Armorama :: T-59 Enigma, Work in Progress

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T-59 Enigma, Work in Progress

caryl576

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Posted: Monday, July 11, 2011 - 08:23 AM UTC

Well after seeing the tempting but expensive (well for me at present anyway) advert for the Legend T-55 Enigma resin set I decided to see how well I could put together one 'on the cheap'.....

so on to my most ambitious project to date

The base kit selected was the Hobby Craft T-59 Fedayeen, which actually holds the Trumpeter Chinese Type 59 bought from ebay for under £10 including P&P

Step one was to put together the turret, moving the main gun to the left to allow some space for the gunner (as seen in real T-55's)

caryl576

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Posted: Monday, July 11, 2011 - 08:30 AM UTC

The vision and MG ports were also opened out.

As this was going to be a T-59 enigma the ventilation cover on the top of the turret was installed as per the instuctions.

As the turret modifications will be extensive I then moved onto the Hull....

I built the hull as per the instructions, but left off the storage boxes(these are moved about) and forward fuel tank as this is missing.

The extra armour on the front was made from laminated sheet styrene, with the fixings/bolts made from additional round sprue slices, all smoothed off with squadron green putty.

caryl576

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Posted: Monday, July 11, 2011 - 08:45 AM UTC

Headlights from the kit were installed on their new place on the forward armour plate and 'wired in', together with the 2 'convoy' lights on each side of front on their improvised mounts.

At this point I found a plan/photo guide to the t-55 enigma on the net below

http://gurth.home.xs4all.nl/afv/pdfs/enigma.pdf

and I've used some of the info from that to help with my build and have found it very helpful with measurements

I added a vision port wash tank from the kit DsHK ammo box and round sprue, plus the hose from copper wire, note that the real thing would drape above the vison ports, not below but I found it easier to fit as shown.

Using the measurements as a guide only (they should be 5x10 cm or 5x5cm) I built a supporting frame for the side armour using 2mm square styrene rod (thanks ebay!). The side armour boxes were made from laminated styrene sheet again

caryl576

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Posted: Monday, July 11, 2011 - 08:55 AM UTC

The U brackets for the side armour were created using 0.5 mm styrene rod, a bit simplified but a lot easier than following the real thing exactly....

(I tried but failed especially as I would need 24 near identical itemsto follow the plans so the rod seemed the way to go, besides all the enigmas seem to be a little different, maybe my Iraqi builder welded rather than bolted them on!)

The two fuel tanks were added and plumbed in, together with the oil tank (also plumbed in to the engine) plus the some storage boxes.

On the rear I installed the spare fuel drum brackets after drilling out the lightening holes to improve the look

caryl576

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Posted: Monday, July 11, 2011 - 08:57 AM UTC

More photo's later when my camera is back in action.....

Plus the sad tale of the horrible rubber band tracks.......

caryl576

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Posted: Monday, July 11, 2011 - 09:07 AM UTC

I should,
of cource,

point forumites to the build blog of Olivier Carneau on the T-55 Enigma where he is doing it 'properly' using the really nice T-55 kit from Tamiya and some cool resin after market stuff to build a particular Enigma.....

This is probably what I would have tried if I had more funds....

It's looking really nice so far and I'm following it with interest (and in the hopes of picking up some ideas/tips too!)

Spiderfrommars

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Posted: Monday, July 11, 2011 - 10:20 AM UTC

Only thing I can notice is that you have to remove the turret ventilator and maybe correct and improve the engine deck

But anyway, considering the kit which you've been using, you've been doing a stunning job indeed in my humble opinion

jointhepit

Oost-Vlaanderen, Belgium
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Posted: Monday, July 11, 2011 - 10:34 AM UTC

caryl576, I can really really, dig your style of modeling!

make it cheap, but you put TLC into it, and the link provided hold readable notes on a conversion,most conversion books have lots of pics and almost no dimensions to work with, great link!

and the build, impressive ,will look very good painted

greetz

dvarettoni

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Posted: Monday, July 11, 2011 - 10:36 AM UTC

Outstanding build can't wait to see this one done
Dave

rolf

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Posted: Monday, July 11, 2011 - 11:04 AM UTC

Very nice work. I was under the impression that all Enigmas were built on the T-55. If so then your conversion is on the wrong vehicle. What does that mean? Nothing really as it is clear that you are doing a very good job on the kit you are using, it just won't be totally accurate. It will still look like an Enigma to most people though. Good job and keep it up.

Roy

caryl576

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Posted: Monday, July 11, 2011 - 11:07 AM UTC

Thanks for your kind words, I'm certainly having fun seeing how far I can go with this.

Mauro I'm putting this together as a Type 59 Enigma so the turret ventilator stays

(not strictly accurate, but why not as I'm not aiming to perfectly replicate one of the captured vehicals, I don't see any reason why the Iraqi's could not have done the upgrade on these too. Especially since the differences between the vehicals seem to suggest piecemeal conversion, or perhaps upgrades at different sites based on some fairly rough plans).

As to the engine deck I guess I might have a play with it, but as it's just about paint ready maybe I'll leave it for next time

caryl576

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Posted: Monday, July 11, 2011 - 11:29 AM UTC

Well, I've dug out my old (and rubbish) camera to try and show some recent progress

What you can see is where I've got to with the turret, adding the framework for the armour blocks (the support struts are cut into the turret for added strength as I suspected If i'd just used glue the might not have stayed put.

I've tried one armour block using my laminated sheet styrene so far but I'm not happy with this so It will have to go.

I've also added the counterbalance structure on the rear of the turret (again the rods are cut through the turret for added strenght), and I'm happy with how this has turned out.

I've also detailed the insides of the hatches as I decided to use the three crew provided in the Hobbycraft kit and at least one will be in turret.

The ariel base has also been redone with wire as there was a nasty mould line that I could not get off without destroying the detail there

caryl576

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Posted: Monday, July 11, 2011 - 11:31 AM UTC

a couple more shots to try and show some more of the structure (I wish I had not lost the intermediate pictures)

retiredyank

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Posted: Monday, July 11, 2011 - 11:36 AM UTC

A very cool build. Seems to be coming along nicely for you. Hobby Craft models are usually a box of trash, but this one seems to be the exception.

caryl576

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Posted: Monday, July 11, 2011 - 11:36 AM UTC

This is probably going to be the comander....

He has had eyebrows and a mustache added from scrap styrene (this helps the fairly blank face on the very basic kit figure a lot). I've also added shoulder boards and some thin wire for the rope thingy on his shoulder.

I modified the Russian tank helmet, as the chinese example I've copied has more prominent headphones, and I've added the wire and plug to connect it to the tanks intercom

caryl576

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Posted: Monday, July 11, 2011 - 11:38 AM UTC

and another unpainted figure which I hope shows a bit of what I'm talking about. He's smoking a cigar, just because I thought it would look good which is a thin wire built up with super glue

caryl576

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Posted: Monday, July 11, 2011 - 12:00 PM UTC

Hey Matt, thanks

Certainly compared to a more modern kit (or even an old one from a better manufacturer) there are problems.. Not what you want it you're looking for accuracy out of the box.

But then again at least it's polystyrene, the original Trumpeter Type 59 it's based on was reputedly just cast in ungluable plastic !

The fit and so forth is ok though but there is a fair amount of flash and in a couple of places bad mould slip. The worst part has been the tracks as the silver rubbery plastic did not take paint or even superglue very well.

I've eventually (partially) solved this with LOTS of extra Tamiya thinner in the paint as this seems to give it more 'bite' followed by a carefull coat of clear wax. This let me get then on without too much flaking. I also sanded the gluing surface with 200 grit paper to help that key.

But whatever the difficulties the main thing is the old (unpopular) kits are cheap enough to play with. At £10 all I lose is time if I mess it up. If I'd paid £50 for the kit, and another £50 for resin upgrades and I messed up it would be a disaster!

Kharkov

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Posted: Monday, July 11, 2011 - 12:58 PM UTC

Quoted Text

Hey Matt, thanks

Certainly compared to a more modern kit (or even an old one from a better manufacturer) there are problems.. Not what you want it you're looking for accuracy out of the box.

But then again at least it's polystyrene, the original Trumpeter Type 59 it's based on was reputedly just cast in ungluable plastic !

The fit and so forth is ok though but there is a fair amount of flash and in a couple of places bad mould slip. The worst part has been the tracks as the silver rubbery plastic did not take paint or even superglue very well.

I've eventually (partially) solved this with LOTS of extra Tamiya thinner in the paint as this seems to give it more 'bite' followed by a carefull coat of clear wax. This let me get then on without too much flaking. I also sanded the gluing surface with 200 grit paper to help that key.

But whatever the difficulties the main thing is the old (unpopular) kits are cheap enough to play with. At £10 all I lose is time if I mess it up. If I'd paid £50 for the kit, and another £50 for resin upgrades and I messed up it would be a disaster!

Very true, the old kits are fantastic for having some good old fashioned modeling madness on, I bought an old Tamiya T-62 kit, that motorised junk one, cost me about a tenner years ago, then I ripped it apart, it didnt end well, but only lost a tenner and it taught me alot.

Those old Esci T-55 kits were the same, you could get them for about £12-13 years ago, they were junk, but good fun.

Anyway, like spider said, considering the base kit your working from its looking good, Enigmas are beasts

Spiderfrommars

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Posted: Monday, July 11, 2011 - 07:48 PM UTC

Quoted Text

Those old Esci T-55 kits were the same, you could get them for about £12-13 years ago, they were junk, but good fun.

Esci t55 is completely wrong

I tried to improve it but hull is plenty of inaccuracies

Old Trumpy kit is better but has rough details. Better solution would be a mix between the two cheap kits

spiritwalker

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Posted: Tuesday, July 12, 2011 - 02:41 AM UTC

Esci kit has a more accurate bolted Commanders cupola comb than Tamiya to depict an early T-54...it just requires a welded collar adding to the top edge. I used this part to use for the Verlinden Type 69 conversion i did the master for. its Useful for other types too....

Andy

Spiderfrommars

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Posted: Tuesday, July 12, 2011 - 04:45 AM UTC

Quoted Text

Esci kit has a more accurate bolted Commanders cupola comb than Tamiya to depict an early T-54...it just requires a welded collar adding to the top edge. I used this part to use for the Verlinden Type 69 conversion i did the master for. its Useful for other types too....

Andy

Yes, some details are quite nice (f.e. storage box, tracks, wheels and MG). But upper hull is too narrow and lower hull has the suspension arms in a wrong position. Turret is too flat (about 2 mm) and one of the 3 external fuel tanks is smaller than the others two. Engine deck inges are good for a Type 59 but are totally wrong for a T-55
As I said in my humble opinion it would be nice to use the trumpeter hull (or Skif) adding esci details....of course, if it is possible

rolf

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Posted: Tuesday, July 12, 2011 - 06:42 AM UTC

Quoted Text

Quoted Text

Esci kit has a more accurate bolted Commanders cupola comb than Tamiya to depict an early T-54...it just requires a welded collar adding to the top edge. I used this part to use for the Verlinden Type 69 conversion i did the master for. its Useful for other types too....

Andy

Yes, some details are quite nice (f.e. storage box, tracks, wheels and MG). But upper hull is too narrow and lower hull has the suspension arms in a wrong position. Turret is too flat (about 2 mm) and one of the 3 external fuel tanks is smaller than the others two. Engine deck inges are good for a Type 59 but are totally wrong for a T-55
As I said in my humble opinion it would be nice to use the trumpeter hull (or Skif) adding esci details....of course, if it is possible

If the upper hull is too narrow doesn't that make the lower hull too narrow also? I have a couple of the old ESCI kits and was actually sorta building one of them as a Tiran-5 before I decided that it may just not be worth it since I have the Blast conversion and a Tamiya T-55 (I actually have 5 Tamiya T-55s and need 5 more). Yes the ESCI kit has alot of issues. The turret is as you said way too squat and is also the wrong shape. Adding alot of shim to the bottom helps out alot. The suspension is as you said jacked up also. Not really fixable short of major surgery which I may do as practice (an old habit of mine). I will not fix the hull "too narrow" issue as I suspect that it isn't "too narrow" by much. Or I just may throw the whole pile in the box and forget about it. Who knows.

Roy

Spiderfrommars

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Posted: Tuesday, July 12, 2011 - 07:37 AM UTC

I had some doubt so i checked again one minute ago

I admit I was wrong
Comparing Tamiya and Esci hull the have more or less the same width

but lower hull of Esci kit has a too acute angle on the front armour panel

To obtain a correct T-55 it would be needful

1 Correct the turret adding 2 mm at the base. Improve the rough gun mantlet. Substitute the awful "banana" gun

2 Change on the fender and the exhaust position (4 mm more back)

3 Engrave new main engine hatches 4 mm back (following the new exhaust position) Otherwise you'll have the two engine hatches theorically impossible to open...

4 Change the engine deck details (hinge and grilles)

5 Change the lower hull panel angles and change the suspension arms position. If you change the suspension arm positions, you'll need new suspension arms shorter than the original ones....pratically it would be better scratch build the whole lower hull

5 Change the details of the rear panels. Rear wheel covers are wrong in shape and dimension (too large and too wide)

So, I don't think it worth the pain...Better would be scratch the entire model using just the Esci details

I had begun to do it but eventually .....I Bought the Tamiya kit

spiritwalker

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Posted: Tuesday, July 12, 2011 - 07:47 AM UTC

im not saying the Esci kit is good at all, i only used the bolted collar as i said....rest is Junk...Stick to the Tamiya kit and rework any areas to suit whichever configuration you are building ....

Andy

Kharkov

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Posted: Tuesday, July 12, 2011 - 08:21 AM UTC

lol, what have I started, I mentioned the Esci T-55 in passing because you could buy it very cheap long ago, this is before Tamiya released their T-55.

Esci T-55 is junk, I dont think there is a single area on it that is right, but it was cheap and you could have fun with it.

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