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More boring, boring, boring, details, details, details

On the menu this evening is a light Amuse-bouche of rear tow mount points.

The "historical documents" that were Mr. birgers fine work are gone but not forgotten. I used Jimsters great built for reference. I went a slightly different direction. I used some pieces I had on a leftover sprue that for the life of me I can't remember what thery might have been or been for. They were discs with supported small holes off center.



So pin vise and round file in hand I went to work.

So I forgot to take this pic but I ground and filed matching "U" saddles in the upper rear panel and lower hull piece. I slid the discs in place and used some CA glue.



The green pin is another unknown sprue piece that served it's purpose to align the holes.

I used some Green stuff putty and reinforced both pieces. After that dried I liberally applied Tamiya standard putty.





After this dried I started to file, sand and buff the hooks into somewhat shape.





And we've got tow hooks.

Takes a hair bobble, makes a gun mount. Takes scraps of plastic and build a towing pinitle.
Coming along there.

Meter rat wrote: ↑Wed Dec 13, 2023 7:14 pm Takes a hair bobble, makes a gun mount. Takes scraps of plastic and build a towing pinitle.
Coming along there.

Thank you sir. Time to spray some paint. Primer of course...

Proof you can paint in the cold weather. I learned to preheat the paint in warm water and only bring the parts outside right as I'll paint them so they aren't that cold. It also helps to be sunny and lower humidity. The biggest challenge is drying time. But it can be done.




Time to do some paint work to see flaws and blemishes to work on. But first, Tracks-



Wheels, Those Horrible wheels-



Swing arms, caps.



Exhaust shrouds, sprockets, hull tracks, bracket, PE grill work & Everyones favorite light.

First round, primer on the upper & lower hull-



It's obviously not screwed down. Just placed to get an idea what I'm working with.














I see some scuffs from where I removed the fender that I'll need to address.

Definitely a few touch ups but overall I'm happy with how it's turning out. I'll take some close up pics to show armor texture in the future.

Next to start on, The Turret details and Gun swap. I'm hoping to get most of that sorted by the second week of January. So far I feel I'm on a decent schedule.

Mr C. Without getting you bogged down on this build. I was reading somewhere about either filling in the the backs of the exhaust or altering the the pipe work, so the exhaust smoke will come out at the top, instead of just drifting out vaguely from the approximate area.

I was reading somewhere about...so the exhaust smoke will come out at the top." Now that's of interest to me, too. Is there any chance you could remember where you read about the modification?

Meter rat wrote: ↑Fri Dec 15, 2023 9:23 am Mr C. Without getting you bogged down on this build. I was reading somewhere about either filling in the the backs of the exhaust or altering the the pipe work, so the exhaust smoke will come out at the top, instead of just drifting out vaguely from the approximate area.

Thank you Mr. Rat.

No worries, Being that out of all of my tanks less than half of the smokers work well or even properly. Taigen isn't better than Heng Long here. They're not that important to me. But they are a nice feature to have. My Panther blows smoke like fog on the moors. The others if they work just sputter a puff here and there.



That being said I am planning to do something, but nothing that will require any fabbing to the exhaust stacks.

Herr Dr. Professor wrote: ↑Fri Dec 15, 2023 4:23 pm I was reading somewhere about...so the exhaust smoke will come out at the top." Now that's of interest to me, too. Is there any chance you could remember where you read about the modification?

Yes sir. I have seen what Mr. Rat is referring to. I am going to be simple and reroute some better more flexible tubing and block off the back of the exhaust with black electrical tape. I already cleaned out the stacks of flash and bored out the holes at the top of the stack. The way it was set up from Heng long is the stiff short tubes went into the upper holes which I sealed up with the tubing just loose near the top of the exhaust stack.

Heres a pic showing the upper holes in the rear wall where they run the tubes for smoke-



I have filled these because,,, very unrealistic and poor smoke output.

The lower holes however match up to holes in the exhaust stack. Which route the smoke through the stack.





The Reason I can surmise why it's been done or redone this way is for filling the tube with smoker fluid. Theres more of a gravity feed the fluid downward. Which makes sense. But kinda sucks for several reasons.

I have one "early," one "mid" and one "late" Tiger I, all Taigen/Torro. I have so many projects going that these have sat in their crates in my living room for over five years, neatly serving as end tables, but protected from the ravages of coffee or wine by covers and coasters. Once in a while one comes out for a short test run and then packs neatly away again. Most would find this an indefensible fate, but such is my preference. The upstairs was once the domain of my late wife, but after thirteen years of caring for her because of Alzheimer's, I decided that my time left upkeep of the home would be the priority, but otherwise my own degenerate domain. Hence, there are no real end tables in my living room, although there is a chair (a "curbside" find that has been recovered twice over the past thirty years) and a "St. Vinny" couch.
The smoke tube re-route looks easy enough; the most difficult part is locating tubing that is both supple and the right i.d. and o.d. One of these days...

Herr Dr. Professor wrote: ↑Mon Dec 18, 2023 1:31 am I have one "early," one "mid" and one "late" Tiger I, all Taigen/Torro.

must Liberate your Tigers...

Herr Dr. Professor wrote: ↑Mon Dec 18, 2023 1:31 am The smoke tube re-route looks easy enough; the most difficult part is locating tubing that is both supple and the right i.d. and o.d. One of these days...

I'm going to try automotive vacuum lines and fittings from Autozone only $1.99 per ft.