I have started on my King Tiger and I have a couple of newbie questions for everybody, first the suspension arms, the holes they go into have slots but when they are inserted they can travel up and down-do I glue these in and if so at what angle? Second, the magic track links go together very well but the instructions don’t say how many per side or is this something that I need to fit as I go to get correct track sag? Thanks in advance, Tom
p.s.I’m really enjoying this so far[:)]
I think all of the Dragon King Tigers have suspension arms that lock, but if they don’t, the correct angle is to have the top of the end of each arm in horizontal alignment with the bottom of the next arm. The angle is about 22 degrees.
i am building the same model as we speak, is your the premium edition? and i had the same question or thoughs about the suspension. i just picked what looked right, and made sure all the arms were parallel and were all the same. i haven’t gotten to the tracks yet, i guess i’ll find out soon enough. let me know how yours turned out ok?
roosterpelo
Thanks for the info Hermesminiatures and yes mine is the premium edition, it’s coming together nicely, taking my time. Tom
were your tracks snap together or did you have to glue them in place one by one?
They are the Magic Tracks that snap together, they go together great and I’m thinking that when the time comes to put them on the tank I will put them on, get 'em to look right then small drops of CA glue to hold them in place. This is my first armor kit so kinda feeling my way through it. Tom
did you ever find out how many go on each side?
Most of the time you’re better off adding as many links as necessary to create realistic sag, not the exact number that were on the original. As a side note, the tracks on the King Tiger usually sloped down from the sprocket to about the second set of road wheels.
thanks hermesminiatures, i’ll keep you posted on how well it goes.
However correct track tension for the Tiger II was to have the tracks touch at the 4th set of roadwheels. That is according to Waldemar Trojca in his books sd.Kfz 182 pz.kpfw. VI Tiger ausf b Königstiger vol 1 & 2, and Walter Spielberger in his book Tiger und seine abarten.
Thanks for the info, another question…I’m using the aluminum barrel, when I paint it do I need to rough up the finish so the primer will stick? I will be using Tamiya acrylics for paint. Thanks, Tom
Film clips of some of Von Rosen’s King Tigers show that the tracks do come off the third or fourth wheel when in motion, but they usually rest on the second set when idle.
Im not questioning that the tracks often rested on the second set when idle, correct track tension was often not maintained in the field. Im just stating that correct tension was to have it on the 4th roadwheel.
The same goes for Tiger I’s, here correct tension was to have it on the 3rd roadwheel, but you often see it on the second here aswell, i’ve even seen it on the very first set of roadwheels. Eventhough the Tiger fibel, the tiger manual, stressed the importance of correct track tension, I guess crewmembers just didn’t always have the time to adjust the track tension.
The very famous pictures of a Tiger II from s.Pz.Abt 503 being painted in the field shows a tank with almost perfect track tension, however this one was almost fresh off the assembly line, and my guess is that a few months later it probably didn’t look so good … if the tank was still operational that is.
hey modelhead, how is your photoetching parts going? those little things are so tiny, and its hard to get them to bend the way they are suppossed to being so small. any tips?
The PE parts are very tough to bend, need to get the bending tool, I think it’s called a “Etchmate”?? Some I am using and some I just can’t get the bends right (using a steel 6 inch ruler and a safety razor blade).
i am also using the razor blade technique, but its not going to well, their just too tiny, and i can’t hold them down while i bend. i’m thinking about investing in the etchmate, but my local hobby store dosen’t carry it, so i would have to buy it online, and i hate to wait for it, very impatient, hehe. i know that different companies make their own version, know of any cheaper brands other than the $59 model mission one?
The Hold-N-Fold is another similar tool but it cost nearly as much. The etchmate may seem expensive but it’s worth it.
You might want to consider the Fenderbender from ausfwerks. It’s great.