No problem, the T-55 is one of my favorite tanks.
How do you ensure that there's enough PE for the attachment? I've done more than a handful of kits with PE, but always wondered how to get enough surface on fenders for the glue to get a good strong grip. Looking forward to more updates.
-Seth

Keep posting, please. Those of us that are not familiar with the T55 may be watching with an eye towards duplicating your efforts. I know I am.....
Re "lack of interest": I get very few responses to builds I blog, just something I take as normal here. The responses I DO get tend to be very useful however, something I prefer over a quick "looks great" and nothing else.

Hi Mark. As Russel says I try not to be one of the "looks great" and "good job so far"guys although every now and then, I feel impelled to do so. I'd like to give more advise and provide help through my post and that is why I don't write much though Armorama is one of my favourite sites on internet to look for tips and reviews and to learn from other's modelling. That said I guess there's a lot of people like me out there that read your post and are interested on your build (I am, T55s in all its variants is one of my favourite tanks), so if this helps you, please, keep posting. I missed your initial post in 2012 but I was following it now. I might learn something.
Cheers.

Seth -good question. when using superglue use as little as possible. the more you use you end up with a very brittle joint. it should capillary into the gap of the parts your joining.

thanks gents - Russel and jasper you are both correct. I was just a bit dissapointed that the guys who hold the key knowledge seem to have left. BUT on the other hand I am just going to look and find myself the various references. Also nothing complex here just sticking AM to the kit now.

the voyager fenders proved to be quite tricky.



It soon came flooding back to me - my total lack of ability in soldering !

I use one of these for the long bends



I must admit it looks a bit of a dogs dinner



I had to salvage the underneath of the exhaust exit - chopped it out of the plastic tamiya fender - and glued it beneath the brass fender. The instructions dont tell you this - but it looks really odd if you dont salvage that part

Hi Mark,
I will be interested to see how you find the miniarm tracks as I had an unhappy experience with the set I got.
Thanks for the info about the exhaust, I have never heard of that problem & have the same fender set to use on a future build.
As for reference Mario ( spider formers) sent me a heap of stuff when he was still on here so if I can pay it forward if you need a photo let me know & will see if I have it.
Mike

Thanks Mark, I'll have to give them a go sometime. For as much trouble as you said those fenders gave you, I'd say they came out pretty spot on. Looking forward to more updates.

Not all of us "in the know" guys have all the answers...like soldering, for instance.

Also, I tend to let others speak up so that there are more voices providing information, and, sometimes it is ok to let someone work a little harder at doing research.

That said, I have been keeping an eye on the thread. Your method of dealing with the wading rail was one I had not thought of. Often times you will need to keep pushing and updating builds even without feedback. It is hard to have as much enthusiasm as the builder often.

Mike - im guessing the resin pins are brittle and snap off during assembly. In any case i better get to work assembling them quickly - as I will need to think of my strategy regarding fixing them on now or later.

Jaqcues - thanks - very true. Im just in the right frame of mind to get this this thing done - after two year hiatus. I have found nearly all references on armorama and fb.

best
Mark

Mark, it looks like its coming along nicely. I would suggest lowering the retaining clips for the tow lugs. Tamiya put them a little high. I also think the idler mount area could use a liberal dose of MR surface. finally, think about re-doing the glacis plate weld seam. The Miniarm stuff is really great - I have the T-55AM set and I HOPE to get it finished at some point.
I have no less than 7 of the Tamiya T-55 kits and just about every accessory too.

Tiran 5
T-55 early
T-55 AM
T-69 Iraqi
T-55 Based Fallout/Gamma World APC (What was I thinking its been months!)
T-54B
T-55 Model 70


Keep it up...

Oh yeah... Love the Etch Mate man

Chris Smith - big thanks - yes sir I will take that input ! as soon as I catch up with other stuff.

So I did one side of the fenders - the easy side of course. The Tamiya stowage boxes are really nicely detailed. I only added Eduard catches and some hinges. No point using some of the eduard stuff - where it replaces the handles and latches with 2d photo etch parts - well thats my take on it.



have to bash up the heat shield - seems rude not to



you get the washer water container in the miniarm upgrade set

onto the more "interesting" side of the fenders!

here is the arrangement of the fuel cells



I then drilled out the necessary holes and plumbes everything using lead wire and copper wire



I used 1mm tape to depict the connectors and dappled super-glue on the rolled on tape to secure it.




still to add are the plates and bolts that hold the cells to the fenders.

The fuel cell plumbing is one thing that keeps me from getting back to the Tamiya T55 kit I started about two years ago. I'm almost to the point of going ahead with it anyway.

Good stuff, really like the idea of using tape for the connectors. Never thought of using that. Could we get a close up of those?

Russel: I have a diagram that shows the plumbing and it really helped me out. Let me figure out how to post pictures and I'll get it posted for you.
-Seth

Russel - I had exact same thought as your yourself- i thought the plumbing would be difficult. One thing that made it easy was to use lead wire. I was going to use electrical wire - but I just didnt have any. So I used what I had - fixing the tape onto the wire was the only difficult part.

I used this diagram for the plumbing - I think some references can be found here on armorama



Seth - thanks I think using tape worked out ok. Here is a better shot. I also detailed up the plate and bolt that fixes the fuel cell to the fender.



thanks guys.

maybe some time for a next update - I have ordered something to make this a bit different

Thanks for the close up, and the diagram. That's more or less the same one I use.
I found that using brass wire works good for me, doing the plumbing has since become one of my favorite parts about 54/55/62s.
-Seth

Great build. Shouldn't the fuel lines run through the fender support and not over top on it and along the side bulges?

Erik - thanks. yes - I initially routed the fuel lines through that cut out and then changed my mind! I will try and correct it if i can.

Does anyone have any details of how BTU dozer blade is powered and connection to the T-55?

best
Mark

Good and detailed work on the T-55

These are the only links I could find related to the dozer blade. Hope they are useful:

http://www.jedsite.info/engineer-bravo/bravo/btu_series/btu-series.html

http://www.brdm2.estranky.cz/img/original/25809/32.-t-55a.jpg

IDF version:
http://www.primeportal.net/tanks/andre_patschke/tiran_5_bd_walk.htm

Maybe this will help:

At the point #12 the power and control cable enters the tank.
What kit of the dozer blade will you use?

Very good diagram, I printed it and will put it in the kit box.
Also interested in the 'dozer install, got one of those floating around somewhere too...... and just ordered the DEF Model gun tube and mantlet, whoo hoo......

I just want you to know your blog is providing such great info that it is making me feel like going ahead and really starting two unique T-55s,a Slovenian M-55 S and a Iranian T-72Z

sorry big shame... thanks for all advice and help, I bought the resin snow plough.. but it would not fit as it clashed with the light mounting. also I could not find a single picture of the snow plough fitted to a T-55. So I was on holiday in Prague and bought btu blade.. but also to late for modifications.

So here is some of the work. Its from a while ago, but I still have to start weathering soon.





here is miniarm resin rmsh tracks fitted and the resin miniarm replacement roadwheels

things need to end where they start... the shelf queen cull began at about 18:00 Thursday evening.

This is how things moved...

chipping fluid followed by white camo




weathering steps










I will do the reveal shortly... AND THANKS

Wow, that looks great!