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This is a T-34/76 from Tamiya. Although it is an old kit (and some complain about wrong angles, etc, etc.), they are truely fun, quick builds in their own right, and with a little ingenuity, you can get a really nice build out of it.
I decide to do a mid production vehicle with the handrails of brass and resin from Tank Workshop(?) and also replaced the tie down "eyelets" with ones of brass. I cut through the engine fan screen leaving the supports and added brass mesh from the local hobby store.
The antenna was made with two different gauges of brass. I did want to have this represented as I believe this was about the time T-34s started receiving radio recievers.The headlight was re-wired and the lens was replaced with one frome MV. I also tried Mister Surfacer500 for the first time, to create the cast texture of the turret and it turned out quite nice.The additional armour weld seems was defined and finesed using Magic-Sculpt for the outer seems and a dental waxer dialed to 500F was used to detail the inner seems as well as the weld around the cast mantlet of hull machine gun.
The DP machine gun barrel was repaced with a section of a hypodermic needle. I extended the rear fuel tanks to the rear about 2.5mm, to correct the fit, with Evergreen card and replaced the support brackets with .2mm card. I also wanted to model the complete rear tow hooks so I created the lock/latch part using scrap pastic and brass wire.
The tracks are from Fruilmodel and are great. I also needed to correct the Idler situation. When you use the bar axle that Tamiya supplies, it puts the idler too close to the 1st roadwheel. So I used the adapters that come with the Modelkasten tracks and that gives you contol over how much tension you want.
I also put in a rudimentary interior including the firewall and drivers positions including a few controls an the seats. And in the turret, ICompleted the breach basket, added the coaxial machine gun as well as the gun's site. I also include the racks at the turret rear for almost 2 dozen drum magazines as well as a turret control mechanism. I also re-designed the interior side of the large turret hatch adding a correct turret lock as well as creation of the detail that reps the signaler's hatch using Evergreen rod and strip as well as brass for the tension spring which keeps the main hatch open when needed
I used Vellejo Air excusively for the paint job & the tank number was stenciled with tape and the cyrillic text is dry transfer from Mig Jimenez. The wheathering consists of Mig pigments and oils for washes and a little bit of filter work. [View discussion] [Discuss my model]
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