Top Hull Details, Part 2

The other cable was constructed and installed, then mounting clamps constructed. All were done just like the previous details. Grandt Line wing nuts were added to each clamp. Check photos from your reference for where to place the wing nut. It is just too difficult to see in my picture. Those things are tiny!

The fenders were installed on the right side of the hull, after separating them into individual pieces and cleaning them up.

To finish work on the hull, I added the Feifel air cleaner hoses. These were re-installed as per the kit instructions, after removing seams and cleaning them up. Thankfully, the previous builder did a nice job cutting the vinyl tube to the correct length, so that I had no problems. One thing to point out, here. On the Feifel, between the two cans on each side, is a nipple which I believe may have been an access/clean-out plug. Photos I have show a small, looped, braided cable that is connected to this nipple, which must be a grab-loop to pull out this plug. I didn't add this. Also, the Feifel hoses are flanged between the hard pipe and the hoses, and this appears as a metal, square insert in photos. I didn't add this, either.

Once the Feifel work was complete, I gave the assembly one last check, then sprayed it completely with black automotive primer from a spray can. Here's a tip, too. Shoot a little inside the hull, towards the back of the hull. This will help hide the fact that there is nothing under the grills, and once the turret is in place, it will make it difficult to see inside.

A few spots to sand after priming, and it is time to move this along. While this was going on, I also prepared the road wheels for painting. These had been painted previously, along with the tires. (actually, they were the only thing that the previous builder had painted on the entire tank exterior) To get these ready, I put them in a small container, filled it with undiluted Mr. Clean, let them sit overnight, then took a Scotchbrite scouring sponge to them. The old paint easily came off, then they were rinsed and allowed to dry.

Top Hull Details, Part 1

Work progressed on the Upper Hull, with the addition of the engine grilles. These are from Aber, and were purchased through Pacific Coast Models. They are gorgeous.

With the grilles in place, the tow cables were fabricated using aluminum picture hanging wire. The original kits' ends were used, and after boring a receiver hole, the aluminum wire was glued inside, once the correct length was decided. As you can see, on these early Tigers, the layout was a little different, with two clamps on the back deck, and one near the crew hatches. (Here's a tip: if I ever did this again, in this scale, the aluminum wire is pretty stiff. Copper would bend more readily)

The clamps were made using bar stock, 0.020" x 0.030", and cut to the correct height, then glued in position. With the cable resting between these, a small piece of 0.010" strip was cut, to represent the closure arm. The were held in place on one side with a large wing nut, which are on order from Grandt Line Products. When these come in, they will be complete.

The fire extinguisher was also re-mounted, near the right-rear corner. The antenna mount was already drilled for a wire to be installed later. The barrel cleaning rods were replaced with scratch built items made of styrene rod. I did bore a small hole in one end to serve as the female connection point, and a smaller diameter piece of rod was connected to the other end as the male piece. Three sections were then mounted on a small piece of stock that serves as a riser underneath. On each side, and pulled closely to them, is the tow cable. Once in place, the original kits' clamp assembly was re-installed. lastly, the cable has a loop near the front hatch, and there should also be a holding clamp at this point as well. I made this just like the two on the rear. The original bolt cutters were also mounted in place.

Front Headlights

The headlights on the Tigers that were deployed to Tunisia were moved from the top hull, near each corner at the front glacis, to the glacis as shown. At this time, they still used both headlights. A mount was field-fabricated to hold the light, and the electrical conduit moved to the light, with the feed still coming from the conical-shaped junction box in the top of the hull.

I used 0.020" styrene sheet, cut into a rough square, big enough for the mount. The brace that serves to hold this up is a triangle cut from the same material, although small enough that its' edge does not come out to the edge of the mount for the light. I glued these in place, and slightly rounded the corners of the mount. Critics may see other references where this new mount was an elaborate affair, constructed of angle iron and complex bends. Since this was field-fabricated, I think mine would be appropriate, too.

The kit headlights were used, although the long, narrow post was cut-off, and a short, thicker rod replaced it. This is to represent the socket mount. Thin strips were installed in an "+" pattern, with the post in the center, in a scale representation of what the male-female connection looked like. A hole was drilled in the left side of each light for the conduit entry. The junction box exiting the hull was duplicated with rod that was rounded on top like the real one. A hole was also drilled in each junction box for the conduit.

The conduit run is a 0.020" piece of lead solder from Hudson and Allen that I had as spare. First, I glued this into the junction box, and ran across the front lip of the top hull, and made sharp bends to get this to the light, where I cut the solder to length, and glued it into the light. The final touch was a very small piece of thin foil, as the clip that holds the conduit in place just after it makes the 90-degree bend to go down over the glacis.

Front Hull

The build on the Front Hull started with the previously-done removal of the mud flaps. To make the new ones which date the Tiger to late-1942, I cut a piece of 0.040" styrene sheet 24mm wide x 28mm long for each side. A very light score was cut at the mid-point on the long side. I then cut a piece 24mm wide x 25mm long of Eduard etched-brass deck plate, and super-glued this to the top. The brass should be compressed to the plastic without gaps. You should have a section of uncovered styrene 3mm wide, which will be located at the top of the flap, where it means the hull.

A bend of approximately 10-degrees should be in the middle of the flap, so that once mounted, the bend will point the forward edge of the flap downward. Attach the flap, again with the 3mm gap from the etch at the top, and with the front edge about 3mm down from the top of the hull side plate (where it meets the front plate). Use plenty of liquid cement from the underside.

That 3mm gap at the top of the flap, where it meets the hull, was filled with a narrow, thin, section of plastic, and topped with a 0.020" section of styrene rod. This will replicate the hinge for the flap. Not an exact duplicate, but again, I am trying for the visual scale effect, and I think that it works.

I also cut the barrel off from the hull-mounted MG34, and installed it in the ball mount at this time. There is a weld that is on each side of the top plate-just to the left of the machine gun, and next to the left flap-and these were cut and dressed-up.

To complete work on the front of the hull, the spare track bracket, Part D6, was removed, and the mounting holes filled and sanded.