Weathering Tiger 1 Rc Tank

Hello, In this project, I will make weathering on Tiger 1 rc tank 1/16 scale from Heng Long. This tank is well known in WW2. This time it will be more complex in cutting, drilling, and bending plastic, still not too difficult to make. It fun and looks realistic to the scale model. The step is simple and basic and easy to do. The result looks great. Let’s begin.

Supplies that you need to do Weathering Tiger 1’s project.

1. Heng Long Tiger 1 rc tank (Or Other models)

2. Arcylic paints, (White, Black, brown), paint tray, water spray, and paint brushes different sizes.

3. Spray paints (Surface primer red-brown, gray, matt white, and matt black), (If you want to be correct in color, need to buy Tamiya’s spray color). Also metal iron paint, rust activator.

4. Heat gun, Dremel tools, Power Drill, Hair dryer, Hair spray, Masking tape, and paper tower.

First I need to disassembly the Tiger 1 rc tank by unscrew at the bottom of the tank, it should be about 6 screws. I took the turret’s piece (top part) and the upper hull, lower hull with wheels (bottom part), then disconnected the wires ports. Next I remove the wheels and use masking tape, tape at the edge of the wheels and it should be ready for paint. Then I use the dremel to cut the track covers, at this point it need to be preside and cut in a straight line. I just make cut a little bit off on both sides. Now I drill the small holes different sizes around the tank, exhaust pipes, when I drill, I sometime drill at the angle, so the holes will look a bit bigger. Then I use heat gun to heat the plastic, don’t put the heat gun directly in one place the plastic will melt (The shape of the object will not be the same) , try to do a little of the time, when the plastic soften, I bend the fender track’s cover to replicated the twisted metal that been hit by something. Make sure look over on both sides.

Then prepare the Tiger 1 for paint, I use alcohol to clean of the grease and dust. At first I spray paint surface primer (red -brown) to the turret, upper hull, and all wheels of the tank. After it dry, I use hair spray to spray cover the turret, upper hull, and all wheels of the tank, at least twice. Let it dry, now I spray light gray color to the turret, upper hull, and all wheels, the lower hull, I paint dark brown to represent the wet mud. Then for the turret, upper hull, and all wheels, I scrub with the dish sponge on the edges and some large areas that I think the paint will fated off and also all of the wheels. Next I use hair spray to spray cover the turret, upper hull, and all wheels of the tank again, let it dry and spray white paint, let it dry. I scrub with the dish sponge on the edges and some large areas that I think the paint will fated off again. Now I hand paint acrylic color (white, black, and red) the decal and numbers on the turret. Next I assemble the tank, so that I can see what I should adjust to make it look better. I want to make the rust to the wheels, the tank need to lean on it side, that is the easy way to paint, you can control the paint more easy.

For the weathering detail, for the wheels, I use scotch brite sponge rub around the inner wheels, so that the red- brown will show as rusted and rub off all the edges of the tank, usually these areas are rusted first. After that I mix metal iron paint with water apply around the lower edge that should be rusted in some area all side of the tank. I look around the tank, if some area need more rust to make it look realistic. Last apply rust activator to the area that already applies metal iron paint to grove on the tank, the bullet holes, the twisted metal, the back end of the tank, the nuts and bolts, some panels will have rust. Wait for a day the rust will appear. For the exhaust pipe, and all wheels, I paint black, just look like the oil leaked. Last thing, I look around the tank and paint more in some area and I use sand paper to rub on the turret and upper hull to represent the scratch from tree, house, and building, just to make it looks realistic. It looks real and it run or can be a show piece as well.

Thanks