I have Tamiya's T-34/76 ChTZ (along with a load of PE accessories for it), and want to do a small amount of battle damage to the tank, like dents in the mudflaps, bullet damage, torn non-armor metal, etc. I'm a rookie in the Armor devision, so go easy on me.

What are the best methods to do this and make it look realistic? Should I do this before any assembly & paint, or somewhere along the way?

Thanks in advance,

The best way to start is to check pictures of the real thing to make sure how it should like. T-34s had bent fenders up front and many pictures show them with the front fenders missing. The fenders towards the rear are mostly untouched.

In terms of dents and dings on the fenders this is what I do. First i take sand paper and thin the heck out of fenders as much as I can. If you have a motor tool its even easier. Than its just a matter of using pliers and bending the thin plastic. For bullet holes I simply burr a hole in with an x-acto knife. Of course, if you have the means and ways just replace the fenders with PE. Just as an aside, back in the day when I started modeling (not that long a go) I would simply bite into the fenders with my teeth and bend it. VERY BARBARIC!!!!

For holes created by rounds that hit and skipped the tank surface I heat up the sharpened point of a pencil and create the dent on the surface. It leaves a pretty accurate shape. I do all my battle damage before painting. Hope this helps and that your T-34 comes out really nice!

Cheers,

CDT Reimund Manneck
U.S. Army ROTC

Hello Travis,

Welcome to the site.

If you already have a bunch of AM stuff the battle damage is easier to do. The PE fenders can be cut and bent easily. My advise is to stick the PE fender on the hull first then do the bending and cutting on the hull, otherwise, it will be hard to glue them on the tank if you bend the PE fenders out shape.

For bullet/small caliber weapon impact it's kind hard to do. I drill a little hole, then spray black around the holes.

For explosive effect. I usually choose where the tool is attached to do this. Maybe just loose a couple tool holders, and for things like shovels such, you can use a toothpick to replace the plastic handle, and break it in the middle to simulate damage.

HTH.

One thing I have used on dented fenders is a heated screwdriver. I heat the tool up and 'roll' it on the edge with a short roll to get dent. Since the heat puts a rounded edge on the dent you have to back in with a file and make a hard edge where the mettle crimped and bent.

Hi! It's not battle damage but it's interesting method to make your model looks used on battlefield. Try to find on www.ipmsstockholm.org article "HIT THE DIRT MODELLERS".

I use lead foil to do fenders. It is very malleable and can hold any shape you put it in. Cut it too shape over the old fender, then remove the old and superglue the new. Then "drive" the tank into something, prefferably with a sharp corner, it does wonders.

Lead foil can be obtained at the dentists office, just ask them for the backings from the xrays. I have obtained a lifetime supply in only two visits. You have to roll it out really well to get rid of the little indentations and I have found that a round pencil on a magazine works best. Lead foil can also be uses to replicate straps, shovel heads, anything sheet metal or fabric. Archer Transfer has a technique to put dry transfer flags on a piece of lead foil that makes really nice flags.

I do large calibre hits on armor by first using a no.11 blade to "drill" a hole in the surface then I turn the blade to a very low angle and carve around the hole, this does the "blast" pattern around it. This works for both penetrating hits and non-penetrating hits. A new hit will be bright shiny silver and an old will be dark rust.

Dave makes a good point about the stowage around a blast, make sure it reflects how it would have been damaged. Show empty straps or broken tools, stuff hanging off the side, boxes split open. Most stowage boxes are just sheet metal so richocets will penetrate them easily, another use for lead foil.

Rob