Hello everyone...Im very new to modelling, in fact I just started about 2 months ago and this Tamiya FO Tiger is my first project. Ive done a lot of reading here and it has helped me greatly in my mission to create a decent tank. Im trying to go for a Tiger that fought in Normandy maybe in the Schwere Panzer Abteilung 101 division. As you guys can see Im not very familiar with every little detail on that would represent an Early,Mid or Late Tiger but I think I got the basics down for a Mid-Production Tiger. Im not sure what number I want my tank to be, perhaps you guys can assist me in that. Im very much tempted to go for Wittman's 007 but that would mean changing the roadwheels and several other things which I dont want to at this stage. The Zim will be dulled down once I get the decals on and then I will place the tools and such as well as weather it further with pigments. I was having trouble with the cannon getting stuck maybe because it had to much paint so I sanded the paint off and now I dont know if I should paint ti with a very light coat or leave it bare. Ummm any suggestions and tips would greatly be appreciated.

Thank you guys for looking

Stunning thus far! You are truley one whom is gifted. Looking forward to seeing more of this TIGER.

Don

SWEEETTTT!!!!!! Great work on that beast!

Tiger looks really good. Obviously you are not finished but be sure to get rid of those white lines on the broken zim....and definately paint that gun tube. Never leave anything bare metal...not only very unhelathy for camo but rust/corrosion would drive the crew up the wall. The 505th in Russia painted the first section yellow with the tank number on it, so there's a bit for variety a disregard for camo, but absolutely no bare metal.

Hey thanks guys! Umm about the broken zim I read somewhere that it was a very light grey paste that left a greyish residue when it fell off and the chipped part was white....i saw this on a MIG productions modelling book so i dont know if its accurate or not.

if you give the whole tank a dark blackwash it won't stand out so much and should look more realistic

I am watching axiously to see the end result Shaker LIKE!!!

Very nice Tiger! It looks very battle-hardened. After I painted my Tiger I metal barrel it was a tight fit and it was rubbing slightly moving through the mantlet tube (not sure of the technical term for that tube), so I looked inside and noticed a small mold line towards the front end of the tube where the barrel slides in. I sanded the mold line until it was almost completely gone and the barrel has been sliding smoothly ever since.

Good Tip Badger!!


Don

Thanks for the tip Badger! Now I have another question.....do dry transfer decals work good on complicated surfaces like Zim? and can they be softened up with Micro Set solution?

Oh no Soul! You'll end up very unhappy.

Decals on zim can be done a few ways. The hardest is to cut out the decal still on the backing paper and dry and hold it where you want it then with a razor blade slize the decal where the zim is. Take some time and if you slip with the blade, your finger and or the decal suffers. Even if you do get it right, the ragged edges ofthe decals have a nasty habit of folding, but it can be done.

Easiest is to place your decal in the model and use mirco-solve. One coat and the decal will begin to sink ito the zim another coat ad you are getting close. Third coat and you should be there.

I use an airbrush set very low to blow the decal down as the micro-solve melts the plastic. If you do not have a airbrush, a Large Soft paint brush will help. this is for the first coat only. On the second coat the decal will look like it is ruined, but don't worry it will correct itself. Once you are happy give it a sealer.

Don

Ok so I will go for water slide decals instead..thanks a lot Torpedochief. So i let the decal dry between coats?

What color should the paint scrathes and chips be on the dark colored part of the camo?

if this helps, you can brush a light beige color(zimm may be a light gray but dirt is brown) on the high points/wear areas of the zimm.

You should, since what you doing is basically a controlled melting. You don't want it to go crazy on you. Just remember to make sure the decal is where you want it, no going back once the Micro-solve is on. Even the bristles of a very soft brush will make life un-fun.........unless, your intention is to distress the decal. Just think it through before you do it maybe just make up a small bit of zim out of putty on some scrap and use a decal you don't want or need to practice.

Don

Did a few more things to it...decals were a pain to do but I think it came out good....its getting there but not quite done yet. Gonna dust it with pigments and create some spilled oil stains around the engine. As well as paint and weather the tracks.

My god, that tank has seen its share of bad weather, hehe. I like it a lot. Did you heat up the fenders before you 'damaged' them?
Keep up the good work...

Thanks sollie....yes I heated the fenders in my stove lol

Looks good, what did you use to model the zimmerit? I like to use Miliput.
keep up the good work and defintely post some pics!

i also used Milliput....and i will surely post more pics

Very nice Tiger I and good zimmerit battled

Thanks Karel

Nice looking Tiger Soulassassin [sm=thumbs_up.gif][sm=thumbs_up.gif] Thats how I like them nice and dirty so they look like they have seen action


Cheers Ian