And so it begins

[CINDERS]

Well the start of the Koenigs Tiger the Zimmerit coating the photo etch stuff is so flimsy dashed awful stuff to work with.
I had to figure out how to preserve the locating indents for all the tools and wire ropes on the side sponsons of the tank.
I ended up drilling #70 size drill bit through the body at those points so when I fit the Zimmerit just poke a pin from the inside and note where it comes out then reform the indent.
Then just small (very) cut and push inwards then fit the tools etc easy peasy the ball mount and turret are going to be fun!
This one I also brought the metal tracks which are even more involved fitting together than the Tiger I.
Thanks chaps.

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[CINDERS]

Slow as she goes this is really a patience tester with the track hangers on the turret as I stated the Zimmeritt photo etch covered the location indents for the hangers so I redrilled inside out and started the fit up.
You can see them on the left side in the pic on the turret those black things the bigger ones are not to bad to fit but its that bottom one the very small one that's the issue as its only @1.5mm in size!
I am having to glue it on with flat to flat as the indent was only very small so I'm using Loctite supa-glue boy it frustrates the heck trying to hold them in tweezers, then get it bang on as they have to engage the bottom of the spare tracks when hung on the upper hanger.
The tweezers have the propensity to launch small items like a flea jumps and trying to find them takes time I lost one handle for the radio op's hatch but had a spare, made one for the commanders hatch then found it 2 days later!
Also the special glue for the photo etch is like clag paper glue and takes 6 hours to reach max strength so when I put a piece on it has to be left alone over night, the tricky one was the ball mount curving it.

The next frustrator was the mesh grill's over the inner radiators just behind the turret cutting the fine mesh and using double sided tape was fun as per instructions, resorted to supa glue for the ends.
Anyway it's coming together, I put in for my B/day present for next month a 1/16th scale Panther which has the full interior the kit only has 55 sprues and 2,300 parts that along with the 1/35 Karl Morser will see me out of modeling.
I still have to build Jagdtiger, Sturm Tiger, F14A 1/32th scale, Spitfire & ME 109........and a mess of 1/35th soldiers my wife got me as a frustration plan on her part.

[RCS]

I started building models at around the age of nine with my father. I have built quite a few model airplanes over the years, but one kit that I bought about thirty years ago, I never got around to build. It was a 1/72 scale DH 2 from 1916, the "pusher fighter" used to combat the Germans with their synchronized forward firing machine guns. I did build it about two years ago, very small to work with as you have to paint everything and apply the decals before assembly.

[Low & Slow]

Small work. I started out with 1/72 aircraft. There was one maker of WW I kits that came with prepared decal like skins that had all the camouflage and such on them. You had to work quickly, and get them on straight the first time.

[CINDERS]

L&S even 1/72 scale in aircraft they are quite sizable and whilst look amazing when done they take up so much space, I checked the scale and type of the F15 I erred from memory its a Grumman F-14A in 1/32 scale so is a big kit!.
Thursday I'm up off to the big smoke to get the Trumpeter 1/16th scale Panther with full internals pretty excited to have a build of such a complicated model as said 2300+ parts OMG!

[Low & Slow]

That's one heck of a lot of bits! Should be a pretty good size as well. Looking forward to watching your progress.
I got to the point with the 1/72 aircraft that I started to build them with the gear up, and props replaced with circles of clear sheet plastic. Hung them from the ceiling due to lack of shelf space.

[CINDERS]

Picked up the NIB 1/16th scale early Panther by Trumpeter today coke a cola can for scale the box is about @300mm deep its a very big model so wont be starting it for a little while but when I do I'll make a seperate thread so I can share the ups and downs.
To say its a daunting kit from just looking at the plans is an understatement practically no wording and its a painting by numbers game, thankfully there is a full video on youtube by Andy's Hobby Center in the USA who built this exact kit.
So guess I'll be watching allot of Andy ????

[CINDERS]

Slow and sure getting there if I do zimmeritt again I will do it the old fashion way with putty and a razor saw.
The photo etch whilst fast was a right PITA to locate the turret spare track.
Went with just a 2 tone camo enameled painted the spare links with Humbrol 173 as that is the track colour from them.
But pretty happy with it have done about 10 links in the metal tracks only another 166 to go then etch prime and paint.
Will go with the ETO and caked on dirt & dusty look may put some battle damage.
As a fact no Konigs Tiger's front glacis plate or turret front was penetrated by A.P in WWII.

[CINDERS]

Konigs Tiger getting there slowly the photo etch caused issues with the towing cables.
I'll have to supa glue them on as the locating nubs are not big enough to locate correctly into the holes I drilled anyway that's a later on bit.
Camo's on/decals on/models sealed now to finished off the wheels and do the metal link tracks I brought.
These are a 2 piece affair not like the Tiger 1 there is a spacer link between the grouser plates whoopdee do.
Not sure if its 98/side will have to count the plastic ones in the kit then etch prime/paint humbrol 173 & weather them.
It will then be fit-up of the tank, weather it to complete the build so next up date will be a while.
Cheers.

[Flying10uk]

Does anyone remember the plastic model kits on the market in the 1970's that were made in the USSR (Russia)? The ones that I am thinking of came with the worst transfers ever. If you got the transfers wet, which had to be done in order to apply them to the model, the transfers completely disintegrated. I remember trying every way that I could think of to apply the transfers to the model but there are only a limited number of ways of making a transfer wet and whichever way I tried the transfer completely disintegrated.