My KV-85 Build

Kate Ward
If I do them in batches of 8 I need 11 batches for each side. That helps me keep count.

Ben M
Ah, armor modeling. Endless tracks. Watching!

Kate Ward
Oh good, peer pressure, that'll keep me from slacking off. ^_^ I'm up to six 8-link sections of track so far, 16 to go. I had a panic moment where I was afraid I'd bought the wrong tracks, so the first thing I assembled from the Trumpeter kit proper was the sprocket wheels. And whew they do fit! Got a start on the lower hull too before bedtime.

Ben M
I've been curious about metal tracks. I find the plastic individual links hard to work with but maybe I just need more practice.

Robert Podkoński
Taking a seat here 🙂

Kate Ward
I'm still figuring this website out, is the 2nd photo visible? I'm halfway there with the track, 11 of 22 sections, and in addition to the sprockets I've got the idlers and all the road wheels assembled. I was hoping to finish all of Step 1 as well, but I had some fit problems with the upper deck. Did it have to be in 3 pieces, Trumpeter? 😛

For one part of the rear, there's a choice of plastic or PE parts, and I had a go at trying the PE, using a tool handle that was about the right diameter as a mandrel. It didn't come out perfect, but I was looking at photos online of a real KV-85 on display in St Petersburg--the kit instructions were a little unclear about how it should look once assembled--and the real flange has a good big dent in it too. So I figure I'm good. ^_^

Following some old advice I remember from ~20 years ago when I first heard of Friul tracks, I'm using sewing pins rather than the softer wire that comes with the tracks. The fit is snug enough that I can press two links together and they will (4 times out of 5) stay put long enough to slide the pin in. Couple things I've learned the hard way: 1) gotta use a pin vise to drill them out, as hard as it is on my poor old wrists. Using a Dremel, it's too easy to do irreversible damage too fast; 2) don't cut off the pin heads and glue the pins down until I'm REALLY REALLY sure I've got them in the right order.

Two days, 11 sections totaling 88 tracks, and I've only stabbed myself with a pin 3 times. Go me.

Ben M
Yes, the second photo is visible. You can go into the album, click edit, then for "teaser" select "use last image" and then click "save and close" if you want the newest picture to always show.

I would never have guessed to use sewing pins for this, yeah I think drilling all those holes with a pin vise sounds like fun for my arthritis.

Kate Ward
Finished Step 1, not counting some gaps to fill and other cleanup. Oh god, those tiny tiny engine deck lift rings. Thank god the kit came with spares, I yeeted at least 6 of them into oblivion. 😛

Kate Ward
Today's progress was making those two engine vents from the ET Model PE set. I've had that etch-mate sitting in a bin for 20 years, still in the original packaging, never used. 😛 It was a little frustrating to get those teeny teeny pieces aligned, but it was also very satisfying. Part of what attracts me to modeling--especially tank modeling--is a fascination with machinery. How parts fit together, and how they move and interact with each other to make a working machine. It's why I had to choose a subject I could get those working metal Friul tracks for. And bending those PE parts, turning flat sheets into a 3-dimensional object, that just really makes me happy for some reason.

Thank GOD for my optivisor, though.

Hey, more experienced people, I would really appreciate some advice on how to fill that horrible gap between the middle and rear upper deck pieces.

Ben M
Perfect plastic putty is my lifestyle choice.

Jakko ‌
> If I do them in batches of 8 I need 11 batches for each side. That helps me keep count.

Quick tip for building tracks: write 1 on the tenth link right after you put it in, 2 on the 20th, 3 on the 30th, etc. That way you can build the whole track in one length but don't have to keep counting to see how far you've gotten.

Kate Ward
Ben M and Jakko, thanks for the suggestions! I ended up trying a technique I found on youtube that uses Mr. Surfacer 500, because that's what I had on hand. It seems to have worked pretty well, although the cleaning-up process afterward was a bit of work. I'll have to see if I can find that putty. Here's a link to the technique I tried: Youtube Video

Kate Ward
Monday was an all-day senior moment, I didn't get anything done. Not just on the model but in general. Sometimes getting old really sucks. But Back on Sunday I made some progress on the tracks, and cleaned up the mold lines on half the suspension arms. Today I got the other half.

I've been wanting to try a texturing technique from the Night Shift channel--it's one of the reasons I chose a WWII Russian tank. But the Testors cement I had on hand didn't work, instead of thinning the Tamiya putty it turned it into a clumpy mess. So I have to wait until I can hit the local hobby shop and get the right kind of cement. The video recommends Mr Hobby's, but says Tamiya will work too, but take longer to dry. I know the local store has Tamiya liquid cement, not sure about the Mr Hobby.

Kate Ward
I got to the hobby store, and while they didn't have the right kind of Mr Hobby cement, they did have the Tamiya, and it worked like a charm at thinning the putty. I didn't do all the way down the sides since a lot of that area will end up covered with mud, but I got the upper part that'll show above the fenders, the front and back around the idlers and sprockets, as well as the glacis and engine cover. I didn't do the top surfaces, since the tutorial I'm following says they didn't have the same texture, due to being thinner. I also etched cuts along the edges of the armor plate to simulate torch-cut steel.

Kate Ward
That texturing technique for rolled steel required three layers of thinned putty and then some sanding, which I finished tonight. I'm pretty happy with how it turned out. I'll link to the video at the end of this post. But then I tried to do a cast texture on some parts that should have it, and that mostly didn't come out so good. The kit has casting texture on the turret halves and mantlet, but nowhere else. I think the engine hatch did come out okay, but the other two parts are too smooth. I'm not sure what I'm doing wrong. Anyway here's the link: Youtube Video

gorby
The texture looks great on the hatch.

Ben M
From looking at "real" tanks in person, different cast parts on the same tank have different textures. I think you're good!