The Project started as a commission project. The customer in EU sent me a T55 kit, Aber 2 photo etch sets, which are 70% useless being that its redundant, have you ever try to fold a flower cut into a nut? I just cut one from a Wave set and that settled it, after all, I still have 4 sets of Verlinden Nuts still sitting pretty around too.
The customer also sent me a CMK interior detail kit for keeps, thanks a million! Then I have an Abel metal barrel, a Blast update kit plus a 35 Calibre Rear Engine kit.
To begin, I started with the engine parts, which had the covers open. However, there are no details on the inside unfortunately, on the cover, that is, looked like a knock off of the Tamiya actual kit part!!!! The resin used in this kit is a shame! All the small parts like hinges are all broken! I have to cut them clean and build my own in sheet styrene. Then, I put in the Aber rear engine meshes, which breaks to the touch, it being too thin! Talking about saving money on acid and metal! Way too thin. The mesh breaks and had to be glued properly in place, however, it presents a nice break from monotony.....hmmm....
The customer also sent me a CMK interior detail kit for keeps, thanks a million! Then I have an Abel metal barrel, a Blast update kit plus a 35 Calibre Rear Engine kit.
To begin, I started with the engine parts, which had the covers open. However, there are no details on the inside unfortunately, on the cover, that is, looked like a knock off of the Tamiya actual kit part!!!! The resin used in this kit is a shame! All the small parts like hinges are all broken! I have to cut them clean and build my own in sheet styrene. Then, I put in the Aber rear engine meshes, which breaks to the touch, it being too thin! Talking about saving money on acid and metal! Way too thin. The mesh breaks and had to be glued properly in place, however, it presents a nice break from monotony.....hmmm....
We can see the hinges doing their disappearing act here. Sigh...but the Aber mesh, though too thin, looked very good above the vents...the fit of the resin wasn't too snug, so we need some serious diluted putty of Butyl Acetate (which is Tamiya Liquid Cement but in bulk...like in barrels in my workshop) and cellulose putty to build up the sides and sanded to a sheen!
The engine is not really a walk in the park. It does not centre easily and all the fuel lines had to be added, there were also missing parts in the non existing instructions (basically useless). I created them when refering to my T54/55/62 book from Verlinden.
Then, after some struggling, I managed to mask the parts that were painted primer surfacer 1000. Left to cure for 4 days to harden, then sprayed the silver parts on the block, then weather it with Vallego colours to get the metallic semi sooted rusty looks.
Then, there was a huge discussion in a flurry of emails of where the lines of the fuel are supposed to be located. Ee Keok Lye, Sgt Ee of M Workshop told me that the lines are as per his drawings below. The customer told me to follow the diagram in the Soviet Bloc Aber kit. Both have serious flaws in them. The Kit Sgt Ee followed is not too bad, quite close but the lines have to travel a short distance on the top. Aber has a serious flaw asking us to link the rear tank forward to the engine.....which is not the case.
This diagram was sent to assist me from Sgt Ee...thanks...but TEHHHHHH.....wrong....so much guessing in the model world...so, to settle the fight before someone shed blood, I scan this picture of the actual Latrun Museum and sent it out to settle the dust.......
Thank God that everything settled then!