HobbyBoss Pz.Kpfw. VI Tiger I 1:16

The exhausts!

Then the bit I had been looking forward to, the rusting of the exhausts! I had done this effect before on the Tamiya 1:25 Tiger, and had enjoyed ‘playing’ with the effect.

Firstly, the exhaust covers had to be suitably ‘damaged’ and so were ‘dremelled’ on the inside face, thinning the plastic, so that an amount of ‘buckling’ could be applied, and a few bullet holes inserted

All the components to be fitted to the bulkhead were sprayed Desert Yellow and left to dry.

I enjoyed weathering the jack, in this large scale you can really go to town with oil weathering and chipping effects, I think I spent one night just on this alone!

The exhaust shields were given a coat of stippled white, and while it dried, I did the exhausts themselves.

With the technique that I use, I firstly stipple on a base of black acrylic, to give the ‘edge’ of the rust area, and then use a few different browns, metallics and finally, white, very faintly, to give the effect that I’m after.

After, I painted the stacks themselves, with the large cast covers around them. These are different as the effect here is blistered paint and metal, not the addition of rust, as on the covers, so they look quite different.

It was at this point that I decided to leave off one of the covers due to ‘damage’, as I liked the look of the two different effects and I’ll be damned if I’m doing all that work and not be able to see it!

A little more work had to be done on the top of the hull, as damaged tow cable lugs were to be fitted on the right side, and tow cable clamps missing from the model, fitted to the engine deck.

The completed rear bulkhead was screwed into place, and cemented in just a couple of places; the screws, holding it very accurately.

The tracks…