Topcat_Ern Posted August 15, 2023 Share Posted August 15, 2023 Or. as I call them "Lidl Tigers". Bought a few when they were in to put together whilst paint / glue / varnish / decals were drying on other kits as they don't take long. £6.99 with 20% off with the Lidl Plus App meant they couldn't be left in the shop! Experimented with copydex as an alternative to Maskol and the ilk as a masking fluid and was happy with the results.One left to make but was hoping to do a conversion on that one. Apparently Airfix Magazine did a conversion feature for the original Tiger kit to a Sturmtiger, so will have to track that down.Andy 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gilbert_H Posted August 16, 2023 Share Posted August 16, 2023 Airfix Magazine, November 1966. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Topcat_Ern Posted August 18, 2023 Author Share Posted August 18, 2023 Thank you for that, now to track it down.Andy Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gilbert_H Posted August 18, 2023 Share Posted August 18, 2023 Hello Andy,If you wish so, I will scan the said feature (3 pages) and post it on the forum, jpg format. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Topcat_Ern Posted August 18, 2023 Author Share Posted August 18, 2023 If it's allowed that would be much appreciated.Andy Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gilbert_H Posted August 18, 2023 Share Posted August 18, 2023 Looks like a great project.I will post the three pictures separately. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gilbert_H Posted August 18, 2023 Share Posted August 18, 2023 And number two ! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gilbert_H Posted August 18, 2023 Share Posted August 18, 2023 This is the final one.Happy modelling !Gilbert Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Topcat_Ern Posted August 18, 2023 Author Share Posted August 18, 2023 Thanks for this. Let the planning start.Andy Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Topcat_Ern Posted May 23 Author Share Posted May 23 (edited) Well, the planning was delayed as I couldn't marry up the new kit with the scale of the magazine article. So until I found the angles for the superstructure above the hull I wasn't confident. Now, have found out the angles and decided to use the kit and the packaging to make that Sturm Tiger. Thought that I would do it the old fashioned way and not use conversion kits, no PE and resisted the 3D printer to create parts. So here goes; The hull and glacis cut away and the superstructure started; The card from the box was used and when formed was stiffened with sprue goo made with the starter set glue and sprue off cuts from the kit. The mantlet was fashioned out of a plastic cork from wine bottle. Andy Edited May 23 by Topcat_Ern Grammar Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jopres57 Posted May 23 Share Posted May 23 It's a welcome blast from the past to see a conversion like this from the old Airfix mag. I hope everything goes well, I might be tempted to complete something similar myself, I tried back in the day but didn't have much success. That ZSU 57 might still emerge from a Stalin tank kit yet. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Topcat_Ern Posted May 24 Author Share Posted May 24 The biggest head scratcher was the front plate sizing. The side plates are at 20 degrees and the frontal armour slopes at 47 degrees so to get them to meet on the angle required a 15 degrees cut on the front card. I'm sure Mr Jones my maths teacher, all those years ago, taught me a trigonometry formula for that but that required measuring and determining the angle. More progress, the superstructure all sealed up, sprue gloo and Mr Surfacer 500 which shows up all the blemishes which need attending to and also reminds me that plates needed attaching at front by track guards and the rivet / bolt additions. Only mortar and its shield, crane and some detailing to go after sorting those. Andy Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Topcat_Ern Posted May 24 Author Share Posted May 24 And I'm giving up on the road wheels as they should be the steel version, it was only the prototype that had rubber rims and my aim was not to cross kit either. Guess this is the prototype! Andy Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Grumps123 Posted May 24 Share Posted May 24 Very interesting conversion. 👍 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
modeling maniac Posted May 24 Share Posted May 24 Very interesting and I have never heard of a sturmtiger. Also I have one of those LIDL tigers but I'm not modifying this one. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Topcat_Ern Posted May 25 Author Share Posted May 25 Forever onwards, photographs reveal large bolts / rivets along the sides of the superstructure and hull so these need making. That's four, looks okay to me, nice rounded head. Needed a larger size for a pistol hatch. Both sides done, I was sure that they would be less prominent when a base coat was added. Decided upon options for the offensive part of the vehicle and went with.... The to do list doesn't seem to be getting shorter though! Andy Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Topcat_Ern Posted May 25 Author Share Posted May 25 (edited) Calling it job done. It might not win "Sturmtiger 2024" but I like it. Maintained my no PE, no cross kitting, no conversion sets and used imagination and very few bits from the spares box. Made a nice change from OOB building or tweaking a kit. A few ideas didn't work because the scale is so small, so in the end didn't worry and tried something else instead. LIke, a little winch and a strap for loading projectiles, binned as too small and too fiddly and more importantly, CA'd to my finger! And ended up with this. So, it is possible to turn a Tiger Starter Kit into a Sturmtiger. A lot of fun and a lot of head scratching at places, deciding on how a component could be fabricated. Andy Edited May 25 by Topcat_Ern 4 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jopres57 Posted May 25 Share Posted May 25 Top work and a first class finish. You managed to make it look non too difficult so a few others might be tempted to try some old style conversions. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Grumps123 Posted May 26 Share Posted May 26 Great job, like it. 🙂 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sailorman Posted May 28 Share Posted May 28 Great job! 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
paul71 Posted May 29 Share Posted May 29 nice build shows what can be done with these kits 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Topcat_Ern Posted June 24 Author Share Posted June 24 Found another one of the starter sets in the stash (must keep a spreadsheet)! Thought I'd modify it with zimmerit and see how far I could make it look a late version Tiger. Have to come up with a solution for mimicking the steel wheels yet. Anyways, zimmerit for this scale takes a bit of patience I have discovered. Decided upon Army Painter Green Stuff and do it stages to allow to cure otherwise a nice thumb print appears on an opposing side!. Only used about 1 cm in total of the Green Stuff. The moulded on shovel had to go from the front plate but so far no other additions or subtractions. Will have to see how it looks after airbrushing but encouraging thus far. Andy 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Topcat_Ern Posted June 25 Author Share Posted June 25 Steel wheels; no cross kitting, so I thought it wasn't a cheat to borrow one from a king tiger kit and make an impression in green stuff. And then take a rubbing with aluminium foil, cut out, turn over and glue to road wheels. Now to let dry and paint and see the result as it looks a bit ropey at the moment! Andy Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Topcat_Ern Posted June 25 Author Share Posted June 25 Can't call this one a conversion, a modification to a Tiger Late Version more like. Headlight on glacis, steel wheels and zimmerit for our starter kit. Added a fire extinguisher and tow shackles and jumbled the numbers on the decal sheet. So it is possible to turn a Tiger Starter Kit into any version of Tiger. Definitely fun to do if not time consuming. Now, when are Lidl restocking?! Andy 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
modeling maniac Posted June 25 Share Posted June 25 Looks good topcat Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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