activexp Posted October 1, 2014 Share Posted October 1, 2014 This BTR-80A from Zvezda is like the curate's egg, good in parts. One virtue is the low cost so I thought it would make a suitable subject for attempting weathering effects. If I make a mess of it, it's no great loss! The two halves of the hull are quite well moulded, no flash or warpage. The suspension and steering took a bit of figuring out as the the two front axles are linked together so that all four wheels turn in unison. Some progress on the hull. The hatch and the assembly below it was not a good fit and drawn incorrectly in the instructions. Some guess work was required. There are a large number of grab handles and rails which need extreme care in removing from the sprues. The ones in the photo are the longest with a crazy number of injection points and is an example of the bad aspects of this kit. I'm not confident of successful removal! First attempt at weathering tyres. More to follow. Thanks for looking. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
activexp Posted October 3, 2014 Author Share Posted October 3, 2014 A little more progress.......... Thanks for looking. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RichO Posted October 4, 2014 Share Posted October 4, 2014 Come on! We want to see you run that whole thing through the mud! 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
activexp Posted October 5, 2014 Author Share Posted October 5, 2014 Come on! We want to see you run that whole thing through the mud! Patience, patience. All will be revealed real soon now Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
activexp Posted October 6, 2014 Author Share Posted October 6, 2014 OK, here are some dirty photos as promised This is just the first stage of weathering, the inner wheel rims still need some dirt before moving on to the upper hull. I used the baking powder method for the clumpy mud effect. The tyres are black plastic, not rubber and the wrong shape judging by photos of the real thing. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
activexp Posted October 7, 2014 Author Share Posted October 7, 2014 Moved on to the turret, an irksome SOB due to many small parts which don't fit particularly well. However the end result is satisfactory, or will be after painting and weathering. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RichO Posted October 7, 2014 Share Posted October 7, 2014 Nice mub! I like to use the baking powder also, you can get some nice effects. To bad about the grab handles. You could always make new ones from copper wire tho. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
activexp Posted October 8, 2014 Author Share Posted October 8, 2014 Nice mub! I like to use the baking powder also, you can get some nice effects. To bad about the grab handles. You could always make new ones from copper wire tho. Yep, I attempted to cut the hand rails off the sprue but as expected they got damaged beyond repair and made some out of wire Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
activexp Posted October 9, 2014 Author Share Posted October 9, 2014 Here's a pic of the replacement wire hand rails. It all looks a bit messy at this stage Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
activexp Posted October 12, 2014 Author Share Posted October 12, 2014 A little more progress on the turret. Next up, a little more weathering before moving on to the hull. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fleet Posted October 22, 2014 Share Posted October 22, 2014 I've got this kit stashed away somewhere half built.. I had a lot of trouble with the handrails as well, in hindsight i should've used a pair of cutting pliers to remove them from the sprue, alas too late for that now.I'm loving the mud effect as well, keep up the great work Ben 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
activexp Posted October 22, 2014 Author Share Posted October 22, 2014 I've got this kit stashed away somewhere half built.. I had a lot of trouble with the handrails as well, in hindsight i should've used a pair of cutting pliers to remove them from the sprue, alas too late for that now. I'm loving the mud effect as well, keep up the great work Ben Thanks Ben. Yeah those hand rails are a real pig. I've posted pics of the finished model on 'Ready for Inspection' Steve Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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