1:35 Eastern Express T34/85 - (or, I've been a baaaad boy.)

[walklong]

Well, guess I'll try to jump in here with this thing - bought this pretty cheap on the theory that, screwing it up will be virtually inevitable and cause less pain and distress than if I tried to knock the rust off my skills with something I really liked and spent real money on . . . .

So, my plan has three goals -

a) practice building and fabricating skills;
b) practice and develop some talent with the airbrush;
c) find a groove for the photography and blogging part of the fun.

Here's the box -



here's the instructions (really, that's ALL the instructions this thing came with) cryptic, at best, eh? -







and, here's some of the flashy parts I get to play with -



I'll update this thread with some better and more complete (compelling?) pictures with better lighting - and some images from the beginning of the build process . . . the fit of the parts is, um, rather, um, interesting?

Thanks for your feedback and does anyone know if squadron green comes in a 5 gallon bucket????

[digger303]

I feel for ya. I took delivery of a set of GAZ-AA/AAA MARQUET OR Micro Scale replacement wheels for the Russian BA armoured cars. I thought they must be better than the suppied kit set, but on opening I found despite the box art . That all the wheels were bald and look terrible. Damned if that wasn't a waste.
I wasn't going to mention it until I saw your problems.

[TheNordus]

Interested in seeing more! I've never heard of this manufacturer but anyone who includes photo-etched meshes for their T-34s is good by me.

[digger303]

Interested in seeing more! I've never heard of this manufacturer but anyone who includes photo-etched meshes for their T-34s is good by me.

I have never heard anything good about EE . A cheap manufacturer using old tech, old molds and it's associated problems is my current view.

[walklong]

Interested in seeing more! I've never heard of this manufacturer but anyone who includes photo-etched meshes for their T-34s is good by me.

I have never heard anything good about EE . A cheap manufacturer using old tech, old molds and it's associated problems is my current view.

That's the look of it - bought cheap as a skills exercise/test dummy - but perchance, may be more albatross than school specimen.

Parts don't fit well (if at all); lots of flash, sink holes, little areas missing plastic altogether. All the suspension arms need to be carved to shape in order to mate with the hull and springs - gonna give it a few hours and perhaps just use the hull as a test bed for paint and put the rest in the scraps and spares bin.

[digger303]

Interested in seeing more! I've never heard of this manufacturer but anyone who includes photo-etched meshes for their T-34s is good by me.

I have never heard anything good about EE . A cheap manufacturer using old tech, old molds and it's associated problems is my current view.

That's the look of it - bought cheap as a skills exercise/test dummy - but perchance, may be more albatross than school specimen.

Parts don't fit well (if at all); lots of flash, sink holes, little areas missing plastic altogether. All the suspension arms need to be carved to shape in order to mate with the hull and springs - gonna give it a few hours and perhaps just use the hull as a test bed for paint and put the rest in the scraps and spares bin.

More fun with a old Tamiya kit...least all the bits fit and you only have to work on a skill or two. Not the whole gauntlet of skills at a time...that end is way too deep for me...

[walklong]

I have never heard anything good about EE . A cheap manufacturer using old tech, old molds and it's associated problems is my current view.

That's the look of it - bought cheap as a skills exercise/test dummy - but perchance, may be more albatross than school specimen.

Parts don't fit well (if at all); lots of flash, sink holes, little areas missing plastic altogether. All the suspension arms need to be carved to shape in order to mate with the hull and springs - gonna give it a few hours and perhaps just use the hull as a test bed for paint and put the rest in the scraps and spares bin.

More fun with a old Tamiya kit...least all the bits fit and you only have to work on a skill or two. Not the whole gauntlet of skills at a time...that end is way too deep for me...

Unwittingly indulging my inner masochist, I suppose