P-38 - The Ultimate EPO Lightning

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Taigen KV-1E Build Log

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  • Taigen KV-1E Build Log

    I was just complaining I had zero tank time with school and all so I took a night off from school to finish the last bits on a tank I've been working on for a few months when I've had the time.

    This KV-1E was cobbled together from other builds and piece mail parts. The turret came from the first KV-1E I bought that got converted into the SU-152.

    That turret was gutted and the innards were replaced with a Clark 3D printed recoil and elevation specifically made for the KV-1 (from DAK RC). IR LED was installed in the front of the turret along with a Taigen high intensity flash unit. Turret is held on with magnets. You can also see (in the turret innards pic) I decided to add some more texture to the flat plates not seen in the rest of the photos.

    Turret got some weld lines as well, some light Mr. Surfacer texture, added a 3D printed IR receiver mount, added a LegoDEI IR receiver, swapped out the commander's hatch for a metal one, and I de-emphasized all the little circles on the turret. On the real tanks those circles are supposed to be where bolts were installed and then welded over. So for more randomness to their look, some got removed, some got made smaller, and some were made just a tad smaller as they were just too big to look real.

    It's using the newer Taigen/Torro KV-1 lower. I custom fit a set of the Heng Long all enclosed CNC machined 1/56 ratio (slow) gearboxes to the Taigen hull. It also got a metal turret ring and metal turret drive motor. Installed a FRS7S Visaton speaker in an off the shelf plastic box and printed a speaker grill from ABS for it. It's being controlled by a Clark TK-50SP board and Flysky FS-I6S radio/FS-iA6B receiver.​

    To the upper hull I added the turret ring guards, reoriented the saw so it pointed the right direction, added the antenna, added the lifting rings, replaced the engine deck vent mesh with real mesh guards, added weld lines, and added a brass gun cleaning kit to the fender.

    On the front I added weld lines around the add on armor plate, replaced the light with a metal one that looks better, randomized the weld circles on the front nose, made the driver's hatch functional, and added the two cables. The light does look purple as it has a layer of Maskol on it getting ready for paint.

    At this point it's basically ready for primer and paint. I have some of the box fuel tanks to got on it after it's painted.

    A note on the weld lines. You may have noticed they are three different colors because I experimented with three different materials to make them. The white are Miliput, the black ones are Apoxie Sculpt, and the green ones are Kneadatite (aka: Green Stuff). After using all three I'd have to say my new favorite is Green Stuff.​
    Attached Files

  • #2
    very nice. Does the Green stuff stick to everything like the Tamiya epoxy putty? Usually my hands and not the tank LOL
    Don't just fly--WREAK HAVOC!!!

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    • #3
      Yeah it does, but with just a tad bit of water it won't stick to your fingers. I find Miliput a little less sticky which is why I struggle with it. Apoxie Putty barely sticks to itself so it has less stick to the model. I can make any of them work, but it seems Green Stuff can be laid down quicker for me. I haven't used the Tamiya epoxy putty so I can't compare any of them to that. Most of the ones I've tried take 4-5 hours to cure so if you mix it up and then wait 10-15 min before working with them, they are a little less sticky. I always mix up very small amounts (usually less than the size of a pea) to do welds since they take a bunch of time to do.

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      • #4
        I usually use spit like martin kovac does. Tamiya dries pretty fast. Also only a pinch the size of a pea. It sticks badly to eveything except the tank if you use water.
        Don't just fly--WREAK HAVOC!!!

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        • #5
          Got to throw some paint on it...Stynylrez black primer followed by Mig-0019 4BO. Still in the middle of doing some work on the external fuel boxes and tow cables, but it's getting there. I ordered some markings for it so I should be able to wrap this project up next week.
          Attached Files

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          • #6
            Looks great! Not well versed with Russian tanks. Seems the T34 had a completely different green.

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            • #7
              I like your tank paint "facility" :-)

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              • #8
                Originally posted by 761st View Post
                Looks great! Not well versed with Russian tanks. Seems the T34 had a completely different green.
                4BO is one of those colors like the brown olive on US vehicles or the German colors. 4BO was used on pretty much all Russian tanks after like 1936 or so. I don't remember the exact year. There is a lot of variation in wartime paint due to where it was painted, when it was painted, and how it was painted. It also varies with how long it has been in the field and what the paint was thinned with. In some cases when actual thinner wasn't available the used gasoline as thinner. The 4BO on this tank will get darker when I throw some weathering on it. 4BO itself is a yellow green color with a high zinc content. From what I've read, zinc tends to break down in the paint and change the shade as it ages. So my painting philosophy with Russian armor is it's close enough. ;)

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                • #9
                  Originally posted by DavidN View Post
                  I like your tank paint "facility" :-)
                  Yeah, I bought two airbrush booths and connected them together as the one just wasn't big enough... :)

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                  • #10
                    Thanks tank. Makes sense.

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                    • #11
                      Decided that I was just going to use the decal sheets as a guide and paint the markings on. I scanned them on the printer and cut out some templates to lay down the markings. Afterward I removed the masks and hand painted them a little darker. The markings are based on a real KV-1E photo. I also decided to try my hand at some chipping effects. I've never done this before so I think it came out OK. I still have a lot to do and weathering effects to add after the chips are done.
                      Attached Files

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                      • #12
                        So I may have gone a little overboard on the chipping...it was a learning process. I tried to make it look like soldiers were sliding off the tool boxes after riding into battle. Overall I'm not completely dissatisfied with the outcome. It came out a little darker than I wanted it.

                        There are some dust effects I have to add yet, but waiting on some pigments to arrive to do that. The paint still needs to be sealed with a dull coat after that.








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                        • #13
                          Don't feel bad. I know the feeling. Good news is you can always airbrush lighter green over in the middle of the panels. Might rescue the look you wanted. Martin Kovac does it all the time. Then dust it.
                          Don't just fly--WREAK HAVOC!!!

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                          • #14
                            Before you modify it, photograph it outside. Natural light really changes things. Chipping looks great! What looks like "it's ruined, I did too much" indoors ends up perfect outside.
                            Twenty six tanks, and not done yet!

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