Global Scale Modeller

Here is Cyberhobby's JS-2M Type 51 Heavy Tank.

Its a Dragon kit by heritage, hence the grey plastic, the magic tracks and the instructions that can sometimes lean on the vague side! More of that later.







I started off with the suspension arms and immediately ran into trouble. I could see they were level by checking against a straight edge but the kit just would not sit with all arms on a flat surface. Then I realised while the arms were level on either side, neither side were level versus the other. The reason being the hull was warped. It was significantly off-square.

Its a bathtub style hull so the only option was to try and 'encourage' it square.

I commenced Operation BSAI (Brute Strength And Ignorance) and attempted to straighten out the hull without breaking it. I managed to get some movement and worked the sides and bottom as hard as I could, all the while thinking 'please dont break, please dont break'. I got there in the end and the vehicle was now sitting square, or almost square anyway

I then added the running gear and made small adjustments to the suspension arms to ensure the vehicle still sat square with all the main wheels touching ground.



I used the wrong suspension arms in 2 instances but I defy anyone to not make the same mistake given the instructions did a superb job of hiding the fact from me. I spotted the error in time so was able to correct the mistake before the glue fully cured.

Then it was on to the tracks. I decided to build and attach them in full. It will make painting a bit tricky but I've had bad experiences with tracks like these before. I've tried building them in tops and bottoms but they never go together properly when I've done that. I built the flat sections then did the front and rear rise and wrap sections, then connected them with a section covering the 2 middle sections between the return rollers. They have come out ok and any irregularities will be covered by the sponsons and mud guards.













All in all, about 4 hours work so not a bad session given its my first bench time since October

Looks to be an interesting build!! I always had a soft spot for its successor, the IS-3, with the now (in)famous "frying pan" turret.
Will be following this one closely - shame you had the warped hull as the intro to the kit.....

That thing looks proper hefty already & nice work deskewing the warped hull

I'm always amazed at how wrong, inaccurate or incomplete instructions for a kit can be...

RangerNeil wrote: Sun Jan 05, 2025 2:41 pm Looks to be an interesting build!! I always had a soft spot for its successor, the IS-3, with the now (in)famous "frying pan" turret.
Will be following this one closely - shame you had the warped hull as the intro to the kit.....

I saw some footage of the IS-3 - what a monster!

Tomcat64 wrote: Sun Jan 05, 2025 5:14 pm That thing looks proper hefty already & nice work deskewing the warped hull

I'm always amazed at how wrong, inaccurate or incomplete instructions for a kit can be...

It could be argued I should have been more careful but it was almost designed to fool me! I dont tend to buy Dragon as they're too pricey plus all the wasted parts and dodgy instructions but I got this and the Pz IV Flak vehicle cheap at a show.

I had another session on Sunday and got to work on the upper hull and turret.



The Russian engineering is highly visible on the turret. The cast texture is heavy and the weld seams really stand out. It went together easily enough, I had to fenagle the locating points for the gun mount as it was wonky but other than that, all good.



Still a lot of greeblies for the upper hull, rear section is mostly done but I have not touched the front end yet. I test fitted it to the lower hull and its going to need some elbow grease when it comes time to glue it. A probable legacy from the original warping I found with the lower section.





More greeblies to come on the hull and the turret

Given this kit hails from 1993 and I know Dragon does tend to upgrade certain parts as time goes on and they release new kits...well they used to. The surface texture looks pretty good and the tracks aren't bad even if the sections don't line up well. I like it.

More great progress mate - hopefully you can sort out that front join with a tactical application of pressure.

The textures on the turret especially look the part - it really does look hefty.

digger303 wrote: Wed Jan 08, 2025 12:36 pm Given this kit hails from 1993 and I know Dragon does tend to upgrade certain parts as time goes on and they release new kits...well they used to. The surface texture looks pretty good and the tracks aren't bad even if the sections don't line up well. I like it.

Bloody cheek, that's the best I could do with the tracks!

Tomcat64 wrote: Thu Jan 09, 2025 11:09 am More great progress mate - hopefully you can sort out that front join with a tactical application of pressure.

The textures on the turret especially look the part - it really does look hefty.

Pretty, it is not!

After a hiatus due to health I finally got back to the bench yesterday for a good two and a half hour session. The build phase is now done save for some spare tracks to be used for additional protection on the rear of the tank. I finished all the various greeblies than attached the upper hull to the lower as best I could. Some filler will be needed at the front and the spare tracks will cover up the sins at the rear! It was the best I could do in the circumstances and I dont know if the poor fit is due to the warping or just poor design.

The hand rails on the turret were a proper pain. ZERO location points so it was guesswork. The sprue points need sanding down as it was impractical to do whilst holding them.





Its got that classic Russian look, oversized turret set well forward and the sloping glacis at the front, like a T34's bigger brother,











Very 'Russian' texture and weld seams on the turret!





Classic beauty shot to finish. Just imagine that big rear deck covered with Russian infantry tank riders as they rush toward the frontiers of the Reich.....



Just a few bits to finish off and then it will be ready for priming. Given the vehicle will be the usual Russian dark green I am determined not to go too dark. I want a faded washed out base that I can then weather with details that will show up.

You wouldn't have guessed that hull was as warped as much as it was.
Nice job old boy

Lovely build so far - will you "winterise" it with a whitewash overlay once painted? Or leave as summer in the standard 4BO?

Not sure either the KV or IS series of tanks were known for "rushing" anywhere, unlike the T34, as they were a tad on the heavy side.....

Somewhat late to the party here. Lovely clean build so far, looking forward to the paint

digger303 wrote: Thu Jan 23, 2025 10:24 am You wouldn't have guessed that hull was as warped as much as it was.
Nice job old boy

Thanks, I hacked off a few mill from the top of the lower hull sides to get the upper to sit down properly then glued the 2 pieces together. Its not perfect but it will do.

RangerNeil wrote: Thu Jan 23, 2025 12:51 pm Lovely build so far - will you "winterise" it with a whitewash overlay once painted? Or leave as summer in the standard 4BO?

Not sure either the KV or IS series of tanks were known for "rushing" anywhere, unlike the T34, as they were a tad on the heavy side.....

Not winterising this one. Going for the basic green but will be careful to not go too dark.

Kevthemodeller wrote: Thu Jan 23, 2025 3:07 pm Somewhat late to the party here. Lovely clean build so far, looking forward to the paint

Thanks Kev. Paint will be a while off for this one until the weather improves and its warm enough to have the window open for the extractor. I'm just building kits at the moment so I will have a stock to work on when the weather improves.

I cleaned up the sprue joints on the handrails and repositioned one of them after I had accidentally 'flattened' it when I was adding the rails and repeatedly handling the turret.







I filled the gaps where the rear halves came 'together', needs a little more filler to finish.



The spare tracks go on the front, not the rear. I have never seen this before but I saw a picture of a similar Russian vehicle with the exact same configuration so I assume its ok

Great shot of that Russian design heritage. Raked front glacis and big wide tracks. A real Dusky Rusky.



Other, than a bit of filler, that's the build done and ready for primer. Time to raid the stash again

The tracks look very nice indeed.

Nice work mate - there's something about the way that it sits that just makes it look "heavy"

Great job on tidying up the kit imperfections too

Stokesy44 wrote: Fri Jan 24, 2025 8:31 am [
Thanks Kev. Paint will be a while off for this one until the weather improves and its warm enough to have the window open for the extractor. I'm just building kits at the moment so I will have a stock to work on when the weather improves.

Get yourself one of these they work a treat https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/394664869384

Kevthemodeller wrote: Sun Jan 26, 2025 10:05 am

Stokesy44 wrote: Fri Jan 24, 2025 8:31 am [
Thanks Kev. Paint will be a while off for this one until the weather improves and its warm enough to have the window open for the extractor. I'm just building kits at the moment so I will have a stock to work on when the weather improves.

Get yourself one of these they work a treat https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/394664869384

Thanks Kev, I shall look into these.

Fired up the airbrush again and moved onto the big Rusky.

I've always struggled with allied WW2 subjects because of the green / olive drab colors being so dark on their European schemes. Effects and weathering seem to disappear into the darkness and the end result is, to me, always a little disappointing.

To remedy this I have deliberately lightened the base color with a SERIOUS shot of white. By doing this I can add low lights to darken it down a little which will also add a depth effect to make the kit more 'weighty'.

Tamiya NATO green (ironically). I made sure I covered the tracks completely so the base color will act as a primer. Trust me, trying to paint Vallejo Metal Color on bare plastic is a quick one way ticket to the modeler's asylum!



















Next up is working on the green shading then decals and markings (painting a stripe on the turret) before all the fun stuff with the oils and weathering.

Interesting

The paint has gone down lovely looking forward to the shading

Kevthemodeller wrote: Tue Apr 01, 2025 5:25 pm The paint has gone down lovely looking forward to the shading

digger303 wrote: Tue Apr 01, 2025 3:30 pm Interesting

Thanks Gents.

As requested I've had a go at the highlights (or should that be lowlights?). I went for a slightly darker shade for the interior of panels and a heavier shadow for the edging and overall overspray for weight. I'll probably add a further green filter to even it out but its looking on the right track now.











Its good fun having more than one kit on the go. Everywhere I look there's a brute of iron desperate for my attention! Its like a beauty pageant!

With the Flakpanzer IV finished, the dusky rusky was next up.

After the base coat went down and it all went green, next up was painting the tracks and the metal wheel rims for the wheels and return rollers.

I used Vallejo Metal Colour Burnt Iron and Dark Aluminum for the tracks and rims respectively. I then went and cleaned up the inevitable splashing on the wheels and hull where the metal color had gone where it wasnt supposed to go!













There are a few detail bits to do then I need to figure out how to paint the stripe on the turret.

Another lovely shading job mate

digger303 wrote: Wed Apr 16, 2025 1:51 pm

Kevthemodeller wrote: Sat Apr 19, 2025 12:38 pm Another lovely shading job mate

Thanks Gents

I worked on the decals over the weekend. I tried to mask off for the stripe on the turret but there were so many little bits in the way of where the tape needed to go that I couldn't get the tape down. I figured no job was better than a bodge so I left the stripe off and just went ahead with the decals. They went down ok and thankfully no silvering.







I then used light green to highlight the edges, corners and panel joins to show general wear and fading





Then it was on to the chipping. Vallejo black applied with small pieces cut from a scouring pad.







The same process was applied to the hull

I have been too heavy handed with the front and rear mudguards. I will dial that back by stippling some base color back on









Next up are the oils then a gloss before applying the dirt wash to finish.

That's one knocked around ruskie.

Nice job so far!!

digger303 wrote: Mon Apr 21, 2025 3:02 pm That's one knocked around ruskie.

Yeah, I think I went a bit too far in some places

RangerNeil wrote: Mon Apr 21, 2025 8:31 pm Nice job so far!!

Thanks mate.

As mentioned previously, I did think I had overdone it a bit, especially on the mudguards. I cleaned it up (or calmed it down) by stippling some green back onto the hull to reduce the chipping effect.





I also tidied up the turret a bit





Then I went to work with the oils, filters for the hull and turret and specific streaks for rust and fuel stains



















Gloss coat is next once the oils have fully dried. Then the dark dirt wash and finally the staining and pigments for the exhausts on the engine deck

Gloss coat on, ready for the dark dirt wash now.

Looking at the kit like this made me think about the whole painting and weathering process. My goal is always two-fold. 1, Get rid of the plastic look of the kit and then 2, weather it specific to a time or circumstance.

I wondered how the kit would look if it only had part 1 done to it. It would be like creating a fully restored static museum piece. Everything would be done to create the depth and texture in the paintwork using the usual methods, primer, base coat with highlight and shadows then oils for variation. At that point the kit would be gloss or satin coated then towed into museum as it were. No chipping, no mud, no rust and no pigments.

I think it would be worth a go because it would really show case how an AFV loses its plastic look and takes on the weight that painted steel has with its rolled or cast texture.

It would have to be the right subject to fit the idea, a rare restoration for static display only. I'll have a think.

Anyway, you didnt come here for my waffle! Shiny Tanky below











Just the dark wash and pigments left now

Ultimate Dark Dirt Wash applied to the hull and turret. Love this stuff, the coverage is immense.













Then it was time to wipe it all down. I used tissue paper and cotton buds, slightly wetted in order to lift the wash without destroying its effect.













To finish I need to work on the exhausts and tracks with pigments then I may mist on a coat of matt to reduce the shine a touch

I got the exhausts done over the weekend along with the tracks.

For the exhausts I used hull red and black as the base then stippled on a couple of AK rust colors from their 6 tone rust set.

Initially I was not even sure where the exhausts were!! Normally they are are on the rear plate but I double checked the instructions and I hadn't missed them. I had to look at reference pictures to see they were located on the engine deck. I had added them during the build but had no idea what they were

The exhausts discharge directly towards the external fuel tanks. I wonder if that was ever a fire risk. I have blackened the relevant part of the tanks because they must have been discolored by the discharge.









For the tracks I dry brushed Vallejo Metal Dark Aluminum on the visible sections then AK Rust. I'm not sure if they need pigments or not.

I also dry brushed the wheel rims.











Overall I'm happy with the kit. The tracks were a bit of a PITA but then I hate indy link tracks in general. I think the roughness of the surfaces and welds really show off the Russian engineering of the time. I'm pleased with the paint job, particularly with my decision to use a lighter green as the base. It was probably too light but adding lowlights really added depth - what they call a 'happy accident'

I think I'm pretty much done. I just need to decide if I want to add pigments to the tracks and maybe dust to the hull. Can't make my mind up

















As always, thanks for looking in. See you on the next one.

I've had a thought about those diesel fuel tanks and the exhaust. It could be that quality was a issue particularly during the winter months and low quality diesel can have a lot of wax in it. Cold weather can solidify this blocking all the filters, but by heating it this could be dealt with. It seems like the kind of practical solution the Russians might devise.

We had a experience in the district years ago where the refinery in Perth W.A didn't switch over to making winter fuel (wax free) and caused a whole heap of problems. Needless to say the penny pinching executives coped a earful and it never happened again.

digger303 wrote: Tue Apr 29, 2025 11:13 am I've had a thought about those diesel fuel tanks and the exhaust. It could be that quality was a issue particularly during the winter months and low quality diesel can have a lot of wax in it. Cold weather can solidify this blocking all the filters, but by heating it this could be dealt with. It seems like the kind of practical solution the Russians might devise.

We had a experience in the district years ago where the refinery in Perth W.A didn't switch over to making winter fuel (wax free) and caused a whole heap of problems. Needless to say the penny pinching executives coped a earful and it never happened again.

Add to that Derv doesn't ignite like petrol does. It requires extreme heat/pressure for Derv to ignite - one of the reasons NATO switched to an a Derv fuel supply. Having gone careening down a mountain in Germany in a barely controlled 10 ton knocker with with 16,000 litres of CombatGas in jerry cans it was a decision I was right behind!!!

RangerNeil wrote: Tue Apr 29, 2025 12:41 pm

digger303 wrote: Tue Apr 29, 2025 11:13 am I've had a thought about those diesel fuel tanks and the exhaust. It could be that quality was a issue particularly during the winter months and low quality diesel can have a lot of wax in it. Cold weather can solidify this blocking all the filters, but by heating it this could be dealt with. It seems like the kind of practical solution the Russians might devise.

We had a experience in the district years ago where the refinery in Perth W.A didn't switch over to making winter fuel (wax free) and caused a whole heap of problems. Needless to say the penny pinching executives coped a earful and it never happened again.

Add to that Derv doesn't ignite like petrol does. It requires extreme heat/pressure for Derv to ignite - one of the reasons NATO switched to an a Derv fuel supply. Having gone careening down a mountain in Germany in a barely controlled 10 ton knocker with with 16,000 litres of CombatGas in jerry cans it was a decision I was right behind!!!

Thanks for the info Gents. You both have a much deeper knowledge of these old iron brutes than I have.

I wasn't happy with the track color so I ended up adding pigments.

Spare track links



And front end tracks



Rear end







I'm happy now. I'm calling it done, now its just a matter of picking the next kit. I've got the Tiger I & II already base coated but I quite fancy an aircraft so we'll see which way the wind blows

You've got those tracks looking top draw mate