Sov's Tiger Build

[SovereignZuul]

Hi all! going to document my build here. This is my first time working in this scale. Thankfully these and other forums have many great tips and guides to help!


Purchased:
Heng Long Tiger I with metal tracks
Asiatam Lower Hull
Asiatam Upper Hull with metal turret and IR system
Early Taigen wheels and tires
Asiatam new improved 3-1 ratio short shaft metal gearboxes
Taigen photo-etch grills
Taigen spare track links and holders
Taigen metal tow cables
Asiatam two driver's periscopes
7 part metal tool set
Taigen Late pattern sprocket and idler wheels
Taigen smoke launchers
Asiatam cupola and mg42
Taigen turret fittings (Gunner periscope)
Asiatam spare torsion bars and swing arms
Asiatam softer suspension bars
Taigen armored transmission and engine covers
Working Rear Column light
5 Gallon Jerry cans
Detail Part the scale metal bucket
Plasticard
Brass sheeting
Brass wires
Balsa wood

Eventually I'll be doing a full electronics suite to upgrade from the RX-18 Heng Long stuff too.



Tiger first out of the box.


Removing wheels.


Chassis open.


The parts that have arrived. Waiting on shipping for the rest.



Working on the Asiatam Hull, has the newer track tensioner. Bonus! My messy desk!



Found two of the suspension arms were actually broken when the hull arrived! I ordered spares. I dismantled the entire hull to remove the plastic film covering the metal hull and found the damage. I took every single suspension arm and filed away the casting marks and greased where I have circled in red. Smoothing away the cast lines in this area should reduce wear as well as adding the grease. I figure the grease here may also reduce water getting in the hull when driving this through the axle holes. I plan to silicone the entire lower hull as well to watertight the best I can manage.


I've also disassembled the rear plate, cleaning up the parts there and will be modifying it to it's correct height instead of being overlapped by the upper hull.

Greased the new 3:1 gears and installed them in the mostly assembled lower hull as well.

More updates to come of course!

[tisaksen]

Hi, That's a lot of parts you got there. Looking forward to following your build progress
I actually didn't remove the plastic film on my hull, I really should.. Can't see why it's there in the first place.

[Triton]

Hi Sov
Did you remember the tip to run the gearboxes in? It can make a difference to the running! Toothpaste on the gears and a cordless drll attached to the output shaft does the trick, remember to wash it off and re oil though! And! Floss regularly! Lol! Joking!

Look forward to your progress.

Stu aka Triton

[SovereignZuul]

Sorry, been a long time since I even just started talking about this project!

I've received all my parts and have been working now.

Got an Iwata Eclipse and pasche compressor for xmas too so I can paint this and other model kits too.

I've done a lot on the rear panel now. It's about 70% done and close to reassembly.

Was experimenting with different putty. Tried Mr. White, which I hated, the Tamiya putty which is alright but not thrilled, and the green stuff from games workshop suppliers which is the best so far.

Removed all parts from the rear panel of the tank.
Filled holes, sand tools flat.
Removed mud flap hinges and reworking them now.
Exhaust tubes are completely re-done. I've take the open ones and filled them keeping them hollow. I'm making the flutter caps (whatever they are called) right now. Smoker tubes will run through the exhaust just like the real Tiger now once its fully assembled. I'm hoping the gas pressure from the smoker will make the caps flutter like you see on trucks that have those otherwise I'll glue them in an open position.
Jack mounts are being fabricated now. One side done, one to go. The jack was refinished with the hollow bottom filled.
The feifel air-cleaners were glued, sanded all uneven edges perfectly smooth and filled the screw holes with filler. The metal hoses that come off it I added some tiny nuts and bolts to simulate the real ones. They are fully functional nuts and bolts too! Bolt head size was 1mm if I recall.
Once it's together I'm going to heat and bend the sheet metal of the air-cleaners and exhaust shields a bit to simulate some very minor field wear.

[PainlessWolf]

Good Morning.
It was interesting to see that your Heng Long came with the correct length barrel (no recoil) rather than the earlier one they used to put on the Tiger 1. I wonder how long since they corrected that because I believe someone else here on the forum bought one and his came with the old barrel.
regards,
Painless

P.S. Strikingly beautiful build you have going on there. ;o)

[tanks_for_the_memory]

Good to see HL improving their Tiger. Hard to believe I started mine with an inverted mantlet! Makes you wonder what they will change next, although until they reduce the size of the bb gun I can't see the turret ring problem disappearing any time soon...

[SovereignZuul]

Yes, doing my research initially I did see a lot of improvements over what people have posted on this Tiger. The HL stuff is better than before and the Asiatam stuff still much better even!

Thanks for the comments. I want the tank to look pretty good but not going too over board with tiny details. This is my first time doing scratch built parts really so it's a fun learning experience. I'm sure my next tank will be much better detailed.

Speaking of the turret ring problem....

I've started to cut out the ring on the turret bottom, but the dremel battery was dying so only got half way.



Stripped the upper hull of tools, fixtures that needed work, etc.



I truly hated the look of the pre-molded engine cover latches so I had to make the center one look a little bit better. Scratch built from plasticard. Again, not perfect but a step up.



I also really hated the rear mudflap hinges that stuck way up off the armor plate so I cut them, sunk them flush with the body so they look less obnoxious. Starting to put the rear plate back together.




More filler....

[majordisastor]

Nice work Sov, there are so many extra little bits of detail on a Tiger 1 to work up if you want to.

Well done for revamping your fiefel air cleaners , they look 100% better already.

When you start to create some battle damage on the exhaust covers thin the plastic down a bit from the inside, it will make for a sharper fold once you apply some heat to it.

Those shields took a right old battering in the field - some ended up being completely mangled !!



I lightly bashed mine and painted one a different camo colour to look like it had been robbed from another ....

Good luck for the rest of your build

Andy

[SovereignZuul]

Glad I saw that before I put the shields back on, I didn't think about that at all but it sounds great. Thanks for the tip!

P.S. Nice Tiger!

[majordisastor]

Thanks !!

Its from my Tiger Ebbey build in the Tamiya section.

Andy