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Bolt Action - Review: Tiger I (Early) by Die Waffenkammer

Posted by Steven MacLauchlan Labels: 28mm, BA Review, Bolt Action, Die Waffenkammer, Germans, JTFM Enterprises
On a total whim, I had Steven order a Tiger I (Early Production) from Die Waffenkammer.  At the time, Black Tree Design was having another 50% off sale, so I decided to make a German army for Bolt Action on the cheap!  My 29th has to have someone to fight, right?  So, I ordered a bunch of Infantry and decided to pitch in with Steven and get a Tiger from Die Waffenkammer.  Let's check it out!

There was a very impressive level of packing -- everything was bubble wrapped and really, really secure.  The model comes in all white plastic-y resin (I forgot to take a picture) with a ton of stowage and extras.  I declined to add any of these, as I wanted to get the tank painted and see how it looked first -- I can always add things to the model.  I was  a little concerned that the gun was plastic as well, but it turned out fine.

I spent very little time cleaning flash and was VERY impressed with the level of detail on this model.  The tracks are particularly impressive, with deep recesses and very little deformation. I decided that I wanted to go for a battle-worn look, similar to my other Bolt Action vehicles.  This thing is early production and has survived for quite a while, eh?  I really wanted to go the extra mile and use some of my pigments to get a really filthy look.  I especially wanted to get a nice rust look, as I have never really gotten that to look right with pigments. I went for quite a bit of chipping and wear.  I don't really like to have the rust red primer show through, as I think it gets lost on the model.  I also declined to use a white outline in the chips, as I think that looks a little cartoon-like in 1/56th. Above, you see my rust effect.  I am moderately pleased with it.  I did use alcohol to fix the pigments this time, and that seems to have done better than mineral spirits. I am particularly pleased with the right-side tracks and wheels.  Unseen in the picture is a little bit of bare metal shining through on the outsides of the wheels.  I tried to replicate this look on the left-side track, but I don't think I did a particularly good job.  Oh well, I am still learning how to use the pigments. For decals, I used Company B.  I may go back and add some unit decals later, but for now I am going to let this model sit a while before returning for any upgrades.

Conclusion:  10/10
I REALLY like this model.  It came packed well, lots of options, great details and assembled really easily.  I think this thing looks great.

One thing I HOPE you didn't notice was my re-paint of several sections.  I failed to follow this prep advice on the web site and ended up with some severe bubbling of the paint after using a Gloss Varnish spray can.  In most areas, I used some thinner and a pencil eraser to smooth out the bubbles fine.  However, I had to cut off about 1/2 of both the front hull deck and about the same amount from the turret and repaint/repair.  So, I learned a very valuable lesson:  When getting a model from a new manufacturer, go read their web site for any special advice and instructions.