Huibs T34 tank project

[huib]

Thank you Peter and Mabo!

Weathering
Painting, weathering and adding parts is all a bit mixed up in my present approach, due to the procedure for the whitewash I choose.


Two ammunition boxes and a tarp painted in the basic colours.


Glued to the hull.


The whole tank is covered with a gloss varnish, followed by a pointwash using diluted dark brown oil paint.


The next steps are drybrushes using different light green and sand coloured paints. Oil and rust streaks were added using oilpaints. Well, I think it starts looking very dirty and battered now.

Now to continue with the wheels and the tracks.

[Peter]

It looks all very old and worn out! And that I like a lot!

Now I'm interested in those oilpaints you're talking about. Which oil paints and how to use them? Doesn't it take long time to dry?

[MABO]

So you created a time-lapse: White paint on the tank and shortly after no white paint left after month of hard fighting. I agree with Peter, I like it as well!

[huib]

Thank you, Peter and Mabo!

Wheels and tracks


The wheels after painting and weathering. Also here, lots of mud.


The tracks painted in a moddy brown, with some drybrushing using gun metal.


Wheels glued in place.


Looking ok.


Then a long struggle to get the tracks around the wheels. These old Esci tracks are stiff en not elastic at all. This caused some broken of wheels, which I placed back using 1.2mm iron wire as an axle for extra strength. When I took a look at my model the next morning, one of the tracks was broken at its weakest point: the connection between the track ends.


How to solves this. Normally I would reconnect the track ends using a staple, but then the tracks should be taken off completely and replaced, with all the risk of broken wheels again. So I decided to use sewing thread instead, pulling the track ends carefully together.


Well, despite the issues, the result is not bad in the end.


On its tracks. Only a few things to do now.

[JueHue]

Looks pretty good. Maybe temperature would have been a help with the chain.

I'm also currently fighting with my figures for the SU 85 Dio. I hope
there will be photos of it soon.
Stay healthy

[Wiking]

3rd last pic.

Crocheting and knit with huib.
Today, how to make a chain mail with the right pattern.

[huib]

Crocheting and knit with huib.

[Peter]

Huib you are a man with many talents!

We built tanks and he sews them!

[Bluefalchion]

A master modeler must have many tools in his toolchest and many skills and techniques in his arsenal. huib has proved the proposition once again.

[Peter]

A master modeler must have many tools in his toolchest and many skills and techniques in his arsenal. huib has proved the proposition once again.

Pst, don't tell but my wife is looking for "HER" toolchest now. And that after her make up box dissepeart. I hope she will not suspect me of taking them away! I really must keep the rock on the entry of my cave on his place!

[Bluefalchion]

I just used her old make-up brush to dust off my keyboard and it looks fantastic!

[huib]

I agree. A true modeller is always scouring his environment for useful tools and materials, and carefully hiding them away for possible later use (which might never come).

[huib]

The last additions

The model is almost ready. Only a few things left to do.


The ventilation holes need some mesh. I used the teabag approach again.


Glued to the inside using some CA glue.


A bit of painting and weathering.


Glued in place.


A dry branch was cut from the garden to perform as a makeshift unditching beam.


Cut to length and tied with sewing thread.


Glued to the tank. Also the hatches are glued in position. and the turret put in place.


Some subtle chipping applied using a soft graphite pencil. Some smoke marks around the exhausts using soft pastels.

The tank is finished, now a small base.

[Peter]

You are so polyvalent, while modeling cleaning the garden! Hat of for you!

Nice looking tank!

[JueHue]

Englisch

You have done a lot of work on the T34. With a little mud on the chains, the chain fault is not noticeable. Worked very well. I'm excited to see how things will continue.

[Kostis Ornerakis]

Wonderful work so far!

[Egbert]

Fantastic what you can do with the plastic model ...
It all looks super realistic.

[Wiking]

Yes, the t34 hull and all parts around look so realistic, that the low level of the rubber tack from the maker of the kit is visible.

Top work once again.

[huib]

Thank very much guys, for all kind remarks!

Rasputitsa
It is the spring of 1942 at the Eastern Front. The snow has almost completely melted and has turned the roads into a slimy quagmire, hardly accessible for any vehicle. A battle weary T34, its wintercamouflage almost washed away, is fighting it's way through the mud, using logs for more support. That is the image I'd like to create with this model.


Therefore I did again the trick with the youghurt container, filled with plaster and some additional twigs from the garden.


A very dark brown as a base colour, mixed from gouache paint.


Then lots of drybrushing using different shades of brown.


A gloss varnish to represent the wet quagmire.


Between the logs some reamains of the snow, made from wheat flower from the kitchen, surrounded by some yellow remains of last years grass.


The base painted in antracit

And now to continue with a few figures.

[Peter]

Again a wonderfull and realistic base Huib! Looking forward to your figures!