HINT 1

ASSEMBLY TIPS FOR TAMIYA’S 1/16^th SCALE TIGER I

by Paul Howald

Based on the experience of assembling many large scale R/C tank kits, including the installation of Tamiya’s MF-01 Full Option system into 4 models, the following comments are offered to help the new R/C armor modeler with construction of Tamiya’s 1/16^th scale Tiger I kit.  This kit is perhaps the best engineered and designed model of all time.  You should find it a pleasure to build.

1.                  As should always be the case, read the instructions all the way through “before” you start this kit.  Highlight areas where caution warnings are given, or assembly sequences are deemed to be important.  One such caution is to be sure you “do not” install the typical 4.8v battery that comes with your R/C receiver.  The R/C receiver gets its power from one of the 7.2v batteries required to operate this model.  Adding the extra 4.8v battery will burn out the receiver.

2.                  Do your research thoroughly before you begin to assemble the kit.  Research includes having pictures readily at hand for any extra details you want to add, references for the color scheme you have decided to follow, examples of weathering patterns, and if you have chosen to model a particular tank in one time and place, have as many views as possible to insure accuracy.  Part of the fun of this hobby is also collecting enough books, magazines and articles to provide the research sources you need.

3.                  Paint sub-assemblies as you go.  Do not paint the model after it is completely built, as this often leads to small unpainted areas or applying excess paint because some areas are too hard to reach.  Leave the rubber tires off the road wheels until you are ready to weather the model.  For paints, we use Tamiya and Testor’s Model Master.  An airbrush is a must as brushing on paint does not work for a model of this size.  As for weathering, chalks sprayed with “Dullcoat”, work well.

4.                  Add extra details to your models.  Building a kit straight out of the box is OK, but adding extra details brings out the character and individuality of your model.  In order to add extras to the Tiger 1, you need to complete the necessary research from books, magazines, photos and the Internet.  This also means that you will be picking a particular period of time, a specific battle, or perhaps a particular German unit to replicate.  It is not often easy to find multiple views of the same tank, but sometimes there are views of similar tanks from the same unit, and these will give you enough information to create as nearly accurate a model as possible.  Some of the extras you can add are: smoke dischargers, hatch covers that actually work, towing cables made from actual wire, camouflage netting, boxes and bags, extra track link placed as added armor, mounting clips to secure track links to the side of turrets, missing fenders, battle damage, etc.  Just look at all the details shown in photos and add some.

5.                  One small flaw with this Tamiya kit is that the main top deck plate does not seat very well into the rear hull.  The fit is too loose and the top plate tends to bow upward in the back.  To solve this problem, 3/32^nd inch “L” shaped wire is glued to the underside of the top deck on both outside edges, just forward of where the speaker box is positioned.  The “L” shape wire has a loop coiled (about 3/6^th inch in diameter) on one end, which is bent at 90 degrees.  This is what sets flat against the underside of the deck plate and is glued in place liberally.  This eliminates the need to drill thru the deck plate as a means of securing the “L” shaped wires.  The bottom leg of the wire then is positioned under a 1/8^th inch thick piece of styrene about 3/8 inches long, which is glued to each of the side hull plates. The bottom leg of the  “L” shaped wire latches under the styrene and holds the top deck plate down.  Please note that because the antenna mount is also located in this general area on one side, the position on the “L” shaped clips is not exactly opposite each other.  One is more forward than the other.

6.                  Caution needs to be exercised when snapping the white vinyl ball clips over the brass ball joints for the turret elevation motor.  Too much pressure can break the black plastic arm on the motor swing shaft.  Use a pair of pliers to clamp the white ball clip over the brass ball by squeezing from both sides to pop the ball into the socket.  Once on however, it is best to not separate them.  Removal is difficult and causes sloppiness in the eventual connection.

7.                  Many modelers do not believe that the antenna wire of an RC receiver can be coiled around the inside of the tank body.  Many claim interference in reception.  I have not ever experienced this, so my antenna wire is spot glued around the inside of the body, being careful not to go directly by or over the gear motors.  This will cause interference.  Bypass these motors and if by the time you come completely around, back to the receiver, you have some wire left over, run it at a different direction away from the receiver so there is no over lap of the antenna wire.  One way to insure that no excess wire is left by the time you return to the receiver, is to glue the antenna wire in a wavy pattern, up and down, here and there.  This uses up more wire. Just be sure you do not overlap anywhere.  The whole purpose of this exercise is to keep from having to run the antenna wire out the rear of the model and stick it up the steel spring wire in the back.  Nothing ruins the look of a well built and nicely painted model quicker, than to have an unprototypical antenna wire sticking up in the air out the back end.  If you elect to make this modification, you can then take the steel spring wire, cut it to proper length and insert it where the real tank had its antenna.

8.                  Paint your tracks.  Don’t just assemble them and mount them on the tank.  Give them some character.  Use browns, tans, grays, mud color and don’t forget to apply a silver or gun metal color to those areas that would be exposed to hard surfaces. This replicates the shiny area of the metal track that is wearing away.  Also add rust color here and there on the areas that would be non-moving, but do not add  rust in excess.  Also note that these tracks have “groussers” sticking out on one side and these go to the outside of the model when you mount them on the wheels.

9.                  Operating hinges were added to the underside of the front hull hatches.  There are a few pictures that offer details on how these are shaped and function.  Again, this is called research.  The new “static” Tamiya Tiger kit offers these as part of the model.  The RC version does not.  If you add this detail, you can now position the on/off switch to the electronics, just inside a hatch.  Lift the hatch and access the switch.  Because of the vinyl type plastic that is used to make the switch box, you may find that it is hard to glue to the tank body.  If this is the case, glue it on the side wall and build a styrene case around it.  Glue everything tight. Styrene tends to glue well to Tamiya’s type plastic.

10.              Paint the orange end of the barrel flash unit a gray color.  Paint this after it is mounted in place in the muzzle brake.  The flash will still be very apparent, but under normal viewing conditions, the orange color will be eliminated.

11.              If you feel like towing something with your model, drill out the four “U” shaped shackles and mount a 1/8^th inch diameter brass rod thru them and the body points, front and back.  Otherwise, they pull off with slight pressure.

12.              Do not use the black wrapping wire to hold the two battery packs together.  It is unnecessary and becomes far easier to remove the batteries one at a time for recharging.  Of course the turret must be removed each time to access the batteries.

13.              Do not apply too much paint to the barrel.  There must be enough clearance between the barrel and the mantlet opening, to permit easy sliding during the recoil action.  Too much paint will cause it to bind.

14.              Perhaps our most important tip is, if your model does not seem to operate correctly, read the instructions again carefully, as Tamiya does provide details on how to troubleshoot and  reprogram the MF and DMD units.  Sometimes this is all that is needed to cause their electronics to interface with your radio transmitter.  We have found no problems at all when using Futaba Radios, especially the Skysport 4 Channel model.  We tend to prefer this set-up, where the right hand stick is spring loaded and returns to the central position when released.  Under normal set-up, this will be your throttle and right/left turning function, so if you get into trouble running the model, all you have to do is let go and it will stop automatically.  Be sure you order a ground frequency model.  Don’t buy an air frequency version or you may have a few RC airplane modelers looking for the culprit who caused their prized model to crash.

15.              One thing to note while we are talking about radios.  We have used the Futaba 4 Channel radio (Models Skysport 4VF-FM and Attack T4VWD) with no problems.  However, we have been unable to get the Futaba 6 Channel radio (Model 6XA’s) to work.  The machine gun and main gun either work periodically or not at all.  If you get them to work together, please let us know the secret.

Good luck, and enjoy this hobby.  Its getting better every day.  And, let the kit manufacturer know from time to time that you enjoyed his product and what else you would like to see him produce.

HINT 2

 A QUICK AND DIRTY WAY TO ADD ZIMMERIT TO YOUR MODEL.

by Bob Schilling

This is how I did the Zimmerit on my tanks as seen in Gallery E.

Caution:  Read the article completely and practice on a piece of scrap before attempting it on your model.  FRAG accepts no liability for any damage caused as a result of this process.

THE TOOLS:

1 popsicle stick, 1 potato scrub brush, 1 tube of Testors Red Putty (part number 8879), a 1" long piece of the narrow tined side of one of those "unbreakable" black plastic combs, a 2" piece of 0.025 sheet aluminum with the edge covered with 1 piece of masking tape, 1 paper towel.

THE PROCESS:

Step 1: Lightly sand the areas you want to apply the zimmerit.  Working with no more than 1" of the putty on the Popsicle stick, spread on the area about 1mm thick.

Step 2: Count to ten.

Step 3: Drag the comb across the putty at about a 45 degree angle.  Note: I found that the temperature and humidity will dictate how much time you can goof off before you have to do this without it “gooping up”.  The general rule of thumb is “the sooner, the better”.  For some reason, the comb will set its own depth in the putty.

Step 4:  Wipe the clump of putty on the comb off and sweep the left over putty out of the comb with the potato brush.

Step 5:  Use the aluminum piece to press (don’t drag it!!!) in the vertical lines.  This can be done up to 2 minutes later.

Any "mistakes" should be left alone to dry and then re worked.  One tube will do one tank.  Yes, there is lots of waste.  Have fun and show us your work.

All material contained herein is © copyrighted  by Front Range Armored Group