Thanks G. I have a few other sets of Soviet modern tank crew. But these guys look best for this so far. Perfect for T-54/T-55/T-62. And not too big in stature compared to the ICM figures I have.

Thought I had replied to this, but....anyway, I have been watching this with interest.  Keeps looking better and better.

What type of mesh did you use for the exhaust grill.  Really looks right to me.  I have heard you can use the mesh in metal coffee filters, but it looks like you used something else?

D

D, the mesh came in the kit. It's the typical Tamiya nylon stuff. I did see that there are PE mesh sets available for this kit. But what is in the box here is pretty darn good.

stikpusher

D, the mesh came in the kit. It's the typical Tamiya nylon stuff. I did see that there are PE mesh sets available for this kit. But what is in the box here is pretty darn good.

 

Thanks D. If you're looking for a Cold War Soviet tank, this kit is one that I highly recommend. 

The only reason that it is not finished yet is because I modified it a bit. But straight OOB it is a great kit. 

Stick,

I've ordered a few 1/35 tanks recently .. I've never done armor before. One of the kits I ordered is the one you're doing here. Being an armor "virgin" so to speak, why are the kit tracks not to your liking? I was hoping that, being a Tamiya kit, it would go together without much hassle. Just curious.

Mike this is really a good kit and goes together with no hassles at all. The reason that I replaced the kit tracks is that I've had bad luck with Tamiya's gluable single piece tracks. When they switched plastics on their tracks from the type that you heat joined by flaring some pins to the new type that is gluable, the new tracks have all broken in my experience. Sometimes before painting, sometimes after, with both enamels and acrylics. But they have all broken sooner or later. They are too fragile in my experience. And this kit is bound for a regional and national IPMS contests as part of an AMPS chapter group build project. So I skipped waiting for them to break and replaced them out the gate. 

Well, here is yesterday's main progress

Green....

Today I can start work on the detail painting...

Detail painting has begun!!!!!

I drew on some guidelines with a white color pencil for the ID IFF stripes... anything that I missed I figured would look like chalk marks that likely were used as guides

Then it was time for invasion stripes... commie style

This is the look that I am aiming for...

More in a couple days... no bench time ahead until Sunday now...

That's looking really sweet! 

Thank you Griffin

Looks perfect so far. :)

Thank you Mike.

Well Sunday was a day of rest, relaxation, and indulgence... Monday was a day of recovery from such... and today was back to the workbench and my T-55. 

First up I scratched up some ammo racks and installed them in the rear of the turret... I had also previously scratched up a seat for the loader as well

then I (finally) glued the main gun in place

I glued the last few items in place... unditching log, tow cables, spare track links, and main gun IR light linkage rods

Now everything is in place and painted with base colors

all ready for the gloss coat now and then decals...

Nice, like what you did with those ammo racks.

Bish

Nice, like what you did with those ammo racks.

 

Or Ditto... 

I really love those hand painted stripes and the addition of the gun breach, seats, and ammo are wonderful additions that make this more than your average build.

This is what I love about building armor vs. wingy things. Lol!

Room to play!

I need to seriously get a proper bench setup. I've been sinking around at the coffee table of late and I need more space and better lighting so I can get more serious with my builds. I've got some cool kits in the stash that will need my full capabilities.

You're giving me a serious itch to get my spit together. You, Russ, Gam, and the others. I need a bench! :) lol!

Bish, LK, Gamera, Mike, thank you all for looking in and commenting. It was just so empty along that turret back wall, and when I found out that there were ready rounds stored there... well I knew it would be no big deal to come up with something to fill that space....

So yesterday I airbrushed on a coat of Future overall before I went to work. When I got home last nite, I put on the decals...

Blink and you'll miss them... all two of them...

So now the tank is ready for weathering...

Today I started on the crew figures. The kit figure looks good in the drivers hatch... at least for now

and I'm gonna use a couple of the Trumpter figures in the turret. They match the kit figure in stature, but are much better molded...

all three as I plan for now...

Time for washes and figure painting to begin tomorrow...

Stik,

Wow....that paint job looks awesome! The upclose shots really bring out the depth of color and texture. I can't wait to see the weathering and  figures once you finish them. Truely a great build sir.

Hunter and Lodni, thank you. Nothing fancy going on here. 

stikpusher

So yesterday I airbrushed on a coat of Future overall before I went to work. When I got home last nite, I put on the decals...

 

 

Blink and you'll miss them... all two of them...

 

 

 

So now the tank is ready for weathering...

 

Today I started on the crew figures. The kit figure looks good in the drivers hatch... at least for now

 

 

and I'm gonna use a couple of the Trumpter figures in the turret. They match the kit figure in stature, but are much better molded...

 

 

 

all three as I plan for now...

 

 

Time for washes and figure painting to begin tomorrow...

 

I've gotta know what you did to your surface or paint to get that cool looking texture?

No texturing added Hunter. Aside from the mods that I made to backdate this to an earlier version, and a little stuff added to the turret interior, as well as the fender fuel tank plumbing, this is the basic kit OOB. The detailing and texture is as it was molded. The usual quality of Tamiya's newer tool kits. You want to build a good Cold War Soviet tank? I highly recommend this or their T-72. Their T-62 is older, lacking some details, and a bit flawed. But quick and easy to build. This one is great as is. 

The paint is Mission Models for the green and Humbrol for the white. Decals were taken from a Skif T-55 in my stash.

stikpusher

No texturing added Hunter. Aside from the mods that I made to backdate this to an earlier version, and a little stuff added to the turret interior, as well as the fender fuel tank plumbing, this is the basic kit OOB. The detailing and texture is as it was molded. The usual quality of Tamiya's newer tool kits. You want to build a good Cold War Soviet tank? I highly recommend this or their T-72. Their T-62 is older, lacking some details, and a bit flawed. But quick and easy to build. This one is great as is. 

The paint is Mission Models for the green and Humbrol for the white. Decals were taken from a Skif T-55 in my stash.

 

Thank you. Give me a few days to do some washes and dry brushing to make the details really stand out. 

Those figures look perfect for your scheme. I was wondering if the interior side of the open hatches will be white or the same green as the exterior? I have seen it both ways. 

I went with green for the inner face of the hatches. That is more commonly seen on the turret hatches. 

And yes, those Trumpeter figures are perfect for this project. They have come a long way in the quality of their 1/35 figures. They have a few more new sets that I'd love to get.

Those figures look spot-on alright. A little undercutting should bring that Tamiya fig up to the same LOD as the Trumpeters. 

I've wanted to build one of these for some time now and I think you're nailing this one down really well! 

I'd to hear about your current progress. :D