1/35 Tamiya Tiger I -DONE!!! several pic's

Beautiful paint job!   That's something I need to try next time... post shading paint job!  You made it sound very easy!

Really nice paint job there Steve,good to see your work again

Thats one sweet looking Tiger.

Looks like a solid foundation to build off of Steve, looking forward to the next steps.

You make your paint technique sound so easy to achive the look you got...I know better!  Fantastic paint job.

Guys: I dented the exhaust shroud and bent the fenders which completed the build portion. Then I began PAINTING....which for me is when the fun REALLYstarts! 

First a primer coat followed by acrylic flat black.  Then I used Tamiya Khaki XF-49 focusing on the center of all areas followed by a lightened shade of the same color highlighting areas most prone to sun exposure .  Next came Tamiya Khaki Drab XF-51 as post shading. 

Nex,t I plan to use the salt technique withTamiya XF-57 Buff to add a very worn/peeling paint effect.

Heres how she looks now:

Road wheels, tracks and tools with  flat black:

deafpanzer:  I buy the aluminum trays at the dollar store.  I buy the ones that are about 9" X  9" then I cut out and use the bottom only.  They can be easily smoothed with a metal ruler and they cut with a hobby knife.  The tubing was in the kit.

tigerman/bish/wbill76: Thanks guys!

Byrden: Thanks for the photo...I'll keep that in mind for the future.

I wasn't sure of the shape of the brackets so I improvised.

35mm square, 4 of them, located under the bolts on the fender.

Looking good so far Steve!

Looking gooid, and ye, nice improvments.

Love the improvisions.

Aluminum baking pan?  Jeez!  Never thought about this.  A great way to save $20 or even more... everything is looking great!

What did you use for the tubings in the rear?  Black tapes? 

Guys:  Here's an update on my Tiger.  I was planning to keep this pretty much OOB except for the aluminum barrel and PE grilles but I decided to add a few custom touches.  Here's the overall view:

Here's a close-up of the brackets and fenders, both were made from aluminum baking pans.  I wasn't sure of the shape of the brackets so I improvised...I like the results.  I will be bending the fenders later (after priming) to show abuse:

I made an exhaust shroud to replace the kit part...it will get a big dent in it later...I plan to leave the other shroud off:

Some weld beads made from stretched sprue:

Lastly, some wires to add a bit of detail:

A few more small brackets for tools and this BAD BOY is readyfor paint!...

Nice to see you back, and what a kit to start with. I have this one in the stash and i got the full Aber PE set that includes a rather nice barrel. Though it is very pricey. And looking forward to seeing your weathering.

Whoops, sorry about the repeats!

Maybe you should add a German flag for aerial recognition...

I have seen in some games the scheme that was discussed earlier, two- tone, dukengleb underneath and brown (or green) over that in patches. 

I'm not sure this would be prototypical or not, but it would make an interesting scheme...

If you are intending to put figures in or on the Tiger with a tropical scheme, remember to put them in Tropical tank uniforms! I haven't built this kit before, but they might not be correct. Maybe the answer is on Wikipedia...

Have fun with the project!  

Maybe you should add a German flag for aerial recognition...

I have seen in some games the scheme that was discussed earlier, two- tone, dukengleb underneath and brown (or green) over that in patches. 

I'm not sure this would be prototypical or not, but it would make an interesting scheme...

If you are intending to put figures in or on the Tiger, remember to put them in Tropical tank uniforms! I haven't built this kit before, but they might not be correct. Maybe the answer is on Wikipedia...

Have fun with the project!  

Maybe you should add a German flag for aerial recognition...

I have seen in some games the scheme that was discussed earlier, two- tone, dukengleb underneath and brown (or green) over that in patches. 

I'm not sure this would be prototypical or not, but it would make an interesting scheme...

If you are intending to put figures in or on the Tiger, remember to put them in Tropical tank uniforms! I haven't built this kit before, but they might not be correct. Maybe the answer is on Wikipedia...

Have fun with the project!  

Bryden: Thanks for taking the time to post those photos, I'll go on the net to find more. 

I read Tiger in Action last night and it confirmed what you said about the initial tanks.  According to that resource they went out in brown or light green...versus DK.  It didn't say light, med or dark brown but the text went on to say that the later browns  were more red-brown.  Sooooo, looking at my paints I gravitated towards Tamiya XF-72...which is DARN close to the darker shade of the first photo you show and almost a ringer-of-a-match for the brownish color on that second Tiger wreck photo.   

The Tamiya Buff next to the XF-72 is perfect for the lighter shading effects I want to show and that goes back to my intro post for this thread...so I think I'm heading in the right direction. 

Thanks again!

It's the scheme that the Tiger in Bovington Museum has been wearing for some years now. A brownish green and a greenish brown. Broad wavy bands.  You'll find plenty of pics of this tank via Google Images.

There is also a rare colour photo of a destroyed Tiger in Africa, and on the side you can see these two colours under the dust;

David

wbill76

 ...Tropen schemes were only 2-tone schemes.

Any recommended resources to view this/these scheme?... besides the "Tiger I in-Action" book... which I'll pull out tonight.

Steve,

If you're just intending to build something that "looks" like a Tiger in order to play around with paint and weathering approaches for a given scheme or look, then what you've proposed will work just fine. It's a three-tone scheme that wasn't seen/used on Afrika Tigers though just as a side note. Tropen schemes were only 2-tone schemes.

I am looking forward to seeing what you do with this one regardless.  

Byrden

<clip>A "tropical" scheme was in force for African vehicles, and in photos we can see at least some of them bearing it. Others seem to have a single colour, which could be one of the two "tropical" colours since it has been described as "green".

Thanks for the reminder!!!  I totally forgot about this scheme I had sketched up awhile ago...this will have to be paint scheme option 4:

Well, I don't want to tell you how to paint your kit; it's yours, have fun with it.

But let's not spread misinformation. These tanks were earmarked for Africa and Dunkelgelb was not appropriate for them. A "tropical" scheme was in force for African vehicles, and in photos we can see at least some of them bearing it. Others seem to have a single colour, which could be one of the two "tropical" colours since it has been described as "green".

None of these tanks fought anywhere but Africa and they were not brought back to Europe.

David

Oh wow...I will be following this build! I usually do A/C but have been streching out into buying armor after my little Sherman build and I would love to watch this project coming along.

Guys:  Thanks for following along,...it's always great to have some support and encouragement...I'm really excited to build at 1:35 again!

Update:  Got the hull and axles done last night.  The wheels are de-sprued and sanded...WOW, I forgot how tedious this part is...my son was hanging out with me as I sanded though, good bonding time!

Further thoughts on the paint scheme...I could use some creative suggestions please:  I'd like to layer up the finishes from exposed primer, to base color, to maybe even a repaint/ camo' and  I'm struggling with this a bit.  I have this "dual -theater" idea in mind...let me explain.  These Tigers started in Afrika (theater I), painted dunkelgelb...yeah fine, been there seen that...BUT did any of these tanks see further action at a later time in a different theater/ season?  OR was there ANOTHER theater (Russia?) where they were gray first?  Or maybe even started dunkelgelb THEN painted over in grey and MAYBE even white camo' over that?!

The salt technique I mentioned in the intro to this thread Is KILLER for this multi-layer thing and that's what I really want to try... AND, I've always liked when I see some  red-orange primer showing through (doog has done this well..his winter camo' King Tiger comes to mind)

doog: The salt technique is time sensitive because I don't ever let the salt dry completely.  I'll do my best though to describe/photo what I can.  The technique is so easy and adds such a random effect that  I just love it!  FYI: I may have mis-spoke when I said coarse rock salt...It's actually a table/cooking sea salt that's much larger than regular salt.

Byrden: I fall into the "it's plausible" group of modelers.  I do try to keep my builds somewhat historically accurate but I don't let that trump a cool idea/ or a challenging weathering idea!  Thanks for the input on the green color scheme,...I actually considered/liked one I saw on the net.

-SMJmodeler-

back Steve!  I remember following your great builds when I joined FSM three years ago.  Please count me in... sitting on first row with a big bowl of popcorn and a cold bottle of .  

This kit is for Tigers that were sent to Africa. If you wanted to backdate it, you could get a grey Leningrad Tiger without much difficulty, but the decals are all for Africa.

People still argue about the colour of these Tigers, but it seems that at least some of them were overall green, maybe only at first;  and the rest had another colour added to make a low-contrast camouflage pattern.

Bovington museum have reproduced it carefully:

David

No problemo on the barrels...let me know if you have any issues locating one.

This Tiger is going to get it's ass kicked, I'm guessing.