This is the fourth model that I’ve finished since I got back into modeling three months ago after an extended hiatus. I originally started it sometime back in 2002 and got as far as finishing the lower hull, but stopped before attaching the wheels. I’m working off the small pile of started, but not finished kits I have to get back into the swing of things. I’d rather make some learning mistakes on older kits than accidentally ruin one of the newer Dragon or Rye Field kits that I recently picked up.

I used Tiger I and Sturmtiger in Detail by Culver and Feist for reference. The kit provided interior detail is lacking and not very accurate, but I’m not to point where I felt the need to correct and scratch build a replacement.
Assembly: There was a lot of trimming, putty, and sanding in the course of the construction. I left the wheels and tracks off until painted, but otherwise construction followed the instructions and it is 95% out of the box. I replaced the handle on the rear hatch with wire as the kit one was broken. I added some old Eduard engine screens that I had lying around. I used string and foil to add a little detail to the crane. Rather than try and fill the seams inside the barrel and then smooth them out, I ended up cutting a piece of metal foil to the inner circumference. The link and length tracks were not fun. Each of the individual links and every 2-3 links of the lengths had 3x knock out marks to clean up.

Painting: My original intent was to paint it in the ambush scheme shown in the book. When it came time to paint the small marks (dark yellow on the brown and green areas, etc) my test spots looked more like big brush strokes and I decided to stick with the regular three-tone. I painted the wheels off of the vehicle and dry brushed steel on the contact points before attaching.

Weathering: I used AK Interactive wash for dark yellow on the superstructure followed by dry brushing of a lightened dark yellow on the raised surfaces. On the wheels and lower structure, I sprinkled Mig’s dark earth pigment on while the wash was still wet. Maybe too much, but I was trying to match with the tracks. They were weathered using Mig’s track wash and dark earth. When it came time for the mufflers, I realized I shouldn’t have added the muffler guards. Tried working around the guards with limited success. Almost went into a downward spiral of making a little error and then another error trying to correct the previous one.

Issues: I assembled the tracks into two runs per side (a drive sprocket and bottom run and an idler and top run) and they held together well. They held up well through painting and dry brushing. Once I started weathering them, they became very brittle. Several frustrating moments trying to get a track or a segment of tracks back in place only to see the adjoining tracks start to give way.

There is supposed to be a bracket on the open hatch attached to a counterweight. I considered scratch building that, but I was already at a point with this build where I wanted it off the workbench.

Anyway, let me know what I should focus on more for the next one.

Also working on getting a better photo set up.
And how to embed pictures in a post.

Thanks in advance.
Mikkel

I like the model, lovely construction and paint job. In terms of feedback, have you tried some more extensive paint chipping? That might help tie off some of the weathering you have done so far and make it look a little less factory-fresh. Just a thought, overall it is a great replica.

With regards to the tracks did you seal them before you started to weather them. If you used an oil based wash it may have softened the glue/plastic thus causing problems.

@Northwing I used the hairspray chipping technique on a previous model. I tried to not to over do it and it worked out well for heavy chipping, but I will try the brush method on a future model to get a lighter effect.

@Armorsmith I gave them a coat of Testors dull coat before I started the weathering, but it might not have been heavy enough. Maybe too many nooks and crannies. I haven't tried Future yet. Would that get a better seal than the Testors?

Thank you both for the feedback.

Mikkel, dull coat is not a very good sealant. Want proof, just lay a pin wash down on dull. You'll get all sorts of bleeding into the paint. To get a good seal use either gloss coat or Future (with Future being the better of the two).

As for your track problem, there may be a problem with the type of glue used, or something as simple as not enough glue used. It's a shame it happened, the model looks pretty nice otherwise.