Well I don't hold much hope for this cheap kit the the missus picked up for me!
And I don't normally build braille scale kits, but lets see if I can make this shoddy Airfix King Tiger look good.

Will get started on it in a couple of days.
This kit is like a relic from the 60s or 70s, moulded on tow cables and pioneer tools!

Jason:

You're under pressure and heat, friend! The missus plumped for this evil little thing - YOU gotta do it up right as possible!

Start by shaving off all those molded-on items you don't like. Scratching a new tow cable from thread or fine string (or even copper wire twisted about) is pretty easy, and some of those tools likewise scratch pretty easily (shovels, hammer, etc.). Go fo it! It's old and it hasn't aged gracefully from it's meager youthful state, but it can come up a bit! She'll love you all the more for it! (And that's gotta be all sorts of good, right? )

Bob

I agree with Bob! You don't do that little terror up right YOU WILL NEVER HEAR THE END OF IT!!!! LOL My better half saw a picture of a WW I German Tank with Purple and Light Blue in the Camo an went out an bought one for me to do. I had to drop all projects (even some commission work) and build and finish hers. Trust me make a good job of that half pint panzer.

Thanks guys, I am lucky that the missus thinks all braille scale tanks are "cute"
Well that dang Airfix kit, yep it sailed through the air and to hell with fixing it
I got all the road wheels on and then it was time for the dreadful things that Airfix try to call tracks..I have seen elastic bands with more detail!
Anyway I settled for some staples to get the tracks together as their method of joining them was ludicrous! And then I tried...I really tried to get those tracks to fit over the road wheels..MEIN GOTT!
And with a loud "snap!" the return roller shattered into twenty itty bitty pieces and 3 other wheels snapped at the axles

So with the wife's permission tonight I started a Dragon 1:72 bergepanzer Tiger. I kept the King Tiger's turret though as I may make a little diorama with the Bergepanzer fitting the King Tiger turret into a dug out position as was done in the closing days of the war.

Startup pic:


Tonight's progress:

Mine fields being what they are!

Sounds like you managed to successfully wiggle past this one! Power on, Jason, Power ON!

I did a number of those Airfix kits back in the late 60's... I, too, stapled those detailed rubber bands Airfix shamelessly called "tracks"... And sent wheels flying about and stuff!! I'm with you, Brother! Binned a few of those kits along the way. I came to think that these evil little things were a sort of "rite of passage" into armor modeling Perhaps a sort of test to weed out the less-patient...

The Dragon ArmorPro kits are worlds of difference apart. You'll enjoy it, I think!

Bob

Thanks Bob
I have built a couple of the 1/72 Dragon kits and they do build up into an impressive model!
The little Bergepanzer Tiger even has indi-link tracks!

That Airfix kit gave me flashbacks of the Airfix planes I built as a child where nothing seemed to go together, or if it did it had huge gaps

Well I have my little diorama all planned out and at least some good came out of all this as the King Tiger's turret will still be getting used..the rest however went into the recycling bin!

Now that my Firefly is nearing completion I think Ill have to jointhis one, DML Panther G or DML King Tiger w/ Zimmerit and Porsche turret? Decisions, decisions.

Nice job everyone !

Some Banners & award ribbons :







The Banners

Some progress on my Bergepanzer Tiger, have one side of the tracks done. They are link and length tracks and look a lot better than Airfix's dreadful rubber bands!

Nice work Jason !

I'll be in with Meng's



Might start next week, it will depend on the KV2 ..

Well I had to settle for a Revell SPz Puma IFV. I know nothing about this vehicle...except for what wikipedia says. And Revell kits make me use foul language at times. But I said I was in on this and I'm sticking to my guns on this one.

I had a shopping list ready for Squadron's Black Friday Sale, but a lot of stuff I wanted was out of stock and my cat named options were limited. No Trumpy KV-2 for the KV Campaign. They didn't have a single StuG kit in stock...so the StuG Campaign is on hold for a bit. I had to change what I am doing for a couple of other campaigns. Got some pretty cool stuff though.

Hopefully my order will be here later this week. So I'm shooting for this weekend to start.

Just waiting to see your pick Alex !

I started mine today, 1st step done:

Both Tigers



Sprue shot



Step 1









Step 2 is next

That's step 2:



Being me first Meng kit, I'm liking it, plastic in not as soft as Trumpeter's, detailing is good and cleaning and glueing is not a problem so far

My Revell SPz Puma arrived today. Here are the starter pictures. I had to use yesterday's newspaper.

Nice choice Alex !

I kept working on the transmission parts.

@John, coming together quite nicely!

@Alex, that's one mean looking machine!

Today I put in a few hours on my Bergepanzer Tiger, got the other side's track links in place. And started work on the superstructure.
Really looking forward to painting this in squiggly type 3 tone camo, will be good practice for the airbrush...hopefully I won't stuff it up

Here is my big cat, can't wait to get started, just need to finish off the Firefly.

Colin, love the King Tiger!

Really got stuck into my build of my Bergepanzer Tiger today. Got it fully assembled...and I tell you those little tiny photo etch chains were the stuff of nightmares
So small and fiddly and nothing wanted to go together properly


It then got a coat of dunkelgelb with some olivgrun striping. The King Tiger turret is from the Airfix kit I started with and will be part of a mini diorama.



And then some rot-brun, this is my first time doing German 3 tone camouflage with an airbrush. And am quite pleased with how it came out

@Jason, thanks, looking forward to starting it. Your bergepanzer is awesome, hard to believe it is 1/72 scale.

Transmission parts done.



with winch



Step 4 is done.

Some work on the small diorama for my Bergepanzer, with the turret from that cruddy Airfix kit. The base is made from an air drying polymer modelling clay, that was quite pleasant to work with.
And don't tell the cats but the small stones are kitty litter (clean of course)
The panzer and turret still need weathering etc and the ground work needs lots more attention before its finished.


And the base is from an old container of fish oil tablets!

That's really different Jadon,looks great

Thanks very much for the compliment, this is my first go at doing a diorama..so fingers crossed it comes out good!

Lower chassis, suspension etc.. is done.





I will paint it very soon.



details dashboard





Just missing the steering wheel, will paint before adding the decals.

I went ahead and started on the Puma a few days ago.

First up are the road wheels, idlers, and drive sprockets.


And then the suspension. Revell has engineered the suspension arms and return mounts on separate pieces that then are fitted to the hull. The arms had two pretty bad sink marks on each one. You won't see these after assembly.


I decided to jump ahead to the turret. First off, I assembled the sub-assemblies. They went together fine. The top row, center one just sits loose in the mount. Other movable pieces are locked in.


Main turret pieces. It's an interesting shaped turret...so it has an interesting set of pieces. It actually went together better than I expected.




The main gun assemble was pretty straight forward. I went ahead and prepainted the barrel flat black. I clamped it and set it aside to dry. The fit wasn't that great.


Gun mounted.


Turret roof and various sights and stuff added. By the way, the kit's grenade launchers were pretty bad. Revell has each assembly split down the center so you get a pretty nasty seam running around the whole thing.


That's it for now. All in all, it's not a bad kit. The upper hull even has molded on no-slip. And it looks like it could be a neat looking vehicle.