¹⁄35

SU-100

Wow, some great points being made, glad to have this lively discussion. Pawel, I have looked at your photos, and though they are all restored tanks, I will put some more thought to this. I will try to find some period photos, which even if in B&W will show if there's any corrosion on the guards. Regarding the saw, if you leave tools out in the elements, they will rust. The photos make the saw look rusted, when actually it's a coating of new rust over a silver metallic base. I don't know about the SU-85 kit having both barrels. This is a very nice kit, the only thing I did not like is the Magic Tracks and bogeys. I ended up having to snip off the ends of the suspension arms to align the track with the sprockets. That may be because I added the road wheels after the build was done. Can't say if they would fit better if built according to the instructions.

And while not as extensive as my rusting, you can see the damage heat does to paint here (the covers are already rusting out):

Bill, I don't disagree with the existence of the rust; i only thought it appeared to be in a very advanced state compared to the rest of the vehicle. I still think it's fantastic the discussion: if I posted pics of my work people would be arguing over whether it looked like rust at all or just too much rouge!

Was there only one manufacturing plant used for the SU-85 and SU-100? Or, was it most like the T34 where there were many plants involved in producing that chassis? I think it would depend on who 'made' it as to the actual thickness of the exhaust shield. I have seen some with paint peeling/rust and some that were not affected by the heat. And they were not Gate Guards either. Oh well... just a thought. Probably one of those artists rendering, huh. Jeff

Mark, you are too kind. I may tone down the rust a bit now that I've looked at photos (though I bet Frenchy has access to some great ones). The challenge with weathering are wear is that tanks didn't last in combat all that long before they broke down or were otherwise destroyed/disabled. The push on Berlin, however, meant a lot of hard fighting, since it's likely the Soviet armor had to drive most of the way there from railheads in Poland or even further East.

Great build,I mean excellant! The photo you posted..can you provide a link? I give up on weathering my Sturer Emil is nearly complete....with absolutely no weathering.I feel no matter how I weather armor it will never be satisfactory

Thanks! I just searched the Internet for T-34s (SU-100s seem to turn up more modern photos. Keep trying, it's all trial and error. And the good news about pigments is: you can "wash" them off with mineral spirits.

Great job ! It is a very good piece

Thanks, Giovanni!

Great work on the SU Bill! Despite your fight with the tracks, they turned out looking just right. I like the rusted fenders too.