T-34/76 Turrets RFI

[Rangerboy83]

Looking at building Zvezda T34/76. Apparently it’s a good kit out the box. Missing the cast detail on the turret. So was thinking of just replacing the turret for a after market one. I just want to check with someone who knows about this stuff if the resin turret im looking at getting is the right one. An what’s the crack with grab handles. The kit has grab handles but the resin turret doesn't. Can anyone help?

 

 

 

 

Edited January 12, 2020 by Rangerboy83

[Bullbasket]

Grab handles probably not included because cast ones in resin would be very weak. It just means that you'll have to drill it yourself and make new ones from brass wire. They'll be a lot stronger.

 

John.

[Kingsman]

The top one of the 2 Panzer Art turrets would be a direct replacement for the kit turret.  Uralmash is the post-Soviet name for the factory that was called UZTM duriing WW2, Ural Heavy Machinery Building Plant (WW2 name) at Yekaterinberg. So the kit factory and the Panzer Art factory are one and the same.

 

The grab handles varied in design by model and factory.  Some were bent rod, some were straight rod with end brackets.  Not sure that all factories and variants had them.  However, AFAIK UZTM used the straight rod type with little end brackets as shown here. Relatively simple to make.

 

 

[Aardvark]

8 hours ago, Das Abteilung said:

Uralmash is the post-Soviet name for the factory that was called UZTM duriing WW2, Ural Heavy Machinery Building Plant (WW2 name) at Yekaterinberg.

"In 1971, by order of the Ministry of Heavy Engineering, Uralmashzavod entered the production association as the parent enterprise of Uralmash Production Association (ПО "Уралмаш")."

Thus, according to Russian Wikipedia, the name Uralmash first appeared in the Soviet era in 1971.

Most likely in this way the popular name was legalized.  The fact is that constantly talking

"Ural Heavy Machinery Building"

(as well as writing in business correspondence) is hard enough, so there could be an unofficial name Uralmash, 

because, for example, you are unlikely to hear in conversation "I work on "Robert Bosch Gesellschaft mit beschränkter Haftung" factory", 

usually say "I work on Bosch factory", as also some residents Yekaterinburg

do not say the full name of the city but shorten it as "Joburg", which by the way was from 1924 to 1991 Sverdlovsk city.

 

On 1/12/2020 at 1:47 PM, Rangerboy83 said:

Of course I don’t understand anything in the T-34, but in my city have T-34-76 with similar Turret

if You need any details of this tank, I can take photos for You.

 

B.R.

Serge

[Rangerboy83]

Thanks everyone for getting back to me on this. Don’t have much of a clue on Russian Armour. That’s a great help and learned something too. 👍

[Bozothenutter]

T-34 turrets...oh man!

a minefield in itself...

there are many, many variation, end even variations within variation.

 

this is a good place to start: http://www.4bogreen.com/

 

https://web.archive.org/web/20070929174953/http://www.museum-t-34.ru/en/

http://www.operationbarbarossa.net/the-t-34-in-wwii-the-legend-vs-the-performance/

 

this is supposed to be THE bible on T-34

https://www.amazon.co.uk/T-34-Mythical-Weapon-Robert-Michulec/dp/0978109104/ref=sr_1_1?keywords=T-34+michulec&qid=1579091336&s=books&sr=1-1

 

cheaper:

 

https://www.zinnfigur.com/en/Books-Media/Books/Tanks/Russia/Michulec-R-Zientarzewski-M-T-34-Mythical-Weapon.html?listtype=search&searchparam=T-34

and I have this on the very earliest ones, very good aswell.

 

https://www.zinnfigur.com/en/Books-Media/Books/Tanks/Russia/Mulsow-Christian-The-First-T-34-Birth-of-a-Legend-The-T-34-Model-1940.html?force_sid=2c2dv7ce2cjrin38mteu3ibi78&listtype=search&searchparam=T-34

 

 

 

Edited January 15, 2020 by Bozothenutter

[SleeperService]

On 1/15/2020 at 12:29 PM, Bozothenutter said:

this is supposed to be THE bible on T-34

https://www.amazon.co.uk/T-34-Mythical-Weapon-Robert-Michulec/dp/0978109104/ref=sr_1_1?keywords=T-34+michulec&qid=1579091336&s=books&sr=1-1

Somebody is having a laugh at that price. The good things about this book are the photographs which are very well reproduced, and the detail drawings. However what is not so good is the writing which is extremely biased by the author's opinions and much could be safely edited away allowing more technical information which is rather patchy IMHO. Neil Stokes' KV volume shows how it should be done. Treat the GA drawings with skepticism as many of the details don't match reality or photos in the book for that matter. Engine grille hinges for example.

 

The early T-34 has been well covered in the Tankograd book which is well worth the price and Peter Samsonov's Designing the T-34 which is superb value.

 

The Uralmash turret in your kit is correct in having no surface texture their turrets were very well finished, the area underneath was rougher but this is easy to do with Mr Surfacer or similar. Follow @Das Abteilung's post about the grab handle design. 

 

By all means spend the money on the replacement turret but a little work texturing (subtly) the kit turret will be easy and cheaper. If you do have the cash then the Modelclub T-34 tracks are superb, and essential IMHO if you have only the vinyl tracks in your kit. The link and length ones are usable but need cleaning up. The one thing I think you do need to do is open up the vents at the front of the engine deck by scraping from the rear, two on top and one each side.