This is my first time working with SKIF kits.
The inspiration was The wonderful world of the T54/55/6 campaign
https://archive.kitmaker.net/modules.php?op=modload&name=Campaigns&file=index&req=showcontent&id=677

Thread
https://archive.kitmaker.net/forums/204668&ord=&page=1

All three SKIF kits are made in the Ukraine. This build log will include all three kits building at the same time strictly OOB with out any AM products. Just following box art and i-Sheets. The kits include parts and instructions on interior engine and driver areas but no interior will be included in these builds. Strictly Curb Side

Box Art:




This is not Tamiya. The fit requires a lot of attention

The lower hull of these kits are similar in fit assembly - all bad.


The wheels are molded with a valley along the centers.













This is how they were sanded down flat

Good luck with that one, I got most of the way on one but never finished it. I've seen very few of these get finished, so it will be nice to see.

Hi;


MAN YOUV GOT GUTS !!!!


GOOD LUCK !! MIKE.

OUCH! So that was the trick; using a screw and a nut to secure the f****** wheel to the driller! I AM IDIOT!!!
Well, at least now, after much cursing and swearing, I know how to do it... I guess one has to be careful not to apply an excessive pressure and damage the part.

Thanks and good luck with those Skifs - - - I have always heard unpleasing things about them. BTW, I didn´t know those T-55 variants.

Nice trick with the screw
Also, I always wondered whose idea it was to remove a cannon out of a tank and mount machinegun instead.

Yes David the penny has also just dropped with me too

KoSprueOne, I hope the stamina to get through these





Paul

Thanks for looking in fellas

ComradeMP and Paul - Well I have until May so I think I can do it

Mike - thanks

lentorpe - yes, you do need to be firm but gentle at the same time. You can also use a properly sized mandrel chucked into a motor tool

Zaaphod - thanks and yeah that's the weird that attracted me to these kits

Hi Everybody;

The Three Vehicles;
T-55C1 was a Anti-Mine vehicle, it was a very Short attempt at a cheap way too use vehicles that were already available. And there is a build of this conversion and is quite nice.
T-55C2 was a Drivers training vehicle and was used by quite a few countries.
The T-55 APC was only used by the South Lebanese Army, and was Cheap and easy too Convert. Most of them were Tiran 5 vehicles that were supplied by Israel, very few were ever made.

CHEERS; MIKE.

You are a brave soul. Skif's T-55 kits are so messed up that most try to forget that they exist. They fall in with the old Lindberg kit. That "Bublina" does look like an interesting subject though and might have to find one and see if it is possible to use those parts on a Tamiya T-55. Nice to see you taking this on.

Roy

KoSprueOne good luck with all three hope you a lot of putty !!! i had the duh monment as well with the screw trick
dave

Thanks for the info, Mike

Roy - Good idea. If you already buy a Tamiya T-55 then maybe just scratch / convert that kit to a "Bublina". I can send you the i-Sheets (after I'm finished) if that would help. The SKIF T-55 kit is chunky clunky

Dave - yes lots of putty is being used. It's so bad down there that I'm not going to fix what cannot be seen. These will be Curb Side

The SLA APC version includes a unique drive sprockets which require modification to the axle housing :





Bublina and Favorit suggest filing these parts to shape. Mounts for little parts. What are those things anyway? They look like little spot lights or sensors of some kind





Each hull front require different things removed. I did this with a flush cutter first then a file then a sanding stick

Hi Everybody;

There are conversion kits too make the C1 & C2,
The C2 conversion is by CMK, and gives you a resin turret and has some additional parts. I purchased this conversion some years ago and used the Tamiya T-55 too model this vehicle, now some may Ask Why. But this was something Different and I like too build vehicles that most people don't see ! For what it offered it was not all that bad, and CMK gave you the choice too build Two Different vehicles.
In the conversion you could build the Mk; with the turret or you could build a vehicle without the turret, the second version is a T-55 with the turret Plated over that has a very large hatch centered on top that is all in Photo-Etch.
Sorry for the OT; CHEERS, MIKE.

No problem, Mike. I consider that information on topic. Thanks

Bublina and Favorit suggest filing these parts to shape. Mounts for little parts. What are those things anyway? They look like little spot lights or sensors of some kind

They are the mounts for position marker lights. The lens should be white. You might have to find some better ones than the SKiF kit provides if memory serves me well...


Chris





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Ko, thanks for posting your techniques they will come in handy later.

Bob

Chris - Thanks for the info. . . . and yes, your memory serves you well.
I'm still going to use the kit supplied parts though. I want to keep it pure OOB

Bob - You're welcome, thanks for looking in

This T-55 assembly line continues with the lower and upper hulls fitted, glued, clamped, clamped, puttied, glued, puttied and sanded.

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

Following the i-sheets require specific details removed by sanding, cutting or filing off

The hub caps on the SLA APC-55 received a lot of attention this week

Some photos of the training version here

Hope it helps !

yes, all ref photos help. Thank you

One of the fender fuel tanks on the T-55C1 Bublina was a "skinny" cast. The plastic didn't get all the way into all of the detail of the mold on some of the sprues. This part was one of them.

I first tried to make a quick aluminum foil form to melt/cast a new upper part of this fuel tank by melting some sprue chips from this kit = FAIL







F A I L


NEXT TRY:

Using foil again to make a partial patch then fill in the back with glue and material = FAIL because it still leaves an un-sandable layer







This fuel tank detail is wrong and I couldn't see a way a sanding around the details successfully


Finally I use silicone gasket material from a tube to make a quick and inexpensive mold:







Then cast with casting resin. This worked and with a little putty and sanding will look fine.



The rear lower hull part was also "skinny" on one of the spare track studs. I snipped off the parts I need from the SLA APC-55 kit to repair the BUBLINA. The i-sheets in the SLA kit says to file off and remove these anyway so it was perfect







Thanks for looking in . . .

Good work ... I like your great idea to simply make a mold with silicone :-)

cheers
Walter

Nicely done KoSprueOne .
Is the gasket stuff called Hylomar? I have that also and have never thought of using it as moulding material.





Paul

Thanks fellas.

Paul, The silicone stuff is sold by ProSeal.

The mold was made by applying several thin coats letting each one cure before the next because it's "air dry" material