HobbyBoss Pz.Kpfw. VI Tiger I 1:16

More references

I have added 4 volumes into the references above, and have found them an excellent companion to the build, although it’s a double-edged sword of sorts, as there is an illustration of the version that I am constructing in ’Elements in Combat 3’, which shows ‘my’ Tiger in a slightly less ‘dishevelled’ state, and that this vehicle was characterised by having barbed wire wrapped around the hull to prevent enemy infantry from climbing onto it.

If I had had a little more information at the start of the build, it could have taken a slightly different direction.

It’s a Pz.Abt. 501 tank from Witebsk, in December 1943, and it’s notable that although there are markings for six Tigers with the kit, that’s it as far as the individual vehicle information goes.

Anyone know where I can get 1:16 scale barbed wire? (please contact Geoff with any info – thanks)

We left the track guards drilled, the lugs fastened to the armour, but no bolts to give the effect of torn out bolts when the guard is ripped off, which is the effect that I wanted.

Scale bolts

So the search was on for some scale bolts the same size as the heads moulded onto the existing guards. Luckily, it was the IPMS show weekend at Telford, and just the place to find such a thing.

I found the Masterclub site quite late on Saturday, and spent a quite mad half hour sorting through various ridiculously small bolt sizes, only to decide that, as I had nothing to refer to, I would have to take a couple of samples home to try against the tank. Needless to say, I was out on my estimation, and bought a digital vernier to Telford on the Sunday to get the right size!!

Barking mad! The bolt size required were 1.2mm diameter! Many thanks to the patient guy helping me on the stand, they look good.

The turret was almost ready to paint, but I wanted to put some track pins into the track links attached to the turret sides as these would have been fitted into some if not all links.

I started my search, but was having trouble finding a piece of rod with a ‘head’.
As usual, the solution was found at work.

I have various sizes of pop rivet, which, when the aluminium rivet is removed, leaves a steel shaft with a domed head. The head needs to be flattened with a file, leaving a good representation of a track pin – all except the length! Doh!

After a bit of head scratching, I discovered that if I cut a small piece to drop into the track section first, long enough to hide the ‘join’ between the ‘gaps’, the rivet could drop in, giving the impression of a full length pin!

Chuffed!

Read on…