1/100 Plastic T-34/76 Kits - Part 6

Preface: I'm back! Yes, after a two year hiatus I seem to have rekindles my modelling mojo! And luckily enough - when I checked - I conveniently had the following post still awaiting publication (written in 2018). This sets out exactly where I was with my models when I 'downed tools'. Enjoy...More to come. Milgeek.

A column of T-34 Model 1943 Medium Tanks, with the hexagonal turret,
advancing through Poland. Source: Historyofwar.org

Phew! I'm probably making a real meal of doing what is - after all - a very simple kit. But, in my defence I am a slow modeller and I'm doing four vehicles at one time for the first time.

In any case, my little troop of T-34s trundles on (however ponderously) and I finally get around to adding the decals...

Now, to be fair, I had to order some of these especially for this project (which meant waiting for pay day, as I am now on a much reduced salary). It's one of the annoying aspects of modelling 1/100 war-game armour that - generally - the models do not come with decals, so you have to source your own if you want them.

Luckily there are a few companies out there that take advantage of this gap in the market. I make a lot of use of I-94 Enterprise's 1/100 decals (available from Minibits in the UK), but I also found a rather nice set of Soviet tank slogans on eBay by 1-144direct.com...

These decals are really 1/144 scale but can be used on 1/100 at a pinch. They
are available in red, black or white at £3.25.

The eBay seller's page for these - click here - comes with a key translation for the slogans so you are sure that they are not requests for soup! Although a little small (at 1/144) they do actually fit nicely onto my T-34 turret facets quite nicely...

Warning: These are APL printed decals and not the kit manufactures film transfers you may be used to. They need special care in using and the sellers webpage (provided above) gives full instructions in their use - THEY ARE QUITE DELICATE! (I ruined one set during application.)

I sealed these decals - and my tank numbers - using acrylic gloss varnish (you could also use Johnson's Klear, I guess, but test first). Don't use enamels, as spirit based stuff melts the APL decals, as I found out to my annoyance (read the instructions - du-oh)!

Anyway, I was very happy with these as they give my otherwise generic looking green machines a bit of individual character.

Rust bucket!

Well, I've finished my weathering guinea pig - the little Zvesda 1/100 T-34 1941. Rather ironic as it was only suppose to be a test bed for techniques I am using elsewhere. But anyway, it turned out to be a nice little model in it's own right...

I've learned several new techniques and it's amazing to think that such a small model has turned out to be so very useful. Rather like my 1/144 scale aircraft projects I've been surprised at just how much I have enjoyed making and painting such a small model, I may have to get some more 1/100 kits.

...And so, now I have completed the guinea pig it's on to put everything I've learned to good use!

Pin-washing my guinea pig!

I'm quite enjoying painting my little 1/100 Zvesda T-34/41 weathering guinea pig. There's no pressure, if I make a mistake it's a 'learning experience'. But, actually, it's turning out quite well (for me).

It's very interesting doing a diddy 1/100 model, but one thing I notice is the scale effect of paining - for example, although I know my airbrush isn't the very best it's moderately fine spray, which looks OK on a 1/72 model, does start to look a bit 'spluttery' on a 1/100 model.

Likewise, my ham-fisted pin-washing - which I can get away with at 1/72 - looks a little slap-dash at the smaller scale. Of course, finer brushes would help in this instance.

I don't know how modellers who do even smaller scale stuff - like 1/600 - manage. My eye-sight simply wouldn't allow me to do that sort of thing.

Anyway - all this, of course, is in aid of my larger 1/72 Finnish armoured car project as I practice the weathering techniques I wish to use on this T-34 first. So, having done the pin-wash I am nearing the end - I will now be working on some of the fine detail, highlighting and chipping effects.

Dust devil...Weathering test

Before I start weathering my 1/72 Finnish armoured cars I thought I would test out the techniques I intend to use on a spare model I had laying around.

The first stage of my planned weathering process is to apply a light dusting of...Er...'Dust'!

Here's my guinea pig...A 1/100 Zvesda T-34/41, which had a base coat of Flames of War 'Soviet Armour Green' over which a light satin acrylic varnish was applied. As you can see there's a misting of very light grayish 'dust' which has been airbrushed on gently from top to bottom, concentrating on the lower surfaces.

STREAKING: I used AK Interactive's AK 015 Dust Effects rather than a simple acrylic gray paint. The reason for this is that is that this medium is an enamel based paint, so when it dries you can run a wide flat brush dipped in thinners down the surfaces and this creates a streaky effect. Hence what you see above.

I *think* this was quite successful - but you have to be very gentle with your brushing - less is more in this case!

The key to this is to dry/wipe most of the white spirit off your brush, so it's only just moist - not damp. Also, check out a few reference photos before you start.

NEXT: I will give this another light spray of satin varnish to seal the dust - and then it's onto the pin wash (I did the dust first because - or course - if I pin washed first the dust spray would obliterate some of the panel line detail done during the pin wash).