Modelik King Tiger!

[duditz72]

OK so my next model is an attempt at a big boy a King Tiger Here is my question the laser cut tracks I got I don't understand how to use them? There is no place for a pin to hold each track together. Do you glue each track together "in place"? I still have a little to finish my P-47 but I thought I would post this and start getting some tips. I am really looking forward to this cause I think I like tanks better

[vanhasen]

Hi again
Just in case I'll write once more that I never built a laser-cut track. But I have read a few threads on polish forums where people were doing it.
Generaly the most popular suggestion is to find a way to strenghten the laser cut elements. In some cases they tend to fall apart so people use thin glue, cyanoacryle glue or lacquer ("capon" used to impregnate wood).

The next step when you have all the links ready is to put them together. I found a nice relation showing on photos a good method to do it:

Modele Broni Pancernej :: View topic - Dzia?o samobie?ne Su-122/ANSWER/Rosja, zima 1943

[duditz72]

Yeah thanks Vanhasen the pics have helped a lot, I appreciate it, even though I can't read the polish. I figured out a lot from them. I'll start on it probably the begining of march and I'll post some picks as I plod along on this big tank

[vanhasen]

If you have any specific question, just ask. I didn't translate the text from the link because the photos show everything. Ok, everything except the method how to draw the "track model" first. Unfortunately the only info is that it was done in corel draw.

[duditz72]

No sweat the links that you posted were really really helpful. I will post picks as I go along and any questions that might pop up.

[CharlieC]

There were some comments about the Modelik King Tiger from 2004 on the Zealot forum by user "pashlispaht".

"I have actually built this model and I was asked to provide a few comments. This was my first armor model (after quite a lot of experience building aircraft). I thought it was quite detailed; for example the nuts on the drive wheels are included. When built, these are barely larger than the head of a pin. A few things I noticed that anyone building this model should be aware of - The upper hull sides are not backed by any cardboard, and as a result the hull top has no support. Add in the big hole in the center of the hull top for the turret and you have a recipe for sagging. Anyone building this should add stiffeners to keep the top from sagging, otherwise the turret will not be able to rotate. Another problem that I have noticed and I suspect is a problem with armor models in general is the the weight of the model and the effect this has upon the suspension. I originally built this model as per directions, but the axles almost immediately broke off of the suspension arms. This was due to poor design in my opinion, with a minimal surface area for glue to adhere to. I completely rebuilt this section, making a solid roll of paper and butt-glued it to the suspension arm. That fixed the problem of the axles breaking off the arms, but revealed another problem. Now the arms themselves were seperating from the hull. In my opinion, the underlying problem is the weight of armor models in general, and I have seen quite a few comments from other modelers about ways to fix this. I took a sledgehammer approach, and built my own "torsion bars" out of brass rod. I cut a groove in the back of the suspension arm, and drilled holes in the hull and anchored the arms in the other side. The rod now goes through the axles, the suspension arms, and through the hull and is anchored in the opposite side of the hull. This fixed the problem once and for all. It has been over a year since I built this model, and I have had no relapses! One strange thing I noticed about this model is that the barrel does not elevate, and there is no provision for this. I also modified the tracks to function. The design of this model is fairly easily modified. The tracks are of the "belt" design and they engage the drive wheels very well. The drive wheels were modified to spin by using an axle through the hull, and I designed it so that the wheels would not come off of the axle. The track had to be scored to allow it to make the tight curves, and to sag properly onto the tops of the roadwheels. Well, these are a few of my observations on this kit. Everything on this kit went together very well, like a Halinski model would. But a word of warning though. This is a very labor intensive model, and the modeler should have a lot of patience and be prepared for a lengthy build time. It took me over two months of work every day to complete it. Hope this review is of use to anyone contemplating building this kit!"

Hope that helps.

Regards,

Charlie

[duditz72]

Charlie thanks for the heads up! Your advice will be extremely valuable as I go forward

[duditz72]

Just started putting the frame work together for this tank holy crap it's big!!!

[John Wagenseil]

For rigid understructure for tank top , sides and bottom try foam core or heavy Bristol board or the thick card you can get at art supply stores for painting on to make hull box. Also there is dowel wood for torsion rod axles and gun barrel former.

[duditz72]

Some progress on the tank. I am finding hard to put such large pieces of the hull over the the framework and get good alignment. Any tips? Plus this tank is gonna take a lot longer with work on my thousand cranes for Japan work.