T-34/85, Yugoslavia, around 1995

Fabian D.
I quite liked the "Panzer IV Style" no idea why 😉
It´s spotting the late (almost) post war turret with the split up ventilators (referred here as roof type D: missing-lynx.com/art..ssia/rpt34/rpt34.htm ) and a DShK machine gun covered up. The Marquette/MSD/Eastern Express/Akr kit can help out with the turret but not with the Mg... but it shouldn´t be too difficout to scarch something which looks simmilar if covered up...

The kit itself does look better than expected, but let´s wait for the final verdict after the build 😉

Fabian D.
currently struggeling with the rubber amour... havent found anything in my "magic (wall-)cabient" which is appropriate in thinkness (about 0,3mm) AND apperance... I´ll hit the stores in the city toworrow... or has anybody else an idea?

Hunter Cummins
I almost bought that

George Bacon
Oooooooooh. This looks interesting!😉

Fabian D.
it shurely is... otherwise I wouldn´t be that interrested in 😉
what started with Pic 2 turend out be become another favourite topic for me, some nice other T-34 under simmilar circumstances popped up in the further reseach, check this for example: armorama.com/modules..&ord=&page=1
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I found the solution for my rubber problem... a nice thick HDPE waste bag will donate the material... sometimes you´ve got the solution right in front of you eyes... you just have to open them 😉

Fabian D.
Started the kit yesterday, a lot of sink marks on the lower hull (which I hadn´t noticed before).
as "my" T-34 is not spotting the small barrels I had to sand off almost the entire rear plate (the red markings indicate where I have to rebuild the tubing from the smoke generator), also started with the casting texture on the turret...
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The weels turned into a real nightmare, the moulds are already worn off on some places, so some holes are closed up ... and for the Spider pattern, I´ll need to drill out 12 more or less existing holes near the axle and another 12 bigger ones wich suffer from flash... alll in all 240 holes, just for the front half of the weels 😠
[img1]

Fabian D.
turret is almost done and a lot of touchup areas marked on the hull.
Weldlines, casting texture, and some details were added on the turret. The cuppola rechived real vision ports. Handles were replaced with wire.
The covers of the periscopes are missing in th kit, which is good, as you can simply add the top and don´t have to rework some cumpsy almost correct ones.
mext I have to tackle the running gear... the worst part of this kit...

Acki
Einfach nur super!

Alan Rush
Really interesting build, Fabian. Just a little extra effort needed with the kit.

Fabian D.
Thanks... partially it´s fun... but "a little bit extra" (as planed before) turned into a great makeover...
until now only four out of more than 20 parts found their place without beeing reworked or replaced... all that just on the turret...
But as said, I need to get on with the weels.... 🤔

Wim van der Luijt
Nice build...I'm in...have you looked at the lead from wine bottles for the rubber? Might just do the trick

Fabian D.
Thanks for the hint Wim,
I thought of using a quite thick blastig waste bag, but all in all it looks and feels way too thin... so I think I´m going for a "sandwich". maybe some metal foil covered with the plastic, as I like it structurewise...
Already checked my bottles here... I´m drinking the wrong stuff😉 But I´m home by the end of this week... let´s see what Mum and Dad hide in basement...😉

Barry Lloyd
Looks good, nice to see something different, what with the later era.

Fabian D.
Thanks Barry, seeing something that old still beeing used in the "modern" days is what made it so interresting for me... not shure if I´m speaking of the Tank or rather the kit...😉
Spend almost the rest of the week of thinking of an easy was to fix the wheels... but there is none, which means drilling, drilling and drilling... I´ll be back in about 228 holes... 😠

Fabian D.
I used the Eduard Zoom set for the Tamiya T-34, which fits surprisingly good, although some trimming is needed. Improved the kit by at least 500% without too much work😉

Hunter Cummins
WhAts a zoom set lol

Fabian D.
Eduard uses "Zoom" for thier small PE frets which are "focused on usefull but simple addititions", in this case it´s just including the grills, 2 parts for the tail lamp, a shovelblade and it´s mount. Even a bit more than I need, but still the cheapest upgrade solution...

Hunter Cummins
Ok
ummmm can you send me a pm with a link to the product and mabeya couple of others so I can add them to my wishlist??? Thank you in advance 🙂

Fabian D.
The set is linked in the project... and I´m currently not aware of any other sets, just came across this on my search for some replacemnent grills... but as SCM has a quite nice tool for that... the product search: SCM Search: Eduard zoom (just need to set the filters for 1:35)
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just glued upper and lowe hull together, some trimming, drlling, filling and sanding here and there...

Fabian D.
finnaly ready for paint, lots of brackets, wire, scrap PE to represent some detail which isn´t in the kit, all build to match the JNA standards😉

Frank Krause
I love the aditional details, Fabian! 👍 This will become a nice and different T-34!

Hunter Cummins
How will you represemt the rubber

Fabian D.
Thanks Frank, "normal" would be boring... and so far it was apart from some parts (tracks, roadweels, fuel tanks, plumpness of the lamps, boxes...) quite fun😉

by now paint is on, but I decided not to stick too close to the reference pic (quite uniformly applied kahki tone - boring😉 ) and went for a faded green as it could be seen on some of the JNAs T-34s (Tamiya XF-65, highted with Lifecolor Field Grey I and some light grey).

next up will be some rather heavy weathering and chipping, after that the construction of the support frame for the rubber...
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@Hunter: Fist things first, after that time will tell😉
I haven´t made any tests on the rubber yet, but I guess I will stick to my initial plan (sandwich out of a thick plastic bag with some inlet, maybe paper, maybe metal foil... maybe both)

Alan Rush
Looks great Fabian. Enjoying the progress photos!

Fabian D.
Thanks Alan, there will be some new photos by the end of next week...

I´ve done my tests on the rubber, my paint sticks quite well on the plastic (most important) while in my other tests with two layers of plastic (paper, aluminium foil or nothing inbetween) the woodglue didn´t dry overnight. But the paper seems to be most promising...

Fabian D.
big Update today:
chipping, washing and steaking - done, rust and dirt stiil to go
metal frames for the skirts "welded" on, skirt "sandwiches" glued together.
I´ve decided to use two sheets of my thick plastic bag, with two printer paper layers and one layer of industrial tissue paper in between, all soaked up in white glue.

next up: trimming and painting of the rubber skirts and adding more variation on the rusted steel frames

Alan Rush
Looking great!

John Van Kooten
That looks AWESOME, Fabian! Really, really good! The added detail is amazing! Definitely shows you've got some skills! 👍 👍

Fabian D.
Thanks John and Alan, it´s been/it is a struggle, with me, the kit and finnaly all that rubber...😉
little progress to report, but at least some on a few bits and pices...
oh, and I´ve included another callenge for me, I want to convert the Trumpeter figures with russian overals to Yugoslavians wearing their M89 cammo jacket...

Alan Rush
The rubber turned out well and will be a great add-on. It will be a one of a kind vehicle. The added bolts really show a dedication to detail and the corroded exhaust looks great as well. Hard build, I can imagine, but looking forward to more photos. Congratulations, so far!

Frank Krause
I haven't seen a T-34 bzuilt like that as a model. That'll become a unique one. Great job so far, Fabian. The rubber skrits do look great! 👍

Barry Lloyd
Its unique, well done!

Augie
very unique outstanding idea!!

Matthias Weiss
Like that very much, Fabian!

Fabian D.
Thx for the feedback, ceeps me motivated 😉
I´ve started a new album for the figures, but I´d need some wapons at least one of them, any ideas? I´m rather searching for a generic modern soviet set...
Figures for Yugoslav T-34 | Album by nng (1:35)

Gábor Bélik
Very Good job!

John Van Kooten
Nice nice nice! Very unique indeed! Love it!! 😄