Been quietly working on this one on the side since the Gepard entered into the paint/finish stages. Now it’s at that same stage, DML’s Initial Tiger done up as the #100 option, the main reason I got this one when it came out. Something about those side mounted bins just calls to me. [:)] Done OOB, there’s plenty of goodies in the box as it is although there’s always room for the AMS afflicted to do more, I chose the path of least resistance though on this one. [;)]
NICE!!! I like the sidemounted bins as well [:D]
reminds me of an elephant
I like the smoke dischargers. Were they hard to to construct?
Really odd and looking great Bill! [tup]
Pretty easy assembly, the mounts and base are pre-bent/formed and the discharger cylinders are turned brass. Took all of about 5 minutes with some CA gel. There’s even some nice PE to go on the backs to add the firing spring/wiring detail.
Jinithith, I kept thinking it had a “dumbo” like look to it, especially with the drooped gun.
GT, I have soft spot for the odder looking stuff…and this one definitely qualifies. It’s been sitting quietly in the corner for some time now, waiting for the right moment for me to get to it. Builds up pretty smoothly, just a couple minor fit issues with the hull parts in a couple of places. Virtually all of the steps are the same regardless of the 3 different options selected, so that helps cut down on the usual Dragon instruction complexity. [:)]
The turret has a “Centurion” look to it[:o)]
nice to see your getting a good start to the new year bill this is a kit ive had in the pile for a long time but have held off on building everytime i open it i think ooohhh its so nice and quickly put it back because i just like the way it looks in the box [:)] its the same routine everytime heh so i bought a tamiya tiger 1 late version with grills and cav zim on ebay to build instead it was the first kit of the year to be started not counting the ones on the bench already, i look forward to seeing some panzer grey on this beauty of a kit.
You’re off to a good start Bill.
Nice Bill!!
Looks great. I know this will look good when you get the paint on it.
I’ve got one put back, but I’m waiting 'till it srikes me “which version” to build.
Steve
Great stuff Bill!!
You must be reading my mind…
I have the Gepard on deck and just ordered this kit!!!
Ron,
It’s a nice kit in the box, no doubt about it. I was pleasantly surprised in that it’s not that complex, I was afraid it was more like the Pz IV E and other “Super Kits”. Part of the reason I’d left it off for a while…look forward to seeing your Tamiya build for sure. I’m leaning heavily towards doing this with the whitewash blocks/stripes as it’s presented for #112 since #100 would’ve had the same scheme before captured and cleaned up by the Russians and put on display.
Buff, ted, thanks for looking in!
Disastermaster, while the kit is billed as a “3-in-1” it’s really a 2-in-1…with the option to use the snorkel on either of the 2 or the kind of “3rd way” by just simply not mounting any kind of storage bin. [:0]. A number jungle of marking numbers is provided so you could do it for any tank in the 502nd depending.
Andy,
It’s just meant to be I guess! [:D]
hi again bill–‘Been quietly working on this one on the side since the Gepard entered into the paint/finish stages.’---- you sneaky devil!![}:)]!!![(-D]-- i wish i could get this ‘initial’ varient for 1/16 scale-- i would buy another tamiya big tig-- it’s gonna be nice Mr. Sneaky!!-- tread[8D]
Tread…I’ve gotten to where I like having one at the paint/finish stage and one under construction…so, just like the Tiger being “on the side” with the Gepard…now I’ve got the Sturm-infanteriegeschutz 33 auf Pz III going as well…[:D] talk about your odd looking vehicle, it’s a brute!
[(-D]at the rate you and Biffa build, you’re gonna put general motors out of business!!-- i know ZIP about this varient, but warn you, I am GOOGLEing it as i write this— talk to you tomorrow![#toast]-- tread[:P]—
I got one too. I like the blocky look to it. Are you going to dress yours up in grey or yellow. It did come in grey didn’t it?
Well Bill I’v got to say I’m really disapointed[|(]
I always expect one of your excellent build reviews and you snuck this one in[;)]
Cant wait to see it in paint.[tup]
I’m not sure on that point. The DML painting instructions for the SiG auf Pz III call for three tone camo that would be appropriate for mid 1943 and onward…but it gives it a unit designation of “Stalingrad 1942” and 17th StG, so I’m still scratching my head on that. The little blurb on the instruction sheet says they went on to serve after Stalingrad on the southern areas of the Eastern Front, but no idea if that’s where they got the scheme or not. I’ve got zero reference material for this one right now, so not much to go by.
Tread,
If you find anything on google, let me know please?
Comet,
I am keeping a log on this one, you can get it HERE and I will continue to post now that it’s “out of the closet” as far as painting and finishing goes here on FSM. [:D] Only reason I didn’t post the whole thing in a thread here was to avoid having two running at the same time. [;)]
Made some paint progress with this build today due to the weather gods smiling a little. Decent weather outside for a couple of hours meaning I could stand to have my hands exposed to paint in the garage allowed for the primer coat of Flat Black to be laid down followed by mist coats of Rust to simulate the Red Oxide primer before putting down the Panzer Schwarzgrau. I might get to that tomorrow, again weather permitting. Of note, the road wheels also got some attention but only those that actually will be visible once the tracks are installed had their rubber rims retained in Flat Black. The others were left secured in place with blue tack and painted along with the rest of the hull so they don’t look funny once in the display case and the off chance that one could be seen peeking through in the future. The Tiger family has a huge amount of road wheels to deal with, but no need to fully detail all of them unless showing one with the tracks off IMHO.
Gorgeous weather today made it tough…forcing a choice between painting and football…and painting won out!
Laid down the panzer schwarzgrau coat over the Rust from yesterday by means of multiple thin coat passes at high pressure with the AB to get a nice even coverage.
I let that set up for a couple of hours to insure it wouldn’t lift up before going on to the next stage of preparing the masking to take the whitewash camo pattern. I’ve seen pics posted up over at Missing Lynx from an e-bay auction that depicted #100 in a similar scheme to that on #121 and used that as a guide with some creative imagination thrown in as well to carve up the hull into alternating gray and white areas. I used poster blue tack to mask as it’s low-tack in the sense that it won’t pull up paint, although it can lift PE that isn’t securely glued if not careful. The real trick in this exercise was to retain a mental picture of what was going to be gray and what white while laying out the lines, had to lift up and redo a couple here and there before I settled on the desired pattern.
Then it was off to the garage for some paintwork. I used Testor’s Flat White at low pressure with a fine nozzle for close in application, especially since I didn’t want it to be too even vs. the regular vehicle finish. After about an hour of effort, it reached this point:
I did have to deal with some overspray in the tighter areas and this was touched up with the panzer gray through the same nozzle, and then the blue tack was removed. It was only then that I discovered that some more overspray had happened, particularly on the turret, but that can be easily dealt with either by overpainting/drybrushing or perhaps even incorporation into the weathering, will have to experiment with what works best a bit.
Next up will likely be the installation of the tracks and roadwheels and then on to the details before sealing up and working on the markings and finish.