Hero of the Soviet Union Tiger 212 1943

chief5437 · Post by **chief5437** » Mon Jan 12, 2015 2:31 am

holy s%#t Coen! You're kicking ass, and taking names on this build!

fantastic work, and excellent info as well. Great idea for the set up, can't wait to see it come together.

rwsmith14 · Post by **rwsmith14** » Mon Jan 12, 2015 2:56 am

NICE !! Camo looks great on the Tiger !!

Rodney · Post by **Rodney** » Mon Jan 12, 2015 1:49 pm

somebody been busy.. its all looking pretty good... yip I was looking in for vids to see how you done the zimmerit but first I got to find somewhere to get milliput..

Hillbilly · Post by **Hillbilly** » Mon Jan 12, 2015 1:55 pm

You really whipped that Bergepanther into shape nicely

The camo on the Tiger is awesome also.Did you use the Mig Ammo paint on it?If so I need to get some as that dark yellow looks great.Also how tough is that Stynlrez primer?I watched the vid where you were using the black and was just wondering.

Coen · Post by **Coen** » Mon Jan 12, 2015 3:52 pm

Hillbilly wrote:You really whipped that Bergepanther into shape nicely The camo on the Tiger is awesome also.Did you use the Mig Ammo paint on it?If so I need to get some as that dark yellow looks great.Also how tough is that Stynlrez primer?I watched the vid where you were using the black and was just wondering.

It's AMMO yes. Two colours of the yellow and one of the green. That badger primer is the best primer that I've ever used. The black and the grey are superb.

JayCub · Post by **JayCub** » Mon Jan 12, 2015 4:21 pm

Really enjoying the build Mike, I can watch Tiger builds all day and along with a few episodes of space 1999, I have quite a few eagles now
Tom

Hillbilly · Post by **Hillbilly** » Mon Jan 12, 2015 4:57 pm

Coen wrote:
It's AMMO yes. Two colours of the yellow and one of the green. That badger primer is the best primer that I've ever used. The black and the grey are superb.

I think I will give them a go then when I run out of my Alclad primer (too bad I just ordered two more bottles

)

Coen · Post by **Coen** » Mon Jan 12, 2015 7:56 pm

Let the detail painting begin.

I started by painting the exhaust stacks as well as the inside of the exhaust shrouds. Mig's dark rust, then stipples the successive lighter rust colours overtop of it. Later they'll get a little bit of rust pigments to add texture and depth and then a bit of soot.

Then I added some of the worn steel colours to the metal contact surfaces of the running gear using an HB pencil. This was a bugger to photograph.

Then the tools and accessories were basecoated along with the metal portions of the battle damage.

Then I added the decals as some of them overlapped some of the battle damage, so they needed to be blended in after they're set and sealed.

And that's where she is today.

Kevinzane · Post by **Kevinzane** » Mon Jan 12, 2015 8:39 pm

Sweet man!
Really nice rusteffects!

Joesdad · Post by **Joesdad** » Mon Jan 12, 2015 10:38 pm

Great stuff Mike, a couple of questions...
Why do you fix rope, tools and stuff on the hull and then paint? My aircraft brain says you should paint tools etc then fix to hull....you know after the camo...

Why are your sprockets fixed on?

Basic questions I'm sure, and more to follow...

Ta.

Paul · Post by **Paul** » Mon Jan 12, 2015 11:56 pm

Joesdad wrote:Great stuff Mike, a couple of questions...
Why do you fix rope, tools and stuff on the hull and then paint? My aircraft brain says you should paint tools etc then fix to hull....you know after the camo...
Why are your sprockets fixed on?
Basic questions I'm sure, and more to follow...
Ta.

I used to do the same, but following mikes advice it is easier to paint them when there on the tank

Looking great too mike

mannloon · Post by **mannloon** » Tue Jan 13, 2015 12:12 am

So that's a very convincing tow cable, can I ask how you painted it? Is that just a great color or a series of things you did?

Tarasdad · Post by **Tarasdad** » Tue Jan 13, 2015 1:42 am

That's it, I quit. From now on it's nothing but Snap-Tite kits for me.

Coen · Post by **Coen** » Tue Jan 13, 2015 2:37 am

mannloon wrote:So that's a very convincing tow cable, can I ask how you painted it? Is that just a great color or a series of things you did?

It was a series of colours for the two rope, ammo gloss black then ammo dark rust over that, finally a thinned ammo dark track colour. Later I'll very gently dry brush them with Vallejo gungrey or ammo gunmetal.

Joesdad wrote:Great stuff Mike, a couple of questions...
Why do you fix rope, tools and stuff on the hull and then paint? My aircraft brain says you should paint tools etc then fix to hull....you know after the camo...
Why are your sprockets fixed on?
Basic questions I'm sure, and more to follow...
Ta.

The first tank that I built I knew nothing about how things were done in regards to procedures, tricks, methods, so I just painted it all after glueing all the bits on (including tracks

). Then I picked out all the details after with a brush.
After reading what mush have been sixty or so how-to books written by the grand poobahs of dioramas and armour I discovered that there are dozens of ways to build and paint armour and aircraft, but almost all of them were doing it the same way that I was already doing... With all the bits on.
Out of curiosity I tried three builds with all the bits and pieces on a dozen sticks and it took three times as long to paint and looked exatly the same as my other builds. So it was a really easy decision. All that I leave separate now are the tracks and wheels.
And why are my sprockets fixed on?
They aren't exactly fixed. I made them workable so that I can easily add the tracks for weathering. I do that on every build because it makes my life easier.
One thing that I never do if I can avoid it, is go anywhere near my model with glue once paint is on it.

mannloon · Post by **mannloon** » Tue Jan 13, 2015 3:42 am

Thanks Mike. I'm gonna try that as close as I can with Tamiya and Model Color paints.

Joesdad · Post by **Joesdad** » Tue Jan 13, 2015 6:28 am

Thank you gentlemen

good enough for me

Stand by......

Nige201980 · Post by **Nige201980** » Tue Jan 13, 2015 7:31 am

This is really beautiful work Mike I think I'll have to have a look at that badger primer.

JediBoer · Post by **JediBoer** » Tue Jan 13, 2015 10:50 am

The Master at work! Great seeing the progress and learning!

Coen · Post by **Coen** » Wed Jan 14, 2015 12:10 pm

The Tiger is now all base painted, decaled, and chipped. Now I moved on to the bergepanther and the schwimmwagen.

I used multilayer chipping for the tiger. Lifecolour (a light tan, I can't read the label it wore of ages ago) on the zimmerit and a hemp for the unzimmerted areas. Then the centers were darkened with a dark NATO black from Vallejo.

I primed both the schimmwagen and the bergepanther in stylrez primer (that new badger primer) then I painted the bergepanther in Vallejo Air Dark Yellow (I ran out of the AMMO, it's the same colour but the mig spray's better). Then I hit all the top surfaces with AMMO light dunklegelb for panel fading.

For the wheels I sprayed them in the Vallejo Air Dark Yellow, but for about half the wheels I thinned the paint more so that they had a darker tone over the black primer.

Then I took a really nice blurry photo of the superstructure...

I've also started to paint the winch. I haven't decided how I won't to finish it yet as it will be really dirty when I'm done with it.

Next I'll base paint the schwimmwagen and begin detail painting both of them. I still haven't decided what colour to paint the schwimmwagen as yet.

Here's a video about the end of the build for the berge and the schwimm as well as a blather about the painting.

[youtube]smm-1KhY3Y8[/youtube]

Hillbilly · Post by **Hillbilly** » Wed Jan 14, 2015 1:51 pm

Outstanding paint work

Really love the chipping effects and the battle damage

Nige201980 · Post by **Nige201980** » Thu Jan 15, 2015 6:34 am

Stunning work mate

Coen · Post by **Coen** » Thu Jan 15, 2015 9:18 am

Thanks Nige

Coen · Post by **Coen** » Thu Jan 15, 2015 9:37 am

More detail painting iw the order of the day the last day or so.
The berge is all detailed now and all that's left is the decals, chipping, then weathering.

I started with the layers of colour for the unditching log.
There's probably 5 colours on this thing, I still need to add a wash to it and then a light drybrushing, but the base colour is done.

Then I did the metal wear effects on the road wheels. Using and HB pencil to add bare metal to the edge of the rim for the contact surfaces.

Then I moved on to all of the tools and accessories on the hull and superstructure.

Today I'll add some decals, then chip it all to hell and gone. She's a utility vehicle that recovers tanks under fire so I want her to actually look the part.
After that I'll start painting the schwimmwagen.

Hillbilly · Post by **Hillbilly** » Thu Jan 15, 2015 1:19 pm

Outstanding detail work

m0rce · Post by **m0rce** » Thu Jan 15, 2015 1:34 pm

Superb work
Looks great
Regards
Sergio

Kevinzane · Post by **Kevinzane** » Thu Jan 15, 2015 2:22 pm

It looks amazing man! :-D

jbellos1 · Post by **jbellos1** » Thu Jan 15, 2015 5:05 pm

My oh my! You have made some great looking vehicles. Awwwwsum!

CrazyMajor · Post by **CrazyMajor** » Thu Jan 15, 2015 7:21 pm

Some very nice work there sir.

Coen · Post by **Coen** » Fri Jan 16, 2015 12:11 am

Thanks fellas, it's really appreciated.

So I started the painting on the Schwimmwagen. I love this little kit. I so want to get more of these little gems. The kubel and some willy's jeeps are definitely on the list.

She started off primed and in pieces...

Then she was in base colours...

Window installed and masked...

Then I started the chipping on the Bergepanther.

And that's about it for today.

chief5437 · Post by **chief5437** » Fri Jan 16, 2015 12:15 am

Jeez Coen! You're not hanging around with this one! Loving the detailing on the Bergepanther! Don't know about fast and furious, more like fast and awesome!!

Hillbilly · Post by **Hillbilly** » Fri Jan 16, 2015 1:18 am

Man that Bergepanther sure has been around the block hasn't she......love it though

Paul · Post by **Paul** » Fri Jan 16, 2015 1:39 am

Awesome work mike, that panther is looking great, loving that winch dude

Yevgeny · Post by **Yevgeny** » Fri Jan 16, 2015 1:52 am

So much of modelling goodness

Fantastic work as usual, you are talented man Coen.

PaulAyrey · Post by **PaulAyrey** » Fri Jan 16, 2015 6:50 am

Brilliant work as ever Mike, really enjoying this!

Nige99 · Post by **Nige99** » Fri Jan 16, 2015 7:42 am

Mike that Panther kit may have its pit falls you've done it justice mate, it looks the muts nuts dude. I can't stop zooming in to see the level of detail you've put on it.

Kevinzane · Post by **Kevinzane** » Fri Jan 16, 2015 1:07 pm

A masterpiece!

Coen · Post by **Coen** » Sat Jan 17, 2015 3:12 am

Today I spent all day building figures and then constructing the base for the diorama.
No easy task. The figures weren't too bad, the two sets of Masterbox figures were good kits. Nice detail and the fits were ok.
The ICM kit was a bit of a stinker, reminiscent of some mini-art kits from a few years ago. It did have some cool poses though which is why I chose it.

These with the other figures that I've chosen for the build will hopefully tell an interesting story.

The dio is the same materials that I first mentioned in my video a while ago, only now I added a left over crate for storing oranges as part of the materials list. That I will cut to pieces to use a framing and surfacing.
The actual construction of the diorama's base isn't really important as every single one is different, only that careful planning and test layouts as well as mock ups are needed before you really commit to construction.

After the base was built and dry, I did a mock up to take a series of photos so I'll know where I want everything to be once the groundwork begins.

The box of bacon candy (thanks Forbes ) is to represent the storage shed that I plan to build; the wooden dowel the fallen tree.

I really like these fellas. I think that they really add the meat to the dio. These and the CO that's checking his watch in an impatient way.

So tomorrow I'll start the basics on the groundwork and then let that dry for a few days while I paint figures and weather the vehicles.

ForbesHutton · Post by **ForbesHutton** » Sat Jan 17, 2015 4:07 am

An ass? Well if you can't find a goat...
The Bacon candy's not even opened...

I think we may be in a race for the most figures, time to start counting...

Coen · Post by **Coen** » Sat Jan 17, 2015 4:18 am

I know that's your schwimmwagen in there... Isn't that your ass too?
Was it you that sent me a pair of fallschimjager with a pair of donkeys?

Coen · Post by **Coen** » Sat Jan 17, 2015 4:19 am

There were two tins of bacon candy.....

I'm saving this one for a special occasion.

ForbesHutton · Post by **ForbesHutton** » Sat Jan 17, 2015 5:32 am

Coen wrote:I know that's your schwimmwagen in there... Isn't that your ass too?
Was it you that sent me a pair of fallschimjager with a pair of donkeys?

No that's not my ass, mine's been following me everywhere since whenever.

Nope, didn't send you fallshimjagers.

Hillbilly · Post by **Hillbilly** » Sat Jan 17, 2015 2:28 pm

Bacon candy?...and an ass........you're killing me

All joking aside that dio is going to be awesome,I think that the figures you chose fit the story perfectly

Coen · Post by **Coen** » Sun Jan 18, 2015 10:19 am

Work began on the diorama now that all of the figures, vehicles, and buildings are constructed.
After the mockup I started building the shack out of popcicle sticks. All cut to various sizes to mimic 1/35 lumber as best as I could.
Normally I'll use coffee stirrers but I was all out. They're longer, thinner and skinnier so they better reflect 1/35 lumber. The popcicle sticks are more scale to a joist then a wall board.
Either way... it's what I had so it's what I used.
I've also altered the setting of the diorama a bit. It was going to be mid winter on the northeastern front of 1944. Now It's late summer, early fall on the same front. I'm tired of doing winter dios of late (I've built 8 in the last few months), so I wanted to do something different.
The problem with that is that I built a December 1943 issued Tiger I. There's weren't too many of those around in September/October of 1943.
But it's only a problem for the rivet counters, as I'm going to continue in spite of it. I'm sick of winter scenes at the moment. So there hahaha.

So I started with the shack. All the boards cut to shape using my Chopper and a hobby knife.
The Roof...

The frame...

The Mess...

Get to the Chopper....

The shack is incredibly simple to build and you can make it much more complicated if you want. (I may yet )
I filmed a video on how to build a diorama and I'll link it below for any that are interested. I cover the construction in more detail in the video.
But it's not that hard. The most difficult part is visualising what you want to build and then building it from parts.

Then I mixed up some celluclay, added some burnt umber and raw umber paint to it and spread it all over the surface of the diorama.
I added it in two layers about 4-8 mm deep, with about 20 minutes between the layers. I do this because it tends to self-level when in thick piles or in mounds. If I let it dry for 20-30 minutes and add another layer the levelling effect is reduced. If I wanted to eliminate it, I would wait a day then add the second layer.
Once I built it up to the level that I wanted I smoothed out the "cake icing effect" where the celluclay takes on the look of sticky icing. You smooth that out with an artist's palette knife or something similar. Once you do that the surface looks more like a mud or wet ground. That's what you want. When it dries it will loose the shininess and look like earth.
After that I added surface texture to the wet celluclay. Some tallus, about 4 different kinds of sand, some coarse gravel, some crusher dust, and kitty litter for the road surface. I also added the furrow made by the tiger as she slide down the bank and the tracks of the bergepanther as she sat on the road. I didn't add tracks for the schwimmwagen as it's too light to make them on a gravel road.

I added some static grass to the area around the furrow as it's meant to represent the torn sod churned up by the passage of the tiger. It will all get painted when I come to that stage.
I marked out the fence posts and the fallen tress with a dowel and some cocktail sticks.

So now it will sit and dry for 3-5 days before I work on it again. It needs base paints for some of the texture materials, ground scatter, grasses, bushes, trees... still a ways to go yet.

Here's the video of the work so far, it's a bit over an hour long so I'll warn you now.
I'll be re-releasing it in April in a multipart series that will be broken up into many shorter videos.

[youtube]hZGu9L7XjsE[/youtube]

Filmman586 · Post by **Filmman586** » Sun Jan 18, 2015 12:47 pm

Great work Michael!

Hillbilly · Post by **Hillbilly** » Sun Jan 18, 2015 1:01 pm

Very nice groundwork,you really nailed the furrows the Tiger made sliding down the hill

I was wondering if you could get the same effect using Plaster of Paris? I was wondering as I have some left over from one of my kids school projects.

OliveDrab · Post by **OliveDrab** » Sun Jan 18, 2015 7:39 pm

Superb work, just Superb

SyntaxModels · Post by **SyntaxModels** » Mon Jan 19, 2015 4:52 am

Almightly Lord Coen The Dio Master at work! Hail Coen! Hail Coen!

Nige99 · Post by **Nige99** » Mon Jan 19, 2015 7:34 am

Love the dio so far Mike

you got that texture bang to rights!! Can't wait to see more dude. 3-5 days

can I wait that long

well done buddy.

Kevinzane · Post by **Kevinzane** » Mon Jan 19, 2015 9:55 am

Amazing man! Good work!

alextheblue · Post by **alextheblue** » Mon Jan 19, 2015 10:02 am

What an amazing build thread! First you show us your ass and then your chopper - what next!!

Seriously though, that ground work is amazing and I can't wait to see all this lovely modelling goodness come together!!