Puma vs. T-34 (Tamiya 1/35)

[TheNordus]

This is a story of failing. After I had it with the Tamiya Tiger 1 Ausführung Afrika (which I put on cooldown for now) I decided to relax and build the Tamiya T-34 Chtz edition since I had a photo-etch set for it, and I did have fun, even filled in the open sponsons and motorization holes, really tried to make the old kit shine like new.

That is until I I poured half a bottle of Tamiya's limonene cement on top of it. I thought I'd glue the gun to the turret, fumbled the bottle and covered my work area in glue. So after cussing and taking a shower, I cleaned the excess glue off with a towel, leaving a finish like this:



I was about to throw in the towel when my friend suggested that I'd build it as a destroyed vehicle. I thought it'd give me an excuse to try and build a more 3-dimensional diorama base so off I went with the idea of a T-34 having veered off a high road into the ditch.



Here's a WIP of the diorama base, I made the sides out of plastic card and filled it somewhat with scrap pieces of foam before applying a whole kilogram of sculpting clay.

I wanted to have two tanks on this diorama, but I'm beginning to think an A4-sized diorama base just isn't big enough for two tanks. Thankfully I have some armoured cars that I've mostly built, so I went on to finish the Tamiya Puma armoured car. After adding in some random bits and bobs I noticed the exhausts weren't hollow! That wouldn't do, so I grabbed my drill, pressed it on the exhaust and FLING! The part just snapped off and went flying. By this time I'm thinking maybe modelling just isn't for a clumsy sod like me, but I thought hey, the Tamiya M48A3 Patton I just built came with a piece of vinyl tubing that was almost the same size as the original exhaust! If I put a piece of metal wire inside I could twist them to the desired shape and have the hollow exhausts I was after! So after rummaging around looking for the tube, I had to steal some of my Tamiya T-72 instead, but never mind.



That certainly did the trick! Especially after I stippled on Vallejo's plastic putty to simulate rust.

And finally here's a mock-up of how the final diorama will look.





I don't know if the Puma knocked out the T-34 out by itself or if they just came across a wrecked T-34, but I'm hoping to find some German figures to put around.

[Stokesy44]

Looks like a good save to me mate.

Russian tanks had notoriously rough surfaces so you might have been ok. Still, a good dio in prospect and all power to you for making the best of it.

As for the glue spill, there's a club, we have an annual dinner with prizes and everything!

[walklong]

some might say that catastrophe is the ugly step-mother of invention

[TheNordus]

Here are some more WIP pictures for you.





I painted the Puma and applied some heavy chipping (too heavy maybe, but I'm not sure if I could reduce it without re-painting it all). The top layer of the ground is now made, aside from applying some Tamiya diorama paint around the T-34 to make it look more sunk in.

[TheNordus]

The vehicles are pretty much done now, aside from some minor details.






I feel like the puma could do with some more weathering or something, but I'm not sure what. Maybe I'll glue some of those bushes on as camouflage.


I love these decals with tiny print on them, I think it adds to the scale.





Still to do: adding more greenery on the base, cleaning the rim of the base, adding details on the tanks and finding and painting some figures.

[ElCapitan]

Looks excellent!

[TheNordus]

And guess who just dropped the Puma from about head height and guess whether or not it got broken beyond repair! I'll be replacing it with a Panzer IV Brummbär, the old kit from Tamiya. Already started doing the Zimmerit on it. Pictures will follow.

[TheNordus]

Progress on the Zimmerit. I'm practising on applying it on multiple older Tamiya kits, but I still have to wait overnight for each side to dry before going forward.



Here's a teaser of something else I'm working on. Incidentally, getting a smooth coat of green stuff on a large area is bloody impossible! Still easier to work with than using putty or milliputty.

[TheNordus]

Work slowly continues. I'm hoping for better light tomorrow so I could take proper photos.