal peices he's milling himself.

Read the whole tread, he updates it as he creates new pieces.

Here's a shot of one of lastest pieces.... AMAZING WORK!!!




BUDA

*sigh*

I've now got 3 ~static~ tanks. Why? Because after pulling my stock pinions and damaging them, I needed to find replacements. Yes, I know Willy has some, and mine arrived today. One setscrew was pre-stripped (yea, ~stripped~) and the brass is so soft if I try to tighten the others, I'll strip the other three. If I don't tighten 'em, they will just spin on the motor shaft under load. 100% useless.

All the rest of the return shipment was fine though. Dunno who makes those pinions, but they are using ~garbage~ soft brass. You wanna ruin a motor & gearset, use 'em.

Off to try to find a replacement pinion that will fit...

Hi All,

I ordered a Muzzle Break and a set of shackels from Dirk and just got them today! VERY fast turn-around ... only 9 days.
He even thru in a complete cannon shell for free.

I found him VERY easy to deal with and had no problems at all.

Mike

Rocad:

Got any pics of the shell? I'm still awaiting updated images and new items, and thats 4 months overdue...

I also see someone is selling copycat shackles on eBay... Too bad he's made the miatake of assuming T1 & KT shackles were the same.

WhiteWolf
Manager, DP-Thema.

Hello all

I just bought my first RC Tiger and i wanna convert it into a steel wheeled version - any idea where i might be able to get the wheels from the King Tiger or any other way to convert the rubber version into a steel wheeled one?

WhiteWolf:

Wow you have 3 1/16 Tanks. I suppose that would be the M4, Tiger 1 and Tiger 2? I have been planning to get the Tamiya Tiger 1 Static Version which is available at the LHS but still undecided at this stage. You seem to have gone all the way as far as PE and AM detailing can go. And I can only imagine how gorgeous your tanks had become. Can you please show us some pics of those beasts? Might just be the inspiration I needed to finally decide to get that big kitty for myself.

Dwight...

For looks, Erocks "Tiger-Phobia' site ( http://www.erock68.com/ ) has me beat. No contest. I can't weather, and mine are still half apart awaiting belly reinforcement plates. If you think I have a lot of ~tanks~, don't look at the other gear I have. But other tankers have much more than I do... ~much~...

And yea, M4-105 with spare M36 turret, KT Porsche with spare Henschel turret, and Tiger 1 with no gearboxes... plus a RC Kubel and a DAK-static Kubel.

As for detail bits, you can get parts all over. Backyard Armor, eBay (avoid Luenfat123), Build-a-Rama, and a bunch of German suppliers, one of which is dirk's Parts (Yahoo's DP-Thema)

But before ya buy that Tiger 1, decide if ya want a runner, or a static kit. For a runner, the static kit is a POOR start. For double the cost, you can get a full-function one, and if ya really want the detailing, buy the Aber & other bits afterward. For the cost of the kit, gearboxes & DMD, I could have had a full-function. Now it looks like it'll stay static... *sigh*

I'll warn ya now though, if you've never done PE, the Aber set isn't the way to start. Its gorgeous, but you want the fenders, buy just the fenders. Ask the guys, some of this stuff is ~bloody~ finicky...

Skrull:

FRAG has an section on this particular conversion. Access the Advanced Hints 4 section down toward the bottom:

http://www.fragarmor.org/Advanced%20Hints%204.htm

Where to get the parts? In the US, 1-800-Tamiya-A

WhiteWolf:

Thanks for the advice. I was actually just thinking of the static because I heard that doing all the PE and AM is no way to go when you just want to play around with an RC tank.

A static model with PE and AM to accurize it would be my plan. And I am still thinking about it. The thing and the PE/AM are quite expensive I know.

Thanks for the tip anyway.

Thanks for the link, WhiteWolf, will peruse that in a bit - it looks to be informative and exactly what i'm looking for.

For my Tiger, I'm planning on adding aluminium barrel, grill mesh and tool clamps -
is that too much for an R/C? - I was just gonna get a Sherman, the build would have been a lot easier i'm sure but - who can say no to a Tiger eh? ;)

Skrull:

Thats where it begins... Barrel... engine mesh.., tool clamps... Then 'What the heck, may as well do the cables too'... and then the smoke & S-mine throwers... fenders...

To be honest, to even do the tools you need that A/B/C/D basic fret set, and a lot of that is the worst to assemble. I'd say barrel, tow-cables & grilles. You want a bit more, swap the plastic jack block for a wood one, and the tow shackles.

www.BrassBarrels.com for the barrel, Tamiya or Aber for the grilles, and all the rest can be bought from Dirk.

Fenders can get knocked, and you'll loose bits of the Aber for sure... ditto the exhaust covers... but that new BYA suspension looks nice.

I'm still trying to save for my Easy Eight turret kit!

WhiteWolf: Ebay has a current auction for Type 1 gearboxes: NEW Tamiya 1/16 Tiger 1 Tank DMD Gearboxes King Bandai Item number: 3192104595. Good luck!

llrdhsktr

Been watching 'em since they went up. Looks like someone else wants them, and my funds are tight this month (more like nonexistant)

Looks like my Tiger will be going without for another while, unless someone takes my Blizzard DX and Heavy Metal snowcats really fast.

Thanks for keeping an eye out though.

no, i think I'm just gonna stick with what i said -(woodblock i can replace cheaply) and other parts I'll try and scratchbuild if i can. My budget is already streched to the limit this month and i really really want to get started on building it and don't want to delay it any further. Having said that i'm still to get batteries and a receiver for it - more money out of the bank i'm afraid but it will be worth it =)

NEWS!

Talked to one of the US RC guys tonight. He does some metal casting, and mentioned doing wingnuts & wingbolts. I asked him if he'd considered casting the 'head' around a 00-80 or 00-90 threaded rod (or even 1mm) and then having a strong, functional bolt... he thought it was an idea. I also said that if you unthread the casting off it, a functional wingnut.

Now... how many of you would WANT cast wingnuts and bolts instead of having to assemble the Aber's? And NO, not at the prices of the German ones. If we express enough interest here, we MAY have an in-country caster go into ~serious~ business for us!

So... tell me via e-mail. I'll keep track. And if we do it, I'd need him to have an assembled donation of one of each nut & bolt. I'll reimburse the donor with unassembled PE parts to match.

I'm passing on them but i am interested in getting track hangers for my tiger - any idea where else i get get them apart from the ABER set and Dirk? I'm still sifting through this Forum, on page 36 so far ;)

Skrull:

As yet, I've not seen anyone making them. BUT... I've not looked at AFV-model.de or Panzershop.de recently either.

Sorry... guess its them, or someone who aint using theirs (and good luck there... I tried that route.)

I have noticed you tried that route before ;) .. guess I'll just have to scratch build them if i can then.

have you built your Tiger yet btw?

For those interested. HLJ is having a sale on Michael Wittmann 1/18 collectable figure for only $26 http://www.hlj.com/scripts/hljpage.cgi?DRA18001

anybody can supply me with clear pictures of the tiger's engine deck? the real tiger that is. i'm trying to confirm if the tigers really did have double mesh screens as opposed to just one as most people seems to believe?!

I'm looking at a picture of it right now, I don't have a scanner so I can't post it. It's in the new Ampersand Modelers Guide to the Tiger, page 29.
Under the larger screen we all know, there's another screen of tighter mesh. There are 4 rows each way for a total 16 openings per opening of the larger. In this picture, there are two guys checking out damage to the turret, but you can see clearly the screen as well as the need because there is straw and junk stuck to it.

yeah that's the same book i have and where i first saw it - i already purchased a sieve to dismantle and it's perfect to represent the fine mesh wire to go underneat the much larger mesh but before i install it I just wanted to confirm as i haven't seen anybody else do the same to their Tigers?!

Hi there,
I have been reading this group build from the start and finaly miyTiger is in.
I'm starting the build of an full option Tiger. I will be using the Aber set. An aluminium barrel and the metal tracks.
I have started building last sunday and it going nicely but slow. I am soldering the Aber set and it takes some time. I hope to post some pictures next weekend on Erock's site.
Its nice to find so many Tiger manicks ion one site.

How are the Trackhangers working out Skrull?