Rubicon Models
Rubicon Models => Showcase & Gallery => Topic started by: ripley on December 18, 2019, 09:12:39 am
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After building 9 of Warlords T-34s and 3 of Rubicon's Su-85 / 122 s , I'm finally getting around to building my 1st Rubicon T-34/85 . As usual I just can't build it straight out of the box . First off I decided to give it a couple of the older style dish wheels . These were left overs from the Rubicon T-34/76 kit which I got from a buddy .
(https://i.postimg.cc/7CxKQsW9/wip-wheel-swap.jpg) (https://postimg.cc/7CxKQsW9)
I had thought to just add the visible wheel gluing it to the perforated rear wheel part , unfortunately the wheel sets don't fit together ( plugs are different sizes ) so I added a rear dish wheel and it fits fine . I also want to depict this tank with an open driver's hatch , so I drilled the area in order to remove the unwanted plastic
(https://i.postimg.cc/XGv43gpc/wip-driver-s-hatch.jpg) (https://postimg.cc/XGv43gpc)
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The wheels swap worked out great
(https://i.postimg.cc/ZBXF43bV/completed-wheel-switch.jpg) (https://postimg.cc/ZBXF43bV)
Like the turret , a lot small parts on the T-34 were cast ( mg bulge , exhaust covers , differential gear covers ) some smooth and some that looked rough enough to tear skin . I added liquid green stuff with a paint brush and then stippled the part with a stiff brush . Sometimes a 2nd or 3rd coat was needed to get the appearance I wanted
(https://i.postimg.cc/tn5T2QMW/cast-differential-gear-covers.jpg) (https://postimg.cc/tn5T2QMW)
(https://i.postimg.cc/yDJRYxGG/cast-exhaust-covers.jpg) (https://postimg.cc/yDJRYxGG)
(https://i.postimg.cc/XrFvzCmn/Cast-mg-bulge-driver-s-hatch-internals.jpg) (https://postimg.cc/XrFvzCmn)
I also trimmed the driver's hatch position and added some internal pieces to the hatch . As well I added a splash rail in front of the hatch , these varied in size and position depending on factory so find a picture as inspiration
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Looking good! May well copy you on the open hatch idea. Do you have a model you plan to have hanging out or sitting inside looking out?
How do you find the rubion kits over the warlord ones? I was tempted to pick up the t-34/76 zug from warlord as you can find it for £40 But i just feel id rather go with the rubiocn ones
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The Rubicon kit makes it very easy to kit bash an open hatch what with the hatch as a separate piece . The Warlord kits I've given open hatches to are another matter. As I said I have built 9 of the Warlord T-34s , ( 4 -76s & 5 -85s ) , and while the detail isn't as crisp as the Rubicon kits , and some things are not right ( upper rear hull - hatch & vents too short ) and the presssed Uralmash 76 turret totally the wrong shape , the plastic , being softer than Rubicon's is easier to carve , sand and saw .
Haven't really decided on crew figures yet , I might make this one a knocked out / abandoned tank . Not too sure yet , but I do have Rubicon's Russian crew blister pack , plus about a dozen other Russian crew figures ( resin , metal and plastic kit bash ) to choose from .
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kind of what my gut told me. Il stick with the rubicon then. I'm not afraid of a little extra elbow work carving away.
Yes I also have the soviet tank riders kit from rubicon and i have two unmade T34's so might well get those done over christmas as my soviet colour set from AK has now arrived ;D
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If you look at pictures of T-34s , the turret castings are very diverse in texture , some smooth as a baby's bottom and others , well , pretty rough . Texturing the turrets with green stuff , both Rubicon & Warlords really gives them that extra " something " to make them stand out . I like to have my vehicles look different if I have 3 or 4 of the same type with crewmen , stowage , even battle damage . That's why I'm not fond of the resin kits with molded on stowage , easy to add to but really tricky to remove.
(https://i.postimg.cc/2VSk9Nw8/untitled.png) (https://postimg.cc/2VSk9Nw8)
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The turret needs some texture as it was cast , so I added some liquid green stuff
(https://i.postimg.cc/K10409yT/IMG-20191222-093731373.jpg) (https://postimg.cc/K10409yT)
I also wanted to depict an earlier style turret with the DT-5 gun . This version used the split hatch commander's cupola part , and to me , it looks like the Rubicon part has the gunner's periscope to close to the hatch , as well as no antenna mount . So I am moving / replacing the periscope , and I found some pieces to use as the U shaped lift rings particular to this turret .
(https://i.postimg.cc/rzp070JW/IMG-20191222-093758617.jpg) (https://postimg.cc/rzp070JW)
I've decided to build this tank as a command vehicle for my Polish SU-85 troop , so it will have both the turret as well as the original T-34/76 style hull mounted radio antennas . The very 1st 85mm tanks , those built with the 2 man turret had the radio in the hull like the 76 , the next version with the 1st redesigned turret race for the 3 man crew , had the radio in the turret and the hull antenna mount closed off with a plug , later versions removed it completely .
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Yes! I pacifically picked up some of the AK interative Easy cast just for this kind of job.
Also seen some nice tricks using bits of plastic and melting with a lighter into strands and quickly setting them into place to create welds etc
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I use liquid poly to add texture, not sure it is visible.
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I've tried a few different products , but IMO liquid green is the easiest . You can apply it with a old paint brush , it cleans up with water , it is easy to remove ( before setting completely ) if you get some where it's not supposed to be , and lastly , its available at my local hobby shop . No road trips to a larger city or dealing with on line venders and being at the mercy of the local Post .
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I will have to try it, I will buy some from my local Womblehammer shop (recently rebranded from Great Womble).
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Pretty much done except for turret crew , stowage and a wash . I added a driver by cutting down a figure from a Italeri 1/56 Russian kit . Why they cast him with his arms crossed , what useless looking commander figure .
(https://i.postimg.cc/yD239Xpr/IMG-20200101-134950578.jpg) (https://postimg.cc/yD239Xpr)
I cut the figure about here …. the other I added a set of Tamiya 1/48 lower legs / waist from the parts box
(https://i.postimg.cc/zVcFthPT/IMG-20200101-203359189-LI.jpg) (https://postimg.cc/zVcFthPT)
My T-34 based 85mm anti tank unit , command tank and 3 SPGs
(https://i.postimg.cc/D8PK12jV/IMG-20191231-180931377.jpg) (https://postimg.cc/D8PK12jV)
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Very nice.
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Been slow going over Christmas period getting stuff done and I've been working on alot of Non-Rubicon stuff so no need to post here, I did how ever spend Christmas Day sat infont of the Tv with family whilst putting together a Rubicon T-34 76 and and T34 85 and I got round to using the Easy Cast from AK. Went one very easily using an old brush and dried fairly quickly. I've managed to get the base coats on now and here's how they look.
(https://i.postimg.cc/svw5mMff/3476.jpg) (https://postimg.cc/svw5mMff)
(https://i.postimg.cc/pmSzN3ng/3485.jpg) (https://postimg.cc/pmSzN3ng)
Why they cast him with his arms crossed , what useless looking commander figure .
Yeah such a boring and odd pose to use. Warlord do a nice pack for tank crews.
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The texture on those turrets looks good . It really adds a lot to kit IMO . I have 2 sets of Warlords metal Russian crews , which IMO are Ok , a couple of figures have their arms molded weird and they don't always fit in the hatch ( too chubby ) , so they are pretty much a custom fit , glued in to a hatch . I like Bad Squido's female Russian tankers ( must order another set ) , and I thinking of getting a set of Warlord's North Korean tankers to add some variety . Gat a 3 pairs of JTFM's resin Russians , a little more 1/48 , but nice , and a set of Rubicon's , just wish there were more arms without , binocs , maps and flags .
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Ive bought 2 packs of the warlord tank crews so far, but thinking about it ive only used them with warlord kits. I have a pack of warlord tank riders and a pack of (started) rubicon tank riders. Might well add them to one of the kits im doing now.
I like Bad Squido's female Russian tankers
Oooo that got my attention. Only Bad Squido's ive seen and painted were a commision job....will certainly go have a look now! Thanks for that ;D
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Bad Squido has a whole line of female Russian troops , tank riders , mortar crew , mg crew etc . The tank crew set is a set of three , 1 seated ( looking much like a famous female tank commander , who 's name I can't recall at the moment ) and the other two are 3/4 torso figures . I hope they release another set or two , would love some standing figures for a diorama
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Well this is my 1st T34-76 with poor cast turret done
(https://i.postimg.cc/ppWv6nXy/easycast1.jpg) (https://postimg.cc/ppWv6nXy)
(https://i.postimg.cc/1fvSh5fB/easycast2.jpg) (https://postimg.cc/1fvSh5fB)
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I think you should give the turret , 2 or 3 thin coats , letting it dry and maybe painting between coats , till it looks the way you want it too. The side vision ports were cast separate and then welded on , so would be a different texture . Here's a picture of a turret casting , note large pour blocks (reminds me of a couple of resin kits I had back in the 70s ) , the side vision port area is much thinner so it can be cut out and port welded on
(https://i.postimg.cc/ThTN4Vb1/T34-cast-2-2-LI.jpg) (https://postimg.cc/ThTN4Vb1)
Note the large weld around the vision port
(https://i.postimg.cc/bSvTNR0R/T34-tanks-LI.jpg) (https://postimg.cc/bSvTNR0R)
I think you should also cut back on the amount of wash your using , unless your going for a burnt paint vibe . What brand are you using to wash your model ? And are you adding pigment powders , before , after or when its still wet ? Not being a dick but trying to help out a fellow modeler …..
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This is the Bovington T34/85.
(http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-dah4KYPRrnk/VjoGAvsaFoI/AAAAAAAABEA/DA8tHURq8e0/s1600/IMG_5180.JPG)
You might want to weather the decals a bit, it might be that you have and the photograph has washed out the differences.
How muddy are the tracks?
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The side vision ports were cast separate and then welded on , so would be a different texture .
Yes I was wondering about that after I had put the effect on and the base coat. Next time.
What brand are you using to wash your model ? And are you adding pigment powders , before , after or when its still wet ?
Im using oils. Been experimenting with oils a lot recently. Process was adding pigments then thinned oil on top, let dry, different colour pigment on top followed by a different oil colour ontop.
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You might want to weather the decals a bit, it might be that you have and the photograph has washed out the differences.
How muddy are the tracks?
Yeah good point on the decal. I'll take a sponge to it later.
And yes tracks are muddy too
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Oils , yikes ! They are way past my comfort zone . From what I've read ( AFV Modeller , etc ) you put like a few dots from the end of a tooth pick on , let semi dry , then start blending . Really tricky and time consuming to get right . Of the guys in my circle of modelers only one guy has got it sorted. Most of us avoid it like the plague . well done you for sticking with it
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Its been interesting. Some of it I've grasped quite well. Some of it i still need more practice the t-34 isnt quite right. I think the odd dark green at the back is more of a lighting problem of mixing warm and white light. But yeah, not perfect, but not like I'll never do at-34/76 eve again haha
Felt this king tiger game out rather well (oils again).
(https://i.postimg.cc/Yhf1zCtQ/kt-3.jpg) (https://postimg.cc/Yhf1zCtQ)
(https://i.postimg.cc/HrYbZ1LR/kt1.jpg) (https://postimg.cc/HrYbZ1LR)
(https://i.postimg.cc/K10BCpkz/kt2.jpg) (https://postimg.cc/K10BCpkz)
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The front panel of the turret ( picture 3 ) looks great . The cupola area looks like the paint caught fire , I wonder if you tried using paper towel to wick up thinners when you add it , might stop the puddling . I do that to suck up excess GW wash in recessed areas on my kits . Your rust on the spare track is much to red . Check out pictures of the Tiger display a Bovington, true they've been out of the weather for some time but are , what , 70 plus years old
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The area around the cupola is ment to be muddy...probably best to go get some dirt from outside next time ;D
Yes the rusted tracks ate to red. Been alot of experimentation with pigments and oils.
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You might want to use older or crap kits to experiment on , it would be a shame to destroy a newer or well detailed kit . I tend to experiment on older 1/35 kits from stash or on the bottom of my 1/56 kits , mistakes under there will never be seen
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Spare track from the stowage sprues is also useful.
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Still could use some more stowage but I'm calling this one done
(https://i.postimg.cc/sGMPQkgS/IMG-20200113-194046636.jpg) (https://postimg.cc/sGMPQkgS)
(https://i.postimg.cc/jCDyXrRn/IMG-20200113-194106451.jpg) (https://postimg.cc/jCDyXrRn)
I got a little side tracked looking for crew for this tank . I have 18 Russian tanks built , with about half of them having removable crew , so they can be used as knocked out or abandoned tanks . So I decided to rethink crew allocation , as well as swap around some stowage ( logs , tarps , etc ) . Well that led to going back and adding open driver's visors on my T-34s as well as removing / replacing some decals so the tanks look like one unit . And with any bit of mucking about with built kits , I ended up replacing radio antennas .