Hi guys

I've added some details to the turret. I know, i'm incredibly slow, but I've been getting fun so far





I've made some weld seams included the circular one placed near the turret edge

To make it I've stuck using masking tape a 0.3 mm plastic rod around a cardboard jig and I plunged in boiling water. I'm quite satisfied with my result, I think i'll use this method to reprodece many other details such for exemple frames or rims.

Next step will be the reproduction of 11 tiny handles

Thanks in advance for your attention and for your comments

Cheers

Its good to see more progress on this Mauro- it is really shaping up now! Keep up the stellar work mate!

d*mn dude, you'd better start with a sheet of plastic

how long did you have to boil the thing, I've tried the boil/bend methode but the pieces never seemed to keep their curve...

greetz

Oh woah, splendid work on teat BMD Mauro!
I like how you detail-up the Skif kit! Great accuracy to the original as well ,which is great to see.
I also have a BMD from Skif laying somewhere in my garage and i think i'll use your WIP threat as a guide when i buld mine.

Keep up the splendid work Mauro

/Christian

Thanks a million Karl, your opinion is important for me

I'd like to be a faster modeller. Such kind of jobs are fun indeed, but incredibly time consuming.

I've decided what i'm going to use as base color. I'll go with Vallejo primer russian green. That could allow me to have a thinnest layer of paint

What do you think about?

Cheers

I would be indeed tempting to do it

Anyway, I plunged the jig for about 15 seconds. It depends on the thickness of the rod. For thickest one you'll have to wait more time. Furthermore i think is important to cool the rod immediately after the "hot bath", rinsing it on cold tap water. Let's give it one more try mate!


Christian thanks for your kinds words. let me know if you need the gun and the gun mantlet, I'll be glad to send you a copy

thanks to all of you

Cheers

mauro go to see you back at it hope you had a great new year can't wailt to paint on this one
dave

I'm kinda slow too, depends on the model really. If it needs a lot of work I tend to slow down and plan everything out, you get slow ones and fast ones!

Last time I used Vallejo Primer the coat was thick- that was their grey one. I find the model air colors can be built up very lightly if you ease back on the airbrush trigger. I tend to do it when airbrushing near a masked area as too much paint means more chance of the paint bleeding under the mask, so my advice is go for the Model Air Russian Green and build it up slowly, I reckon you would have more control with it than the primer version. Although bare in mind the primer might be exactly the same as the paint in the eye dropper bottle, as I said I've only used Vallejo's grey primer. You should get a piece of scrap plastic and do a test.

What sort of finish are you going for?

Many thanks Mauro for your offer! I'll PM you when i've starded whit my BMD

At the beginning i wanted to reproduce a winter scheme maybe using the hairspry technique, now I think I'll paint overall green. i'd like to finish it in a reasonable time, so maybe a "simpler" scheme would be better

Anyway, thanks a lot for the advice. Me too I've used the gray primer and it worked perfectly. anyway I have air color russian green, so i think I'll do some comparisons between the solutions

@Dave. Thanks a lot, have a great year you too

@Christian, So let me know, I'll be glad to help you

Cheers

Mauro - have you had any thoughts on what green color to use? Have you tried Xtracrylics "Russian Tank Green" before?

No Christian I haven't

Is quite difficult for me getting Xtracrylics colors

anyway, I told you that I'm going to paint it in green but to be honest I haven't decided yet. There are lots of scheme which I'd like to reproduce. For exemple these seen during the war in Ossetia in 2008

really fantastic build my friend, following with great inspiration. cheers, bd.

Thanks a lot Bruce. Your good opinion about my job has a great significance for me

Hi guys

Skif kit doesn't have the rear vent slats visible on the BMD-1





I've reproduced them using a thin metal foil cut folded and glued





As you can notice from the pics, I've also added some plastic card parts to reproduce the internal ducts of the vents

I think that's a very long term project which has been taking me ages to finish, but anyway, I think is incredibly fun tackling and solving improvement problems.

For sure is far more fun and creative than doing a "shake 'n bake kit"

cheers

(ps pics have been posted for discussion purpose only)

Nice work on this Mauro, I really must dig out my Eastern Express kit and see what the situation is around the rear vents.

Thanks Karl. Well actually rear vents of Skif kit are only two rectangular holes without any inner details

If you look at reference pics you can notice that actually the upper part of the internal duct is closed. In skif kit internal duct is open



Anyway I think you can live with this flaw whereas flaps must be added

On the right you can also notice another little detail to add. A sort of smaller rectangular vent:



What about your T-90? Mine is coming tomorrow...I CAN'T wait!

cheers

ps images has been posted for dicussion only

Those are good reference shots Mauro, cheers.

As for the T-90 its coming on well, finished page 2 and the turret is coming on nicely. Whenever the review I wrote goes live I will probably put up a few progress shots. You'll enjoy the kit for sure mate, let me know what you think of it when you get your hands on it.

I'll let you know for sure Karl. I'm curious to read your review and see your shots

Regarding the BMD reference, when you start your kit, I'll be glad to share with you all my archive.

Cheers

Hi guys, here some updates.





As you can see, I've assembled the suspension arms and I'ìve removed the flaps on the front hull. That detail in Skif kit was quite rough and most of all, flaps depicted on the model were 11...



actually they are only 10...



Furthermore on the Skif model, hinged front shields overlapped the flaps. On the real vehicle this detail looks different



So now I have two options
I can depict a BMD-1 prior to 1979 retrofitted to BMD 1P standards...

http://www.fotovalkirumodelism.com/page.php?page=838





..or I can try to make new flaps from a thin metal foil.

Probably considering my insanity, I'll chose the second option...

Cheers

Ps: pics have been posted for discussion purpose only

wow,

outstanding work there.... since the rest of the kit now looks so great I guess you really should tryand make your own ribs (you obviously have the skills)

Mauro- here's what the etch set of flaps/vents look like:



The Eduard sheet, I believe, is built in two parts, first a flat piece of etch glued where the flaps go. There are small grooves in each side of the flat part into which are glued the individual vents.

Making these parts from scratch is crazy...but as you said, you are crazy so there we are !

Anthony. many thanks for the kind comment and for your interest. Yes, I think I'll make them. "Smooth nose BMD" looks far less interesting At least, I hope I'll be able to do them

Karl. Here a closer pics of Eduard ribs



...well...actually they are quite wrong



So, to have the best reproduction...I must to be crazy

Cheers, thanks again mates!


Ps: pics have been posted for discussion purpose only

Too right Mauro, the Eduard parts are wrong. I must dig out my set and get a closer look, the vents might still be usable.

Well Karl I think you'll be able to use the main ribs (Which are those with have an "Y" shape) but you'll have to change the other flaps which instead have a "z" section :



I don't know yet but I think I'll get the ribs embossing some thin metal foil on this plastruct profile:



Anyway I think that however the Eduard set can allow you to safe a lot of time.

cheers