James thanks for the comments The figure is from callsign that I got from firestorm out of Australia. There will be 3 other figures besides the one in the photo.

http://www.firestormmodels.com/store/home.php?cat=257

Jon thanks very much. The mounts for your smoke grenade
launchers look just fine , and don't worry about the paint job, it'll look great
I would use Tank and James has stated, their stuff is damned good, but I must admit that Friul and miniarm also look good
on the net.


Chris thanks, that is great to hear from expert like yourself . A nice crisp n clean build you have there too, looking forward to the figures and paint

James thanks dude. Reminder, what reminder Oh yes , wasn't there something missing from the barrel ?




keep em coming lads

Paul

Jon - I knew that I was going to use the hairspray method of weathering so I freehand sprayed the sand and used a little water and a stiff brush to work over the edges of the sand and remove any overspray from the green.

Hi Everyone,

well, I've just gone ahead and ordered this off fleabay:



If it's as good as it looks on their website (and a set of T55 'starfish' wheels that I ordered were) then it should put the rest of the turret details to shame!

Cam - thanks for the tip. It would have never have occurred to me that you could employ the hairspray technique in such a way. I'll start practising.

Keep tanking everyone!

Working on some details to finish the lower hull and get working on the tracks & wheels.

Almost ready for the tracks & wheels !!!

This will be my contribution. I am building 2 models right now; This Tiran 5 and the IS-2 on the Stalin's Armor Campaign.



For this Tiran 5, I am using the following items:

Tamiya T-55A Kit
Blast Models Tiran 5 Resin conversion
Friulmodel ATL-01 Metal tracks
Eduard TP044 T-55 Grills
Legend T-55 Fender fuel tank set
Bison Decals 35053 Israeli tank markings
Karaya 3506 Tow cables

CagkanC

Jon that is one mean looking gun there

John she's looking better every day

Cagkan welcome, and nice to see some company for Tiran 6 . That's a nice list of parts you bring with you there, tell me did you have all of this before Tamiya added their Tiran 5 to the market, or do you just prefer this to the Tamiya offering ?
Looking forward to seeing this one done.





Paul

Hi Paul,

I have all of this items before Tamiya's Tiran 5 kit. This will be a real fun.!

CagkanC

Soft weather on the lower hull,



It turned out like this:





With the wheels on



I broke 3 suspension arms... didn't apply any force they just snapped.
Super glue & patience

John exactly the same thing happened to my first T62
The cause was paint on the attachment points, if you can it cleaned of you have no more problems . Beware of the turret ring also, it will give you the same problem, and you can't turn the turret either. Keep the underside of the turret primer and paint free, the turret ring in the hull also, and everything will be ok

Edit: the weathering looks cool




Paul

Thanks for the tip Paul !!!

Here I was thinking it was my fault being clumsy, great, it was Trumpeter's mistake !!!

I won't weather it much more since it will be hidden by those skirts.

Paul & John,
I had broke one arm on an earlier Trumpeter T62. This go-around I had taken a bit more time in cleaning them up so I really didn't have any issues.

I'll probably start back on mine in the next few days. I need to mount the skirts and add washes, weather it, etc.

Well, there appear to be quite a number of projects nearing completion and a couple of you chaps are just starting too! Wow, how do you manage to build so quickly?

I think that in a previous life, if I'd been building any of these things for real, I definitely would NOT have been awarded 'Hero of the Soviet Union' for my output!

But anyway, here's where I have got to. Paint on the turret:







A home-cast gun manlet, that needs a little work - but not too much (mine's the one on the left)



and finally, COMPLETELY off topic the Emhar Mk IV that I'm also currently working on and that appears in the background of one of the above pics.



All those lovely plain, flat surfaces should make it an absolute joy to paint and just LOOK at what this guy managed to do with what is regarded as a bit of a dog of a kit!

http://www.armourworkshop.ca/viewtopic.php?f=50&t=651

That's got to be inspiration for all of us who are soldiering on with the Trumpeter T54/55 kits?

Happy tanking everyone.

Ok, wheels are on !

Tracks & fenders are next !!!

Jon - Nice! and that Mk IV looks hot!





Assembly line continues . . .

The lower hulls are 5 pieces and the upper hull includes the fenders as one part

Think I'm getting close to finishing this. It still needs its gun and light shrouds fitting and of course LOTS of weathering but I'm not too worried about the 31st May anymore!

Not quite what I wished for but, then again, how often in life does that happen? I suppose it's all about managing one's expectations.

Anyway, here it is so far:









Paul - tomorrow I attempt the white glue 'n' tissue method to try and fashion a torn canvas sand-shield for the gun mantlet. Watch this space!

Looking good Jon.

And on that note, here's some progress on Kermit. Or would that be Kermitski...Kermitov?

Speaking of green...it's green.


Skirts on. I just tacked them on because I do plan on repainting it later on and will need to remove them.


Basic assembly all done.




Almost forgot the ditching log. The kit's log isn't that bad. Painted it dark tan and added a wash of black.


Next step is finishing washes and drybrushing. But first, some last minute inspiration with some old Dragon Soviet Motor Troops.


And that's it for now.

hay'll update sorry that it's been soon time life started on the turrent and working on some more slat hope you'll like





























the front armor is to smooth so I will and some casting texture








thanks all dave

Jon nice camo job there, looks real cool , and the Mk4 also looks mighty fine, I'm going to tackle the female for the GW campaign later.
Edit: Jon remember to use a nice shiny plastic former, something like a blade container. If it doesn't work out PM me your address, and I'll send you some finished ones you can use.

John you're getting there my friend . She's looking better everyday. How's the dentist doing ?

KoSprueOne nice to see you're still here and that they haven't taken you away in a "onesie cuddle jacket"
Stick in there dude they're looking fine

Alex that's green alright, but I somehow don't think it's very eco .
Looking good and a cool choice of figures too
Oh yeh, try this for Kermit the frog:-
Кермит лягушка

Dave looking mighty fine there a nice clean build you are showing us






Paul

Kudos on the Mk IV Jon, I have that kit and am waiting on some replacement tracks. It's one of those kits that's a bit of an old dog but groomed right it can still be a crufts winner (as your link shows).

Just a note on your T-69; your cam on the turret is soft-edge but on the chassis it's hard-edge?

David - some more impressive building work there, will look great when its all together I'm sure!

I've soldiered on and have now finished all the detail painting (and drilled out the ventilation holes on the barrel Paul!). Am now all set to get weathering - exciting!







Lots of pics on my BLOG.

Cheers,

James

thanks James
i must say that your t55 has come out great the paint and wearthering is spot on
dave

Paul

Hi James, yes... I was rather hoping you wouldn't spot that one! In actual fact both hull and turret are meant to be soft edged, it's just that the turret is a little (well, quite a lot) softer than the hull....

Put it down to my less than expert airbrushing skills at this my first attempt at soft-edged camouflage. I've got to see what corrective action (if any) I can take.

Happy tanking.





Edit: The more I look at it the I become you're quite right it just looks, well...wrong

So, after a hour or so of deep gloom and considering my options I think I can fix it.

BTW the hard delimination of colour on the side-skirts is entirely intended, taken from my reference vehicle in the Musée des Blindés:

[img]http://i1299.photobucket.com/albums/ag77/jhbarford/P1010710_zpsd9e21563.jpg[img]
[img]http://i1299.photobucket.com/albums/ag77/jhbarford/P1010695_zps43314491.jpg[img]