Tiger 1 2021 no. 13

[David Battson]

Hi Gary,
The cammo finish looks excellent.
Re the track tension, I'd say it looks a bit loose for a running model - better if the track was landing on the third road wheel in. You will find there will be a lot of early days 'bedding in' as paint and burs wear off the track pins/holes and suspension arm fixings bite down into the torsion bars etc. So regular re-tensioning will be required to start with.
David

[Gary Richardson]

Hi Gary,
The cammo finish looks excellent.
Re the track tension, I'd say it looks a bit loose for a running model - better if the track was landing on the third road wheel in. You will find there will be a lot of early days 'bedding in' as paint and burs wear off the track pins/holes and suspension arm fixings bite down into the torsion bars etc. So regular re-tensioning will be required to start with.
David

Hi David
Thanks, I will take another link out of each track and re-tension as you suggested. I was surprised just how much adjustment was required after twenty minutes running time. I should have the barrel and turret bin fitted for the next test.

Regards
Gary

[Gary Richardson]

Good evening,

Thanks for the comments regarding the camouflage, I still need to add the numbers, rhomboid insignia then add dirt and dust layers. It still looks slightly glossy, but it is my first attempt using oils to do modulation and I am sure there is a way to get a matt finish. I haven't altered the zimmerited areas yet as I need to decide whether I do the numbers using stencils or freehand. I did try the Paynes grey oil paint on the exhaust guards and prefer it to the Tamiya smoke as it is duller.

Regards
Gary

exhaust stains added using Paynes Grey

[Gary Richardson]

Hi all

The weather was bad today so no further test drives yet. I did remove another track link from each side and readjust the track tensions so there are now 93 links per side. The muzzle brake was cleaned of the old paint and resprayed and matt varnished. I then used the Paynes grey to add the smoke stains around and in the muzzle brake. I also managed to camouflage the turret bin and started to modulate the paintwork. I have left the rear clean until I get some number stencils as I intend to have small numerals on the sides of the turret above the trunnions and larger numerals on the back of the bin. Once the numerals, Balkan crosses and rhomboids are done I will get on with adding the dirt and dust washes plus weather and rust stains to the Zimmerit areas and the decks.

Regards
Gary

Just needs the numerals and modulation

Barrel reattached with smoke stains

[Gary Richardson]

Hi all

Just a quick update. I have started adding the crosses and rhomboids while I wait for the number stencil and jerrycans that Dave at Armorpax is sorting for me. This will allow me to start the modulation/wash on the Zimmerited areas. The turret bin will be fitted once I have added the numerals either 113 or 213 from Abteilung 301 (Funklenk).

Regards
Gary

Tigers getting cross...

[Gary Richardson]

Hi all

I have started adding details to the decks on the Tiger. I find this part very satisfying; I am using Abteilung 502 oils to do the rust marks, scratches etc, the only problem being the time it takes for the oils to dry, even with only a thin smear. I had a go at aging the Tetra fire extinguisher and quite like the result. I will add photos of the deck later as I spent yesterday measuring the Petard 29mm spigot mortar at the Cobbaton Collection as part of my Churchill research, my thanks to Preston who was very helpful.
So here is the photo of the fire extinguisher, it stills needs some dust effects. The label crazing was my mistake spraying to much Citadel varnish, the effect does make it look old and worn, so perhaps a bit lucky.

Regards
Gary

Dave Dibbs lovely fire extinguisher with decals

[Gary Richardson]

Good morning all.

I have been thinking about the best way to add effects to the zimmerit areas of the Tiger while I wait for the stencil to do the turret numbering. The main worry is knocking off bits of the tile adhesive as my zimmerit is quite rough. The flat areas of the tank were done using a nearly dry oil paint brush and tiny dots of oil paint which had to be worked onto the base paint. To do the zimmerit areas I decided to use the oils thinned down with 1 part paint to 4 parts thinners and then dab the brush on some paper roll prior to applying it to the zimmerit. This meant doing larger areas at a time than was possible using the dot method. If it looked too thin I added a bit of neat paint just on the end of the bristles, the brush was a number 4 round with soft bristles. It has given the zimmerit a similar overall tone as the decks and mudguards, and I think once the next filter layer is added it will all blend in ok. The different hues don't show up in the photos as much on the zimmerit as the do on the flat areas. I will take the Tiger outside on a bright day to check and take some more photos.
The decks have had some scratches and rust added but I have kept it at a low level for now. Areas where the tow ropes would go have had a bit extra as have the various tool holders. I will add further effects once the filter/dust has been done.
The numbering on the turret is another area I want to get right as it stands out and draws the eye. I am going to assume most numbering would have been done by hand and therefore, I will use the stencils to get a faint outline but finish the numbers by hand. I did something similar with the crosses having made a template out of thin plastic sheet.

Regards
Gary

Adding effects using thinned down oils

Needs dirt and dust adding

Scratches and rust

[Gary Richardson]

Good morning

Yesterday was spent doing more detailing. I have used the dark and light rust oil paints to age the spare track links for the turret sides. They will also have a dust layer added later. The conduit from the headlight to the junction box was made using brass rod, I tried 2.25mm copper tube but it kept deforming even after I put multi strand wire inside and I haven't got a miniature pipe bender yet.

Regards
Gary

Aged with various rust oil paints over dark metallic grey

Brass rod to make conduit

[Ragnar Arntsen]

Hi
Just to let you know. The machinegun ball is mounted the wrong way. Machine gun to the right and vision port to left. It's a great build to follow.

[Klaus Uschkurat]

Hallo Gary,
dir ist leider ein entscheidender Fehler passiert,
du hast die Deckel wo der Tiger betankt wird "zugeschweist",
das sind die Deckel mit dem dicken Pluszeichen, bring das bitte in Ordnung sonst
kann dein Tiger nicht fahren, da du ihn nicht betanken kannst.
Ansonsten ein schönes Modell
Gruss Klaus

[Gary Richardson]

Hi
Just to let you know. The machinegun ball is mounted the wrong way. Machine gun to the right and vision port to left. It's a great build to follow.

Hi Ragnar

Thanks for spotting that, I made a modification and put it back together the wrong way round . That would also explain why I had to adjust the servo travel....

Regards
Gary

[Gary Richardson]

Hallo Gary,
dir ist leider ein entscheidender Fehler passiert,
du hast die Deckel wo der Tiger betankt wird "zugeschweist",
das sind die Deckel mit dem dicken Pluszeichen, bring das bitte in Ordnung sonst
kann dein Tiger nicht fahren, da du ihn nicht betanken kannst.
Ansonsten ein schönes Modell
Gruss Klaus

Hallo Klaus
Die Schweißnähte verbinden sich nicht mit den Tankdeckeln und lösen sich. Die kreisförmigen Schweißnähte wie bei Tigern in voller Größe, von denen ich denke, dass der Einfüllstutzen verbunden ist.

Grüße
Gary

I hope Google translate got this right

[Gary Richardson]

Good evening

I have concentrated on getting the painting and detailing finished today. I used Abteilung 502 Dust oil paint thinned down with Sansodor and applied with large soft bristled brushes. It went on very easily and dried with no residue, the bonus being the dust effect has reduced any glossy areas considerably.
I also attached the smaller tow cable which had already been thoroughly scorched with my map torch to get the right effect and make it easier to manipulate. The cable and ends have been distressed and have had earth pigments and rust blended into them.
I still want to add some rubble pigment and some dirt to the hull, but I will wait until the numerals have been added to the turret and bin and they have been aged.

Regards on a very wet and windy night.
Gary

Yet another layer added

Cable attached after being distressed

Cable from the front

[Vince Cutajar]

You are doing a great job with the weathering Gary.
Love those zimerrit close-ups.

Vince

[mark j. radick]

Looking great , Gary !