Ken's Dragon 6700 Mid-Production 1/35

[ScaleArmorBuilder]

My late entry for this SiG will be Dragon's Mid Prduction Tiger w/ Zimmerit in 1/35 scale #6700.

This will be my first Tiger 1 build. I plan on building this as a member of the Pz.Abt.508 in Italy early 1944.
If time permits I'd like to build a diorama with a SdKfz 251/1 and some grenadiers.

[ScaleArmorBuilder]

Quite a pile of parts!


Torsion bars complete.


Figures for the tiger. Not sure how they should be painted for the time period yet.


Lots more work this weekend.

[Coen]

AWESOME!!!! AN Italian Tiger !!!
Excellent choice dude. I can't wait to see what you do with it.

[ScaleArmorBuilder]

Thanks Mike!

Started on the figures last night. Detail is fairly soft and quite a few seam lines through details.

[Coen]

Ya, that's an older figure set.
Their newer stuff like the Gen2 sets are superb.

[ScaleArmorBuilder]

Well for this kit Dragon includes 2 types of road wheels. 1 with Continental tires and 1 with Eulda tires... But only enough to make a set for one side of the tank... So Ill have to build both types of wheels.

Got all of the wheels done yesterday as well as the rear hull plate installed. So far Im not having any fit issues, though some of the parts are pretty fiddly. (pins on the inertial starter)

[martin57]

going to be a nice tiger hope you get time for the dio

[ScaleArmorBuilder]

Need more $$ than time now. I want to order some replacement cables for the tow cables as a lot of the Tigers ive seen in Italy had them all over the place. As well as the track cable. I might be able to make some cables if I can find my copper wire stash.

This would be a sweet build, but I don't have the knowledge or skill to do this.

"I told you NO smoking in the tank! Duncauf"

[ScaleArmorBuilder]

Progress for the weekend. It's gone together fairly easily so far. Need to check out some pictures to see what all was on the upper hull and where before I start gluing stuff down.

I do have one question. Once I paint the radiators/fuel tanks, how do I keep the camo paint off of them without masking the grills?

Lots-o-pictures

[ScaleArmorBuilder]

Another quick update. Didn't get much done tonight. Tried using the kit tow cable and it doesn't look terrible. Might just use them instead of copper wire. Still trying to get it to look natural hanging off the hull.

Also got half of the PE grills glued on. Then started on the gun. I'll be replacing the barrel as the plastic one just doesn't look right to me.

I still need to touch up the gaps in the zimmerit on the rear hull where the side plates meet.

Here are a few pictures from tonight.

[ScaleArmorBuilder]

Ordered an Aber barrel for the tiger as well as some jerry cans and a resin figure.
Should be here by next Monday.

Also going to stop by the local hobby shop and get some diorama supplies as I really don't have any save for some rocks and grass lol.

[Coen]

That's really staring to look the part now Ken. I like what you did with that stock tow cable. That's a simple and effective way to add interest without the expense, well done dude!
I don't know if you still need to know or not, but some fellas paint the upper deck and the lower deck seperatly and maks off the fuel cells, some just rough paint them and button up the hull and not care about the overspray.

Myself I'm in the not care department. You really can't see into that are onces it's buttoned up. And when the tank is constructed in real world overspray would get in there anyway when it was painted by either the factory or by the crew in the field.

[ScaleArmorBuilder]

Thanks Mike! Yeah, I think I will just paint everything at once. Im sure the crews didnt mask off the grills when painting in the field.

For the paint Im looking at doing a dark yellow and green camo.

[ScaleArmorBuilder]

Got my Aber barrel, a really old Tamiya jerry can kit and a Verlinden figure.



Unfortunately I don't think I will be able to do a diorama for this build. Did my taxes this weekend and it turns out owe quite a bit of money this year.
So unless I find a bag of money in the road I won't be buying anything for a while.

Anyways, I'll have a bigger update tomorrow night.

[PaulAyrey]

Looks great Ken, a superb job so far!

[Coen]

Nice additions to the build Ken. They'll certianly make a difference. Good luck with the bag of money.

[ScaleArmorBuilder]

Didn't get a whole lot done tonight. Spent most of the day enjoying the unseasonably warm weather.

I cut off the end of the plastic tow cable and added a piece of wire which is frayed at the end. It will correspond with a shell impact on the hull.


First time I've glued all the tools on before painting.


Aber barrel finished.

[PaulAyrey]

Lovely......coming along well. Looking forward to more.

[Coen]

Now that's a cool idea I've never seen that before.

[ScaleArmorBuilder]

Yeah i thought it would add some interest to the model. Unfortunately the wind of the wire I added is going the opposite way of the plastic cable So I might redo that piece.

Im not really happy with the molded in zimmerit on the mantlet. The detail seems too shallow. I may try adding a layer of putty and re working the entire piece.

I also started on the Verlinden figure I received. Nice detail but quite a few bubbles that need filling. I need a few dremel bits to remove the pour block from the torso as it wasnt centered and removed some of the jacket detail.

Anyways, I hope to get the lower hull finished tonight after work and start work on the turret.

Thanks for all the kind words guys!

[ScaleArmorBuilder]

Wow finally got some paint sprayed! Don't get too excited though. Just hull red primer.





I also got most of the resin figure built. Definately not the same as plastic. I went to cut the pour block off one of the arms and managed some how to shear about 1/3 of his forearm off...
To add insult to injury he seems abnormally tall... Here he is next to one of my Panzer Ace figures.

[Coen]

Errr... I'm thinking that he's 1/32 Ken. Either that or he's 8 feet tall.

Love the interior colour.

[ScaleArmorBuilder]

Yeah I'm not sure what's up with him. But I have read that older Verlinden was out of scale. I need to compare to some other figures. Maybe the panzer aces are dwarves.

[ScaleArmorBuilder]

Well I think I did a decent job at repairing his arm. The grey is the epoxy putty I used to fill the piece I hacked off on accident.

Kinda hard to photograph for some reason.

[Coen]

"Wolf nipple chips, get'em while they're hot, they're lovely."
I just noticed tag at the bottom of your post. haha.

epoxy putty on a figure! very brave stuff..... intensely cool Ken. Well done

[ScaleArmorBuilder]

Radiators are done. Also got the resin figure fully assembled. Still needs putty work.











Thanks for the kind words Mike.

[ScaleArmorBuilder]

Got the lower hull buttoned up late last night. Needs a little filler but it went together well.

[PaulAyrey]

This is looking really good!

[ScaleArmorBuilder]

Should there be a noticable seam between the front and rear plates and the side plates on the hull?
Or would the Zimmerit cover those seams?

[Hillbilly]

Those figures are coming together nicely That shell damaged tow cable is brilliant thinking also.

[ScaleArmorBuilder]

Big update. Well lots of pics lol. Lower hull primed and basecoated. Also got started on painting the resin officer. Need to start on the crew soon.

For some reason the dunkelgelb looks off to me. I'm using Vallejo model air middlestone. Anyone have a good suggestion for a good German brown and green for the camo?

Anyways, on with the pictures.











Thanks for all the kind words and support!

[Coen]

Vallejo Air makes a nice Dunklegelb/Dark Yellow Ken. I used to use the middle stone as a shadow effect.
AMMO does a good Olivgrun, two different shades that looks cool. They also do the brown.
What was the scheme you were going for? The colours are a bit different for different schemes.

[ScaleArmorBuilder]

Here are a few camo schemes I was looking at.







I'm leaning towards the first one. I may mix up a lighter shade of the middlestone and make it a little less mustard like.

[Coen]

I'm liking door number three Monty.