Tamiya T-55, King of Shelf Queens....

Modeling Subjects Armor
1

I had to get over a block on this one, mainly not wanting to build it “wrong”, but gee whiz Wally, how long can I put it off? So I’ve dusted off a model I started when it was a new release, somethng I did the hull and tracks for and then shelved it for fear of comitting that cardinal sin of modeling, making a “mistake”. I’m better now, and decided to just enjoy the build. So here’s what I pulled off the shelf:

IMG_8949 by Russel Baer, on Flickr

I have a couple of barrels, some MIG fuel line couplers, and two sets of Legends fuel tanks, maybe thinking I would use one on the Tamiya T-62 that was next to this model. So the Legends tanks set has the fender braces in brass, along with some truly tiny tank clamps. So far I’ve gotten the braces on, using stretched sprue for welds:

IMG_8951 by Russel Baer, on Flickr

If I don’t go blind dong the fuel tanks/lines/clamps I’ll be happy.

2

So nice to see images posted on Flickr where you can view large. I see what you did with the welds. I’m just curious if that could be done with the small tubes of plastic cement almost like a tiny caulk gun. I bet you could even put the irregularities in there while applying it. Goodness knows I can get all kinds of wavy looking stuff when I use real caulk.

3

100,000 T54-55s were built and must have served on about every square mile of this earth in the Eastern parts. It can’t be built “wrong”.

I think the Tamiya T55 is the most satisfying armor model I ever built, as a Tiran 5.

It’s like a bottle of Johnny Walker Black or a good cigar.

Could I suggest taking a few links out of the tracks? They seemed to sag in kind of free space at least when the thing was running along

4

Ha… King of Queens! Love it. Looks good and way to pull it off the shelf.

5

Glenn, I have used Vallejo water soluable putty in the past, works good for larger beads.

G, I may try that, seems like when I was initially fitting the tracks years ago one link out made them too tight. Worth a try though…

6

Hello Russ!

That chassis sure looks good with the track and chipped rubber on the road wheels… We used to have lots of T-55s here in Poland. Good luck with your build and have a nice day

Paweł

7

Sometimes you have to stop worrying about making mistakes and just build the [cnsod] thing.

Or at least that’s what I tell myself on looking at all these models I didn’t like how they were going and boxed them back up…

What you’ve got right there looks pretty friggin’ good to me.

8

This kit is a joy to build. Straight OOB, few kits build up easier or nicer. Even if you make changes like I did, it does not fight you. Just sit back, let the Red armor moejoe flow thru you and finish her up…

9

In addition to previous comments-

When the Tamiya T-62 came out, I thought what a nice Ivan tank.

But it was easy to see that the turret was all wrong.

There was an earlier T-54, maybe Aurora, but well you know.

10

Yup, it barked. I did a Tiran 5 using the Trump kit a while ago, lots of surgery there, and aven too a shot at the Lindberg kit, not only a dog but with rabies too, and even though I finished it, it was a trying experience. So it’s very pleasent to be building a Tamiya kit, so say the least.

While I’m here, I did get some work done on the glacis, adding the kit fittings and the Legends drivers periscope washer. I also re-did the idler mounts, adding as much tension the tracks as I felt the idler mounts would stand. That was a pain, as I found out I had done it previously, and had the mounts reinforced with .040" wire. I used some eccentric mounts from the spares, no idea whatever where they came from, and also used some leftover Trump KV parts to add a bit of visual interest to the inside of the idler wheels themselves. Not sure if it’s “accurate”, but neither is a totally featureless surface…

IMG_9114 by Russel Baer, on Flickr

IMG_9113 by Russel Baer, on Flickr

IMG_9112 by Russel Baer, on Flickr

11

The detail looks really good to me! [Y]

12

Thanks G. I took a stab at the fuel tanks and plumbing today, not happy with it but NO WAY am I going to try again. I actually yelled bad words, very bad words. Pics later.

…the pic:

IMG_9206 by Russel Baer, on Flickr

I haven’t even started the hold-down brackets and clamps yet. Eek.

13

Hang in there RB. Piece of advice from somebody who’s been there/done that on this kit, drill the tanks first to firmthe plumbing, attach the plumbing and bend it to shape, test fit, adjust as needed, then glue in place.

14

Pliers with square jaws do help. A good source of this kind of piping are the leads on resistors. It’s some kind of really soft alloy, the things are cheap too. Lord. I miss Radio Shack, even in it’s dumb later years.

15

Carlos, that’s exactly how I did it, spot on. The resin tanks made it a pain though, itty bitty couplers cast on and all…

G, I miss the shack too. There is just no decent electrical supply house on the planet now.

16

The plumbing looks good to me. [Y]

17

Yeah resin is not as easy to work with as styrene. The hollow center of the kit parts gives you lots of wiggle room. In our AMPS T-55 GB there was a lot of debate and talk about couplers and other fine details of the plumbing…

18

PM incoming.

Resin has the big advantage, if designed well, to combine maybe 10 (frankly I’ve seen many more) parts from a Trumpeter kit included in one part.

19

Well… I still have to do the tanks on the T-62 I have hanging out next to where this one was, and I have a set of Trumpeter tanks, now some Tamiya tanks, and another set of Legends tanks. Hmmm…

20

LOL! Have fun!