1/72 Trumpeter T62 {ST}

[SimonT]

Hello folks - this is another current build that I am on with

I have been waiting a long time for a good T62 to appear and bought two of these as soon as it was released - unfortunately it is not as good as I was expecting

A bit of work is therefore required so here is a catch up to get to the current state......


Turret stippled with Squadron Green Stuff to get a bit of texture


Front wheel arches cut away and track guards thinned right down


Engine deck grilles cut out, louvres installed from micro strip and mesh covers added


One of the worst features of the kit is the shortcut they have taken with the turret ring where it hangs out over the track guards
This should be a sloped casting from the hull, widening out at hull top level
It has been moulded as a solid lump with vertical sides rather than the more usual method of providing the sloping pieces as add on parts
I removed the moulded lump and rebuilt things with Green Stuff and plastic card to get the correct sloped sides

Hull with turret after rebuilding the sides

Gun barrel replaced with a scratch built item made from tubing and filler


The kit fuel drums are not great and lack detail so I scrapped them after cutting off the drum racks
New drum made from tube, brass wire, pewter and filler and strapped down to the recovered rack
For a bit of variety I left off the left drum and made up empty retaining straps from copper sheet


Raised lip added around the turret ring from micro strip


Solid exhaust carefully opened out


Handrails added to turret from brass wire - nothing provided in the kit


Cont.......

[SimonT]

........Cont


I decided to open out the other grille at the rear left side - this would have been better to do earlier before the hull halves were joined


Stowage box with added latches - first attempt was rubbish so they came off and were replaced


more handrails


mantlet cover sculpted from Duro Green Stuff


More handles


Fuel pipes added along with tank fixing brackets

Details added to the front of the turret - light bracket thinned down and bolts added, lifting mechanism made from brass wire


Lenses added to the little marker lights next to the fuel tank


Hull front cleaned up and filled

Cont..........

[SimonT]

.......Cont


Splash board added to glacis plate


I mucked up the cupola fixing ring and had to make a new version


Extra details added to gun barrel and mantlet


Random pictures of the back end again


The one piece moulded track units could have been better. The track pins are rather vague so I added new ones from punched pewter sheet. Finished doing them today - takes a while


So this is where I am up to now after adding the track pins and front and rear hull tow hooks
Still needs front lights, rear marker lights, fuel tank handles, storage box latches and one or two other small details


SimonT

[SimonT]

More done on this one today


Handles added to fuel tanks and marker light added to rear hull side


Bolt heads added to final drive housings and rear marker light added to hull side just above track guard


Front mud guard torsion springs added
New conduits to lights from lead wire
Light cages added from brass wire


Un-ditching beam holder straps added to rear panel - bracket recovered by cutting off the kit 'log' and trimming down

I think this is now done and ready for paint but will give it the once over first to see if I have missed anything off


SimonT

[Neo]

Hello, Simon! Top class work! I am sorry I don't know if I may give a link to another forum. Here is my friend have scratched T-62. Perhaps it will be useful.

http://perfectmodel.su/forum/68-664-9

[Jim R]

Morning Simon
What you do is way beyond what most of us would dare tackle. A great model. I still wonder why you bother to buy kits at all :tongue-out3: Paint next :thumb2:
Jim

[papa 695]

Just caught up with this build Simon, and may I say what cracking work your doing, I don't think there isn't any part of the kit you haven't changed in any way ( and for the better ). This is one to keep on watching.

[SimonT]

Thanks Neo - your friends 1/35 T62 is not scratch built (lost something in translation? ) but it is super detailed. Very nice

Hi Jim - it should have been better as a kit. They could have made a really good job of it if they tried. I bought two so I will get to do this all over again at some point

Ian - thank you very much. You're correct, not much that hasn't needed some work

[Steve Jones]

MrT
I am glad you are continuing with this build. I expect you will be glad when you can finally get round to painting it
Steve

[Neo]

Unfortunately we don't have in Russian word like scratch, so I used it. Sorry for my mistake. I don't use traslaters because studied English for several years.

[SimonT]

Steve - very nearly at paint stage. I need to add some turret lifting hooks and then I think it can move to paint

Hi Neo - no worries. I just had a different idea of what to expect when you said scratch build

[Guest]

Looks like you had some pent up T-62 modelling energy to uncage. Well done!

[SimonT]

Hi Jim - I was annoyed at how bad the kit was and just sort of went for it :smiling:

[minitnkr]

Watching Simon's work over the years reminds me of a diamond cutter with a rough. He sees what could be, then makes it happen. PaulE

[SimonT]

Hi Paul, thanks for dropping in

Have added the turret hooks now.

Also realised that I had forgotten the screw down latches on the stowage boxes - have added them to one box but still need to do another so still not quite at paint yet