I've been lurking here for a while and have had a hard time getting the confidence up to post any of my models. There are so many truly remarkable builds on here I am always humbled every time I look here. Anyway, this is my Tamiya T-55 done up like a South Sudanese Sudanese People's Liberation Army (SPLA) tank. I really tried a bunch of new techniques on this one. I wanted it to look beaten to hell just like the ones still working in the bush, missing fuel tanks and with fenders bent to hell. This was my first attempt at pigments, and I also tried some chipping with liquid mask for the rust and some of the peeling paint over shiny metal. It is not perfect, I know that the turret and glacis armor would probably not be so shiny, but I had to get it done. This was also my first attempt at making decals. All in all it is not perfect, two pieces went missing, I used an iron to dent the fenders when I should have used something smaller such as a soldering iron, but I learned a lot and my next build will be even better which is the most important thing. If I worry too much about the model being perfect, I end up never starting and the pile of unfinished models grows bigger.

Great build!

Good job on the dented fenders and the weathering, it gives the model an air of realism. Splendid job making the flag.

First time i see a tank model from the SPLA forces.

Best regards
/
Christian

Great to see a T55 from a different war!! I think for your first time at making decals & weathering looks great!!

For doing damage you could try thinning the fenders down with sand paper & then using maybe a heated knife handle or blade so not as dangerous or large as using an iron??

Keep up the great work & thanks for sharing!!

Hi;

VERY NICE T-55 YOU DID STELLAR WORK !!!


CHEERS; MIKE.

I share your fear of posting, indeed some terrible good stuff passes by, and once you start having eastern friends ,spanish guys and some wicked Japonese friends on FB your courage might sink into your shoes, but neverteless you did it, and might I say,good job, only thing I'd recommend to you is, use a dremel or sand,scrape the fenders so they get very thin, then bend then slightly using piers,giving them a gentle bath in hot water might ease the process,the burning on the fenders makes them curl up and get thick,

greetz

Thanks a lot for the compliments and feedback! I will definitely be bringing it back home for a weekend to work on those fenders, (it is on display at work right now). I actually found a tank that had my same number but it is missing the fenders, http://southernsudan.prm.ox.ac.uk/details/2007.137.58/ that would a be a little easier but I like the dented look better.

I was happy to find this fellow's SPLA T-55 which was so good it was discouraging. https://armorama.kitmaker.net/forums/169800&page=1

I would like to find replacements for the water cans as well, as the yellow cans typically seen are actually emptied cooking oil cans.

Cheers!