Trumpeter Voroshilovets Tractor 3 in 1

[dierk]

Hello everybody,
Hot on the heels of the Komintern tractor comes my latest project: its successor the Voroshilovets tractor,
also by Trumpeter. Just like its predecessor it was used to tow anything, from broken down tanks - including
the T-35 - to the B-4 howitzer. But the Voroshilovets was bigger in every way.
The Trumpeter kit is a joy to build and comes close to Tamiya in fit and quality. Unfortunately, I neglected
to take pictures during the build - it just fell together so quickly. The fit of the chassis parts is so good,
you can dry-fit them for priming and base-coat, and later remove them for detail painting - very useful for the
exhausts as they are partially covered by one of the return-roller mountings.
During my research I came across these pictures, which I used as inspiration for my build:
For discussion purposes only


This is where the 3 in 1 bit of the title comes in: I'll be able to display it with just the cargo body:

with the tilt fitted (more on that later):

Or the 'hard-top'.
So I set about my first proper bit of scratching: the sidewalls are made of sheet plastic, with the planks scribed in
using a metal ruler and craft knife, wood grain was added by scratching the surface with the tip of a No 11 blade



Roof-spars and window frames added:

And a roof made of etching foil - in retrospect a thin piece of styrene sheet would probably have been better:

The curtain on the back was made from a used tea-bag soaked in diluted PVA and suspended from a rail made from
Evergreen rod.
The tilt is a fairly nice piece of slide moulding, that can be made to look presentable with a bit of work: the
cut-outs for the windows need thinning, as the plastic is a good Millimeter thick. I also removed the pretty
crude looking lumps of 'T' shaped plastic that are supposed to represent the clasps holding the sides to the
roof - I have found no evidence that they were fitted to the outside, which would have made no sense, as you'd
have to have used a ladder to get to them.

To give the smooth plastic some texture I brushed on a layer of Mr. Surfacer.
I modified the lower hull slightly, as the one pictured with the 'hard-top' didn't have any rear mudguards/fenders:
so the mounting slots for the mudguards and holes for their brackets were filled using CA mixed with talcum powder.
Once dry I added a few Masterclub bolts to where the mounting brackets would have been.
Then the whole lot got a coat of Halfords rattle-can primer:


The cargo tray got the same treatment as the one on my Komintern tractor - coating of Vallejo wood, followed by
AK Worn Effects:

And finally good old Vallejo Russian Green:


Thanks for looking, more soon.
Cheers,
Dierk

[TRM]

Nice looking truck there Dierk!! Making good headway too!!! Kepp up the great work!!

[dierk]

Back already.
Without a doubt, the most disappointing part of the kit is the tracks The inside surface is totally
devoid of any detail! So it was time to make the plastic squeal and get some Friuls. My only other previous
experience of metal tracks was a set of Ace Spades - at the time plenty of you were advising me on what I
should be replacing the wire with - and to be honest, I utterly failed to see what the fuss was about, as the
wire supplied with the Spade Ace tracks is, well...ace. When I saw what kind of wire Friul sees fit to include
in their sets, I have to say: the great MSCers were right - again. I did give it one try, and promptly swapped
it for some that I pinched from another set of Spade Ace tracks from my stash. With that wire there's no need for
drilling and CA glue - stick it in, pull it out a fraction, snip it off and give a tap with a hammer - sorted!
Anyway, have some comparison pictures of kit and Friuls:
Inside surface:

And outside:

Although I did buy the E.T. PE set for this tractor, I ended up using very little of it, as it is incredibly
fussy. About 8 or 9 parts to make up the fire-extinguisher mountings! And there's 2 of them!
A couple of other things came to light during my research: a lot of these tractors were still carrying the white
paint on door-handles etc, from having been on parade. Also there appear to have been two versions of the cargo
tray: with sidewalls made up of 4 planks (kit) and 5 planks, but the overall height seemed to have stayed the
same. I'm pretty sure the 5-planked version also had a different arrangement of benches. And, you've guessed it,
my 'hard-top' version was the one with 5 planks, but I really didn't feature making up new sidewalls, as the PE
parts for the metal fittings gave too much scope for a visit by the F&*k Up fairy.
More soon, hopefully.
Cheers,
Dierk

[dierk]

Sorry guys - missed you there, I was writing m update when you posted. welcome to the party!
Gave all the parts a wash with AK Dark brown - this is where the dismantleability of the chassis comes in handy:



Chipping has begun:

My best efforts to clean up the grab handle were obviously not good enough - some of the parts were a real PITA
to get off the sprue - the gates are a touch on the chunky side. The radiator cap was horrendous: it's star-shaped
and has two attachment points which obscure part of the moulding. And as with many modern kits, the parts are covered
in knock-out nodes.
I'm going to try and get as much as possible done on this before next week, as I'll be rejoining the rat-race -
holiday's coming to an end - and my build-speed will be going all tectonic again.
cheers and thanks for looking.
Dierk

[deafpanzer]

Looking great!!! Agree Fruils look pretty good too.

[bullardino]

Really nice one. Another russian tractor, and a mean ugly one

Can't stay away, obv

[wbill76]

Very cool! Love the scratchwork on that hard-top body.

[Teabone]

dierk

The comparison between the Trumpy track and the Fruli's make choosing on or the other obvious, can see you are giving the little things a lot of thought.

Bones

[Deleted]

interesting build like the chunky look of this one

[dierk]

Thanks for the kind comments!
As per usual RL interfered with bench-time, but I got a bit more chipping done:

If only it didn't take so long - but I'm determined to really go to town on this one.
So, be prepared for it to take a while...

Added a bit of streaking grime, wet effects to the radiator and the first layer of fuel stains:

Also toned down the white with winter grime

Got to take frequent breaks - it's not much fun getting older.
Hope you like it so far.
Cheers,
Dierk

[Leon]

Dierk,that is looking awesome .Nice choice on the fruils,they are a big improvement.

[dierk]

Glad you like it Leon
Got glazing! The clear plastic Trumpeter use is nice and thin - apart from the ones for the tilt.
Which gives me a chance to show you my two new favourite tools:
Nano saws, which allow you to make incredibly fine cuts - very useful for lots of things, including cutting
clear parts off the sprue: avoids the white crazing you sometimes get when using cutters of knives:

And the Pick Up Pencil - doesn't leave any residue, and really useful for PE work:


The bottom parts of the windscreen need slimming down slightly for a positive fit:

I used Humbrol Clear Fix for the clear parts. It's quite thick and has a tendency to form strings:

I'll have to do the round parts at the back again as they didn't sit very well:

According to a scale drawing they are port-hole type windows - but photos don't back that up. I think it's more
likely they were lights to aid loading/unloading at night.
Next I'll try clingfilm to make the windows for the tilt - wish me luck.
Thanks for looking.
Dierk

[deafpanzer]

Great chipping work! Thanks for the tips!

[wbill76]

Nice progress Dierk! The lights explanation makes more sense vs. the portholes...why would you need porthole windows...I know the Russians did some strange things from time to time but that would be out there even for them.

[dierk]

Glad you approve Dicky

The 'porthole' interpretation makes even less sense when you notice that they have a hinge on the outside of the cab - so once opened there was absolutely no chance of closing them again from inside the cab

Obviously, nobody noticed the glaring mistake I made! The reason the lenses didn't fit the back of the cab is because they are the headlight lenses...Thankfully I managed to pick them off and swap them around.

The experiment with the clingfilm has sort of worked. For some reason (my guess would be cack-handedness) I didn't apply the glue all the way to the edges of the cutouts for the windows, so there's a slight - but noticeable - gap. But I reckon I can fix it. But already looks better than had I used the kit parts:

Once I've slapped some dust and crap on the tilt they should look better still...fingers crossed

More soon - I hope,
Dierk

[Leon]

Looking really good Dierk.Nice job on the clingfilm.

[Deleted]

Awesome details Dierk!

[`Boots`]

Fabulous work Dierk.........really liking this one, i like those Nano saws and those pick up pencils are something i wanna get.....keep her rolling fella

[wbill76]

Looking forward to more on this baby!

[dierk]

Thanks for the kind words gentlemen.
Unfortunately no piccies today, but I need some advice: I'm up to my elbows in chipping - as you know, takes a bit of time...now, I'm wondering if there is any point in chipping the lower hull? Once all the gubbins like bogies, drive-wheels, tracks, etc are in place and once it has some weathering on it, will all the effort be worth it? I'm happy to do it - but I also don't want to waste my time. What would/do you do?
Cheers,
Dierk

[Mence]

Looking great Dierk, fine job.

[wbill76]

I tend to go with Dicky's approach on this one...if it can't be seen, then it's time better spent on what can be seen, but to each his own. Having said that, there's many a time I've spent effort on something I THOUGHT would be seen only to have it disappear entirely, so pick your poison!

[dierk]

Thanks Prof.
Cheers for the feedback, Dicky and Bill. I can sort of see the attraction in both approaches. And yes - I've spent many an hour working on some details, only for them to disappear after assembling the model. But, considering my already glacial build-speed, the attraction of not wasting time on 'invisible' stuff is a no-brainer. However, I occasionally visit a Russian forum where you'd probably get burned at the stake for that sort of 'slap-dash' attitude to modelling

Well, in that case: chipping is virtually finished bar some touching up of the inevitable missed bits.



The seat cover is yet another used teabag, but I'm not happy with the colour, yet (Tamiya buff)



Roof of the 'hard-top' could have been nicer - the other side looks worse: I'll have to be careful when taking pictures The streaking is much less pronounced in RL, and will also be toned down by more weathering:



Bogies:





After working on two tractors with an abundance of indy-links, rubber-tired small road-wheels, and even smaller return-rollers, I had intended my next project to be a truck - I'd already dug all the bits from the stash. But an upcoming release has forced my hand, so I'll be building something else instead, before the resin conversion I have becomes obsolete - and yes, it will involve lots of little road-wheels and (quite small) indy-links again. I just know that I probably won't bother building it once the full plastic kit comes out.
Can you tell what it's going to be, yet?

Cheers,
Dierk

[deafpanzer]

Another great update... dig the chipping work on the seats and interior!

[dierk]

Glad you're liking it Andy!

Aug 23, 2013 14:25:21 GMT -5 @dickyf said:

More great work there Dierk, this one is really coming together and I'm already lookin' forward to seein' yer truck

You'll have to be patient Dicky (patience is a virgin ) Like I've hinted at, another kit had to jump the queue as it wouldn't get built at all otherwise - thanks Hobbyboss But just to whet your appetite: the truck will involve one of Miniart's excellent GAZ-AAAs with an unusual resin conversion

A visit by that bloody F*&k Up Fairy is almost traditional in my builds, and this one is no exception...I found that if you build it in sub-assemblies like what I did, the bonnet/hood latches (which are attached to the lower hull) WILL break off when you fit the cab - if like me you're stupid enough to glue bonnet/hood and cab together. Can't remember why I didn't do it the same way I did with the Komintern, where I glued the bonnet/hood to the lower hull and only left the cab separate (cack-handedness?) Thankfully the Komintern came with a few spare latches, so the brink of disaster is receeding.

I think I might give the lower hull some scratches with a sponge, quick enough, just in case like.

Cheers,
Dierk

[wbill76]

Got to love the design on that suspension, nice update Dierk! Too bad about the FUF paying a visit, but you're not alone, he makes the rounds quite frequently!

[dierk]

Aug 24, 2013 20:50:29 GMT -5 wbill76 said:

Got to love the design on that suspension, nice update Dierk! Too bad about the FUF paying a visit, but you're not alone, he makes the rounds quite frequently!

Hmm, I'm sure my FUF is female

Suspension and tracks dry-fitted, just to give you an idea of what it looks like before I hit it with the AB
for the next stage of weathering:





Still got to fit the windows in the hard-top:



Undid the FUF's work by salvaging one of the kit latches and adding one that was left over from the Komintern.

Size comparison:





More soon, I hope, thanks for looking,
Dierk

[Tobi]

Looking very nice Dierk. I like the chipping on the wooden parts.

Cheers,
Tobi

[wbill76]

One thing's for sure, the Soviets had the market cornered on big and ugly vehicles! Looking forward to more Dierk!

[dierk]

There's going to be a slight delay in proceedings, now: the next stage of weathering will involve airbrushing enamel products - but our shed also gets used for growing tomatoes, and they're in full swing at the moment. Now I don't know about you, but I prefer my weathering products to be on models, not food.
So the next update on this thread will be when the main harvest is over.
Although I've dropped some hints that my next project will involve a T-26-based something or other - and I have started by de-spruing the track links and pins - a parcel from Russia has finally arrived (ordered in the beginning of June...) and one of the goodies inside has really grabbed my attention, so I'll be starting a new thread in the next couple of days. Expect something Russian and unusual...
Cheers,
Dierk