Jagdtiger:
This particular Jagdtiger model was one of the earliest kits I ever built,
many many years ago-and it was showing its age. Multiple layers of paint, a poor build, and lack of detailing made me
want to do it all over again. I figured the best way to get it up to snuff would be to take it apart as completely as possible,
clean it up and rebuild it.
First I carefully disassembled the model. The side skirts/fenders came
off pretty much all in one piece, and I was able to separate the upper and lower hull halves after some slow, gentle cutting. The
lower hull/suspension I determined to be useless, so a replacement from a new Tiger II kit with link and length tracks was
built up. Any parts that I could take off without destroying (hatches, etc.) were also removed for later cleanup
and refinishing. The rear panel on the superstructure was completely removed as I had originally installed it incorrectly!
There was a fair amount of sanding to do to get the surface back
to an even, paintable texture, especially where the side skirts had been. I also sanded off the nubs for the
track mounts on the side of the superstructure.
I managed to dislodge the gun and manlet cover from its mount without
breaking the connector, thankfully it will be easy to put back on. Having the gun off made the next step much easier.
Next, I stripped the paint as completely as possible using old fashioned
paint thinner. There must've been 3-4 layers of paint on this poor thing. I was able to strip it down to the
first coat of dark yellow I had sprayed on all those years ago, but that layer didn't budge. As I did this, I was amazed
to see how well the detailing of this old kit stood up.
After I was satisfied with the stripping, I cleaned off the residue of
thinner thoroughly with soapy warm water, and allowed it to dry. It was then time for more sanding and some filling on the
upper hull, and a repair for the rear plate and ammo doors. There are very large distinctive hinges on the rear ammo loading
doors on a Jagdtiger. Mine were broken in many places, so I constructed replacements out of styrene rod, then sanded
down to make flush with the hinge panels.
Like on the ESCI Tiger II kit, the antenna was located incorrectly,
so I carefully shaved it off and replaced with a cover. However, the Jagdtiger didn't have the antenna located in the
same place as Tiger II. I haven't seen any photos showing the antenna mount elsewhere on the rear deck, so its staying off.
Once all the above steps were completed, I put the upper and lower
halves together, and started working and attaching on those fiddly track mount brackets. I also cut a replacement commander
hatch as the original had disappeared many moons ago. Then I made the rear mudguards, as I will be for all the Tiger II's
in the collection as well.
The new photos show the Jagdtiger with fresh coat of Pactra Flat Afrika
yellow and a very dark bronze green (Folk Art Wrought Iron) for the two tone camo pattern, ready for washing and weathering.
The suspension and tracks got a dark/dirty wash prior to putting the side skirts on.
