ARMOR - Tamiya 1/35th Tiger 1 MID PRO Group build

I hope we don't lose focus on this build. Remember, this is all about having fun, and learning in the process. I am far from a nut and bolt counter, so please don't kill yourself trying to get each piece of the kit historically accurate. I promised myself before I started this project that although I would use some aftermarket detail, I would not kill myself worrying about scale thinkness, lack of detail, etc. Tamiya's Mid Pro is an excellent kit, and even out of box will be a head turner.


Cheers

Mo/Rob

Hi, guys. I looked at the picture of that whitewashed tank in the back of the AJ book. It's got the mid/late commanders hatch on it, but has fiefel(?) air cleaners on it. So it must be a very early mid. I may go with it anyway. Time will tell what I will do. I need ot quit my job so I can have time for the fun stuff!! lol At least maybe I'd get caught up on a few of these kits, since I wouldn't be able to buy any more!
Hmmmm, maybe I'd better leave things the way they are and just make the best of the time I have!

Eric, nice job on the web site and on your build. Looks like you've added a whole lot more detail than I knew existed...back to the ref books! lol Thanks for keeping me honest.

Dekon, yours is looking terrific. I wish I had the courage to paint as you and Hulk do. But I do put the cammo on late in the game! Upwards and onwards!

If life's a bowl of cherries, I think I'm drowning in the juice!!

Later,
Bill

Ya got that right, Eric![:0]

We gotta get crackin'!

Wow, good progress from all of the participants here. I've just kind of been hanging out and watching and it's been interesting watching how each of you does it a little different.

All the kits are looking great guys. Keep up the good work. I can't wait to see them finished.

Somehow I don't the progress on our 1/16 Tigers will be as rapid...

Eric

Deakon, I'm with you on the "paint-it-all-first" technique. I've tried it a bunch of ways, but in my opinion, that's the most efficient way. If you do any amount of weathering at all, the trax and running gear all become one grubby color anyway, so even if you have rubber wheels, just slop some black or dark gray on 'em as best you can, and cover up the slop with your weathering later.
Check out my E-100; that was all painted after the build, even with the skirts on.
Well, I did kinda pre-shade by blasting everything under the skirts with flat black before I glued them on, but all color was applied afterwards.
The E was real easy, since there's no rubber. I even freehanded the track color on with the AB, just trying to avoid getting overspray on the wheels. Washing and weathering tied it all together.

Deakon, your Tiger's looking FANTASTIC!
You know, if it was me, I'd leave it gray...

I must say that, each of you are doing an awesome job on your group builds. I really enjoy looking at how each of you are approaching your kits differently!

The various building techniques are fun to watch, keep those pics coming!

ok guys ..yes the wheels and tracks are attatched to the model.. i like tyo build as much of a kit as possible before painting..if i cant see it i wont paint it...and as the lower half of the vehicle is going to be much darker than the superstructure , there seemed little point in doing all the roadwheels individually..the exact same colour as the upper half..only to have them turn out completely different at the end.. i will airbrush the whole model in it's dark yellow basecoat.. including the road wheels.then hand paint the rubber parts that can be seen the tracks will also be hand painted dry brushed...
anyway here are a few pics post undercoat..

Nice work Deakon.

I have to ask one question though. I am not a big fan in constructing the entire model before painting (i.e. wheels, tracks, etc.) I find it hard to paint the lower area. This is one of the major reasons why I avoid using non-workable individual track links. Are the tracks glued in place, or are they in sections to facilitate painting?

Looking real good, gentlemen!

Deakon, that thing looks like its been to hell and back. I like it!!! Now, are you going to paint it with the tracks on?? Or will they come off for painting

hi guys....finished fitting the tracks last night and got the turret pins made and attatched..no problems..thats the kit built... ready for undercoat.....

Ok, so I made a website just so I could post pics for the group build. I still have a file path error, so the back ground cant be seen yet and some pages are still under construction. , but everything else should work. I guess I got carried away with the whole website thing, and added some other stuff too. Please let me know what you guys think. The pics of the Tiger build can be seen here.

http://home.comcast.net/~williamehler/work_bench.htm

Be brutal, I can handle it. Oh, and I apologize in advance if your using dial-up.

edog

wipw, you probably have done a great job bud. I have been working for a long time on zim (ruined many fine kits to boot), so you too will be able to do the zim. I can't wait to see teh pics.

On a side note..no pics as of yet, but have to fix up the zim myself in some places before I feel it is worthy of pictures. This kit goes together so nicely that I expect to have it primed by mid week. That is if I make Bounty Hunter in Star Wars Ga,axies by then

Cheers

Mo/Rob

Wow! You guys have been very busy! I've got the main parts of the tank zimmed. All but the turret. It certainly is nowhere as nice as Moses stuff, but I don't think it's too bad. I have a few touch up points to do. Getting around the fixtures on the rear plate was a real pain.I've built up two sets of 9 links each and bent them around one of the drive sprockets to form them, and have started on the straight run of track to go under one side. The exhusts are together and glued on with out the armor shrouds. I'll wait for them until I have the base color on the tank. Hopefully, that will happen early this week. School starts tomorrow for my 4 boys, so evenings will undoubtably get shorter with assisting with homework. That's about it for me!

Deakon and Hours, yours are both looking great!
Deakon, have you already glued on the exhaust shrowds and the wheels?? If so, how do you paint behind them? I always have to leave everything off until I get the individual pieces painted, then scrape paint for the glue mating areas. What a pain!

I still haven't gotten any am parts. Hopefully, I'll hear from the dealer this week.

Have a great build.

Bill

thanks CC i 'm in scotland m8 gods country..i used to live in stafford.. my old mum still does do you know it??
i went to school there....

Nice work on the Zim Deakon. I think it looks great.

I have finished zimming the turret, so I am all done with the zim at this point. I just added the etched brass tool clamps, and have done the tow cables using Aber's tow cables. I like them, but they are hard to bend into place (never can have a smooth run )

Anyways, with the exception of the running gear (Drive Sprockets to Tracks, etc.) I can get some priming done. I am not a big fan of a rush job, but this Tiger 1 is probably the fastest I have done a kit in a long time. I guess the build group has gotten me motivated.

Pics of work in progress will be up hopefully by Sunday Night.

Horus Looking good nice finish well done
im at the stage where i build kits and leave them untill i get my airbrush set up and spray them all lol

Deakon nice zimerit and battle damage looks good
where in the UK are you? im in the Midlands

But now it's doesn't have that shiny new plastic look to it ............... looks good Horus. Even with a low end airbrush you can still achieve decent single colour paint jobs.

I also find it funny that even tho it's painted it looks almost like it did before the primer...lol (color wise)

Well i did it...my first ever airbrush attempt...and let me say i am hooked, altho i did this one with a Testors crap one with can o air...lol I have to say it came out ok...i still have alot to learn tho...:) (oh and yes the barrel is a bit cockeyed since it's not glued in yet...lol) ::Thanks to Shermanfreak for pointing that out:)




Let me know what ya think all:)

Coming along really nice Deakon !!!!!

I do agree that changing out the skirts with ones made of foil will greatly improve the kit parts. The zimmerit looks great !

Thanks for sharing and keep up the great work.

looks good, i really like the zim. As far as the tools go, I think the kit protrays a later tiger, just before it got the steel wheels, so the tools should be ok where they are.

Looking real nice.

Looks good so far Deakon. I like the way you damaged the fenders and the back exhaust covers too!

Can't wait to see how it looks with some paint

hi guys as promised here are some pics..of the work so far...the zimmerit is italieri plastic body putty [yeuch]..the pattern was pressed into it with a small bladed screwdriver..the fenders and exhaust covers were thinned out and battle damaged../removed... it's OOB.. no aftermarket stuff at all...i am at the moment scratchbuilding the pin brackets for the bottoms of the spare links round the turret..[ommited from kit??]..i think i'll also scratchbuild some better fenders .[lead foil ] as i'm not too happy about how the kit parts turned out...after the pins are made, the track links are next... it should be ready for undercoat tomorrow....D.....
..

Deakon whats the CD ROM like , is it XP compatable and are there many combat photos on it?
ive asked at the local model shop about Tamiya putty and hes said he'll get some in i have tryed to use Squadron White on my Sturmtiger and yes it do's dry too fast

OH DEAR!
hi guys i was attatching spare track links to the turret last night. and after attatching. the top half of all 7 into their brackets. i noticed there are no pin brackets, to attatch them at the bottom. so if you are thinking of doing this you will have to scratch build them.... how remiss of tamiya to leave these essentials out of this kit....
anyways... i finished zimmimng last night..and this morning i fixed the beaten up fenders, to the hull..tracks n wheels are next .still no joy on the photo software..i think i'll download a demo..just so as i can post a few pics of the build so far....oh BTW i have the tamiya tiger 1 cd rom and the scale drawing of the mid prod.[top down].has the tools positioned differently from how they are arranged on the kit...the kit configuration ,is the same as the scale drawing of the late prod.. just a wee heads up......REGARDS.....D.....

Horus, what happened to making this a stickey??

Okay, guys. I've finally started on my kit....sort of! Tonight I glued all the the axels on for the road wheels, sanded the stupid molding attachment point in the bottom, middle of the hull off, and washed down all the parts real well. Not much you say, well I gotta start somewhere. In there I also did shopping, cooked dinner for my kids, and ran one of them back and forth to the Yu-Gi-Oh store 20 minutes away! I also am trying to contact a local dealer about picking up a Verlinden Tiger detail set (1177) like the one I missed on e-Bay. Also trying to view the Lion Roar and Eduard barrels to compare. The Eduard one that Horus has on his looks awful nice! Hoping to start on the zimmerit tomorrow (still wanting to practice on my King Tiger a little bit).

Fun building weekend to you all.

Bill

Right now, my website has moved to another server and has encounted some unexpected problems. So I can not host any pics until the debugging has finished. But once it is done, I will be able to host away.

Horus,
That's looking mighty nice! Keep it up!
The only tiny criticism I might have is that the light cable looks a wee bit too thick to me...but I like the way it hangs.

Looking forward to the next batch o' pix!