Anyone modelling desert armour? This site has some superb photo's ( many in colour ) and an excellent section on the Tiger 1.
[link=http://www.afrikakorps.org/]Africakorps[/link]

Mackem,
Great site! I had stumbled on that one some time back but didn't bookmark it (dumb I know). Have been looking for it with no success ever since. I have more DAK vehicles to complete, so believe me, it is now in my favorites.

Thanks a million!

Squid

Thanks for the link!

Great-looking Tiger streetsquid, love the weathering on it.

Damn that's a nice tiger [X(]

Glad to be of help Squid, and that is one excellent Tiger you have there. [sm=thumbs_up.gif]
I'm particularly impressed by the graphics that show all of the correct insignia for DAK armour.
I think with a little re-sizing I could print them onto decal paper and use them myself.

Very fine site....thanks for sharing. Will have to read it all and learn something...looks very well wrritten. Too much to print, so have it on my favorites.

Squid....that is one really great looking Tiger. Fine job on weathering, looks too real. Looking at the pics, can almost feel the rumbling on the ground. [8D]

Squid, I believe you have coerced me into redoing my Pz IV F2. Your weathering technique is extremely realistic and I'm going to try to use your method.

Makem,
Thanks for the kind words on the Tiger. That was my very first RC build. I bought the Tamiya Tiger after attending Tamiya-con in 2006 and we decided to start our club on the drive back home to Phoenix.

The graphics are all hand painted and if you look closely are a play on the original DAK logos much like our club name. I have always been interested in the North African campaign and it just seemed to be a natural fit seeing we live here in the desert.

Duetsches Afrikakorps (DAK) tanslated into Desert Armorkorps (DAK) which is the club was started by my best friend Ethan (edoubleaz) and myself

We took the standard DAK logo which was a palm tree with the Swastika superimposed over the trunk and modified it to have the silouette of the state of Arizona in place of the Swastika. You can also see it clearly in both Ethan and my avatar.

For the Tiger and each of the subsequent German builds I have done, I simply make a DAK stencil out of masking tape and airbrush our logo before I start weathering the tanks

Thanks
Squid

Hey guys,
Thanks for all the kind words on my Tiger. It truly was a learning project as it was my first tank.

It's looking a little old and worn to me, so I was actually thinking of completely redoing it as my chipped paint technique has definitely improved over the last two years. Ethan has asked me not to, as it is the flagship of our DAK club. But I'll take all of these positive responses plus the two separate PM's I received asking if I would write a thread on how I do my weathering and chipping as a positive note.

The process is quite simple and with just a little practice is relatively easy to accomplish. I will do a thread with step by step photos and descriptions of the process as asked. I'm currently working on a winter white wash M4A3 75mm (W) Sherman (my first allied tank), and a HL Pz III in DAK colors, but I may interrupt those builds to put this new thread together. In the meantime if anyone is interested I do have a lot more photos and complete build page on the Tiger I at our website

http://web.mac.com/ethandunsford/DAK...K_TIGER_1.html

Thanks again, and kindest regards!

Craig (Streetsquid)
XO- DAK (Desert Armor Korps)

Please do! Thanks for sharing your knowledge.

It would be a shame to paint over that beautiful work. But hey, I bet it's next paint job will be even better.

By the way, may I ask why you painted over the swastikas?

Googlydoogly,
Thanks for the support! Sorry if I wasn't clear in my earlier post

What I was trying to say was, that when Ethan and I started the club we took the original DAK logo from WWII, which had the Swastika, and came up with a club logo that looked similar but was still unique and a stand alone design. Because we are from Arizona, we wanted to incorporate that into the logo somehow. Plus we wanted to be somewhat sensitive to public opinions as we regularly wear our club shirts out in public, no need to intentionally offend. Only the most informed, or people who have a common or shared interest recognize the similarity in our logo to the original DAK logo.

You asked why I painted over the Swastika, but I didn't paint over anything it's all original and hand done as I did not start with a kit or after market decal. Basically for my Tiger, I simply cut our original club palm tree design (with the AZ silouette in the center) out of a piece of masking tape and airbrushed it on the front fender and rear stowage bin. I hope that makes sense and helps clarify.

For this "how to" thread you have all asked for, I checked my stash and found a 21rst Century SdKfz 251 half track that I can use for a static battlefield prop. Look for a new thread entitled "Painting and weathering DAK Armor", I'll try to get some shots posted tonight.

Kindest regards,

Squid