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CROUCHING TIGER, FINISHED AND IN RFI.


Badder

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6 minutes ago, Badder said:

 FFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFHASDFHAKDLSDSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSS!

 

I'VE JUST LOST AN HOUR'S WORTH OF TYPING AND PHOTOS THANKS YET AGAIN TO THAT AUTOSAVE NOT WORKING!!!!!

Pop it on a word doc and save it that way … copy and paste into BM once finished……..Simples.

 

 l know it doesn't help at this point in time but you should never trust a computer/tablet/phone or what ever :hmmm:

 

 

 

 

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AN 'ANNOYED'  AND ABRIDGED POST WITH JUST PHOTOS AND LITTLE IN THE WAY OF EXPLANATORY TEXTS.

 

JACK BLOCK WITH EMPHASISED WOOD GRAIN AND SPLINTERING CAUSED BY SMALL ARMS FIRE.

4P2olqJ.jpg

 

'S'-mine mounts added to front

gNkJqMe.jpg

 

 

FRONT TOWING THINGIES ADDED. I HAVEN'T ADDED THE SLEDGEHAMMER AS I MAY PLACE IT IN THE HANDS OF A CREW MEMBER.

dHupxiR.jpg

 

THE 'MISSING' EXHAUST SHROUD WITH SOME PRELIMINARY DAMAGE... IT WILL GET COMPLETELY WRECKED, HENCE ITS REMOVAL FROM THE TANK.

C6N3xmt.jpg

 

I BENT THE HINGE A BIT MORE. SHRAPNEL DAMAGE WILL BE ADDED TO THE FLAP.

zMPvDXC.jpg

 

I REMOVED A PANEL HERE AND REPLACED IT WITH A MORE DAMAGED ONE..... SLIGHTLY AND DELIBERATELY MISALIGNED.

6GsDXyH.jpg

 

 

WELD SEAM RE-BUILT AT BASE OF TURRET.

Q92ajV7.jpg

 

 

 

THIS WILL BE SCRAPPED AND REPLACED WITH A SCRATCH-BUILT ONE. I'M NO LONGER INTENDING TO FIX THE TOW CABLES INTO THESE RETAINERS.

YjXGuyR.jpg

 

FINALLY, MY 'SECRET WEAPON'

MwfxNyq.jpg

 

THIS IS A 'POLE FLOAT', USED BY ANGLERS. THE LONG BLACK STEM IS PURE, SOLID, CARBON FIBRE. I OFTEN USE THESE AS AERIALS - COMING IN A VARIETY OF DIAMETERS, AND BEING STRONG YET FAIRLY PLIABLE. IT WOULD TAKE A DELIBERATE ACT IN ORDER TO SNAP ONE.

 

BUT I DISCOVERED ANOTHER USE FOR THESE SOME TIME AGO....

THE END OF THE STEM CAN BE USED TO REMOVE ERRANT PAINT, CA, POLY, VARNISH ETC, ACTING LIKE A 'RUBBER ERASER'  AND BEING MADE OF CARBON,  IT CAN BE SANDED INTO A POINT TO GET INTO THOSE REALLY, REALLY, AWKWARD PLACES.

 

TFL

Baddet

 

edit: Badder. I rushed this post!

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25 minutes ago, Dads203 said:

Pop it on a word doc and save it that way … copy and paste into BM once finished……..Simples.

 

 l know it doesn't help at this point in time but you should never trust a computer/tablet/phone or what ever :hmmm:

 

 

 

 

Yep, I've had that advice before but have obviously failed to listen to it! 🙂

I've just worked out what it is that causes me to lose my posts.

 

I touch type, and when in a hurry I sometimes and accidentally 'brush' against the touchpad with the palm of my hand.

And I just 'caught' myself nearly deleting my post when I must have typed a certain combination of keys combined with a brush of the touchpad.... highlighting the entire post in blue. Any subsequent 'enter' or some other (unknown) keystroke, then deletes/cuts the whole lot and as I type so fast my next keystroke prohibits the 'undoing' of the error.

 

Rearguards,

Badder

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1 hour ago, Ozzy said:

Thanks Badder, that extra detail will look fantastic under a coat of paint. 

Hi Clive,

I assume you are referring to the tow cable retainers/barrel cleaning rods?

 

I had hoped to scratch replacements, and had got as far as making the rods and made a start on the PE 'clamps'. However, this was just for the RHS of the Tiger. I was going to have to do the same with the LHS. And it all got a bit too much for me. The truth is my fingers just weren't up to it.

 

So, I've surrendered and - most regrettably - have resorted to stealing two new cable/retainer/rod assemblies from a Tiger I late in my stash. I will still have to 'release' one cable though. It should be pretty straight forward now that I've had all this time messing about with the originals.

 

I don't imagine building the Tiger I late for some considerable time, but I will deal with replacing its stolen cables when I do.

 

Rearguards,

Badder

 

 

 

 

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So, here are the tow cables I stole from my stashed Tiger I (late)

t2vIBTn.jpg

As you can see, the cables do not foul the engine cover at all. I must explain that I never removed my kit's cables from their sprue - cutting the central retainers away and leaving the cables themselves on the sprue. And so I never test fitted them to the model. I did however, search for images of Early Tigers and those had cables which fouled the engine covers by a fair margin - by 5mm or 6mm.

 

It's a bit of a relief then. Now  I only have to worry about the one cable which fouls the cooling fan cover.

 

I could cut the cable free and drape it over the side of the tank, and scratch the 'clamps' (blue) in the open position, but I've decided just to push the cable outboard, and out of the way of the fan cover.

t2vIBTn.jpg

 

This all goes to prove one thing.

Never make assumptions about part-fits until the parts have been test fitted.

Never chop/butcher and replace a part until you're sure it needs replacing.

Never choose the difficult option when the simplest one is the most logical.

 

That's three things, but combined they form a single DOH!!!!!

 

TFL

Badder (feeling slightly embarrassed)  

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Hi Badder. After all the tials and tribulations I'm really pleased to se you have found a good way forward. :thumbsup:

Kind regards,

Stix

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Q.  How long does it take a Badder to make and fix two wiring conduits for a Tiger's headlamps?

A. About three hours.

51GQBQ2.jpg

 

 

I'm getting close to the point where I will be applying a base coat.

 

TFL

Badder

 

 

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1 hour ago, Badder said:

How long does it take a Badder to make and fix two wiring conduits for a Tiger's headlamps?

Looks good though 👍, time is of little import, when one is enjoying one's self😋

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@Robert Stuart @Ozzy

 

 

 

I'm just about to start making the mounts for the side skirt panels, which will only be seen where the panels are missing.

 

I had a quick search for some images and came across this fascinating and informative photo!

LjQyQhk.jpg

 

The photo caption says: 'Tiger 323. Russian town.1942'

Yep a nice pic of the side skirt mounts.

 

And not only does it show the engine cover opened up (minus the air filteration system) but it also shows that the rearmost spare track had to be removed from the turret in order to open the engine cover.   

EDIT. Is it my eyes playing up or are there track pins through those spare tracks? It would kind of make sense to carry spares of those as well.

 

But what about that camouflage scheme????!!!!!! Were they sniffing petrol fumes or what?

 

Badder

 

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Hi Badder, those spare track links look very dark compared to the camouflage, same as on KTs some appear almost black and some are the same tone as the camo background.  As for sniffing petrol fumes, they were in Russia, it would have been moonshine vodka. 🤪

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No sure about 70 years ago but track links today do come painted black concoction, always good to have spare track pins. As if you bend one your stuck, looks as though the camouflage has been put applied in the field. Is it 3 colour or just green?

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57 minutes ago, Badder said:

Is it my eyes playing up or are there track pins through those spare tracks?

Yes, the are track pins B.  IIRC, the tracks were painted black when they left the factory - new tracks will be dark.

58 minutes ago, Badder said:

But what about that camouflage scheme????!!!!!!

Its complicated - and what follows may be BS ...

Look at the ground, there is a lot of water around - recent rain?

Wet areas on the vehicle will make dark areas and strong lights, just from pooling and spilling.

 

Hull: The rear side and back plate look dry, the front side may be dry too, with wet sides.   Note number on hull side.

Turret: I'm guessing dry around the number, wet at the front, dryish under where the (removed) link was, dampish behind there.

 

Under all that, the camou could still be weird.  Thee are ripples of dark and darker near the front that make no sense to me.

 

BTW, photo date looks wrong (1942).  AFIK, S-Minen dischargers are added in January 1943, and turret tracks in April '43.

 

 

Not sure I've shed any light here ...

 

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Thanks @Retired Bob @Robert Stuart and @Ozzy

 

I do believe that one, or several of the crew tried to apply a camo based on large cat (leopard/jaguar), but got it a bit wrong. The same weird pattern seems to me to have been applied to the turret, but with the spare tracks, hatches and smoke dischargers in the way the 'circles/curves with dots in' were disrupted. You can see circles/curves around the pistol port and gun trunnion and signs of them on the commander's cupola . The sides of the hull towards the rear also appear to have the weird pattern (except for around the number) but as the Tiger is missing its side skirts most of this is hidden beneath mud (the Balkencreuz itself being only just visible) The very pale patches at front and rear are harder to explain. Whatever, I think the camo is a three colour scheme: dark yellow with the 'circles/curves with dots in being red/brown and the other large 'blobby' shapes being dark green. (or vice-versa)

 

Rearguards,

Badder

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I made a half-hearted attempt at making the mounting points for the missing side skirt panels. I didn't think it worth being too fussy as I plan to plaster these areas with mud, which would cover them up. The mounting points at the front end do need trimming down to size though. (I found it easier to fix them in place first then trim them to size with a scalpel)

 

c5XJyGs.jpg

 

I added some mud on the other side of the TIger, using CA Gel, and ground-up plaster of Paris.

1xdRAn3.jpg

 

But before trimming the mounting points I decided to apply a coat of grey primer to the Tiger and apply the first coat of MIG Dunkelgelb,

cf9hzsL.jpg

 

Pl5QTAr.jpg

 

[Imgur](https://i.imgur.com/lJifcWH.jpg)

 

Wjah89g.jpg

 

lR2teTF.jpg

 

 

rkth5Xz.jpg

 

7Cj7CWl.jpg

 

udjvtJK.jpg

 

eYOZxG0.jpg

 

2 of the 3 last photos show the true colour.

 

I rather like the true colour. Shame I'm going to be hiding it all!

 

I'm going to move on to the hard bit now - and try to scratch that engine!

 

TFL

Badder

 

 

 

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5 hours ago, Hewy said:

Looking good badder, real nice effect on the front Hull bottom

Thanks Glynn,

That will obviously change somewhat, but it's a start. The idea was that the mud was there for its texture and would affect the following paintwork, rather than the mud being applied last and not affecting it. I'll be applying whitewash and other washes and adding more mud and dead grass.

 

Rearguards,

Badder

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Stunning modelling as always Badder. The realistic feel you get in your models is evident even in these early stages. :thumbsup:

Kind regards,

Stix 

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18 hours ago, Hubba said:

Some really good textures on there. A lot of thought going into the detailing, a proper story taking shape

 

6 hours ago, PlaStix said:

Stunning modelling as always Badder. The realistic feel you get in your models is evident even in these early stages. :thumbsup:

Kind regards,

Stix 

 

3 minutes ago, Robert Stuart said:

That mud looks good B, a great start (yeah, knowing your modelling, I anticipate much more)

 

You've been a bit quiet of late, hope that is just work and that you are well?

Thanks chaps.

 

 

@Robert Stuart I am fine thanks. I've been 'a bit quiet' because I've been messing around, trying to work out how to build this bloomin' engine.

I have videos and photos for reference, which are a must, and I have an engineering drawing 'o' level and drawing office experience (back in the days when we still worked with sepia drawings and actual pencils on paper, and CAD was seen as 'cheating') but I simply don't have the tools or fingers to make an exact replica! 

 

What I do have is FBTINFBISS. And once again, this 'super-material' has come to my rescue!

 

Rearguards

Badder

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