metalhead1986

Two mere questions, if I may.

Does anyone know where I can get metal sprocket covers that replace parts B8 and B9, I believe? I know I saw them someplace, but now I cannot find them. I am sure they are not necessary, but a little bluing on the lower hull makes me happy.

Second, I received my Aber early clasps set, and boy are the parts smaller than I thought. Time to get the magnifier out for this. My question is about rolling the PE parts to accept the tiny wire at the ends of a couple of the pieces. How can I roll the PE into such a tiny tube? I have scoured the Web but come up empty on this one.

Thank again, Steve

ausf

You think those are small, try 1/48! I got pretty good using a resistance solderer with 1/35, I could assemble the 4 piece Voyager clamps so they worked.

The rolling can be done two ways, needle nose tweezers or soldering. If you are soldering, there's no reason to roll since once you get it set, you can cut off the extra and shape the solder with a file. The tweezers need to be good ones made of stainless, preferably closed at rest. Anything cheap will only bend and pliers are usually too bulky. I'm pretty sure my tweezers are from Tamiya, I've had them a long time and they were cheap. You can just bite the very end, then start almost a right angle. Once you lay your wire in the slot, you can pinch both the wire and brass and start to roll.

Mostly what I do now in 1/16 is either solder up a bunch ahead of time or in the case of just one or two set the clamp base on the tank with putty and then go back after it's set and assemble the clamp in place when I'm actually mounting the tool after final paint, before weathering.

Shark27

Steve,
I used cotton balls for deadening material in the enclosures it worked great with the speakers with the soft surround on them. When I was in the car audio business we designed several sub woofer systems for that would fit many different cars, the company I worked for was a division of Clarion Corporation, we were one of the largest dealers for their line of OEM style car audio products.

By the way most of the metal parts from ETO are nickel silver alloy very strong not as soft as brass.
About the gear reduction I have Impact brand gearboxes in my Tiger 1 with the hop-up gear set which gives me more choices as far as speed, I definitely have a lot more torque which is good if you decide to battle with your tank. You can get the add-on gear reduction units that bolt on to the Tamiya gear boxes (I have them on my King Tiger) but you may find it slows it down a bit too much with the stock Tamiya motors, so if you go that route you may want to get higher performance motors at some point.
As far as books go look for some books by Thomas Jentz like this Germany's Tiger Tanks and the Tigers in Combat volumes are good.

Good Luck with your build.
Hey Bob "new guy" Steve here still trying to get back up to Danville this year and don't worry about that tank fondling thing I will bet money that anyone who gets as close to a real Tiger tank as you have, would have to touch that tank. Bob and Dennis of course do tend to take it to the extreme.

Ha Ha
Steve

metalhead1986

Thanks for the tip on rolling the PE ausf. I had planned on getting some tweezers anyway, so I went ahead and added couple pairs of the reverse kind to my Tower order today. I needed to get over that $99 mark for free shipping.

I cannot even imagine what 1/48 scale PE is like. I would need a microscope like those used for surface mount electronics work to do something that small.

I wanted to ask you about that putty you use to attach the PE. I take it you are still using it and are as fond of it as when you were doing some of the how tos on your Web site?

Steve

metalhead1986

Steve - thanks for the tip on using cotton balls for sound deadening material. Here I was thinking your were going to come back with some high tech solution. Silly me. I will certainly remember that if I re-do the speaker box in the Tiger.

I made my first order from ETO today, so I will get to see the quality of their parts before I buy more.

As for the gear boxes, I will see what the Turnigy chip will do for me. For eight dollars plus shipping, I could not resist trying them out. I don't intend on battling with this tank, as I don't know of anyone else in my area that is into tanks. I think the closest Peron would be Imex-Erik, and he is still about an hour west of me. So, I will build the standard gearboxes into the Tiger and re-visit them in the future, if needed.

Steve

ausf

If you plan on doing a lot of PE, magnification like an Optivisor will help. I use a Zeiss head loupe because I use it for hours at a time, but the Optivisor is excellent and reasonably priced.

Here's some SMD work: (Edit: I just noticed the tweezers seen in that article are the ones I use for rolling PE)

http://ausfwerks.com//techniques/led/main.html.html

I'm beyond fond of Aves, I literally use it daily. All my figure masters are sculpted in it, down to 1/72. I use it on everything from zim to attaching suspension and motor mounts. Here's a 1/35 Mongolian tank commander sculpted with it. If you can see on the middle front of the helmet above the forehead pad, there's a small star badge. It can't be seen by the naked eye (remember this is 1/35 so the head is the size of a pea), but Aves is strong enough to take that detail.

metalhead1986

That is some serious artistry there ausf, and yes, I can see the star badge. I think I will pick up some Aves to try out with the PE. Would it work good for the weld line technique I have seen on here? I want to try that on some scrap styrene, and if it comes out OK, maybe try it on the Tiger. What is the shelf life of the Aves? I see that it comes in 1/4 lb, 1 lb, and four pound sizes. The four pound is obviously, but the price difference between the 1/4 ld and 1 lb sizes is not that much.

I just read your article on the LEDs last night. that was some pretty creative work there. in my previous job, I used to prototype SMD boards for my company, and all the work was done by hand with an Optivisor and a rework station. I was thinking about picking up an Optivisor, as the magnified Ott light I use is hard to get into position. I used it on my Leo, but pretty much abandoned the magnified part after a while.

I have been contemplating using some SMD LEDs in the Bosch headlights I bought for the Tiger. I just have to see if I can find some warm white ones and see how it would all fit into the light. If all else fails there, I will use a miniature incandescent bulb. There won't be any crazy light pipe setup, like on the Leo. That was my biggest failure with that build.

Steve

ausf

I believe they tell you a year or so on the shelf life once opened, but I have some 4 pounders that are a few years old and are still fine. It's the part B that tends to dry out over time. You can extend the life with refrigeration or even freezing if you don't plan on using it. It goes a long way, especially for welds, zim, etc. A 1 lb will last you forever under normal use, quarter pound goes a long way too.

I haven't been able to find any warm LEDs, they're either brilliant white or yellow. What I've been doing for Noteks (would work for the Bosch too) is using white, but adding a clear acetate or sheet styrene lens behind the opening tinted slightly yellow. You should have enough space in the Bosch for a 3mm LED if you didn't want to go SMD, but I'd shy away from incandescents. The ones Tamiya uses in the M4 didn't stand up to the abuse and since it's usually a one way trip (I pack the LEDs in place with Aves), I'd rather have the more hardy, longer lasting product.

Shark27

Hey guys, Here is a source for SMD warm white LEDs, I have purchased some of their LEDs, I used them in my Tiger 1 build and they work great. They also sell the coin battery holder so you can power your lighting independently of the tank if you wish.

Metalhead, I have a couple of the Turnigy chips in my tanks, they do take a little getting used to, driving with them, as they give the tank inertia and so it does not stop immediately, (depending on how you have it set up).
If you ever decide to battle with your tank, you would definitely want to disable or remove it as it is almost certain death. I have battled with mine in my Panther and I got killed a lot. You are not that far from me to battle (100 miles). I have driven to Danville, Va about eight or so times to battle (730 miles). Of course they have a kick ass battlefield so it was well worth it. If you get the chance to go there I highly recommend it. In case you haven't seen any here is a link to some of the battle VIDEO I shot while there.
Steve

ausf

Steve, that is awesome.

Not only the color, but prewired. It's worth the $2 extra to have them ready to go. I lose more than I use when I have to solder them and then another half pull apart before final assembly.

MAUS45

Thanks for sharing this Find!!!! I was dreading going blind trying to wire some SMD's for the tanks I am working on. Now I can save some time, my eye sight, and the prices are great!!!!

metalhead1986

Thanks for the great find Steve. I ill order some of these ASAP. My only question would be what size would fit best in the Bosch metal headlights I ordered. I don't want to have them not fit or be too small. If someone does not know, I will wait until the headlights come in and see if I can figure it out.

I may order enough to see if I can redo the tail lights on my Leo, which I botched horribly.

As for battling, now that I will have two of these, maybe I will order a couple TBUs and try them out at home.

I would love to go to Danville some year to at least watch the action. I would love to see the museum, as well.

Steve

Shark27

Metalhead,
I used the SMDs in my Tiger headlights, they throw off a lot of light for their size, you may be able to squeeze a larger LED inside them but it will be tight. The SMDs fit with room to spare. You may not want to get the pre-wired ones as the resistor will not fit through the base of the headlight mount, I wired my own and added the resistor after the wires were run through the base and upper hull.
I used the SMD size for the tail light on my Pershing as the light bulb supplied was defective, another tight fit.

Steve

metalhead1986

Steve - there are three versions of those LEDs, chip, nano, and pico, each one smaller then the one before it. I was just looking to see which size would fit the Bosch headlights for the Tiger. I will be getting the 3V version, as there does not seem to be a resistor involved. Having worked in the electronics field for many years, I am fully capable of calculating the proper resistor, and soldering everything together.

Steve

ausf

The Tamiya DMD has an unused output (I think it's CN5 on the Tiger I) at a steady voltage. I calculate resistance based on 8.4 for a fully charged NiMH, but it couldn't hurt to throw a mutimeter on the output to check what yours is. They give you you the blank jst housing with the DMD, you just need to get the connectors.

metalhead1986

Thanks for the info ausf. I did not know about the unused output. I will measuring a few voltages, as I want to try the servo operated main gun elevation, too. The Camera Position Controller I ordered came in today, and I went to my local surplus house today to get parts to make a simple voltage drop (1N4001) and also a cheap regulated circuit (zener and a resistor). I will pull a Hitec 5065MG and a spare Spektrum receiver out of my parts box, wire it all up, and see how it works.

I also ordered some epoxy sculpt and the Tiger Tank Manual: Panzerkampfwagen VI Tiger 1 Ausf.E (SdKfz 181) Model book from Amazon. I almost ordered Germany's Tiger Tanks D.W. to Tiger I: Design, Production & Modifications as well, and after reading more about the awesomeness of this book, it looks like my credit card is getting pulled out again. I need to slow down the spending on this project for a while. My credit card is starting to melt. I also need to start building at some point. I did not know the pre-work was going to be so exhaustive.

Steve

metalhead1986

OK, this whole PE thing is getting me worked up. I know I need an Optivisor or similar product to be able to make this work, but I am not sure which one to buy, or if there is a better option out there. I ma leaning towards the DA-7 model with the add on loupe for the smaller pieces, but I am having doubts about the model, the magnification, etc.

I am also a little worried about the Aber clasps themselves. Looking over the instructions and the pieces, I did not see what I thought were enough bend lines. Then I stopped freaking out and turned over the fret. Voila, more bend lines. Well, that made me feel stupid.

Steve

metalhead1986

In the middle of typing my last post, I decided to go check out the Camera Position Controller, so I grabbed, my DX8, a receiver, the CPC, a 5065, and a receiver battery. I set up the Tiger in my DX8, bound it to the receiver and checked that the servo worked normally. It did, so I inserted the CPC in line with the servo and powered the receiver back up. I ma very happy to say, the little device works exactly as advertised. Moving the stick one way or the other moves the servo in that direction. Releasing the stick, which returns it to zero, leaves the servo at the last position of the stick. moving the stick again starts the servo moving again. It's pretty slick, and I cannot wait to try it on the Tiger.

I will need to adjust the end points, though, as the device allows the servo to go way past the 60 degrees of travel that is normal for this servo.

Yay, I did something for the Tiger today.

Steve

Shark27

Metalhead, ausf is right there is a power output that you can utilize, it is the same voltage as the battery source. I used the 3.2mm Chip SMDs on my Tiger.
I only mentioned about the resistor on the prewired LEDs because ausf mentioned he wanted those so he wouldn't have to solder them himself and save his eyesight so it was more for his benefit and anyone else reading this thread. Here is a link to the power connectors to tap the power on the Multifunction units CN-5 connector, they are not an exact match but you can shave them down (there is an unwanted ridge that needs to be removed) to fit the Tamiya socket.
Steve

ausf

I have both an Optivisor and a Zeiss. The Zeiss was well over a hundred and the focal length is very close. It's light and comfortable and the optics are as good as you'd expect. I use it for sculpting only, I use the Optivisor for PE. While it's bit heavier and clunky, lenses are interchangeable on the Optivisor and it's fine for any hobby use. If you plan on using it daily for hours at a time, go with the Zeiss, but for anything else, the Opti. Your best option is to balance magnification with focal length. You don't need an incredible amount of magnification to make a difference and probably don't want to have your head bent down to 4" from your work.

You described my static modeling career. By the time I amassed all the ref material, PE, resin, decals to build what I wanted, something else shiney came along and it it went from the bench to the shelf. Then when the shelf got full, it all went into a box to make more room on the shelf, so I could clear the bench for my next project.

Yes, at some point you just need to start building.

metalhead1986

OK, I ordered the Optivisor, model DA-7, and the loupe to go with it. I don't know how much use the loupe will be, but for nine dollars, I figured it was worth a try.

I also ordered Germany's Tiger Tanks D.W. to Tiger I: Design, Production & Modifications, so I can become more familiar with the Tiger and decide whether or not I want to model a specific tank and how much detail I want to try to add. I know I am not going super detailed, like some of the other builds I have read through, but I will do what I can, and then push myself further.

My last purchase was some low melting point solder paste to try with the photo etch. I figure it works for microelectronics, so why not for photo etch?

Once the Bosch headlights get here (come on ETO) I will see what size LEDs I want to put in them and get those on order, too.

ausf - do you think a little bit of epoxy sculpt would be good to hold the LEDs in the light housings?

I guess I will finally be starting the build soon, at least the lower hull, etc. while I read up and decide on the specifics of this one.

Steve

ausf

All my LEDs are secured in place with Aves. Including the wires inside the hull.

You're going to like all of those purchases.

metalhead1986

I have not been doing much the last few days, as life has been busy. I have received a ton of things in the mail from Amazon and ETO, so items for the build are accumulating.

I have received the two boos I ordered, so I have been reading up on the Tiger. Many does Germany's Tiger tanks D.W. to Tiger I have a ton of great information. That will be a great resource when looking at tanks to model and details to add.

I have also been researching more on airbrushing and am looking to get a gravity fed airbrush for detail work to complement my Paasche VL siphon fed that I used before. One thing I have been thinking about is getting a 1/35th scale Tiger to practice painting techniques on and not risk screwing up the 1/16 model.

I wanted to get a little feedback about this idea. Does this sound like a good idea. I know I have seen videos where people have used old models they had on hand. I do not have that luxury, so I would need to get a new model to practice on.

Steve

ausf

There are many cheap model companies that make Tigers you could slap together to practice on, but in actuality, AB practice can be done best on paper. Adding dimension, etc really doesn't help, it's a matter of training your hand to be steady and efficient in motion. You could get a cheap pad of bristol from Michaels or Hobby Lobby and go to town. If you want to practice camo, why not scan a few of the drawings in the Jentz book, print them on card stock and spray away.

In terms of gravity feed vs siphon, I have and still use an Iwata HP-BC2 I bought over 30 years ago. It's a siphon, still works like a charm with all original parts. I recently bought another Iwata, a gravity feed and it's just as good as my original. I went for gravity because I wanted to be able to put in a few drops of paint at a time and quiclky change when painting figures, instead of washing out a color cup.

If I'm painting a tank, even camo, there's no reason not to use a siphon, I certainly don't unless I want to be constantly filling it.

Bottom line is both airbrushes behave the same, it's just the variation in cleaning.

I've never used Paasche, so I'm not familiar with the VL, is it a matter of not being able to get a fine enough spray?

My Iwatas can get down to a consistent line as fine as a sharp pencil, but rarely is that needed. If things need to be very small, I'd opt for masks.

metalhead1986

Thanks ausf. I practiced on paper when I built my Leo, so I am familiar with that. I just thought the smaller model might give me some practice on three dimensional objects, and also try different techniques, again on a three dimensional model.

The VL is siphon fed and is great for large areas and fine lines (finer than I can get at my skill level). It is a really nice airbrush, but I was thinking that a gravity fed model would be good for detail painting and painting of small parts. Like you said, you can add just a few drops of paint to the gravity fed airbrush, but a siphon fed needs more paint. It would not be replacing the VL, just complementing it.

I like your idea of printing the camo pattern on cardstock to practice painting camo. I used silly putty masking on the Leo, and while it worked really well, it was a huge pain in the rear to apply properly, and it left really harsh lines, which I did not care about back then. This time may very well be different in that regard. In fact, I was maybe looking for a solid color paintjob to avoid camo altogether, but if practicing using the method you suggested yields good results, I will have to rethink that.

Steve