PlaStix Posted March 8, 2015 Author Share Posted March 8, 2015 (edited) Great progress, you have captured the worn metallic look of the wheels and guiding teeths very well. Currently, some of the 1/72 Dragon kits are hard to find or very expensive. My favorite kits, the Tiger II with Zimmerit (Porscheturm) and the Firefly are really hard to get. If you find them on sale go for it. The new tanks from Zvezda in 1/72 can be a very good alternative, before it gets too expensive. Thank you Bernd. Yes I'm certainly going to be on the lookout for more of these 1/72 Dragon kits.I have the will power of an amoeba - went back today and got the Tiger, and some PSC 6 pounders to shoot at it!Excellent! Are you going to build them as part of this GB or save them until after your current projects? Looking good Stix, you are going to add the figures, aren't you? Cheers, Stew Thank you Stew. Yes I'm going to use the Tiger Aces figures plus some of the leftover Panzergrenadiers from my D-Day project. I'm thinking of perhaps making a little diorama using this tank and the King Tiger I've just finished. Stix, can I ask about the paint, it looks like you are eschewing a primer coat and going straight to the plastic. Do you have any coverage issues, and do you use multiple thin coats? (The autocorrect on my tablet wants to replace Stix with Stud, make of that what you will!) You certainly can!Yes I don't use primer - only tried it once and didn't like it! I do wash the the parts in warm soapy water, rinse well and let them fully dry before doing any painting. I tend to paint the parts, where I can, while they're still on the sprues - I try to work out if the areas where the parts join the sprues will be visible or too hard to clean up before deciding whether to keep them on the sprues or not. When I paint I only tend to use Humbrol and Revell acrylics which I thin with water. I have a small amount of water on one side of a plate and then get some paint on a brush (usually a flat brush for larger flat surfaces or general painting) and put the paint on a dry part of the plate. I then use the same brush to get a small amount of water to mix with the paint. If it looks a suitable consistency when mixed I will try it on the model. If it then seems too thick or too thin I either add more water or paint - unfortunately there's no precise ratios with my method - I just wing it! I use several thin coats which I build up slowly. Some paints, just from these two manufacturers, seem to go on differently - some need more thin coats before the finish is even where as others are done after two coats. It took a reasonable amount of practice on cheaper kits to get fairly consistent results - and even now, if I'm not patient it can mean having to remove the paint and starting again! This morning, for example, I rushed too quickly to get a second coat on the main gun barrel for my 1/48 Tiger with the result that the first coat, which wasn't fully dry, started to pull off. So it all had to be removed. Oh well - at least acrylic paints are easy to remove. Hope this is of some use. Kind regards, Stix My autocorrect wants to call me Still! Edited March 8, 2015 by PlaStix 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
06/24 Posted March 8, 2015 Share Posted March 8, 2015 Excellent! Are you going to build them as part of this GB or save them until after your current projects? Hadn't occurred to me, but I've checked the rules and towed artillery is acceptable, so why not! I've started the WIP in armour but it could perhaps be moved or I could link it somehow. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PlaStix Posted March 9, 2015 Author Share Posted March 9, 2015 Hadn't occurred to me, but I've checked the rules and towed artillery is acceptable, so why not! I've started the WIP in armour but it could perhaps be moved or I could link it somehow.I hope you manage to get it transferred over but I will follow with interest wherever it ends up!Not had a lot of time on this today but I started by getting the rather nicely detailed tracks painted with Revell's Anthracite: Once dry I then dry-brushed them with Humbrol's Gunmetal: While that was drying I attached the rather limited PE provided with this kit: I also got a wash onto the tracks but didn't have time for a photo. Comments and suggestions welcome. Kind regards, Stix 5 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BerndM Posted March 10, 2015 Share Posted March 10, 2015 Looks good, i noticed on my Sherman, that the paint on the tracks didn t stick too well. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PlaStix Posted March 10, 2015 Author Share Posted March 10, 2015 (edited) Looks good, i noticed on my Sherman, that the paint on the tracks didn t stick too well. Thank you Bernd. Maybe it's because I brush painted them but the paint seemed to go on these pretty well. I didn't manage to get a lot of time on this project today but I did get both sides and the top of the turret glued together. Once set I attached the stowage bin and a few other smaller parts: There are a couple of places where I need to add some filler and do a bit of tidying up. Then, obviously, I had to do a test fit of the turret with the hull: The upper and lower hull parts are not yet glued together. Comments and suggestions welcome. Kind regards, Stix Edited March 11, 2015 by PlaStix 6 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BerndM Posted March 11, 2015 Share Posted March 11, 2015 The turret ring is a nice touch, looks great so far :-) (btw, i brush painted my tracks as well) 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PlaStix Posted March 11, 2015 Author Share Posted March 11, 2015 Good morning Bernd. Yes the ring is a nice touch but I was a bit disappointed that this is the only PE in this kit. Sorry Bernd - I had assumed (wrongly!) that you had sprayed the tracks. What paint did you use? If I manage to get hold of one of these kits I shall have to watch out for that. Thank you. Kind regards, Stix Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PlaStix Posted March 11, 2015 Author Share Posted March 11, 2015 Started today by getting some more weathering washes on the tracks and then it was time to fit them. Now this was not the easiest of tasks. They are slightly too long and the space for the central wheels to go between the horns is slightly too narrow. It took a lot of fiddling about and quite a bit of CA glue to get them to fit. They're not perfect but they're on! Once they were fitted I then glued the upper and lower hull parts together: Then it was time for some painting of the upper hull and the turret: As usual I used water to thin Humbrol's Desert Yellow and applied it with a flat hairy stick. Comments and suggestions welcome. Kind regards, Stix 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
06/24 Posted March 11, 2015 Share Posted March 11, 2015 Looking good Stix. My six pounder crew is getting anxious! 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PlaStix Posted March 12, 2015 Author Share Posted March 12, 2015 Thank you 06/24. Bit more progress. Armoured side skirts fitted and main gun painted and assembled. In these photos the gun is only wedged in place: I also got some paint on some of the other smaller pieces but didn't take any photos. Comments and suggestions welcome. Kind regards, Stix 4 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BerndM Posted March 12, 2015 Share Posted March 12, 2015 Looks great so far, should be fun to build this kit. Your brush paintwork is amazing, as usual ! 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BerndM Posted March 13, 2015 Share Posted March 13, 2015 A compare picture with your Airfix 1/76 would be very interesting, comparing the seize of both kits, i am thinking about to add some 1/76 kits in my 1/72 collection. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PlaStix Posted March 13, 2015 Author Share Posted March 13, 2015 (edited) A compare picture with your Airfix 1/76 would be very interesting, comparing the seize of both kits, i am thinking about to add some 1/76 kits in my 1/72 collection. Yes will do. It will have to be next week though as they are in different locations at the moment. Edited March 13, 2015 by PlaStix 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BerndM Posted March 13, 2015 Share Posted March 13, 2015 Thank you for that, maybe its time to do some of the kits from Airfix and Matchbox again :-) 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PlaStix Posted March 13, 2015 Author Share Posted March 13, 2015 Thank you for that, maybe its time to do some of the kits from Airfix and Matchbox again :-) The Airfix 1/76 Tiger is quite a disappointment when you open the box - but I thoroughly enjoyed upgrading it a bit. I might have a go at some of their other tank kits at some point. I'll watch out for any that you decide to have a go at. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BerndM Posted March 13, 2015 Share Posted March 13, 2015 The Cromwell and the Churchill looks very nice and the Matilda is on my wishlist too. Your Tiger is a fine example how good an old kit could look ! 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PlaStix Posted March 13, 2015 Author Share Posted March 13, 2015 The Cromwell and the Churchill looks very nice and the Matilda is on my wishlist too. Your Tiger is a fine example how good an old kit could look !Sounds like you're going to be busy!Today I started by get some weathering onto the exhausts before fitting them and the guards: A couple of days ago, while I was checking through the next stages in the instructions, I realised that this kit doesn't include tow cables. Now the versions included by Dragon in this kit may not have had them on, but they seem to be a common feature on many Tigers. Oddly though, Dragon provide the end fittings but not the cables themselves. They also include holes where the location pins on the end fittings should go on the surface of the upper hull. These would need filling if no tow cables were used. I decided I could make some cables like I did for my Airfix Tiger 1. So I stripped out some copper wire from an old mains cable and twisted 4 strands together for each cable. They're not perfect but once they're painted they should look okay: And that's it for this week on this project. Comments and suggestions welcome. Kind regards, Stix 4 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BerndM Posted March 13, 2015 Share Posted March 13, 2015 It seems Dragon kits are nowadays "lacking". The newer Panther Ausf.D comes not only without pe parts, the spare tracks on the sides of the engine deck are not included too. For a kit with a hefty price not "ideal" For the tow cables i will try threads from sailing ship kits, drenched in a mixtur of water and wood glue. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
06/24 Posted March 13, 2015 Share Posted March 13, 2015 The Cromwell and the Churchill looks very nice and the Matilda is on my wishlist too. Your Tiger is a fine example how good an old kit could look ! I tried to build the Airfix Churchill a while back with my son. Very tough, poor fit and overly complicated engineering. I've picked up a box of the Plastic Soldier Company versions today, so hopefully will start a build log to se what they come out like. Not in the same league as Dragon but hopefully I can turn them into something tolerable. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stew Dapple Posted March 13, 2015 Share Posted March 13, 2015 Nice job on the cables Stix, they should be quite 'posable' and ought to look very convincing once painted Cheers, Stew 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sean Posted March 13, 2015 Share Posted March 13, 2015 Neat idea for the cables Stix, they will compliment the build very well, Sean 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PlaStix Posted March 16, 2015 Author Share Posted March 16, 2015 (edited) It seems Dragon kits are nowadays "lacking". The newer Panther Ausf.D comes not only without pe parts, the spare tracks on the sides of the engine deck are not included too. For a kit with a hefty price not "ideal" For the tow cables i will try threads from sailing ship kits, drenched in a mixtur of water and wood glue. I have to say I was surprised how much was left out by Dragon in this kit - no tow cables, no turret machine gun or mount, no PE engine grills, no engine and no spare tracks for the sides of the turret. If I'd paid the original price of £22.50 I think I would have been very disappointed. It's almost as if Dragon thought: 'Well we've given you the Tiger Aces figures - why do you need all the parts of the tank?'I tried to build the Airfix Churchill a while back with my son. Very tough, poor fit and overly complicated engineering. I've picked up a box of the Plastic Soldier Company versions today, so hopefully will start a build log to se what they come out like. Not in the same league as Dragon but hopefully I can turn them into something tolerable.It's a shame the Airfix Churchill isn't too good - I have seen other posts stating the same as you - it would have been good to add another 1/76 Airfix tank to the collection. I'm sure you'll work your magic on the PSC kits. Nice job on the cables Stix, they should be quite 'posable' and ought to look very convincing once painted Cheers, Stew Hi Stew. Thank you. Yes I used the same idea for the cables on my Airfix Tiger 1 and they are posable. Neat idea for the cables Stix, they will compliment the build very well, Sean Cheers Sean.I managed to get a fair bit done today including some targeted washes with Revell's Anthracite and then, when they were dry, I got the dry-brushing done with a lightened version of Humbrol's Desert Yellow: The main gun is still only lodged in place. I also did some detail painting of some of the remaining parts on the sprues but nothing worth taking any photos of. Comments and suggestions welcome. Kind regards, Stix Edited March 16, 2015 by PlaStix 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stew Dapple Posted March 16, 2015 Share Posted March 16, 2015 That's brought out the moulded detail nicely Stix, good work Cheers, Stew 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PlaStix Posted March 16, 2015 Author Share Posted March 16, 2015 Last week Bernd suggested the following: A compare picture with your Airfix 1/76 would be very interesting, comparing the seize of both kits, i am thinking about to add some 1/76 kits in my 1/72 collection. I thought it sounded like a good idea so - Dragon 1/72 on the left and Airfix 1/76 on the right: I have to say the size difference was slightly bigger than I expected. Having said that, comparing the two, I was still quite pleased with the results of my efforts to upgrade the Airfix version. The WIP for the Airfix Tiger can be found here if anyone is interested: http://www.britmodeller.com/forums/index.php?/topic/234971585-airfix-176-tiger-i-yeah-that-old-one-upgraded-a-bit-update-291214/ Please note that out of the box the Airfix Tiger 1 does not have the same amount of detail as seen in the photos above. The stuff I added can be seen by following the link above. Hope that's helpful Bernd. Kind regards, Stix 4 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BerndM Posted March 16, 2015 Share Posted March 16, 2015 Hi Stix, yes it is, thank you for posting this, made a comment in your 1/76 Tiger topic as well, Congrats to both builds. These old Airfix kits are maybe out dated but can be made into nice looking builds. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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