So I put the Staghound aside for a while as I decide on how to weather it, and returned to this Tamiya Tiger I which I had in progress as the group build started. I showed this at our virtual club meeting a couple of weeks ago. It's was a fairly straightforward build (once I wrapped my head around all the road wheels) but when I bought it at one of our shows a few years back, the next table had a Lions Roar PE set for a good price so I quickly snagged that too.
But when I hauled it out, I saw that it had 3 large frets of PE with poorly printed instructions. This was quite intimidating. I got some of the basics done, but the PE mud flaps had me stymied, since they had a support brace attached. I have had bad luck with CA in knocking PE parts off during later assembly steps so I thought I'd try soldering, but my first attempt did not work out (I used acid core solder but it just didn't flow well. I think I need liquid acid flux). So I put it aside as the GB came along.
No I finally decided to man up and take another run at the PE. The major PE components so far are the engine grills (easy), exhaust shields (went easier than I though) and the side skirts.
These were a challenge as they involved multiple opposite bends and then the attachment of 3 angled support brackets on each of the 8 individual skirts. So what I came up with was to first attach the brackets using CA and reinforce each one with epoxy. Then attaching the eight segments to the hull involved gluing the thin edges of the skirt and brackets to the hull. I accomplished this with Gator Glue and then reinforced with epoxy again. It'd kind of a mess underneath as you can see from the photo, but I figured sand build-up around the brackets will both conceal the mess and justify it.
The remaining assembly work is mainly the tools and tow cables which I like to add after painting, and the tracks. I have a set of Rye Field Models Tiger I Working Tracks that I need to assemble to replace the rubber band tracks of the original kit.
So here's a top shot with a bit more PEW installed. I tried making my own tow cables to fit into the PE cable clamps but it didn't work out, and I destroyed the plastic kit parts (a blowtorch was involved — don't ask), so I'll be ordering after-market to replace them.
But the big progress was on my Rye Field replacement tracks. I have completed one side and they are mostly workable, within the limits of my fine glue application capability. It involved lining up 4 treads and then pushing in a rack of 4 pins on each side, applying some liquid cement as they go in. It's 96 treads per side and then you have to glue in 2 guide horns per tread (yikes! 196). Easy-peasy — I wonder why more people don't take up this hobby. Anyway, they look a whole heck of a lot better than the rubber bands supplied with the kit.
These are the parts sprues for the tracks. At bottom are the treads; the top sprues as the pin sets and horns.
The foreground tracks are the Rye Field individual link tracks that I assembled; in the background is one of the Tamiya rubber band tracks.
I had one unexpected complication : the track is difficult to thread between the fenders and the drive/idler wheels. I managed to get it in one side, and extract it, all in one piece but I won;t want to be doing it too often.
Looking good Pete.