oops! Sorry, Phil, forgot to add this last post.I am seriously thinking instead of finishing up the other Tiger I have started as 213, I am thinking of building Command Tiger 009 out of that one.Since this is all about the Tigers, why be redundant, right? I have made a few minor mistakes on 007 and by building 009, that will allow me to chose between the best looking of the 2 to become 007and I want that to be a tribute of sorts to Wittmann.Make sense?Clear as mud?Anyhow, 2 command variants in the same year, may be more than my nerves can take,but what the heck,it's supposed to be a fun hobby right? Just kidding.Oh and I have begun documenting my progress a little better on camera, so an SBS might not be possible ,cause I have not documented all the steps, but maybe a build log of sorts.Wait till you see the real wooden handles on all the tools! Sorry, had to brag just a little bit!
Anyhow, that is my plan.Later, Chris F.

Excellent work Phil, the detailing is superb and the Camo looks spot on buddy!

Hello again, you poor neglected Tiger fans! ! million things and another seem to have oozed into my schedule at the moment, ah well...

Hi Nick! Dark stuff this wetworks then eh? Not much game hunting around these parts since the 15th century! Just coarse fishing on the canal, (coarse fishing? Is swearing obligatory?) Thanks for the kind words once again Nick.

Hi John(Belt-Fed) No, not in the slightest... Just acquired a few more, and extended the list of anomalies... Panzerwrecks #8 (Normandy ) to thank for that! Though I am slowly amassing a few Panthers and KT's in the mountain! And Don't tell anybody... But I am also sourcing a few Cromwells, Fireflies, carriers, etc.

Hi Chris! Sounds like you are getting the Tiger bug big style... It got me the same way, next thing you know... There is an Abteilung filling every possible storage space. Sounds like you have got to grips with the Turret pattern now, the variation across the level of application, and the final looks is immense just from the small fraction of images available to us. So the number of rows is no great matter... It's the look that counts, that's why I like the roller method so much for Tigers, it just looks right... And my belief is that it was applied at Kassel in this way, as the tell-tale 'over rolling' even on the smaller hull pattern, can be seen on neighbouring rows when the 'tool' has wandered. I was intending to knock up a 1/1 scale turret side in the back garden, to satisfy my quest for the zimmerit 'holy grail' but got tied into other jobs. Maybe next spring? Thanks for the support mate, much appreciated.

Hello there Deano! Hows life in the Emerald Isle treating you? Glad to see you back. Thank you ever so much for the compliments on the camo, It does become a worry how it's going to turn out, when all you have is a grainy image from one angle eh? When the Panthers hit the work table, I'll give you a holla' for sure buddy! I going to have to build '424' one day eh?

Right then Tracks...tracks... and more tracks! These things have started to really get under my skin.

With the 600mm idler, 95 links is the norm on the actual Tiger 1, 96 perhaps on the earlier 700mm equipped idler variant. DML's instructions state this in the #6253 kit, (though the illustration shows 75... I kid you not) The DS tracks in all the recent incarnations of Tiger 1's have 96 links represented in the moulded styrene length (though as David Byrden has pointed out within his excellent 'tweak' list for the DML DS tracks 2-3 links have to be removed from the length)

Now here is the issue... I do like a taught track !

DS Track ( cut down 93 links)


MasterClub tracks 93 links


Friulmodel 90 links!


The Idler is set to near full tension, giving that unmistakable taught minimal sag from the drive sprocket to the 3rd/4th roadwheel (especially when on the prowl).

Here is an image of tracks laid out for length comparison.

Puzzling eh? I am now going away to count and re-count all my tracks! And measure all the sprocket to idler distances, on the Tamiya,AFV club, and Academy (don't think I'll bother with the Italeri kits!) Dyscalculia strikes again perhaps!

Back real soon, thanks for putting up with my Panzer paranoia's... Phil

Holy anomalies,Tig Man! It is a little strange, about the different track, go figure.Just wanted to take a quick minute and let you know, I can't remember the last time I have enjoyed following along with a thread as much as I have this one.I look forward to each and every update.Keep it up man! Chris

Hello everybody... I know I have been neglecting the kitties again (though I have been playing around with some 101' anomalies!) I will have to punish myself severely, and build something in 'Olive Drab', or get cracking again.

Hi Chris mate! How are you doing? Thanks for the extremely kind words, it is the manna that I feed the'Tiger Elves' with.

Okay a brief update, on the tracks (these have had more re-counts than a Zimbabwean vote!) . For the MasterClub resin tracks I have settled on 94 links per track, these now sitting within tension tolerance, albeit with the idler at 'maximum' .


So a bit of work on the tracks will be in order for the next few days eh? I have been continuing on the weathering with light pin washes and further filters on the horizontal surfaces, along with some 'moderate' chipping before some scratching' dusting and general muddying! You may have noticed that a few small fittings that have not yet been attached, this can help a little, with a kind of modulation 'effect' as these parts are out of 'sync' to the earlier weathering processes.

On the '213' Tiger, I have fitted the 700mm idler now, and have extended the Friulmodel, late Tiger tracks, to 92 links per track! More work on this pretty kitty I feel!

I really am looking forward to this Tiger, it has a 'look' about it...

Right then I'll stop whettering now, and get something done... Thank you all once again for tuning in, back soon.

Cheers Phil.

Phil, damn your rolling right along with the Tigers. I found the track comparison very interesting. I don't like the DS tracks personally and the Fruils are very expensive. Man these Tigers look awesome, keep up the awesome work Phil ( Tigerman).

Rob

Good evening all! A bit of track work tonight.

Hey Rob! How are you doing? I believe congratulations are in order for your haul at the recent AMPS East show? I bet that T55 kicked up a storm eh? I have track dilemma's also my friend, DS really don't do it for me, and the Friuls are expensive, and not as crisp as the MasterClub tracks. I am awaiting a set of WWII productions Tiger 1 late resin set and a Lion Marc set, so should be able to give a wider picture on the track choices open for AM Tiger tracks! I will also have to re-aquire some AFV club and Model Kasten injection set to compare as these are very good sets. Cheers for dropping in Scratch, keeps me ticking along.

Right then probably best that we get these tracks primered and base coated before the weathering stage of the running gear.
Firstly lets give these beautiful tracks a little wear and tear... If you remember, a lot of these steel-wheeled Tigers showed a rather uneven wear pattern on the face of the track, with a bias towards the inner edge.

So a quick 'road march' with a padded sanding stick, on the appropriate edge... And the jobs a good un!


Then a primer of satin black auto colour from a rattle can. Now this need not be a heavy saturation, as it is just their to give the Tamiya base coat a bit of a grip onto the resin.

The base coat was applied with an airbrush, this was a mix of Tamiya Smoke and Tamiya Rotbraun in varying mixes, until a patchy old rusted look was achieved.


When this had dried overnight, a general metallizing was given to the tracks, with a 'dry-brushing' of Vallejo 'Oily Steel', masking sure to get a little into the deeper recesses of each link.


It looks a little harsh and stark at first, but when the various 'patinas' of pigment etc are applied, the dept this staged base coat gives really comes to the fore.

Right I'll get onto the filth and grime 'alchemy' then!

Thanks for calling in on this blog, cheers again... Phil.

This post started out months ago as a great reference for zimmerit on the Tiger, and has now become the ultimate reference for the Tiger in general. Phil, I commend your perseverance because I know I'd never be able to dedicate myself to this kind of detail (or at least not for this long). It's hard to decide which of your Tigers is the best! Getting back to the original topic, I do think I like the zimmerit that you achieved with the venetian gear the best; that's just my personal opinion, though.
Keep up the fantastic work!

Cheers ,
Adam

hi phil,
thanks for the tip on the tamia smoke, i picked some up thinking about maybe using it for a wash, but i like your method of mixing it with a rust color for tracks. i realy trust your expertise for these tigers. just wondering phil if you ever thought about building sSSPzAbt 101 tiger # 231.

respectfuly yours,
nick morgan

Hi Phil ...Just been checking in on your tigers ... You are doing all modellers a great service with this thread ..Those little details really make the difference(great idea sanding the inner cleats on the tracks )
Interesting comparison of the different tracks ...So keep up the good work .

Rick

Phil Hows it hanging? Adam aint quite right when he say's this thread is the ultimate ref for the tiger, i would say its just about the best thread for building all late war German Tanks. Had to get that in, me being a Panther head! Those resin tracks are awesome. Hate to say it but they even beat the S**t out of fruils! Love the painting procedure, so far. Cheers..... Been working and have been able to buy buy buy. Got some great bargins on E Bay an Early Panther A(£6)+ P&P to name but a few so that PE set can be used to the Max, thanks. Later Geraint

Hello Phil. I played some catch up with this thread tonight and have saved every page (MHT format) so I´ll be able to use the info contained when needed. Great stuff, and some beautiful tigers appearing.

Hi Phil I'm with Frank on this one and just did the same, saved the lot. This is turning out to be better than most books on modelling the Tiger. A BIG thank you to all the effort you have done in creating this thread. Keep up the HARD WORK. I think I speek for many of us. You are really doing one of the best threads on Amourama. Cheers Geraint

Hello you lot! I bet you thought I'd gone MIA again! Sorry for the micro-sabbatical, work has taken a secure grip on my time at the moment.
Hi Adam! How are you doing? The Venetian blind gear, was a natural progression from using the various roller tools available, and finding that the larger gears/doe's supplied for the larger Turret pattern of the Tiger 1, not that close in their representation of that 'sloppy' over-rolled heavy texture, so indicative on a lot of Mid and Late Tigers... And the children got fed up of me busting apart toys looking for gears that would match!
Hi Nick! The Tamiya Smoke, is a very versatile medium, it has a multitude of uses, from darkening paint mixes, to general grime and filth. You must have been reading my mind Nick! I have been contemplating '231' for awhile. This Tiger is a constant niggle in my subconscious thoughts! It is becoming a 'must do' not only for it's apparent shadowy role in the Villers Bocage action, but for those fantastic Turret numerals! That must have been some rush job, or a large slug of Calvados eh?

Hello there Richard! How are things in that beautiful big country of yours, any tips on the NHL this year? This wear seems to be very common in the steel road wheeled late Tigers, and I have not yet found it to such an extent on the King Tiger or Panther G,with the steel road wheels. Thanks for popping in Richard, great to hear from you again!
Hi Geraint Sounds like the Panther stash is coming on a treat! I will get around to starting some of my boxed Panthers one day! Thanks for the kind words on the thread, really though a lot of the content is collated techniques,tricks, tips and experience from the gleaned intellectual property of fellow modellers past and present, who have put a lot of effort into developing the 'hobby' into the art form it is now.
Hello again Frank! :-Thank you also for the very kind support, I am really glad that my paranoid ramblings have been of use!
Okay then, what has been achieved since we last sat together in 'styrene sedition'! The tracks and running gear have been getting a preliminary weathering treatment, before final fitting.
The Idlers,Road Wheels, and Drive Sprockets, firstly have been 'pre-worn' prior to graphite rubbing, by running each one through an impregnated thin sponge,loaded with Vallejo German Camo Black Brown. The inner road wheels that would come into contact with the tracks guide horns, are pressed deeper into the sponge pad, in order to represent the worn surface of the convex pressing of the steel wheel. Whilst the outermost road wheel gets just a light run across, as these had no contact with the track on the outer face, only on the rear and 'steel tyre' surface, if done lightly enough, you get a really good 'light' chipped effect on the rim of the road wheels tyre.


Then the same method for the sprockets and idlers, the sprockets can be 'worn' to the bottom of the teeth, where they engage the tracks,and the idlers covered with the paint around the entire rim beyond the spokes/fillets, where the guide horns run.


Next for that bunch is a good rubbing with some graphite sticks! Righto then, back to the tracks. For the next step on the weathering and wear, is to apply a slurry of pigment, into the recesses of the detail, in order to build up layers off accumulated dust,dirt, and detritus!
I decided to give the tracks slightly warmer feel, so used Migs Sin Filters, P241 Brown for Dark Yellow, as the wash and fixative for the panoply of pigments used, in order to achieve a 'Normandie Noisette' of dust and dirt into the tracks surfaces.

Firstly a good daubing of the fully mixed filter.

Then random application of your chosen 'pigment palette'.


Then with a damp brush laden with mineral spirit thinners, blend in some of the pigments, whilst leaving some patches, alone until dry.



Don't forget the track face, and those worn cleats! You may notice that I have used,the packaging from the DS tracks, whilst doing this procedure, as they keep the work surfaces clean, and gives you a little reservoir of your residual pigment slurry,that can be used on the opposite side of the track! Is this perhaps the best use of DS tracks? Only joking you can wrangle them into shape with a little TLC!

Right we will leave them to dry overnight, and 'metalize' them on the morrow!

Cheerio fellas,back tomorrow...Hopefully, cheers Phil.

hey, great thread on the tiger, a quick question though,

Would Voyager Model's PE35179 work for DML 6383 tiger /w zimmerit? I primarily just want the set for the side fenders, and after looking at the price of the Aber set, I was like ...the whole voyager set can be had 3 times for the price of the aber side fenders. But if the whole Voyager set fits DML 6383 that'd be excellent

thanks

Morning Alexander! There is not a problem with using Voyagers #35179 PE set for #6383, as the dimensions of the moulded zimmerit parts do not greatly differ from #6253,#6406, 0r #6416. Voyagers other PE for the Dragon Tiger 1 late, #35070 also fits well, but #35179 is the best bet as you get some extra 'whistles and bells' with it such as the turret stowage bin and some rather nice turned brass cleaning rods, oh and the additional antennae for the Befehlswagen variant of the Tiger 1 Late.
I used the side fenders and mudguards from this set upon '121' and found no issues other than 'when to stop'! If you manage to find a cheap set #35079 for the AFV Tiger 1 late, this also fits quite well onto a DML late Tiger, except for the mesh grilles for the engine deck, which are different proportions on the AFV Tiger, compared to a DML offering.

They are great value for money, and very detailed sets, that really accentuate any Tiger. Phil

Evening Phil,

Thanks for the response. Would you say there are any tricky pieces to glue or put together in the Voyager set? I've managed to master doing the tool clasps for the pioneer tools (axe, pick, shovel... and those to me were damn difficult. PE and the carpet monster always have their way with me

Still looking good, Phil. I'm keeping my eye out at the local hobby for a Tiger... of course, I'm going to feel like I'm building a tiger out of cardboard and macaroni noodles after watching your build.

" Voyagers other PE for the Dragon Tiger 1 late, #35070 also fits well, but #35179 is the best bet "...

I agree totally with what Phil says, but a little word of warning about set #35070:
It doesn't include any exhaust shrouds. Which are probably the one of the main features you'll want to replace..
I discovered this the hard way, after I bought 2 sets...



Hi Phil,
The Tiger's looking better and better each update. This is becoming the blog of blogs with all your detailled sharing and input. Top stuff.

Cheers, Grant.

hy phil . i have a question about a early tiger , if u could help me please!. i'm building an academy tiger I early with interior and i wanted to do the S11 of Das Reich that fought in Kursk . The problem is that i dono from the pics i found if S11 had a Reinforced Gun Mantlet ?

An excellent selection of "How to" articles Phil all wrapped up in multiple Tiger 1 builds, only problem I have with it is it keeps making me look at my SturmTiger which is saying "get me finished".

Belated... Good evening all! Apologies again for the absence, 1/1 scale has kind of taken over at the minute! Do not worry it's not a Tiger!
Hi again Alexander! ... If you have managed the clasps and clamps, then you have probably got to grips with some of the trickier parts on the frets.
Hello Grant! Thanks for highlighting the omitted exhaust shrouds in Voyagers #35070 set, I think I have always not noticed this, as I have tended to use DML's preformed ones from #6253, very good point to remember as I have used up the last set of the DML shrouds now, after giving a few away. Ah well, maybe the long awaited DML 'mythical' Mid Tiger 1 is released, it might have some whistles and bells in it's long awaited cardboard depths! Hopefully it won't have zimmerit! I'll let you get back to your Tiger. Cheers for dropping by mate. Feel free to add to the thread any time Grant, as your knowledge of Tigers and Tiger related products is truly invaluable!
Which brings me around to Cristian! Hello and welcome aboard. Now S11 of the DasReich at Kursk, I could also only find grainy obscured views of the right hand side of the Mantlet, so I asked around... And Vanhall very kindly pointed me in the direction of 'Tiger im Focus' at www.tiif.de, this excellent site has galleries of all the Heer and SS Tiger kompanies, regiments, and abteilungs. It does have a fairly good image of S11 from a better frontal angle, that appears to show the un-reinforced mantlet. As Vanhall stated in an e-mail, the Tigers of the 8th/then s.SS.Pz.-Kmp. 'Das Reich' were a bit of a mixed bunch with regards to the pattern of mantlet.

So sorry about that Cristian, not that much to go on really.
Hi Adam! You should be able to pick up a #6406 Stateside rather reasonably, it is the pick of the Late Tigers in 1/35 out there currently.
Hi Darren! How are you doing? Good to see a poke with a couple of 88's have got you looking at your 'bin slinging' Sturmtiger again. I cannot wait to see it in all it's splendor, just remember to reinforce your work bench Darren,with all those extras it must weigh close to the real thing! Thanks for the kind comments.
Okay then a bit of kit action! Now that the pigment slurry has dried,we can start to add some graphite to the wear areas,such as the guide horns, areas of contact with the road wheels, and the track faces contact with the terrain. This was achieved with a soft sketching pencil 8B, rubbed directly onto the areas that require a worn steel effect.



Now we can give the track worn areas on the roadwheels,sprockets, and idlers. This is once again replicated with the 8B pencil. The use of the Vallejo Camo Black/Brown, really helps to seat the graphite onto the kit parts.Pay a little attention to the parts of the running gear that come into moving contact with each other, and represent that with your graphite/paint application.




So a tiny bit more work on the running gear and we will be a tad closer to the finish on this Tiger! Then we can get stuck into the other four...
Righto then folks, back in the morning with '213/233/234!

Thank you all again, for joining in and looking in... Cheers Phil!

An alternative to using artists pencils - if you prefer using a powder/pigment - is graphite powder, sold at hardware stores, like this. Its used as a lube, and us modelers can just rub it on to tracks, etc. You can probably also get the MIG version, but this is probably the same and cheaper.

Hey,

I'm back with another question with your mighty fine build-log

I was going through your build-log, and noticed you used the lionmarc design mg34 "late" barrel replacement for the bow mg. My question is... would this aber mg 34 be acceptable for a late tiger? I was looking at what little reference photos I have, and none of the photos seem to show any good close ups of the bow mg

Thanks, and keep up the good work!

thanx Phil for the effort to answer my question ! i will drop the ideea of S11 and go for S13 . i will be watchig u're work , i'm learning so much from what u do ! keep up the good work. i'm plannig a #6253 late tiger after i finish my curent early tiger i'm thinking of one of the two tigers 215 or 231

PS. i also have the same question as Alexander, about the MG ball mounted ! can i use the one from #6404 for a early tiger? from what i read in DW to Tiger , it says nothing about a change for the MG barell !