This is an IT-28 Bridgelayer from Alanger. It is built with no major modifications, just some small details, which are described below.

Sorry for the bad pictures, I've been trying to take good pictures of this model for 3 days now and gave up at the end - I am now completely sure it's my camera and not my lighting or background. Hopefully I can get another camera, but right now I have to put up with this one.




The area I modified the most was the front glasis: I added the fender supports, different bolts, drilled the rubber bump stops for the front hatch, drilled out the horn(?) and moved it about 2mm back. I also replaced the crudely built kit thing(???) near the left headlight.



My first weld seams with Milliput! Milliput turned out to be quite a versatile material - I have already found many uses for it.

What do you think of my first weld seams? Please post any questions or comments.

Looking good Paul. I have been curious about this kit myself. You are doing a very niosce build so far. I like your "welds". I am going to have to get some of this Milliput and try it myself.

I have that kit too,so It will be interesting to follow your build.I saw a review of it,in MMIR,and there was a question which way the "arms" should face when the bridge is installed.
(++) (++)

Thanks guys. Dave - this kit is very good in my opinion. I will even go as far as to say that (of the models I have) this is the best Russian/Ukrainian kit I've ever built! There are generally no fit problems and minimum amount of flash. There are a few sink holes, most of which are on the inner sides of suspension, which won't be easily seen once accembled. The kit has individual tracks which are easy to put together. The only thing that can get kind of annoying is that every hole has to be enlarged to fit the needed part in.

I have started to paint the tank - unfortunatly I ran out of paint half way through the kit. I will buy some this weekend and hopefully finish the painting and tracks.

Carl - I don't know if this is correct but I'm going to put the arms facing forward - the way the tank is drawn on the box. The tank is very rare and probably none have survied to this day - I only know of 3 pictures(!) available in magazines or internet. In my pictures, Ihaven't glued them down yet - they are just sitting there. I think the way I have them is how they looked when the bridge was off the tank.

Here is the only picture of IT-28 that I found on the net


Sorry it took me so long to reply - I had to study for midterms all week

Paul,

Any way you can scan those other two pics?? I'm watching this thread VERY close, as I'm building my IT-28 for the "Seeing Red" campaign!

I in no way know nothing about making weld seams, but....your's look good, again, but...are they too thick?? I've looked at posts and threads where they use a "broken" #11 blade to get the "row of dimes" affect....(I weld for fun with an arc and MIG - but suck at the arc!).

I dig the mods you've done in the front....can you say "copy with NO shame?!?!?"

Great work.... PAAAA LEEEESE keep us updated!!!!

Spasiba! (uuuhh, copied from the "Seeing Red" campaign campaign - with no shame) :-)

I've been fascinated by this vehicle since I first saw the older ICM kit, I'mn following this thread with interest and may just have to get one of these!

Good build so far.

Well, the funny thing is - I was following your thread: IT-28 Bridgelayer questions and read what MadMeex said about Wydadawnictwo Militaria vol 160 having 2 pictures of this beast. Reading that you wanted to order it - I was actually preparing to beg you to scan them for me :-)





I totally agree with you, the welds are rather thick - but it was my first time and I think I got better at it as I did the rest of them for this project. More over - after painting the model I think they look allright.

Yikes, the buttons are funny looking! What's up??

My better half has said that I have to wait on the book.... I'm trying to convince her that I need it AND the new DML Russian Serman.....I LIKE that one
but, alas, she does not.....

SO, we'll see.

I do plan, shamelessly, to do the same thing with my IT-28: that is, add the weld seams. I have never done it either, so I'm hoping it works out. You'll have to send some close up pics of the weld seams after you've painted it. Milliput, huh? I'm going to have to see about getting some. I thought about using filler, cause I have that, but if Milli worked well for you, I should get some.

I'm lovin' what you've done so far , can't wait to see the follow on pics!!!

The added bolt heads on the front; did you "hand" cut those or did you use a die tool??? Clean.

Anyhow, keep it up. Bunch of us looking forward to your success!

Sincerely,

Mike

Thanks Mike! I found this article very informative for making welds. I don't think filler would work very well allthough some people get good results with it. Milliput is a two part epoxy putty - it is similar to clay but it softens with water and dries rock hard, doesn't shrink either. It can be kind of tricky to work with - especially rolling it out into a thin strip for the welds, but you generally get the use after some time.

Oh, one thing you should look out for is keeping the area to be "welded" clean. I used a q-tip dipped in enamel thinner (or brush cleaner solution) to clean the surface and when I forgot to do it once, the putty didn't want to stay on and I had to redo the whole section.

Bolt heads - I used some 0.8mm (0.030'') Plastruct hex rod - although I suggest using a smaller size for this tank and cut it into very small sections. Then, using tweezers I put some glue on one side and glue the small hex discs where I want them. After the glue has dried I go over all of them with a file - very carefully, not to use too much pressure or they will come off. It is tricky at first, especially to use the right amount of glue and not get it all over the tweezers or the disc won't come off.

I detailed the front based on the T-28, if you need photos, I can post the websites where I found the walkarounds for T-28 - I have them on another computer and can't get to it right now.