specky Posted April 9, 2016 Share Posted April 9, 2016 (edited) Hi everyone. Having 'overdosed' on aircraft recently, I'm keen to try something a little different and since it seems like forever since I last dabbled in 1/35 and even longer since I even so much as looked at armour, post '45, this seems like the perfect excuse! Due to my woeful lack of intelligence on post war Soviet armour and my total inability to ever find what I'm looking for on the internet, to ensure compliance with the rules, I'm wheeling out this 'golden oldie'..... ....which was for years, apparently, the best injection moulded option in 1/35 Despite having been thoroughly 'blown out of the water' by the recent family of T-72's by Trumpeter, I remain 'twitchy' about their high parts count kits having burnt my fingers on their 1/72 Famo and 1/35 Railgun in the past, so for the sake of my eyesight and sanity, the comparatively simplified, but much more 'builder friendly' Tamiya version is the one for me Some 'after market' will make an appearance.... ....but only where it genuinely makes a difference. I have no interest in replacing perfectly serviceable plastic with PE, just because its on the fret - it will have to earn the right to cause me the inevitable aggravation! I'm sure I say it every time, or at least think it. but its worth saying again - I am really looking forward to this! Craig Edited May 2, 2016 by specky 10 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
vppelt68 Posted April 9, 2016 Share Posted April 9, 2016 Tas-tee choice! 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Col. Posted April 10, 2016 Share Posted April 10, 2016 I'm looking forward to it as well 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PaulR Posted April 10, 2016 Share Posted April 10, 2016 With you on the parts count issue. I am now actively put off by large parts counts even if its technically more accurate - would rather have simplicity! Look forward to the finished article! 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SleeperService Posted April 19, 2016 Share Posted April 19, 2016 A change is as good as a rest! I know where you're coming from with huge complexity overload. Strangely though if I choose to add extra detail it isn't a chore... I hope it goes well. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
specky Posted April 23, 2016 Author Share Posted April 23, 2016 Hi everyone, so, with the bench now cleared of on going builds, I can crack on with this - finally! Despite being tooled nearly 25 years ago.... ...this is still everything I would expect from the big T - no sink marks, no flash, no short shots, barely visible joint lines and only about 200 parts..... ....as opposed to more than 1200 for the new Trumpeter version, although, to be fair, a fair chunk of that high count is individual track links and PE. Some duplication of parts between Eduard and Airwaves, but not enough to trouble me and I really do like the look of the gun barrel Inspired by 'noeyedears' build of a Challenger over on Made In Britain, I'm planning a Czechoslavakian machine that has just finished an exercise and so shows a bit of wear and is a bit grubby. Dependant on how it looks in 'Olive Drab 2' - what ever the hell that is - I may end up covering it in a winter whitewash, just for something a bit different! Cheers for now Craig 4 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CliffB Posted April 24, 2016 Share Posted April 24, 2016 That's a great looking selction of bits Cliff Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fatfingers Posted April 24, 2016 Share Posted April 24, 2016 Always fancied one of these. Looks like a nice kit. Watching with interest. Regards Steve Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMP2 Posted April 24, 2016 Share Posted April 24, 2016 I do wish people would stop tempting me with armoury things. That does look nice, especially the barrel - rather a shame to paint it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
specky Posted April 26, 2016 Author Share Posted April 26, 2016 Hi everyone, so, I'm up and running...but at a rather pedestrian rate - its taken longer than anticipated to get my '1/35' head on after more than a decade away from the scale/subject. Suspension arms fitted, wheels popped on (with poly caps) and a general mock-up shows that thanks to the combination of low profile, large-ish wheels and deep skirts, almost nothing of the hull sides is visible under the track guards, so no need to sweat too much about 'weathering' there. With this kit, that's pretty much all the assembly on the lower hull done, but everything still 'loose', ready for paint. Just about visible, is some 'wear' on the road wheel tyres - so that's me committed now to something that's recently seen a bit of hard use! Made a start with the PE, which is great in this scale because most of the parts are big enough to solder together! This is one of the 'un-ditching' log brackets and straps. The kit plastic 'log' with be replaced with a bit of tree, when I find something the right diameter. However, I do find myself in a bit of a dilemma regarding the fuel drum cradles and brackets... ....although the PE looks nice, it threatens to be the most fragile assembly in the history of the world, so I may spend a little time trying to refine the plastic, using the PE as a pattern and see how it looks before committing myself More to come Craig 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Col. Posted April 29, 2016 Share Posted April 29, 2016 Nice work there so far Craig 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alan P Posted April 30, 2016 Share Posted April 30, 2016 Nice work! Looks like a nice kit as well. Al Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CliffB Posted April 30, 2016 Share Posted April 30, 2016 Your treatment of the PE looks excellent so far Cliff Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
specky Posted May 2, 2016 Author Share Posted May 2, 2016 Hi everyone. So ...now I'm beginning to remember why I drifted away from this scale/subject all those years ago - trying to attach tiny bits of PE to plastic by nothing more than a butt-joint is, quite literally, a pain in the butt! Some progress has been made, and this is by no means all of it..... ...but it is painfully slow and spectacularly frustrating. An 'out of the box' build would have been virtually finished by now, but this kit is from an era when fine detail was in rather short supply and since it does benefit immensely from every extra part that goes on, I'm reluctant to just give up with the 'improvement program'. The plan now is to by-pass build #2 (another AFV) and jump straight into #3, whilst continuing to potter about with this in the back ground. So, updates as and when there is something worth sharing! Cheers for now Craig 4 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Skids Posted May 2, 2016 Share Posted May 2, 2016 (edited) Not a big AFV fan but that is looking a bit nice, love the PE stuff Edited May 2, 2016 by Skids Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Col. Posted May 3, 2016 Share Posted May 3, 2016 That update was definitely worth sharing Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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