after another long hiatus, I finally had a chance to work on something.
Karl Hoy's fantastic build inspired me to get off my but and get to work.
I am NOT a fan of photoetch and in my opinion there are too many fiddly bits of it in this kit (like the 2 little pieces at the lower aft of the turret, that dont quite fit and could just as easily be done in plastic) I prefer just to have engine screens etc. in P.E.

having said all that I think it is a great kit, no aftermarket is really needed. most of it just falls together. the rubbery ds type plastic is nice for the mantlet cover. but the unditching log should have been in regular styrene, it is too soft and removing the mold line makes a mess of it.

the turned aluminum barrel is a really nice addition. and I picked up the trumpeter workable tracks for it as well. they are much better than the kit ones.

it is still a work in progress, so let me know if you see any glaring errors.

cheers
Dylan

That looks nice! I was working on the Trump mod 1975 last night, actually. I agree with the fiddly bits part- while working on the engine deck, I tweezerpulted 3 parts in a row. . I don't remember seeing a metal barrel in the box though.

I think I lost a couple of parts doing mine aswell- some PE parts these days are next to useless- either micropscopic or exactly the same as the plastic part, just a bit thinner- hence whats the point of even using it!

Dylan- I'm pretty damn humbled I could help a bit to inspire you ! What version of the T-64 is this, just the Mod 72 or is it another version?

Jason- You sure there's no metal barrel- I thought all their T-64 kits had a metal one included??

thanks Jason
Karl:
it is the 1972 version, the 75 version doesnt come with the metal barrel.

and if you want to see useless P.E, check out the trumpy T90 kit with all those little round pieces to be glued all over the turret. gives me nightmares.

Hi Dylan,

Good and neat job so far. I noticed a minor mistake, which is not your fault but is rather contained in Trumpeter's instructions. On all T-64A and T-64B pictures I have seen, on turret right side the storage box is in the forward position with the ammo box behind (just below the commander's station, which makes sense, by the way). You can easily verify it if you have access to Concord T-64 book. I discovered it myself just prior decal applications, just in time I would say!
For reasons unknown to this writer the ammo box-storage box arrangement was reversed on T-64BV. Perhaps Trumpeter looked at a rebuilt tank.

Greetings.

Carlo

Nice looking build. I also just finished my T-64 not too long ago using Karl's build as a guide. Pretty good kit, but agreed on the PE. Lost three or four piece to tweezer-pulting them. Do you have any plans on how you're going to go with markings and weathering?
-Seth

thanks Carlo and Seth

Carlo, I do not have the concord book on the T64. do you have any links or images showing the ammo box arrangement? I have looked on google and have not been able to find any pictures of a T-64 in the same configuration I am building. let alone the right side of the turret. I am building the 1972 kit OOB using "estate 1" with the machine gun on the commanders hatch.

Seth, I am planning on painting it in a faded overall green. Cookie Sewell had mentioned in his review that, most of the ones he saw around Berlin had faded paint.

cheers
Dylan

Hi Dylan,

My once faithful scanner is out of order, so I cannot send you Images from Concord book, but I advice you to consult this site:

http://www.t-64.de/frame-start.htm

It is a German site wholly dedicated to T-64! If you open "Fotogalerie" look at the first picture (from left) in the third row and the fifth picture in the seventh row, both are of T-64A rebuilt with side skirt, but showing the
turret arrangement I have described.

Another useful link is Russian:
http://serkoff.narod.ru/photoalbum41.html
Here you can find some walkarounds with useful details.
The problem with walkarounds is that they often depict heavily modified rebuilt tanks.
One advice if you are using the kit tracks: they are fine enough but suffer from the dreaded "half link syndrome" (Karl encountered the same problem in his build). The solution I adopted in my second Trumpeter T-64 is to glue parts B7 to B20, slightly modified so that they can be adjusted a bit when gluing them to C6 and C7. In other words this allows for a fine adjustment of the return rollers resulting in a fine track sit. I would also omit PE part A13, a support for an auxiliary fuel tank bracket, which was absent in early tanks (this I discovered too late...)

Greetings.

Carlo

awesome! thank you Carlo.

I'll have to spend some time looking around those sites

Cheers
Dylan

You are welcome Dylan.
You could also take a look at this:
www.morozov.com.ua/eng/body/t64.php
It is the site of the Kharkov plant that produced the T-64! Some useful pictures among other things.

Cheers.

Carlo

Nice, I also finished mine for the Soviet Army in East Germany.

now with %100 more primer on it.
I still have to fix a few things before final paint.

Hi;
Really nice job with your T-64, sure Beats the old Skiff T-64. With that kit you almost had too have the Etch, set even too make it half as good. The etch, set was a real nightmare. And it cost me more for the set than I paid for the kit itself.

CHEERS; MIKE.

thanks Mike

I finally got around to painting it.

Fantastic work!

thanks Raul

Great paint job Dylan- the tonal varieties are fantastic.

a small update

its shiny and has some decals on it








the Trumpeter workable tracks are really nice. I'm not sure I am doing them justice. and they fit the road wheels

Very nice build ! (Golf clapping noise)

I noticed you omitted the long range fuel drums.

I am doing the same. The turret is very limited

with the snorkel gear hitting the drums.

Keep post please.

Cheers,

John

It is really nice looking even if still shiny
Will love seeing it with some mud or dust on.

Olivier

thanks John and Olivier. I added that dirt and dust you wanted.
atill a lot of work to do but getting there

This is turning into a real beauty Dylan- love the weathering so far and I think the tracks look fantastic- were they easy to work with and apply?

thanks Karl.
the tracks are great to work with. I had no problems with them at all.

I really love your build, the color also is good, what did you use?