Academy 1/35 R.O.K. Army MBT K1A1

Post by **robertw** » Fri Jan 02, 2015 3:55 am

The K1A1 Ropublic of Korea Armed Forces Main Battle Tank is going to be my build for the SiG. I picked this kit up along with it's howitzer counterpart, the K9, for $30 total on ebay a while back ago. I'm into modern armor and I thought it was such an interesting subject that I had to get it. Plus 2 kits for $30?! That's a steal.

So onto the info. Instead of giving you walls of text that hurt your eyes I'm just going to link to some good sites that I found.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/K1_88-Tank

http://www.army-technology.com/projects/k1/

http://www.military-today.com/tanks/k1a1.htm

Post by **robertw** » Fri Jan 02, 2015 4:10 am

Photo time!

The camo on the figures looks scary

! But I think I might attempt it.

Steps 1 and 2 done. So far very simple and straight forward.

Step 3 done. Here is when I started freaking out for a minute. If you look at the suspension arms, some of them don't look like they're the same length. I was going over it in my head over and over how this happened. Then I looked underneath the hull.

The red lines are to show what I'm talking about. I'm still kinda confused.

Seam on the barrel isn't too awfully bad I don't think. I looked for a metal barrel but couldn't find anything oh well.

Well that's it for this update. I'm off to build some more!

Website · Post by **Gav0909** » Fri Jan 02, 2015 5:12 pm

Will follow this with interest as I have this kit on its way to me, to pair up with the K9 in the stash some time in the future.

The torsion bars are meant to be offset like that. Imagine that from each axle outside the hull, there is a rod which crosses inside the hull and mounts on the other side. So therefore each "pair" of torsion bars can't be exactly opposite each other. Look under any other modern tank hull and you will see the same thing.

Hope that helps!

Post by **Dunhill2005** » Fri Jan 02, 2015 6:04 pm

Gav's right

On all tanks with torsion bar springs you will see this...
Look at the pic...This is a Leo 2 kit. Same Offset

leopard-21.jpg

Post by **JohnP** » Sat Jan 03, 2015 12:24 am

Hello rob! I've built this kit myself and it was mostly a smooth ride for me. I can alert you of some challenges with the kit.
The turret basket was a bit fiddly for me so take your time on it.
The kit has no decalling guide so you'll have to rely on reference photos.
That's all I can remember off the top of my head at the moment.

Your progress is going very well! I can't wait to see your take on it!

I'm a pretty big fan of the tank - an instinct of Korean pride I guess

Post by **robertw** » Sat Jan 03, 2015 4:40 am

Spent pretty much all day at the bench. I can barely see straight right now

But managed to take some photos

Got these storage looking bin things attached. They all had to be separately built and apparently I didn't take a picture of that.

Next was time for the most dreaded part of the built for me... the turret basket. My initial thoughts were that if this all fits together without issue then props to Academy.

There was a sprue gate attachment point at the end of each one of the bars. I guess that's what you'd call em because I'm not thinking straight right now.

So far so good.

And another

Now my thought process was there is no way this is going to fit together.

Not bad

Encountered the first real problem with the kit. This part was warped and the middle bit to the left is broken.

This is what it's supposed to look like according to the directions.

Took a small bowl of water and put it in the microwave until it was almost boiling. That softened the plastic and allowed me to bend it back into shape. You can't really tell from the picture as I didn't realize how blurry it was.

Here's the non warped/broken side.

Here's the warped/broken piece after I fixed it. Can hardly tell.

Amazingly the turret basket fit together without any major issue. So

to Academy!

My first lost piece. I clipped both twin parts off the sprue, checked something else in the directions and gone. I have no idea where it went but I don't think it's a vital piece as I doubt you would have even known it was missing unless you knew about it to begin with.

Wasn't much to the lower hull. Just a few fiddly bits.

Nooooooooooooo!

So, that's pretty much it for the assembly of this thing and I must say. I've thoroughly enjoyed this kit. It's went together like a dream. If you gave me the plastic and directions with no hint of manufacturer I'd probably say it's a Tamiya kit as it pretty much fell together. I'll be honest and say that I was a bit apprehensive about it at first as I pretty sure Academy has a history of hit and miss kits but this one is not only a hit but a bullseye.

That's it for now. Next is the few odds and ends left to assembly that are waiting because of paint! I might even push myself out of my comfort zone as far as weathering is concerned. And that is to take this photo, which I'm pretty sure inspired the kits box art, and attempt a small diorama. I mean it look simple enough to do. Lots of mud and tank tracks lol

Sorry for such a long update by the way.

Post by **robertw** » Sat Jan 03, 2015 4:41 am

Gav0909 wrote:Will follow this with interest as I have this kit on its way to me, to pair up with the K9 in the stash some time in the future.

The torsion bars are meant to be offset like that. Imagine that from each axle outside the hull, there is a rod which crosses inside the hull and mounts on the other side. So therefore each "pair" of torsion bars can't be exactly opposite each other. Look under any other modern tank hull and you will see the same thing.

Hope that helps!

If the K9 is anything like this kit then I'm tempted to built it after I'm finished with this. Way better than what I was expecting.

Post by **robertw** » Sat Jan 03, 2015 4:42 am

Dunhill2005 wrote:
Gav's right
On all tanks with torsion bar springs you will see this...
Look at the pic...This is a Leo 2 kit. Same Offset
leopard-21.jpg

Makes sense after I thought about it. It's just I had never seen it before so it was so bizarre that I was determined I had done something wrong lol

Post by **robertw** » Sat Jan 03, 2015 4:47 am

JohnP wrote:Hello rob! I've built this kit myself and it was mostly a smooth ride for me. I can alert you of some challenges with the kit.
The turret basket was a bit fiddly for me so take your time on it.
The kit has no decalling guide so you'll have to rely on reference photos.
That's all I can remember off the top of my head at the moment.

Your progress is going very well! I can't wait to see your take on it!

I'm a pretty big fan of the tank - an instinct of Korean pride I guess

Yeah, turret basket was quite fiddly but went quite smooth.
Well that should make decalling fun...

I had never heard of this tank before until I saw it on ebay. That being said I think it's a pretty awesome looking tank!

Post by **gustavlekstal** » Sat Jan 03, 2015 8:16 am

Im so happy that im not the only one who cuts something off, looks away and the piece is gone! There should be a support group.

Great start! Good luck!

Post by **robertw** » Sun Jan 04, 2015 5:09 am

Got it in primer today, not much else done.

Note to anybody that builds this kit. The drive sprocket and front road wheel has to be put on first if you want to join the hull pieces together. Thank god for tet I was able to melt my joins and pry it apart.

I've had some chipping fluid for a bit and decided to experiment with a jerry can from the kit. I'm not sure how this is supposed to work without looking like crap. But that's what youtube is for.

Website · Post by **Gav0909** » Mon Jan 05, 2015 4:22 pm

I think with chipping fluid, it will work in the same manner as the hairspray method. So you paint the part in the base colour you want (or, more accurately the colour you want to show through in the chips). Then add the chipping fluid in a random manner, in as big or as small spots as you like. Then let it dry. Then paint your top colour on. Once dry, it will be a case of removing the fluid (not sure how yours works, but with hairspray its just water).

Hope that helps?

Post by **ScaleArmorBuilder** » Mon Jan 05, 2015 4:29 pm

Looking good.

Though it looks like putting the running gear on might be a pain with those track guards.

Post by **robertw** » Mon Jan 05, 2015 6:01 pm

Gav0909 wrote:I think with chipping fluid, it will work in the same manner as the hairspray method. So you paint the part in the base colour you want (or, more accurately the colour you want to show through in the chips). Then add the chipping fluid in a random manner, in as big or as small spots as you like. Then let it dry. Then paint your top colour on. Once dry, it will be a case of removing the fluid (not sure how yours works, but with hairspray its just water).

Hope that helps?

Perhaps I should put it on in a random matter. I just sprayed the entire thing. I'll play around some more later.

Post by **robertw** » Mon Jan 05, 2015 6:02 pm

ScaleArmorBuilder wrote:Looking good.
Though it looks like putting the running gear on might be a pain with those track guards.

I thought so to but done a test fit and it wasn't to bad actually since the sprocket rotates.

Post by **robertw** » Tue Jan 06, 2015 4:04 am

Not much done the last few days as I've started work on the camo. It's nice and complicated so with that and the fact that I'm freehanding it, it's taking forever.

Test pattern I done on the bottom of the hull.

Started on the actual body itself. Believe it or not this took about an hour to do. It wouldn't be that bad if I didn't want a harder edge but since I do and don't want to use amy masks or putty this is gonna take bloody forever!

Next update will probably be either with green or the camo done. Depends on how much time I get to work on it tomorrow as I'm back in the land of employment.

Website · Post by **Gav0909** » Tue Jan 06, 2015 8:43 pm

Dude that camo is awesome! Exactly as I reckon it should look! Well done!

Post by **chief5437** » Wed Jan 07, 2015 12:40 am

Ditto. Great paint work!

Post by **robertw** » Wed Jan 07, 2015 5:30 am

More camo work done! It's slowly getting there. A few mores hours and I could have it done. Lots of cleaning up to do though.
Thanks for all the compliments guys. Really appreciate it!

Website · Post by **Gav0909** » Wed Jan 07, 2015 12:49 pm

What colours are you using mate? I have two ROK vehicles in the stash (this and the K9) and so I will be needing some paints I think for when they get built.

Post by **JohnP** » Wed Jan 07, 2015 1:02 pm

Awesome progress, sir!
I really love that camo work.

Post by **Hillbilly** » Wed Jan 07, 2015 1:14 pm

Very nice free-hand camo

Post by **ScaleArmorBuilder** » Wed Jan 07, 2015 3:23 pm

Man that camo looks sweet.

Im hoping I can do some free hand camo on my T-90 with my Iwata Neo.

Post by **robertw** » Wed Jan 07, 2015 4:21 pm

Gav0909 wrote:What colours are you using mate? I have two ROK vehicles in the stash (this and the K9) and so I will be needing some paints I think for when they get built.

Buff, flat earth, olive drab, and flat black. They may not be the most appropriate colors but that's what I had that looked close and I think they work out fairly well.

Post by **robertw** » Wed Jan 07, 2015 4:22 pm

JohnP wrote:Awesome progress, sir!
I really love that camo work.

Thank you!

Post by **robertw** » Wed Jan 07, 2015 4:22 pm

Hillbilly wrote:Very nice free-hand camo

Thanks! It's quite a challenge.

Post by **robertw** » Wed Jan 07, 2015 4:25 pm

ScaleArmorBuilder wrote:Man that camo looks sweet. Im hoping I can do some free hand camo on my T-90 with my Iwata Neo.

Go for it man! Just be sure your paint is quite thin, air pressure it low (10 psi ish), and just take your time. Look forward to seeing your camo work.

Post by **robertw** » Thu Jan 08, 2015 4:24 am

Well, the majority of the paint is down. But there's still a lot and I mean a LOT of work to do as you can see.

Need to fill in all the nooks and crannies, which they are a crap ton of, and then fix the over spray. It's proving to be quite challenging and somewhat frustrating but in the end I don't think it'll look too shabby.

Post by **Dunhill2005** » Thu Jan 08, 2015 7:11 pm

The painting looks very impressive!!!!

Website · Post by **Gav0909** » Sun Jan 11, 2015 11:56 am

Looks really good mate. Nice work on the camo. Will look awesome when the paintwork has been tidied up etc.

Post by **DBMiller** » Sun Jan 11, 2015 2:17 pm

That is super free hand spray work! What air pressure and paint dilution do you use for such a sharp edge? I have a similar paint job in the works and am a bit worried about it.

Post by **robertw** » Sun Jan 11, 2015 9:34 pm

Gav0909 wrote:Looks really good mate. Nice work on the camo. Will look awesome when the paintwork has been tidied up etc.

Thanks and I sure hope so. I took a break from it for a bit because I was close to ripping my hair out

Post by **Yevgeny** » Sun Jan 11, 2015 10:12 pm

Camo looks great. Will be a neat tank for sure

Post by **robertw** » Tue Jan 13, 2015 4:52 am

Well it ain't perfect. Not by any stretch of the imagination is it even close to perfect but I'm at my wits end with the paint on the thing

. I'm about to test it's in flight aerodynamic capabilities.... Lots of overspray and just general screw ups. But that's what weathering is for

Still have some detail painting to do though but it should be simpler. Should be anyway... Next update will hopefully be Wednesday as I've gotta work tomorrow and who knows when I'll get back home.

Post by **robertw** » Mon Jan 26, 2015 3:53 pm

Mini update

Not much else done so far. I wanted to get it finished by the end of the month but I hurt my back (I'm only 21...) and it hurts incredibly bad to sit at the bench. I attempted a dot filter yesterday and my thumb kept going numb

Turret with dot filter compared with the clean hull. I don't know if it looks good or bad. It kinda looks like reference pictures I've seen but also kinda doesn't. I decided to try the dot filter after watching one of Mig's videos. Of course it looked easier than it was.

Also got some decals on it. The K1A1 doesn't seem to have any consistent markings from what I can tell. I seen some with markings and some without so I just kind of done whatever.

Post by **robertw** » Thu Jan 29, 2015 2:04 am

Well I think I'm going to call this one done. Wash needs to dry and the a flat clear cote is all that's left. Could do some stowage and stuff but I'm a bit burnt out thanks to the paint so I need something new.

Post by **gaz45** » Fri Jan 30, 2015 1:20 pm

nice work mate

Post by **robertw** » Fri Jan 30, 2015 3:15 pm

gaz45 wrote:nice work mate

Thanks!

Post by **eightfooticeman** » Sat Mar 21, 2015 2:50 pm

I see you finished, great looking tank and I love the Camo! Just reminding you to please post pictures in the reveals section, 10 days left.

Post by **garmus1** » Thu Jul 16, 2015 8:30 am

If you ever decide to build this again I can tell you that the gun barrel it uses is the same as the M1A1/A2 the M256 or the German L44 would work too! For tracks if you want working ones it uses the same ones as the original M1 did the T156. It shares a lot with the M1 since Chrysler Defense (now General Dynamics Land Systems) designed both!