Randy, thank you! Much appreciated, that helps me keep the fire stoked to push old “218” over the finish line.
I love to see old shelf queen’s finished so that old Tamiya Tiger seems like a worthwhile project. I like working on these older kits as I feel like there’s more leeway for easy improvements than with most of the stellar new kits.
However, if there’s a newer kit that strikes your interest, I wouldn’t push it back to work on an older project necessarily. The best of newer kits, like RFM’s have a very satisfying build precision to them that’s hard to beat.
Naturally, all of this OTM was created before the folder over technique was developed for PE. So all of the stupid flange halves have to be aligned in register then glued together. Found an old sprue that was almost perfect for this task.
I may steal the 1989 Late Tiger’s jack and replace the 1989 kit part with a Mig 3D printed one so the kit doesn’t turn into a fat box of spare parts. However, given the campaign, I think due diligence requires an attempt…
Four smaller round bits are needed. Grandtline hex bolts were used on the exhaust. I like to leave the shank on the sprue because it’s easy to make small bits with the #11 blade. Bits marked with red.
Decided to short cut the process and under cut the molded in details with a #11 blade tip. Very much just like scribing a line following the supplied details.
Everyone probably know this little trick for fitting PE or wire parts that develop “spring” tension when being fitted. I really like the Small Shop’s The Bug for the ole “clamp & slid”.
Yes, the scratch wing nut fiddle bits are slightly out of position. Left one tweezer lauched to the current spot. Decided to go with and attached other one accordingly. Sometimes that’s the calculated risk with CA on a small part in Wade’s World.
Thank you Johnny.
I like beading wire, it’s is surprisingly useful.
David, thank you for that bit of information. I’m fairly sure “218” was a first half of 1943 production Tiger. I’ve settled on ~March 1943 as my “guideline” for this build.
With the suspension, rear, front and right side wrapped, the build moves to the left side w/track cable. I’ve dreaded this moment from the start.
The Modelers Guide to the Tiger Tank is very help with showing the various layouts used for the track cable. (For discussion only.)
The January 1943 layout looks good for this build. Of course, the OTM PE parts for this are for the 1944 layout. Hopefully, some parts will work for the Jan 43 version.
Taking a short cut on the track cable. I’d like to use Trex 3D printed cable ends but that’s outside scope of the campaign. The 1989 kit will donate cable ends, the 3D parts will be used with it.
Johnny & Matt, thank you! The forum and specifically your respective builds inspire trying different techniques & ideas💡
I’d dreaded installing the annealed beading wire track cable but it’s in place. Using StarBond CA made it a cake walk compared to using cheap CA back in the early 1990’s on a Late Tiger 1. None of the PE brackets sheared off of the hull like my prior experience. That was a nice surprise since this time was with wire instead of string.
It’s been a good model building day for me with about six hours in the hobbyroom!
In addition to the track cable there were two other potential problems. I created them by chopping the molded in fan/ventilator housing top off of the upper hull and chopping off the molded in jack block.
The housing top being being tapered and round seemed likely to be a problem. However, one of the crew seats from the 1989 Tamiya Tiger worked out with the back removed and a tapered edge.
For the jack block OTM’s instructions are get a 1/8 × 3/8 × 3/8 inch (roughly 3mm ×10mm ×10mm) block of wood and use that.
WTF?!
I don’t have wood blocks laying around. I build plastic models not wooden ones.
Chopped & Laminated nine strips of 1/8 inch (3.2mm) Evergreen sheet strip together. Scribed marks into the block, calling it wood grain.
The kit tools (gray) just weren’t suitable. Decided to take the easy way out and steal the 1989 kit’s tools (tan). I can round up spares from a newer Dragon for the Late Tamiya Tiger 1 etc.
Revised hatch with thinned periscope cover and retextured. Robbed two periscopes from the 1989 kit as I have spares from another project. Keeping it all 1990 and before is barely an inconvenience…apologies to Pitch Meeting…wink
February 1943, saw a water proof cover for air intake added in case the Feifle Air pre-cleaners were removed. According to Achtung Panzer #6 it was store behind the driver’s hatch. Added six extra hex bolts the top of the PE cover. The rest of the bolts can be seen under the cover as they go through it.
Wade just amazing work you are doing. You are giving me a great tutorial on a Tiger ! that has been sitting on my shelf that needs to be finished after sitting there for years. VBG
With an hour here and there, the kit will move towards the finish!
The old 70’s kits can still be a lot of fun! I actually like the older kits more now than I did back in the day because we have so many excellent sources to find upgrade parts. Spare parts from newer kits really helps put some fun back into the vintage builds in my experience.
@brekinapez , thanks! Keeping it 1990 and before gets almost comical in the today’s work…
The kit headlights are pretty lacking. On a old build from over 30 years ago I used the 1970 vintage headlights.
Determined not to repeat, B25 & B26 were trashed at the start to ensure they couldn’t be used. My plan was use the OTM parts for rhe headlight base and scratch build the headlight with styrene tube & punch die cut discs.
The OTM PE base looks like @$$. It’s and way overscale. In summary…
Three options to consider.
Spend a lot of time trying to scratch build two bases and two headlights. Estimated 2-7 days.
Make resin copies of the 1989 Tamiya Late Tiger headlight & base. The resin base would have to be cut to size etc as the Late model part isn’t exactly right for an early model. Estimated 3 to 5 days, given my typical ~15% yeild to get four suitable parts.
Trash two 1989 Tamiya Late Tiger 1’s for headlights and use a Pz IV tool set (~1995) replacement for the Tamiya Late Tiger. Estimated 2 minutes.
stoked to push old “218” over the finish line.
looking for unpainted plastic.
