Now building the recent DML release “Wittmann’s Last Tiger”. All was going smoothly when I tried to test fit the glacis and discovered a warped lower hull at the left front corner. It is bowed inward approx 2mm. That prevents the glacis from dropping down and interferes with the upper hull plate with the visoin slit and the MG port. This is obviously a critical viewing area of the model so I want the best chance to correct the flaw in a manner that is not noticeable.
I have already installed the drive sprockets, some road wheels, and the front lower hull zim. I am considering applying some gentle heat either with a hot water bath or a blow dryer to the area to soften the lower hull and eliminate the bow. Has anyone else encountered this issue? Are either of my proposed fixes recommended over the other? Are there any other suggestions?
Try ‘cold working’ the plastic, bend with hands and stop when any white appears in the plastic. If not try hot water out of the tap, if its not hot enough dip warped area in boiling water. Careful not to get near edges as it will melt the part! Use a large pot and wear a glove!
Intent was to heat up fenders to bend them, it soon became my introduction into scratch building! Here is another shot…
Some details were saved while the access plate had to be scribed. Fenders are brass screen over paper for the tread pattern.
If your problem is similar to what I’ve experienced with DML Tiger I’s, then try adding a 51mm length of stout sprue as a spreader/bracer behind the driver’s front plate.
I did this with a Gruppe Fehrmann Tiger and it made everything fit just right.
Thanks for the advice. Before reading your post I placed a dowel as a spreader between the front lower hull sides and left the hull in a sunny spot. It will be there a week while I am out of town. I am hoping the plastic will have gradully reset in the correct position. If not, I will leave the speader in as you suggest.
I hope it works out for you and that it fixes the problem. I’d recommend using a permanent spreader just in case the plastic ever reverts to its original position.
Same thing with my Tiger I w/zimm-that was the fix. There was an article about ironing out some of the flaws in Dragon’s Tigers,but I no longer have the link.But I have read that this has been a problem.
Tried using the boiling water method once on a warped M1A2 Abrams. When it was all over with the glacis plate on the Abrams looked more like an M60 and it shrunk so bad there was no saving the kit.
