Sgt.Squarehead Posted January 22, 2017 Share Posted January 22, 2017 Just scrolled back and had a look at the gun.....Not convinced Revell's offering will be a significant improvement over your work (I realised the Dragon barrels I have are L71 for the Jagdpanther/Kingtiger), but I'm more than happy to send it for your perusal. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Phil Lewis Posted January 22, 2017 Author Share Posted January 22, 2017 (edited) 1 hour ago, Sgt.Squarehead said: Just scrolled back and had a look at the gun.....Not convinced Revell's offering will be a significant improvement over your work (I realised the Dragon barrels I have are L71 for the Jagdpanther/Kingtiger), but I'm more than happy to send it for your perusal. I think it would be better for it to go to someone who'd really need it, for instance if the barrel in their kit is missing or mis-moulded. I wouldn't want to take something that would better serve someone in more need. Thanks for the offer, much appreciated Edited January 22, 2017 by Phil Lewis 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sgt.Squarehead Posted January 22, 2017 Share Posted January 22, 2017 No worries Phil.....Shout out if you need any other bits. Really enjoying what you are doing with this old kit, it's actually encouraged a vaguely similar bit of madness on my part: 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
badger Posted January 23, 2017 Share Posted January 23, 2017 Hi Phil Bits posted today so should be with you ASAP! Looking forward to the next update. Ben Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Phil Lewis Posted January 23, 2017 Author Share Posted January 23, 2017 1 hour ago, badger said: Hi Phil Bits posted today so should be with you ASAP! Looking forward to the next update. Ben Many thanks Ben, I look forward to their arrival with great anticipation. Phil Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Phil Lewis Posted January 27, 2017 Author Share Posted January 27, 2017 Carry On Ben's bits arrived Tuesday (I'm sure there's a double entendre in there) Was going to continue over the weekend but as I have ended up at home ill again I have a chance to make a bit of progress today. First order of business, replace the idlers. Out with the trusty razor saw and hacked off the the kit idlers. Assembled the two part replacements and drilled out the mounting posts with a 1.5mm drill. I think these were offcuts of sprue but they were exactly the right size to make locating pins And the idlers now in place Nice The lovely photo etch mesh covers, little works of art (thanks again Ben) So I applied some black wash into the grills to give them depth for underneath the mesh covers and painted the grills with XF-60 Dark Yellow. Slight disaster.. I would lay good money that the Hasegawa kit grills are undersize but those lovely photoetch covers are way too big for them I can't cut them to size as that would: a. be sacrelige b. I'd have to cut the larger ones down the centre to thin the arch and I'd never hide the join. Time to put on the old thinking cap Phil the frustrated. 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sgt.Squarehead Posted January 27, 2017 Share Posted January 27, 2017 You want a Revell hull at all? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
badger Posted January 27, 2017 Share Posted January 27, 2017 Hi Phil Glad the bits arrived ok - idler looks much nicer. Arghh - that's a pain about the grilles - sorry! I don't have a Hasegawa Tiger so couldn't check the fit. Think they are meant for a Dragon kit but have used them on Revell kits with no issues. Could you trim them down to size then add a new frame on the top of the mesh from paper or thin plastic card? Ben 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sgt.Squarehead Posted January 27, 2017 Share Posted January 27, 2017 That's a thought. Optionally I could send the Revell upper hull and you could chop the deck out.....This will preserve most of your fine work on the hull. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Phil Lewis Posted January 27, 2017 Author Share Posted January 27, 2017 1 hour ago, badger said: Hi Phil Glad the bits arrived ok - idler looks much nicer. Arghh - that's a pain about the grilles - sorry! I don't have a Hasegawa Tiger so couldn't check the fit. Think they are meant for a Dragon kit but have used them on Revell kits with no issues. Could you trim them down to size then add a new frame on the top of the mesh from paper or thin plastic card? Ben The idlers are a marked improvement. Not your fault about the etch, Ben, just one of those things Cutting them down would be a very last resort and probably wouldn't work well. I'm going to see if I can source some generic mesh with the same or near enough size weave and tailor make some covers to fit exactly. On the plus side I can see a Dragon 1/72 Tiger on the horizon. Feeling a visit to Parabellum coming on. 1 hour ago, Sgt.Squarehead said: That's a thought. Optionally I could send the Revell upper hull and you could chop the deck out.....This will preserve most of your fine work on the hull. Thanks Andy but I'm reluctant to start hacking lumps out of the engine deck. Pretty much guaranteed that I'd make a right pigs ear of it. If I can get out of the house tomorrow I'll nip to the local model shop and see what they have in the way of fine mesh. Thanks for the support guys, I'm not beat yet Phil the feisty 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
badger Posted January 27, 2017 Share Posted January 27, 2017 Hi Phil Keep up the good work!! Whatever you end up doing, the kit will look better for it. Not sure I'd completely recommend the 1/72 Dragon Tiger. It has some weird issues and would advise googling some reviews of it first (especially as they are now £20 plus!) Having said that it does have moulded zimmerit but yours looks better in my opinion as its more irregular. The Revell Tigers build up nicely - the late is more accurate than the early as they also have few glitches. Zvezda do a early/mid production in 1/72 which is really nice considering its sold as a quick build kit. The tracks in particular are lovely. Sure the Sarge will be able to offer more advice as the Tigers not my favourite tank - despite having 6 in the stash!!! Regards Ben 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sgt.Squarehead Posted January 28, 2017 Share Posted January 28, 2017 As Ben points out, Dragon's 1/72 Tigers actually aren't all that great, unless you can source the two 'initial-production' kits, which are based on a newer tooling: These two were released at a time when 'newer' still meant 'better' in terms of Dragon's output.....This categorically is not the case now, their new kits are getting worse and more expensive by the day. When their new Pz.Kpfw.IV Ausf D hits the shops anyone foolish enough to buy it is going to be in for a really rude awakening and get to see a very clear example of Dragon's current attitude to their Braille customers. The other Dragon 1/72 Tiger I kits will need many of the same parts from Revell/OKB that your Hasegawa kit does (the tracks, sprocket and idler are all awful). I'd second Ben's recommendation to have a look at a Zvezda kit, or if you can find one Fujimi do a couple of kits in 1/72 that are alleged to be excellent (don't confuse these with their 1/76 stuff): http://www.1999.co.jp/eng/10160908 http://www.1999.co.jp/eng/10321135 I've not seen the Trumpeter Tiger kits in person, but I don't recall hearing any good things about them either. In summary then, if you are after a mid-late production Tiger I Ausf E, Revell is still probably the best bet (their early production Ausf H isn't quite as good and needs some work on the cupola among other things), for early Tigers it's Zvezda or Revell in that order of preference (for me), but I am very curious about the Fujimi kit. For initial production it's Dragon all the way, these two were among the last Braille kits they put any effort into. PS - If you can source the Dragon initial Tiger kits (for a moderately sane price) please let me know where from! 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Phil Lewis Posted February 4, 2017 Author Share Posted February 4, 2017 (edited) Making a mesh of things? Have not been well this week so things pretty much ended up on hold. Managed to get to Parabellum today and obtained some etch mesh sheets from Eduard which look to fit the bill. Thought to myself 'I know, I'll make the frames from heavy aluminium foil' A bit thick but I can work with it (compared to the orignal etch item) and after I had attempted to cyano it to the sheet... realised it was cyanoed to the cutting mat and not the sheet and the resultant mess Round 2 Decided to keep it simple and just cut the pieces out of the mesh sheet, trim them to fit, and voila! And after they were fixed down with ca Pretty happy with that, don't think it even needs the outer frame. Thanks for looking in Phil Edited February 4, 2017 by Phil Lewis 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
combat Posted February 5, 2017 Share Posted February 5, 2017 Stunning build, very inspiring, admire your patience and skills. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HOUSTON Posted February 5, 2017 Share Posted February 5, 2017 Phil... Super ÜBER scratch building. the ax et al is SPLENDIDLY done. WOW... your skills are amazing. thank you for sharing a very IMPRESSIVE build. keep it up. BRAVO (MY 50 LIKES ) 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bullbasket Posted February 5, 2017 Share Posted February 5, 2017 10 hours ago, Phil Lewis said: Pretty happy with that, don't think it even needs the outer frame. It's coming along nicely. In this scale, I think that you can get away with that. John. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
badger Posted February 5, 2017 Share Posted February 5, 2017 Looking really good!!! An effective solution to the problem - will remember that! Ben 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Phil Lewis Posted February 5, 2017 Author Share Posted February 5, 2017 Thanks all, appreciate the positive vibes PAINT!! That one's for Johnny paint Decided the time had come to apply the base colour using my lightened XF-60 mix. Also decided not to preshade as I think it would be overdoing things at this scale... and probably get lost in the camo stages. Pulls it all together rather nicely. Next up, hand sprayed mottle of Nato Green and Red Brown. Wish me luck Phil 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sgt.Squarehead Posted February 5, 2017 Share Posted February 5, 2017 Spiffing. I preshade very crudely and rather heavily in grimy brown, usually over a black base but I'd run out when I built 'Potemkin'.....This sound's counterintuitive I know, but it helps with all those areas that are tricky to get to when spraying the basecoat. Anything you can't get to looks like grime and it's usually in more or less the right places by default. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Phil Lewis Posted February 17, 2017 Author Share Posted February 17, 2017 More Paint After a short period where my health took a bit of a knock I'm back at it and applying camo. Heavily thinned Tamiya NATO Green for the first lot of squiggles. Followed by Heavily thinned XF-64 Red Brown for the er... brown squiggles (Colour balance isn't quite right as the phone camera kept compensating for something not white ) I'll fix any spatter during detail painting time. That's all for tonight folks Thanks for looking in Phil 6 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sgt.Squarehead Posted February 17, 2017 Share Posted February 17, 2017 Glad to see you back Phil, camo looks splendid.....What airbrush do you use? 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FrancisGL Posted February 18, 2017 Share Posted February 18, 2017 I think the same thing that Sarge, and what airbrush do you use ?? , cheers Phil 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Spadgent Posted February 18, 2017 Share Posted February 18, 2017 I do like paint. awesome squiggles Phil. Johnny 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Phil Lewis Posted February 18, 2017 Author Share Posted February 18, 2017 21 hours ago, Sgt.Squarehead said: Glad to see you back Phil, camo looks splendid.....What airbrush do you use? 11 hours ago, FrancisGL said: I think the same thing that Sarge, and what airbrush do you use ?? , cheers Phil 1 hour ago, The Spadgent said: I do like paint. awesome squiggles Phil. Johnny Thanks all. The airbrushes are nothing fancy. Pretty sure they're unbranded Chinese cheapo's as I didn't spend more than £30 on any of them. These are the two used so far on this build. The top one I've had for some months but just got around to using it on the scribble pattern and has a 2.5mm needle in place. The bottom one is the one I've used on most of my builds since starting up again nearly 2 years ago now and it's still going strong. Got myself a Badger Extreme Patriot from the Avon show which I might try out on my next build. Thanks for the kind comments all. Been doing Grandad stuff today so no modelling. Hope to get something done tomorrow. Phil 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Phil Lewis Posted February 19, 2017 Author Share Posted February 19, 2017 The Tracks Of My Tears A little tip. If you have a stupid tickly cough, sore throat and headache, do not start applying link and length tracks to an almost complete 1/72 scale Tiger. 3 hours of restarting, coughing, spluttering, choice anglo saxon expressions and a lot of coffee stirrers used as packing to get the things to sit in place we arrive here: I'm going to take a little break and some paracetomol.... and find out why the cat is meowing pathetically Thanks for looking Phil 6 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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