Italeri's (formerly ESCI) 1/72 Jagdtiger WIP

Resin is something I still need to add to my bag of tricks. I don't even know where to start with that but definitely see how it could become very handy. Just the other day I cracked open my Dragon Ausf F... what a disapointment, the whole hull is die cast and while detail is not bad it is not the same as their all plastic one. Plus I won't be able to drill or replace hatch handles or such.  

So right now I'm thinking in using Revell's hull with the Ausf. F steel wheels and parts save the rest of the Dragon parts for the future. 

What I'm planning to do is something like what this Spanish gentleman did, but in 1/72:

http://calibre135.forospanish.com/t3826-panther-g-late-version

Hey Duke, I added quite a few minor details just trying to overcome ESCI's worst shortcomings. Don't sweat, Dragon is so much better than this kit you don't need to do half of what I did. Yours is way more accurate and a very nice build too. Not to mention the ESCI hull is too short (is based on the King Tiger and it should be longer), I think a couple of mms but I didn't know that until too late.

If you want to see the improvements I made to the kit, I have a picasa album with a lof of pics of the model and some references that you might find handy.

https://picasaweb.google.com/joesys/172JagdtigerItaleri

Thanks for the comment and hope you enjoy the pics.

OK some more work on this one. 

Filters, chipping, oils, filter and more oils...

Very nice work on the bucket. Don't sweat the ruler...the same guys razzing you would be forced to admit under oath to shopping in the make-up or crafts sections for stuff to convert to model-use too!  

Here you go man. There is an Adobe Illustrator file in case you have that, or can print from another app that supports the format.

http://dl.dropbox.com/u/653510/bucket.ai

If not then just save this, and print it. you might need to scale it down, hence the ruler on the side so you can compare.

I created a plastic template then with that started scoring the tin until it gave up. A Rotring circle template served for the circle... I just scored the tin with a pin until it went all the way through.

I used cyano for the sides and the base. 

With a 0.3 drill I made the holes and then passed a cooper wire through it.

Awwwww the Dragon Tiger I have been wanting one BAD, although I just received a HobbyWorld spanish magazine with a Late Panther G in splinter camo that is strongly becoming a project in my head. All I need to find is the old Hasegawa Panther to take its steel wheels (damned Ravell didn't include those in its late G)

Hahahaha, as a mater of fact I get recular visits by Barbie, Tinker Bell et all too, usually for repairs!. All my tools, keyboard and calendar a filled with sticker hearts, flowers, Simpsons... you name it.. they own it. I got 3 myself, all girls, which is like living behind enemy lines.

As far as the bucket goes, if you want I can create a pattern so you can have the sizes ready. Just let me know. Be carefull with the beer can tin, make sure you clean it well with detergent and wear googles. That thing is SUPER sharp.

Happy father´s day for you too, hope they get you some plastic and not just tie or socks!.

OMG, I sent these images to a few non FSM modeling friends by email... you wouldn't believe the amount of Flak that ruler draws LOL. Nevermind the bucket!, the ruler has made for a thread that is already 15+ emails long and going strong hahahaha.

Gotta take more care when shooting my photographs... the ruler was my little girl's... she got a new one for school and this was quickly drafted to military service :P 

Very cool bucket! I wish I had scratch building skills...but alas...

Oh and you might want to hide your ruler before Aaron claims it.

I decided I wanted a little bucket hanging from the Jagd so with no etch set readily available where I live (there is a nice set by Brengun BTW) I decided to make my own.

Did some rough scale calculations, created a drawing, then a template in plastic. With that I was able to cut some aluminium plate (from a Beer can! Yeeeeeehaw!). Presto. Drilled with a 0.25 mmm bit and added cooper wire.

Any comments are welcome as this will definitely wont be the last I'll make.

Glad to see you didn't shelve this. Great little Jagdtiger. I'm in the process of building his bigger cousin.

Very nice build!

Very nice work in the upgraded detail department as well as the paint-finish. Looking sharp!

Weathering started... smoe filters and a oils pin wash.

OK, some more updates on this project.

Decided the toothless tracks were too much of a feature to ignore so came with a way to add those using plastic from a mermelade lid.

After that I did some painting, using steel and black for the inside of the tracks including the tooths and wheels sides, then mixed 5 different shades of sand, brown, earth and rust and painted individual tracks in order to create some interest in an otherwise flat and detailess track.

On the inside the of the tracks I painted earth bands on the sides (were the roads doesn't contact the track) and also added some imaginary "bands" or "tracks" using different shades of rust.

The tracks on the hull also received the same treatment. My idea is to try and hide most of this behind a layer of pigments, hopefully some of it will be visible and would provide more interest to the tracks.

wing_nut

Take it from one that knows how it is to work in a small scale.  That's some nice work right there. 

Could not agree more. A fine build!

Take it from one that knows how it is to work in a small scale.  That's some nice work right there. 

Excellent Job. Love the paintwork for the scale.

Andrew

That's looking mighty fine.

Looks fantastic so far.I have no doubt you'll be happy with it when it is finished.

Quick update on this bad boy.

Painted using Tamiya jars that one of my best friends brought me, since they are not generally available where I live. The ambush scheme is a pain in the royal lowers, I had to do it 3 times:

1. Brush painted, looked just awful and even when the paint came from the same jars didn´t looks the same shade as the base colors.
2. Used a business card perforated as a mask and didn't like it either. Spots looked, obviously, too patternsih and since the card layed at various distances from the surface based on the compound curves or accesories on it, dots oversrpay differed a lot.
3. This time I just used free hand for the dots, taking the tip of my airbrush and using 14 PSI and paiting a couple milimeters off the surface of the model. Bingo.

So, not 100% happy but much better than my first try. Next I´m doing the tracks and filters on the hull.

All your comments are welcome!.

Quick update, I spayed the red oxide color base.

Put some sun glasses on!

OK guys, first and foremost, thank you all for your comments they mean a lot of inspiration and motivation!.

Here goes an update of what I have done lately. 

• Built a tow cable from electrical cooper wire, making the ends by rolling tin can over them, hollowing the kit parts and glueing them in the ends.
• Used spare track links from Dragon as Italeri's are totally spurious
• Added a rear fender that I made from tin can using photos as references.

Hope you like'em!.

Yeah, 331 is a bit of an odd machine in some ways. I seem to recall reading somewhere (but the source eludes me right now) that there was an order placed very late in the war to place a separator between the exhausts pipes and the radiators to keep them from re-ingesting the exhaust gases... but never saw one. Could this be such a device?.

Really improving this kit. Great work on something so tiny.

I've never seen that metal piece behind the mufflers on Jagdtigers before. Must have been pretty rare.