BATTLE BLOG # 1 - THE LAST TIGER / BERLIN '45

[bob letterman]

Thanks Tony and Luiz........won't be too long, should get another 30 links done tonight while a film is on.

Ian.

Don't ya just love assembling those individual track links? They look great but, what a pain in the butt. Especially when I'm building all those Shermans. I'm starting to dream about track links! :yipee

I'm always tuned as i never switch stations Ian!

Hang in there Mate!

Bob

 

[Brokeneagle]

Thanks Tony and Luiz........won't be too long, should get another 30 links done tonight while a film is on.

Ian.

Don't ya just love assembling those individual track links? They look great but, what a pain in the butt. Especially when I'm building all those Shermans. I'm starting to dream about track links! :yipee

I'm always tuned as i never switch stations Ian!

Hang in there Mate!

Bob

Thanks Bob, i have only done about 40 links and i have already had enough.

 

[Iron Mike]

Track links? Piece o' cake! Comfy chair, good tunes and before you know it, you're done!Gotta be tough to build armor.

B)

 

[bob letterman]

Track links? Piece o' cake! Comfy chair, good tunes and before you know it, you're done!Gotta be tough to build armor.

B)

Say Mike,

You don't get out near the midwest do you? I could use a really tough guy about now! 16 sets of Sherman tracks to assemble. Just think of all the fun, comfy chairs and good tunes you could enjoy!! :yipee

Bob

 

[Iron Mike]

Sixteen sets of Zippo tracks and what do you get?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J2aqvKY6zLc

B)

 

[bob letterman]

Sixteen sets of Zippo tracks and what do you get?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J2aqvKY6zLc

B)

Mike,

I just ran into this problem on another forum on this site. I use Macs and for some reason, I can't see videos on Youtube when posted here. If you have the blue link, I'll check out what you said! :laugh:

Bob

 

[Iron Mike]

https://youtu.be/J2aqvKY6zLc

 

[phantom II]

Great discussion and ideas

James , the tank shows no signs of burn damage, so I definitely think the ash idea is out, however the wheel replacement is a strong one - both you and MP have put forward different scenarios and I too feel that they have been replaced.
The white wash is a long shot, only because this is summer and the wheels just look to good for 1945 white wash application - they tended to slap it on to the tank and if these had come from a whitewashed vehicle from the winter the whitewash would not be that evenly and professionally applied.
Plus it would provide a lighthouse like effect if in white - some of this fighting was at night.
The yellow is not much better than the white when brand new, but at least it would be a little less reflective.

My call is that the wheels are being highlighted by the fact that the rest of the tank is quite dirty and darker and the wheels are 'factory finish brand new'. The tank body yellow has a lot more over-spray and weathering on top than the yellow on the wheels. I looked at some references I have of factory fresh dark yellow tigers and they are very light colored when just arrived in the field.

I have seen this happen with color and B&W oils, when painting a landscape picture. When you mix the color on the palette separately it can easily appear to dark or light against the colors on the canvas,and you tend to adjust it accordingly. However, as soon as you place that color amongst the others your eye perceives it differently, and you always have to tone it up or down to adjust it - sometimes quite a lot.
I am going to go with a brand new dark yellow for these wheels and have the rest of the tank way more weathered and over-sprayed with German cammo brown.

Thanks for the help guys, these discussions always make me think and consider further.
:coolio

Ian.

An awfull lot of detective work involved in this build .
The late war stuff is very much off the rails on anything since everyone's supply line was pretty much broken by then. Use what you can find

Glad not to make such calls :facepalm

Cheers, Christian B)

 

[Brokeneagle]

Very small update.....
Kasten tracks are completed, but not on yet. They keep falling apart so I will have to spray the wheels and lower chassis with the base color etc before gluing on the tracks.

I am doing my business tax at the moment so it is holding up everything!

Ian.

 

[Iron Mike]

Bummer about the tracks, looking forward to more. :drinks

 

[moon puppy]

 

[Brokeneagle]

Well, I ended up keeping the Kasten tracks for other projects where the detail as track armor or damaged track would show up their detail better. The Magic track that came with the kit was well detailed and only needed 1 link taken off the end so I went with that....it was way easier to thread through and stick down then the Kasten.
So this is where is is at this point and will now need paint on the interior first before i can glue down the top plates and the accessories.
I also added the radiator pipe that had 'stalled' me...it's not in the exactly correct position but it would not go where it was supposed too as the radiators in the dragon kit were in the way , so either my reference is incorrect, i'm reading it wrong or the Dragon radiators aren't in true position.

 

[lupanzer]

Just awesome, Ian ....

Luiz

 

[Iron Mike]

Looking great, Ian!

 

[bob letterman]

Looking good as usual Ian!

I'm waiting to see the paint job you're gonna give it.

That's when they come to life!

Bob

 

[Skinny_Mike]

Can't wait to see some paint on this kitty!

 

[iambrb]

Neat! When you see first the map where they are truly surrounded, then the pics of the JS-2 and SU-152's, you realize what 'hopeless' means.

I wonder why it's turret is turned backwards?

 

[phantom II]

Looking very cool Ian . Looking forward to some paint

Only driven by an old lady to Walmart on Sundays . I'm sure

Cheers, Christian B)

 

[Brokeneagle]

thanks for your interest everyone. Working on the color side now but i have a number of models and paintings on the go at the moment.
iambrb - i considered the direction of the barrel as well, because of the photo showing the Brandenburg gate with a hole where the barrel is pointed, as well as the hanging tow cable on the left side of the tank, my personal opinion is the turret was pulled around with the tow cable by the Russians(after the battle) and they used it to fire on a Nazi style symbol on the top of the gate.

Chistian, yeah...it's the wallmart mobile for the elderly drivers of Berlin :laugh:

Ian.

 

[jknaus]

Your Tiger looks fantastic. While I like Model Kasten tracks I don't use them anymore because they are so frail. I like the Fruil tracks much better. And Master Club are pretty good also.
James