WHITE HUNTER, RED HEART, ISU-152 ZVEZDA *UPGRADE*

[FrancisGL]

Hi all, I have been able to see with the passage of time, some examples of ISU-152 kits in the forum, with metal tracks, and I must admit without hesitation, specifically in this particular model, are an added "almost obliged ".

 

Even more, when the quality of the track that the kit brings (Zvezda), is quite" crude ".

 

Modestly, I think the kit I completed, seems to have been very well received (kindly) by many forum members.

 

This has made me reconsider the idea of upgrading the kit with some extras ...

 

The main and more than obvious and necessary, are the "dreaded" by expensive metal tracks, and then, at the heart of the question, a metal cannon, a few drag cables and a few ammo cartridges ... that do not suppose an overpayment, but sure to be a good addition.

 

I have been able to find these tracks, at a "reasonable" price (remember that the kit is worth less than the tracks ... grrrr), but by saving the shipping costs, I think it's worth it, and always, if you do not like it was, you already have them ready for another better kit in the future ...looks good, isn`t?

 

 

 

 

My first metal tracks , a lot of work to do....

Thx for watch and comments as always,  cheers mates.

 

Here the link to new RIP

http://www.britmodeller.com/forums/index.php?/forum/278-ready-for-inspection-armour/&do=add

Edited August 26, 2017 by FrancisGL

[Gremlin56]

Looks interesting Francis, patience needed here. I find that using a drill to clean out the holes in the track links before inserting the wire "pins" can make life a lot easier when assembling the tracks. Also leave the pins slightly longer than necessary when fitting and glueing: gives you something to grip if you need to remove the pin. When glue has set and everything moving properly you can snip off the ends quite easily.

[FrancisGL]

6 hours ago, Gremlin56 said:

Looks interesting Francis, patience needed here. I find that using a drill to clean out the holes in the track links before inserting the wire "pins" can make life a lot easier when assembling the tracks. Also leave the pins slightly longer than necessary when fitting and glueing: gives you something to grip if you need to remove the pin. When glue has set and everything moving properly you can snip of the ends quite easily.

 

Many thanks for the good advice on how to mount these tracks, I have been watching on Youtube some clips about this, but your info is concise and clear, from someone who has done it before, which makes it doubly valuable.

By the way, I once logged in, I do not see the link for "I like". you can see it?...

Cheers Julian

 

 

[Gremlin56]

No, had some trouble logging in as well this afternoon, maybe some problems with the site?

[Hewy]

I don't envy you with those tracks francis  you'll need the patience of a saint there, of course it will take the model to the next level though

Glynn

[FrancisGL]

14 hours ago, Hewy said:

I don't envy you with those tracks francis  you'll need the patience of a saint there, of course it will take the model to the next level though

Glynn

 

You are right, and I seriously put them together, and auqnue in principle, seems simple, small problems arise every now and then, and above all, I have pricked several times ... grrr.
Is it normal to gentleman's parts ??

Many thabks for your interest, cheers Hewy

Edited August 1, 2017 by FrancisGL

[razzie43]

"i like" just works like before

click the white heart in right corner below.

 

Hey francis,don't forget the superglue on those wires!!

[Oliver70]

Hello Francis, that was really a good idea to spice up your fabulous ISU with some better parts.

 

But, is this really the correct set of tracks? AFAIK the ISU-152 is based on a different chassis, the same as IS-2 and IS-3 tanks.

The tracks are built for KV-1 and SU-152 (not ISU) and therefore refer to the Voroshilov tank drive train.

 

They definitely had different sprocket wheels.

 

If you look at tracks from Master Club (MTL-35026, MTL-35028) and Friul (ATL-10, ATL-14, ATL-34), you might notice that they indeed make a difference there.

I hope you can avoid any kind of disappointment, maybe you can double-check this at home.

 

P.S.

And concerning the application of superglue: Kudos to the other gentlemen, and sometimes "less is more" 

[FrancisGL]

On 3/8/2017 at 18:46, razzie43 said:

"i like" just works like before

click the white heart in right corner below.

 

Hey francis,don't forget the superglue on those wires!!

 

Thanks for the warning, Razzie, I'm still not beating them, in case I'm wrong with the length, although some have already left ...

Cheers mate 

[FrancisGL]

11 hours ago, Oliver70 said:

Hello Francis, that was really a good idea to spice up your fabulous ISU with some better parts.

 

But, is this really the correct set of tracks? AFAIK the ISU-152 is based on a different chassis, the same as IS-2 and IS-3 tanks.

The tracks are built for KV-1 and SU-152 (not ISU) and therefore refer to the Voroshilov tank drive train.

 

They definitely had different sprocket wheels.

 

If you look at tracks from Master Club (MTL-35026, MTL-35028) and Friul (ATL-10, ATL-14, ATL-34), you might notice that they indeed make a difference there.

I hope you can avoid any kind of disappointment, maybe you can double-check this at home.

 

P.S.

And concerning the application of superglue: Kudos to the other gentlemen, and sometimes "less is more" 

 

You are quite right, Oliver, the box, you can clearly see, that they serve for the KV1s, SU-85, and SU-152s.
But seeing the drawing of the track, even at the risk of making mistakes, they seem to be the same as those of the JSs.

As for teammate Clive, with his M3 project, I see that I'm going to have problems with the rear wheel adjustment, because it probably will not fit as it should ...

I decided for this set, in addition to that there is no more "exact" of this mark, because it is really difficult to get the Friuls ...

For now, they look really good ...

 

Thank you very much for the warning.

 

Cheers Oliver 

[Oliver70]

3 hours ago, FrancisGL said:

 

You are quite right, Oliver, the box, you can clearly see, that they serve for the KV1s, SU-85, and SU-152s.
But seeing the drawing of the track, even at the risk of making mistakes, they seem to be the same as those of the JSs.

 

I'm sorry, of course, I did not want to raise a "false alarm".

I did a little bit of further research - The tracks seems to be okay. Those seem to be of the "650mm OMSH" type. Although there is a different sprocket wheel on the KV/SU series, the general track geometry will probably fit to all "big" soviet armour of that time. And along with all that friendly track sag, one can always compensate for some 2-3 millimeters. 

 

Maybe I got a little bit too nervous about that.

But imho it's always better to be proven wrong than having an expensive little heap of scrap metal on the workbench, isn't it.

 

Good luck, wish you all the best for that overhaul, Francis!
 

[FrancisGL]

5 hours ago, Oliver70 said:

 

I'm sorry, of course, I did not want to raise a "false alarm".

I did a little bit of further research - The tracks seems to be okay. Those seem to be of the "650mm OMSH" type. Although there is a different sprocket wheel on the KV/SU series, the general track geometry will probably fit to all "big" soviet armour of that time. And along with all that friendly track sag, one can always compensate for some 2-3 millimeters. 

 

Maybe I got a little bit too nervous about that.

But imho it's always better to be proven wrong than having an expensive little heap of scrap metal on the workbench, isn't it.

 

Good luck, wish you all the best for that overhaul, Francis!
 

 

You do not have to apologize Oliver, I thank you very much for your interest and info.
Now I have no choice but to move forward, I think if I'm going to have problems with the rear adjustment, I'll match my teeth with the holes, in fact if I had the rear wheel set it would have been great ... but ... on End as I commented at the beginning of the topic, if I do not use this one, I will look for another "beast" ... lol.

[FrancisGL]

UPDATE 2:

 

 

Hi mates

A little progress with the tracks, after "fighting" with them, and improvising the technique, with some trial error, I have a finished.

 

In the process, the Zveroboi has lost some small pieces, which I will paste again when I finish.

 

I removed the barrel, without breaking it (fortunately), just in case, and the fuel tanks, which I think I will leave them removed, because they are not very good either.

 

In the background you can see the model, in a pitiful state ... poor.

 

The machine gun also "flew", and the original vinyl tracks were very difficult to remove, without destroying the whole kit, because they were secured with AC glue, and there were pins inserted in the sides to simulate the sag of the tracks.

 

I think I took pictures of the old tracks to compare with these metal, but I do not know where I have the photos, sorry.

Once you put them to the side, the difference is monumental ...

A difficult problem to solve, was the cleaning of the rollers, so that they cleaned, and so could enter the cog of the metal tracks, it cost me almost as much as a complete track, so I ended up breaking some in the process.

 

And the pricncipal prioblem, the rear wheel, which is not exactly as it should ... really, what happens, is that it is a bit narrower, so the track does not just enter, and therefore, to holes in the teeth.

 

Check the plane of ISU-152, and I saw that the rear wheel is composed of more than one piece, so I decided to disassemble (another headache), and glue between socks and rim that would make it a millimeter wider.

 

With that arrangement, the teeth already fit well, and where they are, they will hardly see (weathering will help ...)

 

I have removed some links, because I think excessive the fall of the track, although I did the number that indicated the box ...

 

I have tried for the first time, the fluid to treat metal tracks, the MIG brand, and I was not surprised too much, because the tone they were taking, it was towards the leaden black, and not the rusty brown that we like so much ... although I do not know if it's normal, the weathering I fix it (I'll take care of myself ... lol).

 

First track finished, whole sandbox, IHMO not too bad at all...

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Thanks for watch and comments, cheers mates 

 

[Kris B]

Now, when the model has those good looking "slippers" I hope you not leave it like that and finish it. 

[Oliver70]

Well, what a happy coincidence that you could indeed "borrow" the method to fix that drive sprocket wheel from Clive's current M3 build. Congratulations, Francis!

Those AK tracks show a beautiful detail and there is even a very fine "split link gap". Did you also experience the nice sensation, when all of a sudden the links just "fall" in their right place when you pull them over the return rollers? What a pretty, all-natural track sag...

 

And since you already mentioned the difference (and what a huge one it is!) from the Original Zvezda parts, maybe you would like to join my "Gentlemen Modeller's Guild for the Disrespectful Treatment of Vinyl Tracks", GMGDTVT... 

 

Good luck with the next steps of your restoration project, and have fun bringing the beautiful beast back to her old glory.

[Hewy]

A step up for sure, looking really good

[FrancisGL]

13 hours ago, Kris B said:

Now, when the model has those good looking "slippers" I hope you not leave it like that and finish it. 

You have all the right, your new "sneakers" are a joy, more compared to the ones brought by the kit ... do not worry, although when removing the old tracks I almost sent it to the "paradise", as several fell pieces and others were split.  
I think modestly that it's looking good, which makes me think I'll end up if or if ...

Cheers Kris 

[FrancisGL]

9 hours ago, Oliver70 said:

Well, what a happy coincidence that you could indeed "borrow" the method to fix that drive sprocket wheel from Clive's current M3 build. Congratulations, Francis!

Those AK tracks show a beautiful detail and there is even a very fine "split link gap". Did you also experience the nice sensation, when all of a sudden the links just "fall" in their right place when you pull them over the return rollers? What a pretty, all-natural track sag...

 

And since you already mentioned the difference (and what a huge one it is!) from the Original Zvezda parts, maybe you would like to join my "Gentlemen Modeller's Guild for the Disrespectful Treatment of Vinyl Tracks", GMGDTVT... 

 

Good luck with the next steps of your restoration project, and have fun bringing the beautiful beast back to her old glory.

Thanks a lot for your kind comments, you are also right, as Gremlin56 (Julian) said, with a hand drill, before, review the holes of each link (I almost die of boredom ... lol), but then the Wires enter very well, and make the links fall by their weight, a sign that they are going to be saggys, a joy ...

 

The Brotherhood that you mention, nowadays, is more than obligatory membership, because with all the add-ons that are available to us, vinyl tracks will always be the last option (even so Tamiya, IHMO, I think still have a quality more than acceptable ...).

 

Cheers Oliver 

4 hours ago, Hewy said:

A step up for sure, looking really good

Many thanks for your lkind comments, cheers Hewy 

[FrancisGL]

Thanks for your like Corsairfoxfouruncle, cheers mate 

[Etienne]

Hello Francis,

 

the metal tracks make this model more real indeed ... worth the time spent on assembling them but seems you made a very good job !!

 

Plus they are nicely weathered, very realistic 

 

E 

[Bullbasket]

As far as the tanks and SPG's that the Soviets produced are concerned, metal tracks win every time over the kit's vinyl offerings. It was already looking good, but the new tracks have made a big improvement.

 

John. 

[Oliver70]

4 hours ago, FrancisGL said:

... with a hand drill, before, review the holes of each link (I almost die of boredom ... lol), but then the Wires enter very well, and make the links fall by their weight, a sign that they are going to be saggys, a joy ...

 

Yes, I meant exactly that! It works best if the two links move really smooth against each other, like a good hinge.

It's a tedious precise work that requires attention to detail, but it delivers results.

 

My pretty little herd of T-34 acknowledges this and gives a thumbs-up, too. 

 

 

[FrancisGL]

22 hours ago, Etienne said:

Hello Francis,

 

the metal tracks make this model more real indeed ... worth the time spent on assembling them but seems you made a very good job !!

 

Plus they are nicely weathered, very realistic 

 

E 

 

Thanks for your like and your kind comments, i'm glad you like it, cheers Etienne 

[FrancisGL]

22 hours ago, Bullbasket said:

As far as the tanks and SPG's that the Soviets produced are concerned, metal tracks win every time over the kit's vinyl offerings. It was already looking good, but the new tracks have made a big improvement.

 

John. 

 

You're right, The tracks of these vehicles are massive (better for me .... lol), and it is very easy at this scale to see the mistakes or successes they have in their design.

Cheers John 

[FrancisGL]

20 hours ago, Oliver70 said:

 

Yes, I meant exactly that! It works best if the two links move really smooth against each other, like a good hinge.

It's a tedious precise work that requires attention to detail, but it delivers results.

 

My pretty little herd of T-34 acknowledges this and gives a thumbs-up, too. 

 

Many thanks for your interest Oliver, 

I have a T-34 in "dry dock" waiting for some attention from me (of the same type more or less than the ISU-152).

Cheers Oliver