1/35 DAK Tiger Initial Production / 121 (build complete)!

[ForTheWatch]

EDIT: Build is complete.

Finished pic:



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Hi there!

This is my first model kit build in more than 20 years, first time using airbrush, first Tiger 1. So lots of firsts. Please enjoy and dont be too strict, I know model is not too accurate from Tamiya but I still enjoyed the build and want to share the progress. This is out of the box build with PE grilles and only minor adjustments for DAK version.

I chose to build the 131 Tiger, the one with 501st, not the Bovington one. I have spent some time trying to research how it should look, and fortunately or unfortunately there are no easy answers to DAK paint schemes.

So I picked the 131 which is on the box, looked at the tiif.de and tiger1.info and Adam's excellent youtube vid on Tiger for Dummies.

Using Tamiya acrylics. Model is still WIP as am Yet to fix the issue with crooked turret numbers and there I am very much looking for your help and advice, as well as opinions on my choice of red markings.

Here are the links to the full album: http://imgur.com/a/mICvl

Some selected pics:

[arkbuilder2012]

Nice clean build. You might source another '1' to replace the one you highlighted. Don't think its as obvious to the casual viewer.

[ForTheWatch]

Nice clean build. You might source another '1' to replace the one you highlighted. Don't think its as obvious to the casual viewer.

Thank you. is it hard to take a sticker off? DOnt want to damange aryllic paint with too much water...

[OliveDrab]

That's a superb build, especially for the first go at it

You may decide to leave the decal alone, as that's usually not an easy fix. Looks O.K. in the pics, and its probably a safe bet they were'nt totally straight on the real tanks either.

The best case: You may be able to re-position the decal after good long soak with Micro-Set, Micro-Sol or similar decal softener. The risk is the decal will be ruined in the process, but if your goal is to remove it, that might be O.K.
Worst case: Sometimes simple old masking tape will remove decals, it depends on how well the adhesive is set. There will almost always be decal adhesive residue left behind though. So now you have that issue to fix...you can try cleaners, solvents etc, but you may end up sanding and then re-spraying the effected area.

PS: Water should not damage fully cured Acrylic.

(I'm working on the very same kit too, going together very well!)

[lucasner]

Beautiful build!
I respect you Tiger builders because there are so many experts on the Tiger out there it is hard to satisfy them all. Well, done, brother!
Dave

[mick]

great work

[ForTheWatch]

That's a superb build, especially for the first go at it

You may decide to leave the decal alone, as that's usually not an easy fix. Looks O.K. in the pics, and its probably a safe bet they were'nt totally straight on the real tanks either.

The best case: You may be able to re-position the decal after good long soak with Micro-Set, Micro-Sol or similar decal softener. The risk is the decal will be ruined in the process, but if your goal is to remove it, that might be O.K.
Worst case: Sometimes simple old masking tape will remove decals, it depends on how well the adhesive is set. There will almost always be decal adhesive residue left behind though. So now you have that issue to fix...you can try cleaners, solvents etc, but you may end up sanding and then re-spraying the effected area.

PS: Water should not damage fully cured Acrylic.

(I'm working on the very same kit too, going together very well!)

Thanks it's not finished yet though! Lots of other stuff to do but you are right, leaving it as is is probably easier.
still, I might just replace one of the 1s on the right side as I have a spare one. I really dont feel like repainting anything though

Looking forward to your kit, curious to see your take!

[ForTheWatch]

Beautiful build!
I respect you Tiger builders because there are so many experts on the Tiger out there it is hard to satisfy them all. Well, done, brother!
Dave

Thanks man!

great work

thanks!

[burnie43]

very nice...
gotta love them Tigers !!
cheers
Mark

[ForTheWatch]

very nice...
gotta love them Tigers !!
cheers
Mark

Thanks! will be updating with weathering, the idea is to actually not doing heavy wear, rather just dust and stuff. these were new tigers and some i see are way too weathered. I recently took my first tank model - an m1a1 abrams from 1996 and dressed it up in mud (Kosovo version)... and realized I can easily overdo with mud effects:)

although Otto Carius wrote a book Tigers in the Mud so there is that... may be a next build?

[ForTheWatch]

My title page is now irrelevant. As always happens, good intentions lead to ...

I have managed to damage the red 131, and decided to use the white outline 131. However I wasnt sure Id get the fitment right, so I tried the 121 as a dummy test. I cut out the whole number but left the tiny part connecting the bottom, so to avoid the silvering as much as possible, but at the same time keep the numbers straight. Apparently I had issue aligning numbers cut out separately. Cue a successful decal transfer of 121! And... And then I kinda went ahead and clear coated the whole thing to prepare for weathering, and THEN realized I was building Tiger 131 (and all that paintstaking research!!!!). So yea, now I have Tiger 131 but 121. That Tiger 121 Commercial banner at the bottom really bugs me with its red numbers At least I was right in doing the red one, so there is that!

Hope the history buffs will forgive me. I know that it needs a showel on the glacis, and there should be a second box also on the rear right fender. oops.

Here are the pics. I scratch built the brackets for rear tracks and fitted tracks onto the turrret as well, I like the DIY look of it.

I also used a pencil to highlight some wear and tear on edges. Tank wont be weathered crazy, as it is sort of "off the ship and on the march" look.

Now even if number is wrong for the build (121 seems to have a darker barrel, and light turret box and so on) I still dig it!




very proud of brackets for tracks. made out of paper and copied the pic of Tiger 112 when unloading for these.


I actually prefer the look of the 121 on it, looks much cleaner.

[mannloon]

You're a man after my own heart if you couldn't leave it alone before with the old Turret numbers. IT looks beautiful frankly, so if there are mild inaccuracies so be it. This turned out really well.

[Coen]

Your opinion is the only one that matters bud, and if you like it and think it worked out, then it did.
The way I look at things, if you are proud of your work than I'm happy to see it. I can always appreciate the hard work that goes into anyone's build.
The first goal is to enjoy it, the second is to learn.
Looks like you did both, so 100% success!

[InitialProduction1]

Where the heck did this build come from? I read and look here almost everyday, wow. Anyway that's beautiful, love the tiger, you really did that kit justice.

[Novorus]

Wow, looks great to me and as long as your happy and enjoyed it, it's a winner

[ForTheWatch]

So now I have started washing and filtering. Added bit of a sand type dusty wash, so it dulled the shiny paint (mix of thinner and enamel paint... not sure it was a right move, may be acryllic thinner is better). Then washed the wheels in darker grimier look, and engine cover. WIll go over later with thinner to remove some of the obvious water marks, but pleased with my first try. Still, lots more to improve. Havent decided if will put mud on tracks etc or not.



you can see comple of marks about the visor from water - thinner and will take care of it. but i like how glacis is coming along.

Your opinion is the only one that matters bud, and if you like it and think it worked out, then it did.
The way I look at things, if you are proud of your work than I'm happy to see it. I can always appreciate the hard work that goes into anyone's build.
The first goal is to enjoy it, the second is to learn.
Looks like you did both, so 100% success!

Thanks mate! I am certainly enjoying and learning. This is my first model in decades and first time ever trying all these techques.

You're a man after my own heart if you couldn't leave it alone before with the old Turret numbers. IT looks beautiful frankly, so if there are mild inaccuracies so be it. This turned out really well.

One of the "1"s was missing a white outline on its edge and I always noticed it. So I thought "ill tape up around it, and paint the edge. I put the tape on the decal and... of course peeled it off once i was done. So there was no choice. Thanks for nice words, appreciate it!

[spock1701]

That looks great. I love the overlay of the different tones.

[d6mst0]

That is one really nice build.

[ForTheWatch]

That is one really nice build.

Thanks, working on it. Some stuff is super annoying and takes a lot of time.

That looks great. I love the overlay of the different tones.

Thank you. Working on layering the wash - filter in different shades, to make it uneven.

Here is progress from yesterday.

The details in tools. I was unhappy with the painting instructions of the jack block. I thought it was a box, didnt realize it was a piece of wood. So i repainted the sides from dunkelgelb to wood brown. Unhappy wood is dark... but will have to do, i dont care at this point. And the fixtures were also repainted from dunkelgelb to black as on real tanks I see. I am happier now, but still feel like it needs to be lighter, all the wood tools on the tanks are a bit dark and dont know how to sort this... In this shot you can also see the changes i made to smoke launchers (made the notch) and the wires for headlamps. Quite pleased with that actually.


Took more time on the wheels. few washes, filters, just slowly trying to make them look dirty.


In general I decided I wont be adding mud to the wheels. It will look like as if it came off a boat and went on the march, so it got dusty on the way, but not too much since it used roads. Smth like that. Dont feel comfortable mocking about with mud effects.

Next step is to do just few streaks, especially on the rear where exhaust stacks are, and do some pain chipping as per Adam's latest Witman Tiger build video.

[ForTheWatch]

A better shot with a better camera! getting there.

[OliveDrab]

Excellent job on the Tiger, looks fantastic

[Stokesy44]

Superb job and gorgeous photos. The subtlety of the weathering is sooo nice!

[mick]

great work

[d6mst0]

Really nice work on the tools and wood block. She is really a sweet looking model.

[InitialProduction1]

Getting where buddy, that build was/is awesome from the first picture you took and posted, love the way the Dak paint job came out. What colors did you use on your tools? Again sweet build.

[ForTheWatch]

Getting where buddy, that build was/is awesome from the first picture you took and posted, love the way the Dak paint job came out. What colors did you use on your tools? Again sweet build.

ah thanks man, appreciate it! Its a labour of love for sure! It is still WIP, not finished yet! Stay tuned. Here is the info:

Tools:
[*] handles, jackblock - XF 64 Tamiya Red Brown
[*] head of shovel, hammers, jack - XF 56 Tamiya Metallic Grey. Then i dry brushed it Revell 90 - metallic paint basically. Just didnt have Tamiya equivalent. Also used the lead pencil to add more shine in places to make it more realistic i suppose.
[*]weathered then with XF 57 Tamiya Buff

Really nice work on the tools and wood block. She is really a sweet looking model.

Thanks, its coming along nicely, labour of love this. Only one thing im very unhappy with - the rear guide wheel glued a bit crooked, which from rear view makes right track a bit crooked and im not sure how to fix it. Still, will have more pics coming as I added mud on the undercarriage now, but will not go further much, since I dont like too much mud anyway.

Superb job and gorgeous photos. The subtlety of the weathering is sooo nice!

Not by design I think! Just kept taking breaks due to other stuff in life, and then restarting, adding layer upon layer. I think it helped as I read somewhere that layers to weathering is the key. So I guess that helped!

[demarcation]

Looks the part mate!! Awesome work.

[ForTheWatch]

It has been a while, but I think now the build is finished. Fun learning experience with it and I think in future I will be doing a late version of Panther with steel wheels (painted olive green, with some camo, sort of April 1945 style).

Enjoy the pics of the details here:

[ForTheWatch]

And some bigger shots here to cap this build off:

[HIghAltitudeScale]

I like what you've done to the Tiger, especially the tracks and the mud build up.

[ForTheWatch]

I like what you've done to the Tiger, especially the tracks and the mud build up.

Thanks! This was the first time I actually painted tracks with an idea they should look realistic. My previous version (as I did on the Abrams 20 years ago) was basically paint them silver, and paint shoes black, and thats it. Glad it came out OK, considering these are vinyl tracks.

[iflytb20]

What a beautiful Tiger. If mine turns out half as good, I'd consider myself very lucky.