MENG 1/35 KING TIGER WITH INTERIOR...and some additional detailing!

[ElCapitan]

Your attention to detail is brilliant! Even though I don't know what I'm looking at in most of the pictures I'm enjoying the show regardless!

[digger303]

tell ya what for all that you get in this meng kit it pooh's all over dragon for value.

[ManuDellaValle]

Your attention to detail is brilliant! Even though I don't know what I'm looking at in most of the pictures I'm enjoying the show regardless!

Glad you're enjoying the WIP,El Capitan!

[ManuDellaValle]

tell ya what for all that you get in this meng kit it pooh's all over dragon for value.

Hi Digger,
the tank doesn't come with an interior but both kit and interior set can be bought off eBay for a few tenners,in fact I've bought another "complete" tank for less than £ 50 including the most expensive shipping option!
Cheers
Manu

[digger303]

tell ya what for all that you get in this meng kit it pooh's all over dragon for value.

Hi Digger,
the tank doesn't come with an interior but both kit and interior set can be bought off eBay for a few tenners,in fact I've bought another "complete" tank for less than £ 50 including the most expensive shipping option!
Cheers
Manu

I looked at Hobbyeasy site and a tank with tracks and interiors can be bought as a package for a cost of 80aud and a similar king tiger kit from dragon with ds tracks and no interior for 61aud and that is a older tooling as well. So to me your getting a interior package plus workable tracks for 20aud...that's value.

doing great work and enjoying all the detailing

[ManuDellaValle]

tell ya what for all that you get in this meng kit it pooh's all over dragon for value.

Hi Digger,
the tank doesn't come with an interior but both kit and interior set can be bought off eBay for a few tenners,in fact I've bought another "complete" tank for less than £ 50 including the most expensive shipping option!
Cheers
Manu

I looked at Hobbyeasy site and a tank with tracks and interiors can be bought as a package for a cost of 80aud and a similar king tiger kit from dragon with ds tracks and no interior for 61aud and that is a older tooling as well. So to me your getting a interior package plus workable tracks for 20aud...that's value.

doing great work and enjoying all the detailing

Definitely.M8...a hell of a bargain!The Interior set can be get for a price as low as US$16/18!If you shop around you can buy a tank and interior set for a song and you've got a lot of detailed styrene!
Subassemblies like engine and gun are kits in their own right and the engine,with more than 100 pieces to it speaks for itself!
Cheers
Manu

[ManuDellaValle]

Time to tackle the gun assembly for a change in the routine!The multi-part breech is a bit tricky and I suggest to scrape off some plastic in the marked areas to make things fit.The unavoidable gap can be easily filled with multiple applications of diluted Gunze White Putty with a pointed brush and sanded smooth afterwards.
This is one of the very few areas requiring particular care on behalf of the operator but the end result will be quite nice!

[ManuDellaValle]

The gun assembly needs weld beads and I've started adding them.Some suggest the use of stretched sprue softened with liquid cement but I think that there are much better ways,in fact if you use stretched sprue regardless of the size of the weld bead you'll need quite a bit of glue to "melt" it and in the process you'll soften the sorrounding styrene too,and when you'll work the "bead" you'll run the risk to mar the sorrounding areas.I don't use two-part putties either!My method is a bit cleaner and allow you to shape the "weld beads" as you like,see the cap of one of the recuperator tubes!
As a support for the gun I've used a WW2 9x19 German cartridge,identical to some found inside the magazines of the crew's side arms!

[ManuDellaValle]

Don't forget to add the two rectangular grooves on the sides of the breech block!

[ManuDellaValle]

I've primed the gum with the Red primer to make sure that everything was ok and to see if there was still need of putty or sanding higher spots.I've also scraped off the two cables and replaced them with 0.32mm and 0,24mm copper wire.The crappy pictures make the wires looks thicker than they actually are,especially the yellow one but they're perfectly in-scale!

[ManuDellaValle]

With the gun shield I'll call it a day!It needs its dose of weld beads,cables and the ejection marks must be filled in with my trusty mix of Tamiya Ultra-Thin and Gunze White Putty!Only one or two will be (hardly) visibl but,as they say....better safe than sorry!
Tonite I'll prime the lot and tomorrow I'll hit my elfenbein!
Cheers
Manu

[digger303]

do you use some kind of fine applicator to make those small welds. What is your technique?

[mick]

great work

[ManuDellaValle]

great work

Thanks Mick!

[ManuDellaValle]

do you use some kind of fine applicator to make those small welds. What is your technique?

G'day Digger,
I use a reworked Hypo needle and the tip of a Swan and Morton surgical blade!I can't take pictures of the former at the moment but I'll do that for you in the afternoon!
Cheers
Manu

[ManuDellaValle]

The right stuff to make the weld beads with is more important,though!

[digger303]

The right stuff to make the weld beads with is more important,though!

you did already mentioned that you use MR HOBBY PUTTY, which is going to be in my next order.
Will be looking this arvo for the update

[ManuDellaValle]

Digger,
the Mr. Hobby Putty dissolved in Tamiya Extra Thin Cement makes for a GREAT gap filler ...what I use to get clean weld beads is another story!
Gonna tell you pretty soon and you'll be amazed at the result you'll achieve the very first time you'll try that and NO...it ain't no stretched sprue!
Cheers
Manu

[digger303]

Digger,
the Mr. Hobby Putty dissolved in Tamiya Extra Thin Cement makes for a GREAT gap filler ...what I use to get clean weld beads is another story!
Gonna tell you pretty soon and you'll be amazed at the result you'll achieve the very first time you'll try that and NO...it ain't no stretched sprue!
Cheers
Manu

You don't work in the film industry do you....the drama and suspense.

looking forward to it

[ManuDellaValle]

No I don't...I wish I would,tho!You're right,Digger,I had promised to take pictures of my "tool" and I forgot about that..my bad!
To get realistic weld beads I use stretched styrene TUBE in various diameters.Once you've stretched it what you'll get is a very thin tube.The ever-present Tamiya Extra Thin will get around AND INSIDE the tube and it will start to melt under your very eyes.Don't apply too much glue,just a touch followed by another if you've used a small dia. tube since in this case the wall of the stretched tube will be a tad thicker.
In some cases the micro tube will wrinkle after you've applied the cement and you'll get a clean weld bead but I nearly always work it with my tool or the tip od a surgical blade!
Using this method you'll need only a small quantity of glue and you won't soften the sorrounding styrene!
The very same stretched tubes cut in thin slices will make for perfect round weld beads around objects with a round section like handles and stuff!
Another good source are cheap white plastic plates and drinking cups,cut in thin slices this styrene,which is a cheap version of the one used by the likes of Slater and Plastruct,will melt just as easily!
HTH
Manu

[digger303]

very good great idea, now to get some tube.
The plastic plates is a good saver

[ManuDellaValle]