Jump to content

Trumpeter T-34/85 NVA "Tet" Offensive [FINISHED]


klr

Recommended Posts

In a desperate attempt to get my build schedule back on track, I have just bought a kit specifically for this GB:

104989-10000-pristine.jpg

 

I can't remember the last time I bought a kit to build immediately, and I mean immediately. It's not going into the stash, not even for a day. I'll start it later this afternoon.

Edited by klr
  • Like 6
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Now that's what we like to here, there should be more of it!!! :thumbsup:

 

...and it's great to see a tank in the build...actually I was hoping to see more, some M-113's would have been nice!!!  HINT HINT! :D

 

But at least you've done the right thing, and a great choice as well...well done.

 

Good luck with the build, will be a great one to follow.

 

Now who's going to join in with a M-113?

  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

A great choice klr, can't beat a T-34/85, one of my favourite tanks.

Good to see that it already comes with North Vietnamese markings too, I wonder if this is related to the excellent 1/48 HobbyBoss kit?

Its also great to see it going straight onto the build bench, something we should all do more often.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I made a good start on Friday evening. The plastic is quite thin, typical of Trumpeter 1/72 AFV kits.

IMG_20201003_191916_dr_025.jpg

 

Note the gap between the upper an lower hull, which seems to be by design:

IMG_20201003_191928_dr_020.jpg

 

The wheels and lower hull sides have been painted. The assembled road wheels are such a snug fit, they don't need to be glued:

DSC01275_dr_020.jpg

 

The tracks are not the easiest to work with. Painting them is not a problem, cementing each track together is. The contact area between the two ends is very, very small.

DSC01276_dre_020.jpg

  • Like 2
Link to comment
Share on other sites

gee that does look like you've had a nice easy start to the build and she looks great!!

 

is that gap noticeable or hidden above the tracks? 

 

In this scale i don't know whether it'd be better to go with plastic track rather than those rubber types......I would think it'd make it easier.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

The tracks were an almighty struggle. At one point, I tried cementing one end to the middle road wheel, running the track all around, and then cementing the other end to the same road wheel. That didn't work, so I tried cementing the tracks to several road wheels ... but that didn't work either.

DSC01277_dr_020.jpg

 

But they are now in place, praise be! Don't ask how:

DSC01278_dr_025.jpg

 

It was not possible to reproduce the track "sag". That would have taken a whole lot of extra work, and to be honest, I'm delighted just to get the tracks on at all. I've used Trumpeter flexible tracks before, but all on kits of modern MBTs: The Challenger 2 and Ariete come to mind. The tracks for those kits are considerably bigger, thicker, and with a much greater contact area.

 

The rest of the kit ought to be plain sailing. Yeah, like I've said that before, but I think it will be the case this time.

  • Like 2
Link to comment
Share on other sites

On 10/5/2020 at 10:47 PM, trickyrich said:

gee that does look like you've had a nice easy start to the build and she looks great!!

 

is that gap noticeable or hidden above the tracks? 

 

In this scale i don't know whether it'd be better to go with plastic track rather than those rubber types......I would think it'd make it easier.

To reproduce the sag, I would have probably had to cement the track to the tops of the road wheels, having carefully prepared unpainted areas on the track and road wheels to aid adhesion. I would have risked them coming loose again, and that was not on. Another option would have been to attach plastic rods to the sides of the hull at various points, to keep the tracks down. But those rods would probably have been noticeable, and anyway, I'd realistically have needed to do that before attaching the upper hull.

 

The IBG Models Type 3 kit I build recently had one-piece hard tracks with the sag "built in", along with the inner bank of wheels. The IBG Crusader kits are the same. That's a very good way of doing it, but better still would be to have no wheels attached at all, as with the Airfix 1/76 Cromwell. It makes panting much easier. I'll be starting a Zvezda Panther soon, and that yet takes another approach to depicting sag with hard tracks.

  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

was just thinking (always a dangerous thing me....) if you really wanted to add some sag to the tracks you might be able to loop some thread or fine wire around the wheel centre and through the track. A bit fiddly but it would be hidden......there again you could just be grateful that task is over! Sounds like it was a pain!

 

She does look good with the tracks on.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Hi,

 

This type of track it often a pain, but a few years ago I "won" a mini stapler (some call them Bambi staplers) in an up- market Christmas Cracker - one of the few such "presents" that have been worth having! I tried it on some tank tracks and it works - two staples in parallel across the join - almost invisible when painted and often hidden under the top overhang anyway. It takes "Number 25" staples which are about 6mm long and pretty thin. If you have an overhang at the top or perhaps side plates to hide it you could even give yourself a little gap to make them just a little slacker to help with sag. Much better joint that either CA or the good old heated screwdriver technique!

 

Pete

Edited by PeterB
  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

15 minutes ago, PeterB said:

Hi,

 

This type of track it often a pain, but a few years ago I "won" a mini stapler (some call them Bambi staplers) in an up- market Christmas Cracker - one of the few such "presents" that have been worth having! I tried it on some tank tracks and it works - two staples in parallel across the join - almost invisible when painted and often hidden under the top overhang anyway. It takes "Number 25" staples which are about 6mm long and pretty thin. If you have an overhang at the top or perhaps side plates to hide it you could even give yourself a little gap to make them just a little slacker to help with sag. Much better joint that either CA or the good old heated screwdriver technique!

 

Pete

I stapled them as well, with staples that are about 10mm long. It's not really noticeable on the left-hand side, but a bit more so on the right. I will hunt down those smaller staplers ASAP - thanks for the tip-off.

 

To reproduce the sag effect, I might try and glue the tracks to the tops of the middle three road wheels on each side, and hope they stay put.

 

More pics tomorrow, as now almost all the parts are in place.

  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Progress:

DSC01286_dr_020.jpg

 

Note the vertical stripes are red on the box cover kit, yellow in the decals. Meh.

 

To complete the kit, I need to make up, paint and place the tow ropes, clean up a few rough edges (this is a T-34 after all), and see to the track sag if possible. One irritant about Trumpeter instructions is the lack of detailed painting instructions in the construction steps. So maybe the rims of these late-style road wheels should be black or some other dark colour, but it may be too late for that.

  • Like 3
Link to comment
Share on other sites

I built one of these recently in the T34 GB and had no end of trouble with the track.

Well done for managing to get them fitted and for what looks a very respectable build.

  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Tada! It's finished, don't ask how I did the track sag. The tow ropes (apart from the ends) were supposed to be made using thread supplied with the kit. I lost this, and decided to make them up with plastic rod of a suitable thickness, using those in other T-34 kits as a guide. In the end, I fitted just one, keeping the other as a spare.

 

DSC01343_dre_020.jpg

 

That blemish on the right front mudguard has since been painted over.

 

DSC01346_dr_020.jpg

 

More pics to follow in the gallery thread in 5, 4, 3, 2 ...

  • Like 3
Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • klr changed the title to Trumpeter T-34/85 NVA "Tet" Offensive [FINISHED]

well done on completing her, she looks great!! :thumbsup:

 

I wouldn't worry at all about the tracks, they're fine.

 

I wasn't expecting any NVA armour in the GB, so it's awesome to see one, am glad you decided to bring it along and join in. I hope you enjoyed the build, was great to have you along.

  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Looking good Klr.

 

When I started making 1/76 tanks etc from the Millicast range, their site had an interesting tip on making tow ropes/cables - screw a cup hook into a shelf or something if you don't have one already in place, strip the insulation from a foot or so length of domestic electrical cable that has a number of thin strands in it and straighten out however many you think you will need, tie one end into a loop and hang it on the hook, and clamp the other end in the chuck of a hand drill, and twist the threads as tight as you want them to make your cable. It works well  and you can then attach the end shackles which some kits provide as seperate pieces but you could cut off ones of moulded cables instead - that or just glue them in position with the cable onto the kit. Altenately, some suppliers sell lengths of cable - mine came from RB Models who sell 5 metre lengths ranging from 0.3mm to 1.5mm diameter for a very modest price if you were thinking of building lots of tanks! Incidentally RB do a good range of turned metal tank guns, though if you wanted a British 2pdr then it would have to be from Aber.

 

Pete

Edited by PeterB
  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

48 minutes ago, PeterB said:

Looking good Klr.

 

When I started making 1/76 tanks etc from the Millicast range, their site had an interesting tip on making tow ropes/cables - screw a cup hook into a shelf or something if you don't have one already in place, strip the insulation from a foot or so length of domestic electrical cable that has a number of thin strands in it and straighten out however many you think you will need, tie one end into a loop and hang it on the hook, and clamp the other end in the chuck of a hand drill, and twist the threads as tight as you want them to make your cable. It works well  and you can then attach the end shackles which some kits provide as seperate pieces but you could cut off ones of moulded cables instead - that or just glue them in position with the cable onto the kit. Altenately, some suppliers sell lengths of cable - mine came from RB Models who sell 5 metre lengths ranging from 0.3mm to 1.5mm diameter for a very modest price if you were thinking of building lots of tanks! Incidentally RB do a good range of turned metal tank guns, though if you wanted a British 2pdr then it would have to be from Aber.

 

Pete

An excellent solution Pete and very good advice.

For 1/35 cable I use a product which occasionally falls into my bag at work called safety cable (I only use off cuts) which is actually steel and twisted in the form of cable but it is way too thick for 1/72 scale.

 

  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Hi Criag,

 

The cable I bought is 1mm diameter and may be a little big for 1/76 but is about the same at the "cable" that comes with many kits.

 

Pete

  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Create an account or sign in to comment

You need to be a member in order to leave a comment

Create an account

Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!

Register a new account

Sign in

Already have an account? Sign in here.

Sign In Now
×
×
  • Create New...