Various WIP

[ripley]

Picked up my third Rubicon SU-85/122 kit the other day and decided to build it as a German SPG based on this photo:

And since I'm actually pre thinking my build this time ( not rushing into it as usual ) , I am going to try and post my progress . I'm using the Tank Power SU-85/100/122 and Peko SU-85/100 books as my main reference as well as various pictures in assorted books from my collection



 I will try explain my reasons for any changes or additons to the kit and try to remember  to post reference pictures for clarification .  Hopefully some of you might find this of some  interest ,and hopefully I will remember to post stuff as I progress in the build and  not just post the finished kit in a weeks time ( as I usually do  )

[ultravanillasmurf]

Looking forward to your build.

[ripley]

Where to begin ? Looking through my books I noticed that there were 2 versions of the SU-85 , One had lift hooks on the gun mantle and long handrail on the casement sides ( same as the SU-122 which the 85 was based on ) .



And a later version which had lift rings on the mantle and a short hand rail . This the version I'm going to build



So I added rings ( ex model rail road bits ) as well as liquid green stuff to give the ball mount a rougher cast texture . This is done by painting on the LGS , and stippling with a stiff brush till the desired texture is achieved . Usually I do this a couple of times during the build till I'm happy  with the result.

I also like to add open vision ports on the driver's hatch as well as the cast texture . Some are very rough , others almost smooth , see above

[ripley]

Green stuff is also added to the armored exhaust covers as well as the differential covers on the hull rear . Again quite a variation in texture





This is another pattern of exhaust cover for T-34s ( Factory No 183 )

Standard cover

[Pinky]

Thanks for sharing this, Ripley.  It's very enjoyable watching this build progress. 

[ripley]

It's something new for me , trying to remember to make notes on what I'm doing and why , as well as finding pictures of the real thing to help explain whats going on .  I might add a crew , at a later date so I decided to open the driver's hatch . Easy to do on the Rubicon kit as the actual hatch is a separate piece . Step 1 , drill a line of small holes with pin vise

Step 2 , carefully cut along dotted line  and remove unwanted plastic , file to suit

Step 3 , add hatch ( after adding internal parts if wanted  and crew figure) - this is my original SU-85 hull as an example

[ripley]

I've always thought the pistol ports and hand rails as a real identifying mark of WW2 Russian tanks , but in this scale they really don't stand out .

They should look like this

So I changed them , adding plastic rod for the hand rail and a slice of larger rod for the port

I should have made the rails out of wire and had them more realistic looking  but as this is going to end up as  a game piece and get handled a lot I went plastic for a more 3D effect than the kit moldings  . One of my first T-34s got the full treatment but the rails  never survived the trip to the game store and its first game .

The rear of the casement got a new  vision slit as well as hand  rail and pistol port . 

[H0ffmn]

I've used a pin vice and drilled into the hull or turret or whatever part that I've wanted to put wire hand rails, and super glued the wire ends into the holes. It is much stronger than just gluing them onto the surface.

[Pinky]

Replacing these components seems like a good idea.  But I would round off the ends of the handrails so they look more as though they bend - if you know what I mean.

[ripley]

Pin vise and wire  is the way to go , but after adding full hand rails to my first couple of T-34s ( about a dozen on each ) it sort of lost its magic  . One T-34 fully hand railed is fun , a dozen tanks ? , no  . That's the problem I find with going all out and adding extra  detail ,   to have to go back and bring the previous kits  to the same standard  is no fun at all . 

[ripley]

Heeding pinky's advise I sanded the ends of the hand rails ...I think green stuff will fix the damage . lol .  Another iconic piece that says Soviet tank to me is the cross cut saw

Every T-34 based type seemed to have one located behind the tool box on the left fender . ( Seen also on JS tanks and SPGs and on the fender on early KV types ,late KVs had it in the large fender box ). You need some square & round plastic strip , as well as some sheet plastic

Cut the square 6/10s of an inch long , slightly bend in middle . ( size eyeballed from BA T-34 ). Cut plastic sheet slightly narrower than V . Glue V on to sheet . Add round rod to ends as handles , cut to size / trim sheet

Finished saw



Saw added to BA T-34/85

[Pinky]

Nice.  And definitely iconic.  I hope Rubicon include a couple of these when they do the Soviet stowage set.

[ultravanillasmurf]

Nice.  And definitely iconic.  I hope Rubicon include a couple of these when they do the Soviet stowage set.

I second both sentiments.

[ripley]

You guys have built enough kits that I don't have to show you step by step , anyway paints drying  and I think I found the decals I want . So I decided to add some detail to the SU-122 casement as they can be swapped out to give you gun options for game play . These are my original 2 SU s

Again I added rod for hand rails ,  a larger pistol port and opened the Drivers vision port



Rubicon missed the pistol port and vision slit on the rear ( 1 ) and the rear vision port on the hull roof ( 2 ) ( Tamiya missed this in 1/35 as well ) , so I added 1 and decided to skip 2 .. little too much work in that one in this scale

[ripley]

Just crew ,  hatches , fuel drums , a stowage bin and Notek light to add and this SU is finished . My inspiration was a couple of propaganda  pictures of freshly painted SU-85s in service with the 23 Panzer Div summer 1944 . I'll dirty mine up as if its seen a bit of combat . Not sure if I'm happy with the crosses on the hull sides , weathering might help

Here's a shot of all 3 .