A pair of needle-nosed pliers when you don’t want to spend too much money:
Or, there are a few model tool makers that make specific grab handle tools like this one (most are made of metal but there are a couple out there made of plastic [stay away from those!]):
Mike
Use a pair with serrations. Once you’ve figured out which serration gives you the width you need you can mark it. While paint works well. Then you can index very quickly every time.
Put a Flory Dark Dirty wash down on the lower internal area of the tub, and the sponsor/ammo rack and rear wall.
Toned the stark white right back and it looks used now.
Another thing that is impressing me about this kit is the fit. I will not need to use any glue when I join upper to lower, the fit is that secure and good.
Hull details now…
I finally found the photo I took a while back – well, maybe 30-33 years ago – of a bus with a Porsche block installed:
With most of the Tamiya car models I have made the majority of parts like the lights, grilles etc are applied from inside the body so I mask these off prior to painting. Here are the parts prior to priming.
In hindsight I made more work for myself by using a grey primer. I thought since the color I was using, TS-47 Chrome Yellow, was very vivid that it would cover the primer well. Unfortunately I forgot just how thin (and prone to running) Tamiya sprays are. A white primer would have suited much better. I also forgot that its best to apply these paints in nice, even and thin coats and my first pass was heavy handed giving me some runs and bubbling to clean up.
Overall I’m pleased with the color- once I realised my mistakes at first I was able to get rid of most of the imperfections. Unfortunately the repeated applications has somewhat obscured the parking sensor nodes on the front and rear fender- thankfully they are not that prominent on the real thing so I’m not too annoyed about it!
Now I’m letting the paint cure and will apply a few decals before clear-coating.
Is that the classic National Schoolbus Chrome colour? Looks great!
Ha yes it does kind of look like that!
Got most of the hull parts on, plus I added 2 PE extras for carrying jerry cans, 1 is scratch, and the others a spare part for a can holder.
The reason for the jerry can stowage is because I am planning the turret to have a camera net wrapped all round the outside, there will be no or little stowage seen.
Still need to add securing straps on both.
Forgot to add this update last night… Got the turret insides done and the gun assembly put together…
As mentioned before, this is a really nice build and some good details
And then turret assembled
Will upload today’s efforts shortly 
And as promised.. hey presto … Today’s efforts.
Got the turret assembled with the counterweight etc. Ammo is in the racks and the barrel sorted and the crew (only doing the turret crew) put together.
It calls out XF60 for the crew overalls, is that right… It looks wrong to me?? If anyone has the correct colour that would be a great help
Yeah, not a good color. If I remember correctly I did mine buff with a bit of yellow in it so that you get kind of a creamy pale yellow. My build is packed away otherwise I’d haul it out and post a photo. Hopefully someone will come through with a photo.
I’ve been sitting on a partially painted Tamiya Tiger 131 because i don’t have full images of the vehicle in order to properly replicate the color patterns; especially on the turret and hull roof.
Tell me about it. I’ve had this one sitting on my unfinished shelf for two years. It was originally a birthday vacation build (when i turned 49); now I’m turning 51 in a couple days…
Sheesh! 
Thanks DV, I will try that
Reynier @SableLiger I am sure I have some images of 131 someplace or in a book I have. I will have a look and see if I can find them.
I wonder if the Tank Museum could help with that? I know they put some serious research into repainting it, so they must have a pattern?
Reynier & Stephen … A quick search found these. A look online will give you various angles and following the hull pattern up and using a bit of artistic licence and you should get a decent approximation of the pattern.
Images from online and fr reference only.
And if you look at my thread here when I visited Bovi Tank Museum, there are some current images there of 131.
This one will help me finish the turret. Then decals. Thanks Ruzaa. 
Well hot dog in the daytime! I found the photo of some of the models that were stolen. You can see the Panther and 251. I shot these as a project in an advertising class.
This is another project unrelated to modeling except for the fact that we model so many German subjects: a German restaurant.
