African Tiger

[Deleted]

A lot has happened since I last posted. I got promoted and now work nights, 9pm to 7am four days a week. It's been an adventure but I do get time to build.


This is the Tamiya kit which from the box most closely resembles a Tiger from sPzAbt 504. The Bovington Tiger was from that battalion so that's what I will be building here.

















All the cables I made from copper wire twisted in a cordless drill. Fittings are Eduard PE. White styrene is scratchbuilt pieces seen on references of #131.


I will be using my Tamiya paint mixes for this.


G

[Tojo72]

Nice kitty going on there.I do like all of those extras.

Sent from my SM-N900V using proboards.

[wbill76]

Nice start to your desert Tiggy there G! Looking good so far.

[deafpanzer]

I love 'em Tigers!!! Aftermarket tow cables look GREAT... they do deliver huge improvements over the kit pieces!!!

You have my attention for sure!

[thug626]

What's not to like about the Big Cats? Count me in on this one. Good luck on the night shift gig. I just came off of nights after 20 years.
Dave

[Deleted]

Thanks all!

Dave this has sat for a week now due to my schedule. I did get some time on it last night and this morning as I'm off for three days. I'm thinking primer this Saturday.

BTW anyone have a good reference for Fruils? Based on everything I have read I made up two runs of 90 links with two 5 link spares. Test fitting revealed the left side needed only 87 and the right 84.

WTF?

G

[mrt51]

Looking good so far!

Terry

[thug626]

Good afternoon G,
I hear ya about schedules.
As for the Fruil tracks…..There is ever the smallest amount of "slop" between the links when using the supplied wire for the track pins. This allows the tracks to "stretch" just enough to throw off your total count needed for a run of track. This usually isn't too much of an issue, unless the track run you are assembling uses two diffident types of track links (i.e. King Tigers)
I hope this helps your quandary.
Dave

[pantherf]

This looks great and I want a Tiger soon but I must ask.

Are the tow cables just "in place" to get a sense of how they fit?  I always wondered because the painting thing would be a pain.


Keep up the good work! 




Jeff

[Deleted]

Dave I understand that, but holy cow the length was offby a mile on the right side.

Jeff everything is mounted permanently. I'll just take my time detail painting and use paper as masks.

G

[TRM]

Nice looking Tiggy G!! Looking forward to that coloring!!

[thug626]

Oh I hear ya G. Build it to look right is how I go about it. If one "rivet" count the tracks ya just might go 'round the bend. :PHead down pull forward.
Dave

[wouter]

Hi mate, nice to see another great African kitty.

On one thing I have to dissapoint you: if you want to depict a Tiger I from the 504 in Tunesia, this kit isn't the right one for it. The Tiger I's which were part of the 504 (amongst them 151 which sits in Bovington now) were from a later production batch and didn't have the 501 unit specific style of fenders like on this Tamiya kit. Front fenders are completely different than the initial style ones
narrow front fenders on a 501 Tiger I:

Broader front fenders on a 504 Tiger I

also, the side fenders of a 504 Tiger don't have the rounded extensions at the rear and the rear fenders are of a later type as well

there are some minor differences as well (note the shovel on the front glacis plate)

about the tracks, I can't remember how many links I used on mine, but the Friul ones are a bit larger in scale. One my first Tiger I build I used MasterClub resin ones and those were exactly in scale: 96 links on each run for the Tiger I's with the smaller idler version (early Tigers)

The kit has al the goodies for a (more or less) 501 Tiger though. Anywhoo, I hope I didn't spoil the party too much, a great build so far so keep it up


Cheers

[Deleted]

Wouter the kit has the correct fenders included and I used them based on the pics you posted.

Being overscale is the only thing I can think that could account for the discrepancy in total number of links.

I like your 501 Tiger!

G

[wouter]

Thanks a lot G

I just checked the box...I didn't know that, but it seems you are partially right indeed: the rear fenders are there in the later broader style, but the narrow front fenders, moulded on the upperhull are incorrect, they should be flat, and have a piece on the outer side which could be folded upwards with some hinges

I must admit I do like the Fruils, they look good and feel heavy.

Cheers

[Deleted]

I know what the proper fenders look like. This is a work in progress after all. I have the correct fenders, I just haven't mounted them yet.

I don't know why I even post here.

G

[Leon]

The Tiger is looking good G.

[TRM]

I thought you posted here because you were having "FUN".

[Deleted]

I came here to get away from rivet counting self important nads.

Since you are a mod please delete my threads.

G

[richardcraig]

Gosh ... All you had to do was change your decals and you were fine for 501 tank ... I don't see it as being a bad thing to point out errors in a friendly and positive way .. (I really didn't read anything to get mad about) Would you rather no one pointed it out?? If you want to do a 504 tank , the early Tiger from Tamiya with the gray camo is just right for those tigers. But everything you've done is fine for a 501 tank... keep it going .
Stick around I want to see how it turns out .. This is the best site out there..

[TRM]

Sorry you feel that way G. While I am the first to not care for Rivet Counters swooping in and destroying ones FUN on a build, I don't think the information provided above was intended in that manner and it is unfortunate that it may have come across that way. With your modifications it might have been felt to assist and not ridicule.

"Build what you want, when you want and how you want" - MSC Mantra

[wouter]

Well, I sure aint a rivet counter, if it seemed like that to you I want to apologize, that wasn't my intent. You were mentioning that you were building a Tiger I of the 504 and I just pointed out some differences, and since you didn't mention you were going to alter fenders and alike I thought it might have been helpful. Again, it supposed to be fun and I didn't mean to irritate you. Pitty you took it the wrong way, sorry for that...

Cheers

[TRM]

No worries Wouts! Sadly, it seems, G felt it was best to remove himself from MSC rather than just mention he didn't need any help. This of course judging from the fact the account is nonexistent now. I read through this short thread a few times seeing if there was some sort of "rivet counting" undertone of any kind...non found. You were only trying to offer information in an effort to help, not hinder the construction of the model.

Richard, it may have been the pressure of the build or possibly something more of a personal nature driving his decision to leave as I did not see anything to warrant him removing himself from the site. Maybe he will have a change of heart in the future and return. Until then we wish him all the best!

[richardcraig]

Sad to see him go ... G.. Keep up the good work if you are reading this. Hope to see you soon.
I will watch myself as well because I often point out things in posts ,always in the spirit of trying to help ,but might come off differently ... I always say that knowledge not shared is wasted.. I say put it out there and let the modeller decide what he wants to do with it .. Hey I'm just finishing up a Tamiya T34 out of the box and I love it with all its warts and problems ... Now I`m about to attack a 251/9 ... Might do a bit to it but right now I just need to build to get out of a rut ... Any help will be considered but doesn`t mean I`ll do all the changes..lol
We are all at different levels and at different places in our lives .. the one thing that brings us all together is our love for history and plastic models ... Let`s all stick together.. (pun intended!)


Rick

[TRM]

Well said Rick. Honestly there is nothing wrong with offering suggestions or pointing out accuracies in the interest of sharing and fun. I think we have all been around long enough to know the differences between doing this and slamming ones build for not following the Rivet Counter's Codex. You are correct that the information is wasted if not shared. It is not always how that information is given but in part how that information is absorbed by the individual it was intended for!

I do feel that nothing was outside the scope of just offering help hope only for the best for G. We'll leave a light on for him!

[dupes]

Oct 25, 2014 8:33:38 GMT -5 TRM said:

I do feel that nothing was outside the scope of just offering help hope only for the best for G. We'll leave a light on for him!

Ditto. Didn't read anything in there that was remotely hostile?

Hope you come back G!

[elco]

Just came to check out a cool Tiger build and surprised what i see. To bad you took it the wrong way G, i do like recieve comments to improve.

In this case i don't see any rivet counting but somebody who just wanted to help out..

Keep on building what you like and how you like

All the best!

[pantherf]

This is why some should not post images at all.  If the kit has an error in it or there is something installed wrong and YOU know better it's only what we do here is to speak up and let the guy know there is something not quite right.  I don't post ALL my builds because they are nothing special and I know what I would hear... I like clean builds and the majority here believes they should be weathered up, rusted up or muddied up.  So I avoid the expected feedback.  No harm no foul.

I did not read ANY rivet counting, bashing or ridicule here at all and I myself was very interested in seeing it through the total build too.


Oh well, nothing to see here now so everyone move it along and don't rubber neck.  The shows over.    Too bad.




Jeff

[pt109]

Jeff,

Why don't you post some photos of your builds? The Mr. Clean look is good too!

I know I would like to see em.......

Paul (not a rubber necker....hehehe)

[desertrat]

nice, like the jerry cans, in'it good to have the real thing at bovvy to use as reference!