Tamiya T-34/85

[David Diaz]

Hello fellow modelers,

My name is Dave and for my first post here I will take on Tamiya's T-35/85. This is quite a common model so I am going to throw a different twist on it. I will be adding a few upgrades, basically an aluminum barrel and metal tracks. Here is the model.

http://i74.photobucket.com/albums/i259/Terraformingrd/T-34%2085/1.jpg

This is an older Tamiya model so it has holes that were meant for the motorized parts. I started to cover these with plastic.

http://i74.photobucket.com/albums/i259/Terraformingrd/T-34%2085/2.jpg

Next I added the weld lines along the final drive housing. These were done using the plastic rod + liquid cement method.

http://i74.photobucket.com/albums/i259/Terraformingrd/T-34%2085/4.jpg
The final drive covers needed some attention and some rebuilding. But after some plastic bits and some putty they were ready to go. This area will not be really visible once the final drives, track and sprocket get in place but I didn’t want to leave any gaps.

http://i74.photobucket.com/albums/i259/Terraformingrd/T-34%2085/5.jpg

Well, that is all for this post. More updates comming soon.

Model On!!!

dave

[David Diaz]

Hello once again!

Its time for another update. After checking the kit against my references I came to the conclusion that Tamiya’s old kit is closer to a model T-34 produced by the # 183 factory in late 1944/ early 1945. There are some small details that need to be corrected however.

The rear engine plate has three hinges when the correct number should be two. The center one should not be there.

http://i74.photobucket.com/albums/i259/Terraformingrd/T-34%2085/1-2.jpg

Here is a photo of a T-34/85 produced by the # 183 factory.

http://i74.photobucket.com/albums/i259/Terraformingrd/T-34%2085/2-1.jpg

The hinge was removed and replaced by a hexagonal bolt made of styrene strip.

http://i74.photobucket.com/albums/i259/Terraformingrd/T-34%2085/3-1.jpg

I also glued the exhausts and the muffler covers. I made a handle for the engine rear hatch out of steel rod and added weld lines using plastic rod.

http://i74.photobucket.com/albums/i259/Terraformingrd/T-34%2085/4-1.jpg

Thanks for reading, hope you guys had a great weekend.

dave

[Mark Rethoret]

Good catch on the center hinge. Yes, the hull is most like UTZ production but, as you found, when they switched to production of the -85 they changed their rear plate just a bit (Factory 175 also used the two hinge arrangement).
But you have one other small detail (well, actually two) that you should fix before moving on.
In your photo of the real tank notice the number of bolts along the angled, outside edges? Now look at the Tamiya kit. See the difference?
Earlier production Model '42 hulls from Factory 183 had only four bolts along those edges. In this sort of pattern: ** (space) **

These later hulls had five, that center "gap" now filled with the fifth bolt.

HTH.

Mark