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

Ok, so I’m getting close to done.

I need to finish up on the detail that I will be putting on the tool straps, and do something with the jack and its mount.

I have checked out a digital camera from the lab, so Moses, if you don’t mind helping me out here, I may be emailing you some pics. I do have a place to post my pics, but my girlfriend had to make a web page for a project, and well…. When I have some time, ill try to post some of my models.

Thanks for putting up with my blabbering guys, this has been a fun project. An unexpected plus has been that I feel obligated to work on it as much as possible since I’m posting my progress.

edog

I will say that Tamiya's Polyester Putty is hard to come by in some places. The hobby store that I get it at gets it just for me actually..so not to many places carry it because not to many people buy iy. Supply and demand at it's fullest. I would try www.rjproducts.com or even www.internethobbies.com I am sure either one of these two places carry it.

Jon

I tried a bunch of different kinds of putty: Squadron, Testor, Tamiya Basic, before trying the Tamiya Polyester. The polyester was definately easier to work with. All of the others dried too fast. If you get them on thin enough, and work with smaller areas, you might be able to get them to work. Try it out on some plastic or an old model and practice, practice. Moses assures us it's easy, but I haven't gotten there yet! If you decide to go with the Polyester, you should be able to mail order it from greatmodels, or one of the other big places. Hannets(?) in the UK may even have it.

Good luck with it.

Bill

looks great Horus ive been looking at them on ron.george your all tempting me to get one of my Tigers out to build
mmmmmm shall i start a Tiger lol is Squadron white anygood for Zimmerit? i cant find Tamiya putty

guys thanks so much:)
Edog, np email me back my address to make sure i you got it right...lol It seems people always send stuff to me via MN or MS....and i live in MA!

LOL
Thanks again guys!
oh and Bill no need to be jelous....i know yours will be as nice as the rest!
I am no better just the same as everyone else...i just have way too much free time...lol

Looks good Dave. Sorry the parts have not come yet, they should be there soon. I sent them last Friday.

Coming along nicely Dave. Now I want you to do something. Sit back..take a deep beath..and relax. Because if you have this model done by the end of the weekend..some people are going to request where you got whatever it is your taking!!

Keep it up bud...

Cheers

Rob

I am getting sooooo jealous! Looking good, as always!

Looks good Dave ...... nice, clean build !

Ok well i primed it today, so here are the pics and a close up of the headlight wire:)





More will come soon...lol

I can't see the pics:(
oh well heres a tiny update, i added a small detail that i saw on another mid pro and liked ..the wire for the Bosch headlight. I used brass rod, but it would have been easier to use real coated wire...lol

Anywho i will get some pics today after she gets her first coat of dark yellow....i hope it comes out ok...lol

Yup, I'd say you've got it down pat, Moses! Very nice!
I really like polyester putty, too, for all putty work. So easy to work with!

In your earlier post, I thought you were gonna say you wanted to zimm up your toaster!

Which reminds me of something cool: I exchanged business cards with Mr. Tamiya (yeah, Tamiya's Mr. Tamiya!) and his card has a Tiger Mid Pro on it, with embossed zimmerit! Pretty dang cool!

I can quite honestly say that I feel I have the zimmerit down pat. I mean after years trying everything and everything,. For those who are involved in this thread and who have not seen Polyester Putty used for zim..here are some pics of a project I posted a while ago. The King Tiger is done at this point, just needs to get pinted. When the desire to paint it that is. Hope to get pics up of tehzim job on the Tiger 1. Enjoy:

Hey edog, here, here on Aber paying us. How can we get that worked out?? lol

Moses, I want to see a picture of the zimmed Kubelwagen. I think it would look great!!

I didn't get the Verlinden set. Got out bid at the last second on e-bay. Man, I hate that. Nobody bids on an item for a whole friggen week, than everybody and their dog (no offence, edog) wants to get in on it in the last minute! :-((((

Catch you all later, and thanks for the replies.

Bill

I used the Tamiya polyester putty, and I guess I never thought of scribing the already dry putty. That’s a good idea, and I will definitely give it a try Moses. And yah, I did zim over the masks, BUT I did not put the side fenders on my Tiger. This means I had to make 34 little 1.0x1.0 mm or so brackets for the fenders to bolt onto. I am doing an early December 1943 production Tiger, meaning I had to add the bolt brackets for the old air filters on the back too. That’s 38 of those little things…… I think the masks worked pretty well considering, but they definitely needed touch up. But yah, I agree, there is no need to touch up the areas that are masked flat, like the area for the exhaust shrouds, and the storage bin.

Thanks for the tips Moses, it sounds like you really have the zim down. LOL mind if I fedex all my zim projects to you???

Hey edog. I read your last reply and I need to ask a question or two.

1) What putty are you using to make the zim.

If you are using the Polyester Putty, you should be really zimming straight over any maskings. Then when your done just peel the tape off. You will get a perfect line. For example..the rear part of the hull. I mask off the exhaust areas (just put the putty along the lines that are already on the kit) This goes for the fender areas and such. Then spread the putty across, even over the taped off area, and begin using the tool. Once you have done, take off the tape, you should get a perfectly straight line. I use Tamiya's low-tack tape and it works like a charm.

2) Do not I repeat do not put any detail on the tank before applying the zim. It will cause more problems. Yes I agree that you can push..say the tow brackets into the wet zim. But if you are using the Polyester putty I just score along the outside of the piece and remove the putty after it has dried. This way you do not cake up the putty along the sides of any detail.

Believe me, once you have practiced a few times, it will be so damn easy..you will want to zim up everything and everything. I was thinking about zimming up my Kubelwagon

Wipw, happy hundredth.

First, about the zim. I painstakingly masked off all the small parts that I did not want covered in zim. It was a little time consuming, but not very hard. I just put the masking tape over the part, then trimmed around it. If you gouge the hull area while cutting the tape, no biggie, because it will be covered with zim. I used the Tamiya tool set, and the zim goes on thin enough that you can spot the holes, drill them out, and apply the cable and spare track after the zim. I masked off the parts where the exhaust shrouds will go, and the storage bin on the turret. Oh yah, I removed the masks while the putty was still malleable so that I could perform any touchup needed.

I am using the Eduard set, and decided to leave all the cables out of the corresponding brackets. I applied the brackets for the cable on the side of the hull after I applied the zim, BUT I would do it differently if I could do it again. I suggest applying the zim, and while the putty is still wet, press the brackets into the putty. I would test this out before, because I have never actually done it, but it seems like the best way.

About the PE sets: well I have put asside my early Tiger 1 because the Aber PE set is driving me up a wall. I got the $50 all inclusive Aber set for the early Tiger one. It has a JR barrel, cables, and an Aber PE set all in one box. It is a very nice set, but I will probably end up using only about 1/3rd to ½ of the parts. The Eduard PE set that I am using for this mid Tiger is MUCH easier to put together. However, as Wipw stated the quality is not nearly the same as the Aber set. For the money I would suggest getting the Aber PE set, and scratch building anything that is too complicated to put together. The fenders alone from the Aber set are worth the $20 or so bucks!!! Unfortunately, I feel like Aber needs to pay me to put the rest of the PE together because it can get VERY frustrating.

I highly suggest not getting the Eduard set if you just plan on using it for just the fenders. There is no detail for the underside, and the detail that is included on the fenders is scarce. However, I do like their setup for all the tool brackets. You do not have to fabricate hinges like the Aber set.

Hope this helps some of you guys
edog

Thanks, Moses.

Taping over the mounting points is what was considering doing, but wasn't sure if it would work. Hadn't thought of drilling out the holes on the turret. Great idea. Thanks. And I was talking about the ones on the turret, not the hull.
I love t his place!

Bill

Congrats Bill on your 100th post.

I think I can answer your Zim questions. I use the Tamiya Zimmerit tool and for Tiger 1's you need the #7 tol for everything except the front of the turret. On the front of the turret, you need to use the #5 tool. As for the fittings of the spare tracks, are you referring to the spare tracks on the turret or hull? The extra track links on the front of the hull can be ommitted entirly on the Mid Pro. My suggestion is to tape off the area where you want to put the bracket for the track links. As for the turret, I zim straight over the hulls, and use a pin vise to remake the holes if I decide to add the spare tracks to the turret.

Happy hundredth, Bill!

Hi fellow builders:

Eric, the front of the boxtop for the mid has a pretty interesting depiction of the Zimmerit. Don't remember if the MG is shown or not.
Did you use the Tamiya tool set? Which ones did you use on the small areas around the kubelblende(?) and the gun ports on the turret. And how did you accomidate where the fittings go on the hull for the spare tracks, etc. Those are the things that are throwing me at the moment. I'm considering puttying "around" where the fittings attach, then touching them up after I put them on.

I've also got a Verlindin detail set on order (#1177). Doesn't seem to have a lot in it for the money, but we'll see. I'd really like to get a set of Kayeta(?) cables for it, but they are HARD to come by! Haven't decided if I'm going to get a PE set for it yet. I like the looks of the Aber sets and you seem to get a lot more for your money than with Eduard, but they appear to be much more complex. (I've got two sets to go on my Marder III M). Instructions look like they could be clearer, but what can you do with over a hundred itsy bitsy parts??

I was going to glue up the Academy Early and the Tamiya Mid turrets and compare them. But then I realized I need to paint and build up the interiors first. Haven't had time for that yet. (Computer worms and installing a new diswasher have taken a lot of my time!) Maybe tonight, depending on the plans my 11 year old has for me. (Yu-Gi-Oh tournament he wants me to take him to!! Oh yea! What fun!!)

btw, this is a milestone for me...It will be my 100th post. Making the jump from
"Box Stock" to "Aftermarket"!! Oh, if only it were that easy!! lol

I'm enjoying reading all of the posts. Thanks to all for doing this. (Another btw, what happened to making this a sticky??)

More soon...

Bill

Hey edog. Don't worry to much about messing up the zim. There were a few Mid Pro's that had field applicated zim, and beleive me..it was far from perfect. But always remember, test on a spare model or plastic cars before attempting it o your model. The Mid Pro is not a cheap kit. Also, I have seen reference photos of the staburst around the machine gun mount, so you are ok there. Get some pics up if ya can edog.

I will try to get some of mine up as soon as I get that Digi camara i will get pics up.

Edog, sounds like you got it going on!
I think I've seen pix of zimmed Tiggers with that burst around the bow gun.

But remember, there aren't pix of every single vehicle made, and you cannot scientifically prove that something does not exist, so go with what ya like!

So, last night I was finishing up the turret detail by adding the stop to the commanders hatch, the fittings for the rain shield on the copula, and I added some detail to the loaders hatch.

Next I moved onto add the fittings for the rain cover for the ventilator on the turret roof. Now is it just me, or is the ventilator too close to the copula?!?!?! I did not have room to put the fittings on. There should be 6 evenly spaced flanges around the edge of the ventilator for the cover to latch onto. Well, instead of cutting off the ventilator, and moving it about 1mm I have decided to forgo the fittings. Its just not worth my time. (I kind of messed up on the zim, and I’m not going to invest all that time on a kit I already kinda messed up)

Oh, and Moses, I have already done the zim. Of course instead of testing the Tamiya putty on some scrap I just took the plunge and applied it on my model. I am very pleased with the putty, but I didn’t really get the hang of it until the last couple of surfaces. OOPS!. Oh well, it still looks pretty good. Although, I did a sunburst pattern around the bow machinegun (yah, I just assumed that it would be the same as my Pz IV zim). I have not been able to find any pictures of a tiger with this sunburst pattern, lol.

well, thats the latest...

Actually Eric, I really wanted to do it with this Tiger 1; but because I do not own a Digital Camera, I just went ahead and started it up. I highly recommend doing Zim, especially on a Mid Pro Tiger 1. There is not an easier kit out there to do zimmerit on, then a Tiger 1. It is basically all flat on the areas that need the zim, and free from the little detail. The hardest area to zim on the Tiger 1 is on the front of the Turret. Other then that I zimmed the hull in about 10 minutes. It took longer to mix the putty then it was to apply it. The turret should only take about 5 minutes, and the result is much better then any pre-fab zim out there, and that includes Atak and Cavalier. Just my opinion.

Lets keep this thread goin!!

Moses, are you going to do us a step by step with photos on the zimmerit sometime soon??? Krispy Kremes...????


Name your price!!!

Eric

I started Tamiya's 1/35th scale Mid Pro the other day. I will be using Eduard brass, Aber side skirts, Jordi Rubio Barrel, Aber Tow Cables (Probably one), Model Kasten Workables, and Polyester Putty for Zimmerit.

I have totally zimmed up the hull area, as well as get the grills on. Have about half of the rear done, but still am deciding if I want to go with a beat up Tiger 1 or a more Artistic model. Stll not sure. I love Tiger 1's without the tow cables and such, so I might just ax them all together. Like I said in a previous thread, the Tamiya's Tiger 1's are probably the easiest build around. The fit is flawless, and does not have alot of detail like a Panzer III or IV. SO I expect to have the hull and chasis done by Friday or so (that is if I can stay away from Star Wars Galaxies ). The most tedious part of this projest will be doing the Tracks. I refuse to use the individual tracks supplied by Tamiya. They are molded nicely, but I just prefer ModelKasten's workables, and they are even more tedious then Tamiya's; but look 10 times better in my opinion.

I will try and get pics of my progress as soon as my friend gets home from vacation so I can use his Digi Camera. I really need one.

Edog, give that Polyester Putty a few trial runs on some plastic card, you will find that it is easlier then you think. Once you feel comfortable, give it a go on the model. The putty is very forgiving, and you can remove it very easlily if you are not satisfied.

I love German Armor!!!!

ok guys .. i started my mid prod yesterday...just finished zimming the lower hull..
as i only have the one P.E detail set ..i'm going to keep it for my academy tiger 1
so this will be an oob build...i intend to use this mid prod in a 5 kit diorama i'm building...and when i get my photo software up and running i'll post some pics of the work on the mid so far.....i'll also do a blow by blow..to save repeating myself..so really this post is just to let you know that i'm in........

Good play-by-play!
That's exactly what a group build needs.
Keep us posted on your progress, and find that digicam!

Speakin' o' which, I gotta get my paws on one, too...

OK, thought I would update you guys with the latest, and bring this thread back up to the top since we are supposed to have a build group going here. I have done all the cable brackets. Most of them were taken directly from the Eduard PE set. I did however correct some errors I saw using left over scrap brass sheet. This includes the fittings for the end of the cable mounted on the side of the hull. I think I am going to leave all the cables off the model, except one which will go from a front to a rear tow hook.

I have also attached the suspension, and the stock wheels are ready to go. The kit brackets for the spare track on the turret have been detailed. I have completed all the weld lines that need to be added to the kit (I think). Oh, the grills for the rear deck are ready to be mounted.

List of to do’s still include: adding detail the commanders copula, deal with the hubs on the road wheels, add some detail to the gun travel lock, and redo the folded fenders on the front and rear.

A quick not about the fenders: I was disappointed with the supplied fenders from the Eduard kit. They did not have any detail at all for the underside. This means I could not fold the fenders for RR travel. I tried adding detail with L channel (is that what its called?). By the time I added the L channel, the fender, was all bent out of shape, and I realized that the channel I used was kind of thick. So, I think Im going to remake those fenders with Evergreen Strip Styrene.

As always comments and suggestions are welcome.

Oh yah, one more thing, I will try to get my hands on a digital camera to take some picks before I paint this puppy.

Thanks for putting up with my blabbering,
edog