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Another update to this saga. I decided against using the jerry cans from the kit as all of the detail is moulded on and to remove it would be a chore and cause too much damage. So I used the ones from the Dragon M50/%1 kits. The strapping around the can is thin strips of pewter foil with buckles from the Voyager set threaded on.

 

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Pioneer tools in place using Voyager etched parts. Still can't understand why Tamiya omitted to include them in the kit when they are so prominent.

 

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Oil Storage Case with added etched brass. Instead of using the kit's plastic handle, I made one from soft brass wire and filled the holes in the door with CA glue. This is an IDF added item as it's not present on T-55's. To the left of the box is a spare track link stored on the rear track guard along with a bracket to hold it in place.

 

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The large stowage bin on the rear of the hull (another IDF addition) is fine, but could do with some upgrading. All along the top of the rear are a load of tie down points and again these came from the Voyager set. The sides are more than twice the thickness of what they should be, so using the kit parts as patterns, I made new ones from thin card and detailed them with new washers and bolt heads (arrowed in red). Also in this shot is the replacement brass bracket that sits on the rear track guard and is bolted to the hull with another bracket. I made this from card and detailed it with bolt heads (arrowed in yellow).

 

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Final item in this update is a look into the stowage bin and at the far end fixed to the hull rear, are the gun cleaning rods made from 40thou rod and held in place with brass channel sections.

 

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Back in a few days time. Thanks for looking.

 

John.

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I will not how the people like you can make the stuff so easy. I'll have a problem with standard PE parts not even mention scratch. 

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2 hours ago, FrancisGL said:

Amazing your sight and talent for scratch ...very well done :popcorn:, cheers John

Thanks Francis. Much appreciated.

 

John.

1 hour ago, Kris B said:

I will not how the people like you can make the stuff so easy. I'll have a problem with standard PE parts not even mention scratch. 

Many thanks Kris. If only it was easy. But It's getting there.

 

John.

52 minutes ago, clive_t said:

Yet more superb detailing, amazing stuff John :yes:

 

John.

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  • 2 weeks later...

Each time I post some progress on this build, it appears to me that not a lot has been done. Unfortunately, this is one of those builds that has a myriad of etched brass parts which are fiddly to say the least. The parts for the engine deck are from the Voyager set. I must say that the fit of these parts was spot on. Originally, I was going to use the kit part for the rearmost intakes, but in the end, I used the etched parts and I'm glad that I did as they are much finer. The only part missing from the engine deck is the wading frame. I need to source some suitable material for this, possibly some brass, as when I tried to fabricate it from strips of plastic card, the bolt holes that I drilled all around it completely distorted it.

 

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I replaced some of the kit parts on the right rear track guard with etched parts and plastic card. The inverted U shaped bracket on top of the small box is solid, so I drilled the end and then squared off the hole with a sharp pointed scalpel blade. Incidentally, all of the etched brass triangular strengthening brackets for the track guards that I used to replace the kit items, came from the Blast Models fender and fuel tank set for the T-55.

 

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One job that I wasn't looking forward to but really needed addressing, was the fuel pipes. They are such a prominent feature of the T-54/55 tanks, that it wouldn't look right without them. The Blast Models set supplies soft brass wire for the job which I think is about .5mm. My original intention was to use the replacement fuel tanks from the set which have the connectors moulded on, but these have to be drilled to accept the brass wire. My first attempt using a .4mm drill bit ended with the connector splitting, so I thought that there was no chance of me being able to do it with a .5mm bit. So I decided to use the kit's tanks and wrap pewter foil around the pipes to represent the connectors. As can be seen from the photo, the bends in the wire are many and in all directions.

 

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……...and this is them in position on the two side by side rear tanks. There are still some etched anchoring brackets to be added to the fuel tanks and a few bolt heads.

 

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……..and this is the forward fuel tank with the fuel lines in place. Just a couple more things to add to the hull and then it'll be finished and I can move onto the turret.

 

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Probably won't be any more for a while as I'm off to Blighty for a concert. Thanks for looking.

 

John.

 

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To answer some questions, the sheet between the fenders was, as far as I remember, a "splash guard" for the driver. Water as well as bullets. Crafty Soviet engineering you know.  

 

The tabs on the fenders are fittings which allow the fenders to be locked in the "up" position while servicing the idler, adjusting track tension. It's been 45 years but that's how I remember these things.

 

G

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1 hour ago, AgentG said:

To answer some questions, the sheet between the fenders was, as far as I remember, a "splash guard" for the driver. Water as well as bullets. Crafty Soviet engineering you know.  

 

The tabs on the fenders are fittings which allow the fenders to be locked in the "up" position while servicing the idler, adjusting track tension. It's been 45 years but that's how I remember these things.

 

G

Thanks G for the answers. I had a feeling that the first one had something to do with that , but I wasn't sure as it doesn't seem to be able to be lowered. Did you have something to do with these tanks 45 years ago then?

 

John.

1 hour ago, FrancisGL said:

Very detailed job, super-look, cheers mate :D

Thanks Francis.

 

John.

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38 minutes ago, Kris B said:

Excellent job. 

 

17 minutes ago, robgizlu said:

Well worth the effort and looking very effective

Rob

Thanks to both of you for the comments. Much appreciated.

 

John.

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Hi John. Just been catching up and discovering you've had a whol load of impressive detail work going on. Very nice! :worthy:

Kind regards,

Stix

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34 minutes ago, PlaStix said:

Hi John. Just been catching up and discovering you've had a whol load of impressive detail work going on. Very nice! :worthy:

Kind regards,

Stix

Hi Stix. Thanks very much. I think that this is the most detailed (and longest) build that I've ever done. Still, it's getting there.

 

John.

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