Zvezda 1/35 T-28 Medium Tank

[Deleted member 7181]

Hello all, welcome to my first proper tank build.

It may be a bumpy ride and there may be some tears along the way. Either me weeping at my mistakes, or you crying with laughter at them Either way I'll probably need my hand holding at some point but I'll try and have a decent stab at it so as not to let the side down.

So the subject here is the T-28 Soviet Medium Tank. Apparently not very successful in the field but quirky enough to pique my interest. It's a recent Zvezda release, in 1/35

Nice box art with a completed model on the back.





And four paint / marking options





Instructions are like the other two Zvezda kits I've built, with sub assemblies in the margins. These sometimes don't get added until the next page, just to keep you on your toes. There's a mistake on this particular page that I'll come too later. Only minor but it might catch someone out so worth mentioning.



I won't bore you with all the sprue shots, but here's the particularly delicate looking antenna, which thankfully doesn't get added until the end of the build (I would have done so anyway).



And all of them together. More parts than I've ever dealt with, should be fun!



In an effort to keep organised and inflict less damage I knocked up a sprue rack from a cardboard box. Not quite Hobbyzone but if there's enough interest I'll set up an Etsy store and start knocking them out in bulk




Sorry for the long introduction, but in the next episode I'll start butchering some plastic!

 

[Jakko]

At least it’s got link-and-length tracks and not separate-link ones, though I’ve got a T-35 (looks a lot like this one but longer and with two subturrets behind the main one as well as in front of it) that has loose links for the whole track runs. Not that I got that far into assembling it before finding something more interesting, but it’s one of the reasons I’m not overly keen on finishing it.

This looks to be a good kit, though, and if what I’ve read of other recent Zvezda releases is anything to go by it should end up as a very nice model. The camouflaged version actually put me in mind of American tanks in the 1980s … not sure if it’s a good move to say that out loud though

 

[scottie3158]

Andy,
Chair pulled up I am looking forward to seeing what you do with this. Judging from your previous builds I am in for a treat.

 

[Deleted member 7181]

First up were these bits, Idlers I think they are called (spot the newb) Each made up of two sub assemblies, 5 parts in total



Then onto some levery type things to join them together. Two sides with a separate pin in between. I found the best way was to dry assemble, clamp in place then add extra thin glue.



There were lots more of these!



I've actually missed out some braces that go between the longer arms. Try as I might I couldn't get the arms to fit together with them in place. I guess I could have shaved them down a bit but to be honest they are never going to be seen and the instructions even tell you to miss out this lever stage completely if you are building version 1 as I am. That one has covers over this whole area but I figured I'd have a crack at them anyway.



Next up is where I spotted a mistake in the instructions. Obviously I thought it was my mistake at first but after checking several times the parts have been numbered wrongly on the page. As you can clearly see C23 that I cut from the sprue is actually numbered as C24 on the instructions, and vice versa. There are two C sprues and they were both the same, so definitely a printing or proof reading error.



And for confirmation, two instruction pictures of sub assembly 5a, showing the wrongly labelled C23, with the part fitted to the model actually using c24 instead.



(the "opposite handed" 5b sub assembly, now made using C23 instead shown in the very foreground)

After those shenanigans and with already just shy of 100 parts fitted, I added a couple of hull sections and I have something that's starting to look vaguely like a tank, but I still can't work out which is the front and which is the back lol.

 

[Deleted member 7181]

Yes Jakko, I was glad to see the lengths of ready built track. The top one already has what looks like sag moulded into it (or maybe it's just warped )

Good to have you here Paul, I'll need all the support I can get!

 

[yak face]

Nice start Andy , it’s certainly a weird looking beast, the sort of thing that usually attracts me to a subject, cheers tony

 

[Jakko]

First up were these bits, Idlers I think they are called (spot the newb)

Those are the suspension arms, though you could probably get away with calling them bogies (A suspension bogie is basically an assembly of suspension arms, springs, and more than one set of wheels.) Idlers are the undriven wheels at the front or rear end of the track (at the front if the drive sprocket is at the back, and vice versa), that are usually raised off the ground (but not always). On your T-28, they’re the large, raised wheels at the front.

There were lots more of these!

The suspension is the armour modeller’s bane It’s always lots of parts, many of them identical — or worse, almost identical — that need to be fitted correctly else the model will sit wrong. If you’re unlucky then the kit will have big side skirts that are best added only after painting, but wheels that really must be before.

Next up is where I spotted a mistake in the instructions. Obviously I thought it was my mistake at first but after checking several times the parts have been numbered wrongly on the page.

Good spot before you glued the wrong one in

 

[Deleted member 7181]

Thanks Tony. The "different " look was what drew me to it.

I've been struggling to find any builds on this particular model. A few unboxing videos and one topic on another forum that only seemed to get halfway through. Hopefully I'll go the distance and if it turns out well I'll put the bigger T-35 on my list.

Good spot before you glued the wrong one in

A dry fit saved me really. Due to offset location slots I just couldn't get it to line up. I double checked I'd cut the right part from the sprue and that's when I noticed the mix up. Thankfully I hadn't glued the sub assembly together at that point.

 

[Mickc1440]

Nice start on this quirky machine Andy

 

[Lee Drennen]

Nice start Andy I knew you would build it soon I’ll be watching up front. Sure hope John shows up with some of that good Yorkshire tea

 

[Deleted member 7181]

Cheers Mick & Lee, good to have you guys aboard.

Kettle is already on but it's a rough ride across the garden for the hostess trolley so there might be some spillage.

 

[Dave Ward]

Andy,
great start - errors in instructions are there to make sure you're paying attention! - wait until you try a 1/35 Dragon model!!!
I made the Alanger T-28 ( reboxed 1998 ICM model ) - pretty crude & clunky - and with individual track links. It took me two attempts to finish it ( with a few years in between )

They didn't attempt the frame aerial! Your Zvezda offering in definitely next generation!
Dave

 

[Deleted member 7181]

Thanks Dave. I think I'll stick to known good kits until I get some more experience under my belt

Did you do a build log for your Zvezda T-35? Here or elsewhere? I'm assuming construction will be fairly similar and I'm trying to work out how far down the road I can go before splashing some paint on it.

These instructions would have you put the sprockets and tracks on fairly early but I'd much rather do it later if possible to avoid trying to paint around them!

 

[Jim R]

Hi Andy
Interesting and odd looking tank. Being a recent Zvezda kit it is almost certainly pretty good. Looks like you're off to a good start. All nicely organised. I rather like that camo version on the back of the box. I look forward to the rest of the build and I'm sure you'll end up with a cracking result.
Jim

 

[Deleted member 7181]

Thanks Jim.

I like the camo myself but feel like I ought to try a single colour for a change. No doubt I'll change my mind several times!

 

[Dave Ward]

Andy,
the blog was done on a now defunct site, and has gone forever. I do have the pictures I posted of the T-35 build. I built the lower hull complete,

I then primed, and basecoated, before adding the tracks, then painting them in place

The tracks were link & length, like your T-28, but the Alanger T-28 tracks came like this
Dave

 

[Deleted member 7181]

Thank you for that Dave, it's kind of the way I had in mind. I'm sure painting them separately would be easier, but I couldn't figure out how it would be possible with this kind of track.

And I'll definitely try and avoid those individual link type tracks. I doubt I'd have the patience!

 

[Jakko]

You can paint the track links (or links and lengths) while they’re on the sprue, then glue them together with something that also dissolves the paint. Many types of model cement won’t, but the stronger solvent types will. Some touching up will be needed after glueing, but it can be done quite easily. One possible problem is that the links won’t fit together anymore because of the thickness of the paint, but that depends on how tightly they fit anyway, of course.

The trick to finishing tracks like these, BTW, is to do it in stages: clean up a dozen (or two) links today, another dozen tomorrow, etc. You can also assemble them in sections, so you don’t have to do a whole track at once, and if the tank has big enough side skirts you can omit the lengths that go behind them to give yourself less work too

 

[JR]

Andy .
I'm settling in, tea in hand. Are there any biscuits please. I left the hostess trolley in the middle of the flower bed, sorry about that but a wheel fell off.

Leave it green, and don't let Steve tell you otherwise, he has a strange fetish about camo But we don't talk about it .

Glad you found the mistake with the numbering before you went to far , I normally find that out when it's glued and doesn't fit !
Looks good progress is being made, as for tracks I hate all the plastic andrubber, try to use Fruil tracks when I can. Just can't cope with the gluing .

 

[Si Benson]

Hi Andy,
Another watcher here, I really like the look of this tank, really interesting design.

I’m sorry Mr Race but I’ll have to back up Mr Jones on the camo scheme I think it looks fab and I just know Andy could do it

Good start Andy