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Яusso-Soviэt Forum: Cold War Soviet Armor
For discussions related to cold war era Russo-Soviet armor.
Korean War T-34/85?
Hudson29
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Posted: Tuesday, September 16, 2014 - 10:52 AM UTC
After taking a several decade long pause in model building I started again this Spring after it got too hot to work on the car & motorcycle projects. Somehow I got stuck into tanks & trucks rather than my expected aero projects but found I rapidly became fascinated with them.

I have built six models so far this summer, each one a bit better than the one before it. Nearly completed is the CyberHobby T46 on which pigments were tried for the first time. What fun!

While I'm waiting for additional bits for that Patton project a companion tank, a CyberHobby T-34/85 to be built in North Korean markings was started. I'm having a number of issues with it.

I can find no decal sheets for these markings. Most photos I have or have seen online are of burned out tanks. The few that do show markings only show turret numbers. Is that the way it was? Are decals available? Is there a place that can make decals from my artwork?

The CyberHobby kit deleted the clear lens for the headlight. Are these available someplace? It would be nice to have an assortment of these for future projects.

I ordered a Verlinden detail set for the rear engine cover as the CH kit had deleted the PE parts that came with the Dragon parent kit.

I also ordered a Modelkasten track set as the kit tracks looked like they would probably be a problem and not come out very well.

This is certainly a great time to be a modeler. There are more kits than at any time I can remember and the new materials & techniques are very exciting.
PantherF
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Posted: Tuesday, September 16, 2014 - 11:42 AM UTC
IF in fact that it was really a North Korean armor unit and not Chinese you are correct that most of the armor they used just had 3 numbers on the turret.


Most of what I have seen are all burnt up.


And welcome to Armorama!






Jeff
Hudson29
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Posted: Tuesday, September 16, 2014 - 12:59 PM UTC
Thanks Jeff, I'm a bit overwhelmed by all I see here on Armorama. Just the paint section alone might keep me busy for weeks.

Any idea where to find an assortment of 1/35 scale lenses for the headlights? I want to add the clear bit to make this model a bit better!

It looks like I can post some pics here? Mebbee I'll shoot a few of the project as it is now.
Tiger_213
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Posted: Tuesday, September 16, 2014 - 01:19 PM UTC
SKP are the big lens company, though they mostly do modern and cold war Soviet. Maybe one of the smaller companies do them. AK interactive also sale a generic lens set in a couple sizes.

Welcome back to the hobby and to the site.

Lot of new guys from Cali in the last week.
jphillips
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Posted: Tuesday, September 16, 2014 - 02:01 PM UTC
Unfortunately, North Korean vehicles weren't (and aren't) very colorful. Their markings generally are limited to a stenciled serial number. http://koreadprk.tumblr.com/
For the headlights, you could use MV Lenses. Roll Models sells them. http://www.rollmodels.com/
Frenchy
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Posted: Wednesday, September 17, 2014 - 03:35 AM UTC
Here are some NKPA T34-85 tanks on parade :



Full size

and here's another one at the Patton Museum of Cavalry and Armor :


Caption :"This particular tank, built in the Soviet Union and supplied to the North Korean Army, was captured in mid-1950 during the early stages of the Korean War. The tank is painted in the colors and markings of the North Korean Army's 17th Tank Brigade which was wiped out in battles near Pusan in August of 1950"



H.P.
Hudson29
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Posted: Wednesday, September 17, 2014 - 04:16 AM UTC

Quoted Text

Unfortunately, North Korean vehicles weren't (and aren't) very colorful. Their markings generally are limited to a stenciled serial number. http://koreadprk.tumblr.com/
For the headlights, you could use MV Lenses. Roll Models sells them. http://www.rollmodels.com/



What a great page on North Korea, thanks for it!

These MV lenses look like they are clear without the fluting. Is this correct? The kit part is not clear but does have fluting.
Hudson29
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Posted: Wednesday, September 17, 2014 - 07:33 AM UTC

Quoted Text

SKP are the big lens company, though they mostly do modern and cold war Soviet. Maybe one of the smaller companies do them. AK interactive also sale a generic lens set in a couple sizes.

Welcome back to the hobby and to the site.

Lot of new guys from Cali in the last week.



Thanks Tiger, I have been having a terrific time batting around this site looking at all sorts of info that should be very helpful.

I found some of the AK lenses on eBay but the pictures are not clear. Do they have the fluting or are they plain? I'll measure up the kit parts tonight to see what size might fit.
Hudson29
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Posted: Wednesday, September 17, 2014 - 07:38 AM UTC
Thanks Frenchy for the pics, I have added them to my reference folder. I notice that all three show numbers with completely different type faces. Do you know if the numbers were painted on the rear of the turret or just on the sides? Do you know of a decal sheet for these markings?
Frenchy
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Posted: Wednesday, September 17, 2014 - 08:30 AM UTC
You're welcome. I can't really say that 100% of the Korea T-34 pics I've seen so far don't show any tactical number on the turret rear as there's at least one example in this dedicated photo album :

http://fotki.yandex.ru/users/grinnols/album/210415?

The number style reminds me of those used on Soviet WW2 tanks...Maybe you could find some matching ones on generic Soviet markings decal sheets/stencils ?

http://www.scalelink.co.uk/acatalog/Stencilit___Pochoirs.html

http://www.scalelink.co.uk/acatalog/World_War_Two_1_35_Decal_sets.html

http://www.ebay.com.au/itm/Verlinden-1-35-Soviet-Vehicle-Numbers-488-/180550514425

H.P.
Hudson29
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Posted: Wednesday, September 17, 2014 - 10:21 AM UTC
Thanks again, your first link gave me a LOT of photos that I don't have already, some which reveal details I hadn't seen before. And color shots showing the color of the dirt in addition to paint, fading & streaks, great stuff!

I ordered the Velinden set as a dry transfer, thanks for the steer. I had already purchased the Archer Dry Transfer set:

http://www.archertransfers.com/AR35148.html

but none of these quite matched the Korean faces. No worries, I have plenty of Soviet projects in the pipeline.
Frenchy
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Posted: Thursday, September 18, 2014 - 07:05 AM UTC
You've probably noticed that a few pics show some rather crudely hand-painted numbers (no stencil). Maybe you could do the same if need be...

H.P.
Hudson29
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Posted: Thursday, September 18, 2014 - 07:17 AM UTC

Quoted Text

You've probably noticed that a few pics show some rather crudely hand-painted numbers (no stencil). Maybe you could do the same if need be...

H.P.



Yes, I have noticed that. Other numbers look to be very well painted but with different type styles. I wonder if possibly the numbers were painted at the unit level and subject to the whim of the officers & the skill of the maintenance staff? A sloppy hand painted number with drips runs & different sizes might be fun. I certainly have more work to do to figure out which tanks to do.
Hudson29
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Posted: Thursday, September 18, 2014 - 08:08 AM UTC
I shot some pics of the project as it is now but can't figure out how to upload them. Somehow I got to a tutorial by Darren Baker but don't even have the PHOTOS tab he shows to get started. Every time I hit the gallery or similar tab I get an error message saying I don't have permission to access. I AM logged in, mebbee I have BO?

Any ideas? Where can I go on this enormous site to seek resolution?
Hudson29
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Posted: Thursday, September 18, 2014 - 10:06 AM UTC
Let's try this for the images:











If I have this right, five photos should appear.
Hudson29
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Posted: Thursday, September 18, 2014 - 10:10 AM UTC
OK, I think I have this figured out, this is a site that uses linked images rather than hosting its own. Just to make it more confusing, it hosts its own images but — separately. There are simpler ways to do this!
chefchris
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Posted: Thursday, September 18, 2014 - 12:51 PM UTC
Welcome aboard Paul...
Don't putty over the check portion of the turret front. Its supposed to be like that. Look at the picture of the NK 312 T34-85 and you can see the lines are clear. The Tank in the Patton museum is of different construction. These seams are a result of the casting of the turret. Aftermarket solid wheels are out there both in other kits and resin if you want to change them.

Keep up the good work!

Chris
GeraldOwens
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Posted: Thursday, September 18, 2014 - 07:46 PM UTC

Quoted Text

Welcome aboard Paul...
Don't putty over the check portion of the turret front. Its supposed to be like that. Look at the picture of the NK 312 T34-85 and you can see the lines are clear. The Tank in the Patton museum is of different construction. These seams are a result of the casting of the turret. Aftermarket solid wheels are out there both in other kits and resin if you want to change them.

Keep up the good work!

Chris



Dragon's kit depicts a Factory 183 T-34-85, with its distinctive "flattened" turret, and the kit's perforated "spiderweb" wheels are correct for this variant. The solid wheels were generally seen on Factory 174 or Factory 112 tanks (which were also present in Korea), but these have distinctively different turrets, and the three variants each had slightly different upper tail plate configurations as well.
The Factory 174 version is available from AFV Club--its turret was drastically wider at the lower sides, and RPM/Maquette offered a Factory 112 version as a full kit or as a turret-only conversion kit. The RPM version is not as accurate, and requires a lot of work to look good, though. The old Zvezda/Italeri T-34/85 also depicts a Factory 183 tank, with some postwar modifications around the driver's hatch, but it is much cruder than Dragon's version, and again, requires lots of work to look good.
The Cyberhobby/Dragon kit looks a lot better if you add a photo etched engine screen on the top rear. I can't really recommend Verlinden's photoetch products, though. The ones I've purchased over the years were crudely etched in copper rather than brass, and weren't well-engineered to fit the kits (still, it's been a long time, and maybe they've improved). But Lion Roar, Voyager, Aber, and Eduard (though their brass is thinner and more fragile) all offer better products, in my opinion.
Hudson29
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Posted: Friday, September 19, 2014 - 04:02 AM UTC

Quoted Text


The Cyberhobby/Dragon kit looks a lot better if you add a photo etched engine screen on the top rear. I can't really recommend Verlinden's photoetch products, though. The ones I've purchased over the years were crudely etched in copper rather than brass, and weren't well-engineered to fit the kits (still, it's been a long time, and maybe they've improved). But Lion Roar, Voyager, Aber, and Eduard (though their brass is thinner and more fragile) all offer better products, in my opinion.



Thanks guys, I'm very happy to have found this site and to be in contact with others who have the same interests.

One of the joys of modeling is the research, especially on a somewhat obscure subject such as the North Korean T-34/85. On this model I incorrectly assumed that the turret cheek pieces were just poor fitting and gave them a coat of putty. Now I find pictures showing they were separate bits that were welded or bolted into position. Mebbee I can scribe the gap back in, if not it will be a lesson learned for future.

I did buy the Verlinden set and you are quite correct, the PE is copper. I'll see if I can find a better set.
Hudson29
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Posted: Friday, September 19, 2014 - 06:30 AM UTC
I just ordered another detail set - Voyager 1:35 T-34/85 Mod.1944 (For Dragon 6066/6203/6319/3318) PE35124.

I do have a concern that there is just too much here. Not only is my project very far along to use much of this set, it is just much more more than I had in mind doing. I have never worked with PE or resin and would just as soon try something easy to start.

I guess the saving grace here is that I have two more of these CyberHobby T-34/85 kits in the stash!
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