AFV/11 July/August 03 18/6/03 3:19 pm Page 35

Adam Wilder builds an accurate 1944 production model

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Ever-Evolving Ideas about Details, Theories and Techniques
There are a few famous armored fighting vehicles (AFVs) that
continue to be the focus of modeling articles. The ever-evolving
ideas about details, theories and techniques are much of the
reason why subjects such as the German Panther and Russian T-
34 continue to capture the interest of both new and veteran armor
modelers alike. To date, I have not read an article about one of
these famous AFVs (or any AFV) where I had not acquired
something new to improve the next model I produced.
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During this article I am going to once again bring to focus one of
the famous T-34/85 model 1944 (mod 44) tanks which sported the
field-welded mattress armor seen during the battle for Berlin
pending the closing days of the war. I want to bring to your
awareness some details that need to be added and corrected to
properly backdate the DML T-34/85 mod 44 kit, which is actually a
model 1945 kit. I will also display some of the construction tricks
and painting techniques I used to bring both life and history to my
model of this fascinating AFV.
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Before We Get Started

Over the past few months I have been
planning and constructing a diorama with
Spanish modeler Carlos Elias called Red Tide that
1
will involve several models including this one. As I
started to construct this T-34, I remembered the E-mails
that have been sent to me as well as the postings I had seen in
discussion forums regarding the minor corrections needed to
produce an actual T-34/85 mod 44 using the beautiful DML kit.
These inquiries, combined with my own interest, propelled me
to write a sub-article to Red Tide focusing in detail only on the
construction and painting of the T-34/85 mod 44. This
completed model will be seen again in an article that discusses
the planning, construction and painting of the Red Tide Rising
diorama we are currently finishing. Let’s now discuss the
construction of the T-34 starting with the turret.

2
Construction
The Turret
Photo 1

The main corrections needed to accurately re-produce a mod

44 using the DML T-34/85 are on the turret. The outer shell of
the turret was assembled first. The casting lines (often mistaken
as welds) were detailed using squadron putty. There are many
different brands of putties on the market with various
characteristics. Squadron putty has the properties that allowed
me to get the texture of the casting seams that best resembled
my reference photos.

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AFV/11 July/August 03 18/6/03 3:20 pm
3 4
5 6
7 8
9 10
Photos 2 to 3
There are two bulges on the DML turret
that were present on the T-34/85 1945
variants that must be removed when
constructing 1944 models. The protrusion
on the turret side and bulge to
accommodate the larger single cupola
were carefully removed using a rotary tool.
Tamiya putty is great for texturing surfaces
and was used to blend the tooled areas
with the rest of the cast surface.
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Photos 4 to 5
The larger diameter single hinged
commander’s hatch was common on
1945 T-34/85 and SU-100 AFVs. The
smaller double-hinged cupola seen on T-
34 variants prior to 1945 was confiscated
from a DML SU-85M. Sheet plastic needed
to be added to the opening on top of the
turret to accommodate the smaller
diameter cupola.
After gluing the new cupola in place, a
weld-seam was added using stretched
sprue and liquid cement. As the liquid
cement softens the sprue, texture the
surface of the weld using a very sharp
hobby knife blade. Brass rod replacement
handles and parts from a Royal Model
accessory kit can also be seen in the turret
photos. With the turret backdated lets
move onto the hull.
Hull Corrections & added
details
Photos 6 to 7
I started the T-34/85 mod 44 hull by
assembling parts B8, B9 and G5. There are
a few parts that need to be glued to the
hull’s underside. The hull has a protrusion
(my guess is a design flaw) that needs to
be filed smooth to allow part M4 to rest
properly on the chassis. The holes in the
hull side for the cylindrical fuel mounts had
sheet plastic inserted and glued into them.
After the glue had dried putty was added
over the filled holes and sanded smooth.
Photos 8 to 10
Next I removed the fenders from the hull
side. I wanted to have the front and rear
fender segments not present on the
completed model to display a bit of the
tank’s rough wartime existence. Omitting
the front fenders will make visible some
unseen areas on the hull front that should
be detailed.
I started detailing the hull front by adding
sheet plastic under the glacis plate to
achieve the proper thickness. The upper
front of the lower hull was then filed to
accommodate the new upper hull
thickness. A strip of plastic was added to
the lower hull to improve the fit of part F6.
Part F6 also needs to be extended with
sheet plastic to its proper length as a result
of the model having no front fenders.
Photos 11 to 12
For ease of construction, details were
added to the upper part of the hull before it
was glued to the lower part. It is important
to notice that the gussets on the upper hull
AFV/11 July/August 03 18/6/03 3:20 pm
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14
17
that protect the larger T-34/85 turret have
been replaced. I originally intended to
convert this model into a T-34/76 so I
ground them away. There is nothing wrong
with these molded-on details. Leave them
just as they are.
Parts that I think are fuel covers need to be
removed from the hull top, then
reconstructed to represent those seen on
1944 T-34 variants. The Royal Model brass
louvers were also added during this time of
the model’s construction for obvious
reasons. Pieces of sheet plastic were
used to reinforce the fit of the inner brass
parts. If these parts break loose after the
hull is assembled it would be very difficult
to re-attach them properly.
Photos 13 to 14
After assembling the lower and upper hull,
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12
15
18
welds were added to where the upper and
lower front plates meet as well as the front
itself.
Photo 15
More brass rod handles were used in
place of the plastic ones provided in the
kit. Simply find a drill bit that is the same
diameter as the brass rod you are using,
drill holes into the hull where they are to be
placed, then insert the brass handles. The
handles were glued in place with the aid of
a spacer. Thinned putty was placed around
the handles where they were inserted into
the hull and sanded smooth.
I found the two resin hatches in my spare-
parts box that are seen on the turret and
hull front. I think Jaguar manufactured
these hatches some time ago. Although
the detail on these resin hatches is a little
finer, the hatches included in the DML kit
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16
19
are fine. The odd-shaped piece of plastic
on the front driver’s side of the hull
represents a former hit that probably once
disabled the tank. Most of the tanks that
fought in the Russian army during the
second war were brought back to field
repair areas or factories to have battle
damage repaired and the vehicle again
made fit for the battlefield. Holes in the
armor were clad by plates of scrap steel
and welded. Details such as the plate,
missing fenders and others add history
and life to any model.
Brass Details
The assembly of the model until now
required a lot of handling. Because brass
parts can be easily broken away, I like to
finish as much of the model as possible
before adding them. With most of the
plastic parts assembled, I started cutting
the brass parts from their frets.
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Photos 16 to 17
I cut my brass parts from the frets using
my hobby knife and a rigid piece of 304
stainless steel. You can probably consult a
local metal shop and have them cut you a
piece of this material for a small price. My
piece of stainless is .125” thick x 12” wide
x 19” long. This rigid surface is also great
for construction purposes, as you will see.
Please use safety glasses when cutting
and working with brass.
I bent the fenders using a new product
from Mission Models called the Etch Mate.
Also available and purchased separately
are thin-ridged pieces of tooled steel that
aid in obtaining an even bend on the
longer parts. These pieces are incredibly
sharp.
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Soldering
Photos 18 to 19
The etched-brass Royal Model fenders and
Aber rear transmission cover were cut
from the frets, cleaned using files, formed,
and then soldered together. Soldering
takes a bit of practice but is a great means
of assembling brass and other metal parts.
Well-soldered brass parts will be much
stronger, cleaner and last longer than if
using super glue.
There is resistance-soldering equipment on
the market that can be purchased through
Micro Mark. I have been told that although
expensive, resistance solders are effective
and easy to use. Because of reasons
regarding cost, I still use the cheaper
$7.00 soldering iron purchased long ago at
an electronics store. All of the
consumables you see in photo 18 can be
purchased in the U.S. at Radio Shack.
Make certain that the soldering wire you
purchase has a solid core without flux and
is of the smallest available diameter.
What I do is dip the soldering wire in the
liquid flux then quickly touch the end of the
hot soldering iron with the wire. If the iron
is at the right temperature, a bit of solder
will be left on the end of the iron. I then
apply some more of the liquid flux using an
old brush onto the joint of the parts to be
soldered. All you need to do is quickly
touch the joint and the solder should flow
into the seam between the parts being
assembled. After soldering, the parts will
AFV/11 July/August 03 18/6/03 3:24 pm
need to be carefully cleaned one or two
times with water and soap to remove all of
the excess flux and dust.
Attaching the Fenders
Photos 20 to 23
With the fenders assembled, I marked
their locations on the hull. Subtle battle
damage was added using crimpers. I
wanted one of the fenders to be torn away
from the hull front to further add history
and enhance the appearance of the
completed model. When adding damage
to the fenders I kept the side that was to
be glued to the hull as straight as possible
using the Etch Mate. If this part of the
fender were to become distorted, it would
be very difficult to properly glue to the hull.
I super glued temporary pieces of thick-
ridged sheet plastic to the underside of the
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25
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sponsons helping to properly align the
fenders while the glue solidified. After
attaching the fenders, intermittent fillet
welds were then added.
Photos 24 to 25
Pieces of plastic representing flat bars
were placed on the ends of the sponsons
where the missing fenders would have
attached. Photo 25 shows the extra detail
that should be added to the hull if the front
fenders are not present.
Other Details
Photos 26 to 27
Subtle battle damage was also added to
the toolboxes. The large piece of plastic
sheet seen on the bottom of the toolbox is
where the part was glued onto the fender.
23
26
29
Photos 28 to 29
The cylindrical fuel tank holders are the
most fragile details on this model and were
attached last before the mattress armor.
They were soldered together with the aid
of Tac’ n Stick.
Photo 30
The 10 sets of road wheels included with
the DML T-34/85 model 1944 were more
commonly seen in the model ‘45s. In their
place I used a set of road wheels from the
old Tamiya T-34/76 model. In my opinion,
the Tamiya road wheels are still the best of
this type on the market. As you can see,
some re-engineering of the torsion bars
are needed to properly align the Tamiya
road wheels to the DML models drive and
idler wheels.
24
27
30
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Assembling the Bed
Spring Armour
As with the fenders, toolboxes and other
accessories, I envisioned the damaged
mattress armor as a means of further
adding history and authenticity to this
model of the T-34/85. There are a few
companies on the market who
manufacture etched-brass mattress armor.
The Aber set is the best I have seen but I
thought the mattresses were a little too
small. Even more, each of the mattresses
on the Aber set is etched in one piece.
These mattresses were crudely assembled
and welded to the outside of the tanks
using assorted round and flat stock. In
each of the photos I have observed, the
bedsprings were incredibly bent with
broken welds due to battle and exposure.
Photos 31 to 32
Not content with what was available, I
decided to construct my own bedspring
armor. I originally started constructing the
31
34
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mattress frames using copper sheet but
found this material too soft for the
appearance I was trying to capture. Using
brass sheet, I first scribed and cut a
number of strips to a width of about 3/32 of
an inch. The scissors will roll the strips of
brass as you cut them. Flatten the strips
using a hard surface and straight edge as
shown in photo 32, then cut to length.
There may have been no set dimensions
for their size.
Photo 33
After being cut, the lengths of brass were
bent to 90-degree angles. The perfectly
square machined edge of the Etch Mate is
perfect for obtaining these bends when
pressing the inserted part against a hard
flat surface as shown.
Photos 34 to 36
The frames of the mattresses were
soldered together. First I soldered a
number of 90-degree sections, then
32
35
38
assembled the sections into the square
frames. I kept each of the angles square
while soldering using straightedges and
squares.
Brass screening manufactured by a
company called K & S Engineering was
used to complete the mattress-armor. Cut
them to size using a straight edge on a
hard surface. Make four or five passes
pressing gently on the hobby knife. If you
press too hard on the knife you will only
tear the screening.
Photos 37 to 38
Brass rod and strips were used as standoffs
to attach the mattress armor to the hull.
Make sure you file the cut edge of the rod
flat so it butts square against the frame. It is
important that you get a well-soldered joint
between the brass rod and frame. View the
soldered joints in photo 38. It is obvious that
the soldered joint on the right is much more
sound around the rod and less likely to
break then the one on the left.
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36
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Photos 39 to 40
The mattress armor was located and
placed one at a time onto the model’s hull.
I first drilled a hole to the diameter of the
standoff into its approximate location on
the T-34. Next, slide one of the rods into
the hole and mark the locations of the
other three rods on the hull and turret
using a pencil. Once the locations for the
other three rods are marked, remove the
mattress and drill the holes. The holes will
never be aligned perfectly with the
standoffs. This misalignment will certainly
work to your advantage because the
tension on the rods will hold the
mattresses in place without glue, allowing
them to be removed for painting.
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Photo 41 to 42
Small lengths of rod were also soldered to
the bottom of the flat standoffs as shown
in photo 41. Attaching the flat standoffs to
the model in this manner will give you a
stronger removable attachment.
Use Your Imagination
When studying the few available photos of
anti-Panzerfaust armor, it appears there
was no specific layout in which they were
attached to the AFVs. They were also very
exposed and were easily damaged. Like
the fenders, the mattress armor was also
randomly broken up, ripped and bent.
Make sure you take some photos of the
assembled model so you can properly
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locate each mattress when they are re-
attached to the model after painting.
Despite all of the work done to this point
we still need to accurately paint the model.
All of the battle damage on the fenders,
the rear transmission screen and the
mattresses displays a T-34 that has seen a
lot of action. It is just as important that the
models finish reflects this as well.
Painting
Although the average allied vehicle did not
have the elaborate camouflage schemes
common on German AFVs, their typical
green finishes can still be exciting if you
know the tricks. You should also view
colored photos of modern armor to better
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1 2
4 5
7 8
understand how dust and mud collected
on vehicles. Because of the battle damage
evident in the construction, this vehicle
needed to be dusty and scratched. Let’s
start by applying the base coat.
Base Coat
Photos 1 to 3
Vallejo-Air acrylic paints are trickier to
airbrush then Tamiya paints. Vallejo-air
paints also do not adhere to the model as
well as other available paints but their
finishes are superb. I thin my Vallejo-air
paints using both tap water and Vallejo
brand retarder.
After airbrushing the base, lighter shades
of green were airbrushed to the upper
parts of the model resulting in an artificial
shadowed appearance. The base was
finished with a coat of gloss-varnish. After
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3
6
9
airbrushing the varnish, the model will be Markings and Accessories
glossy in appearance. This glossy finish will
Photo 6
be reduced as we apply each of the
following steps, resulting in an appearance After letting the oils set for a few days I
of painted steel. added the markings. Our fun-loving
amigos over at MIG Productions have
released a whole range of Soviet Dry-
Photos 4 to 5
Transfers.
Artist oils were added over the base coat
The white stripes were first outlined, then
to enhance the color of the model, subtly
painted solid. Runs were added to the
blend the lighter green over-sprays and
stripes and numbers for authenticity.
reduce the gloss of the varnish. Use
vertical strokes when blending the oils on
the model’s sides. Make sure your brush is
Photos 7 to 9
damp with turpentine and not soaked or
you will simply achieve an unwanted wash
The wheels and spare track were painted
during this important step. Use different
using acrylics. Rust-colored oil and enamel
mixtures of the oils to slightly highlight
paints were used to detail the spare track.
details such as hatches and toolboxes.
The steel areas present from where
components where torn away were also
painted.
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Chipped Paint
10 11
Photos 10 to 12

Lighter areas of green were added to the

model focusing on the sheet metal
components as well as around the
corners of the hull and turret. Areas of
rust using a mixture of oils and enamels
were then added to the areas of green.
View the close-up photos of the
completed model to better understand
both the appearance and placement of
12 13
the paint chips. The amount of chips
added to a model should coincide with
the vehicle’s age and use.

Earth Colours
Photos 13 to 15

Because of the model’s supposed

environment I wanted to make it very
dusty in appearance but with minimal
14 15
mud. A coat of Tamiya Dark Earth was
airbrushed under the chassis and
randomly onto the upper hull as a base
for the light mud and dust. Light fresh
mud was added to the model using a
mixture of enamels, oils, varnish and
pigments. Lightly blend this mixture using
turpentine. Mixes of lighter colored
pigments were carefully applied over the
damp mud.

16 17

Photos 16 to 18

The greatest advantage of using

pigments from MIG Productions is their
flexibility. There are many ways that these
pigments can be easily applied giving an
extremely realistic looking weathered
appearance to scale models. This is how
I applied them to this dusty T-34/85. I
would recommend viewing photos of T-
18 19
34s in urban battles for ideas.

I brushed the pigments onto the model’s

horizontal areas with a big dry brush,
then blended them using enamel thinner.
More pigments were added onto the
fenders as a result of stepping by the
tank’s operators and infantry. Not every
surface of the model needs to be evenly
covered during this step.

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On the model’s horizontal and angled
surfaces, I again brushed on the pigments
dry as shown in photo number 16. Rain
marks were then simulated in the
pigments using an old small brush
dampened with turpentine. In photo 18 the
rain marks were subtly blended again with
the use of a dry brush.
Running Gear
Photo 19
Tracks from Friulmodel were used in place
of the plastic ones supplied with the kit.
The track was painted with a base cote of
Tamiya Flat-earth and weathered just like
under the chassis of the model. An artist
pencil was used to represent wear on the
inside of the track while sandpaper was
used to finish the outside. Both the running
gear and track were added to the model at
this time.
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Extra Touches
Photos 20 to 22
I added a few important details to the T-
34/85 before the mattress armor was
finished and re-attached. The insides of
the fuel straps were painted gray and
weathered with rust colored pigments.
Graphite was added to areas of the model
to represent polished surfaces. A mixture
of pigments, varnish, and enamels were
used to represent stains of spilled fuel.
Painting the Mattress
Armour
Photos 23 to 25
A base-coat using a mixture of acrylics
was first airbrushed onto the pieces of
mattress armor. Rust was added to the
mattress armor using oil and enamel
paints and pigments. Make the coats of
rust different on each of the angles and
screens. Mix the pigments with the paint to
help you achieve the different shades of
rust. Graphite was lightly rubbed over the
mattresses before they were re-attached
to the model.
The mattresses should reinsert into their
proper locations without much effort. You
might need to ream the holes with a small
drill to remove any excess paint interfering
with their fit. The mattress armor should
re-fit into place without the use of glue.
Some of the standoffs on my mattress
armor needed to be glued on the inside of
the hull and turret to keep them in location.
Photo 26
Lots of dust and sparks are created when
paint is present during a welding operation.
Dust and sparks were added at the hull
where the standoffs were supposedly
welded.
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Summary and the Base

It is important that you study photos prior
to construction when building models of
AFVs. The trick to a realistic looking model
is to keep the battle damage proportional
to the painting and weathering. Keeping
this in mind when modeling is crucial to
helping you add an interesting appearance
to any model including a typical green
allied subject.

The base seen in the pictures of the

finished T-34/85 was constructed to both
serve as a temporary display for this article
and help me to practice my rubble painting
skills in anticipation for the Red Tide Rising
project. During that article I will display how
brick is painted.

Thank You

• Parts for this model were provided by

Mission Models at:
www.missionmodels.com.

• MIG Jimenez at
www.migproductions.com for his Dry-
Transfers finishing advice during my stay at
his wonderful home.

References:
• Zaloga, S. J. & Sarson, P., (1994). New
Vanguard No. 9, T-34/76 Medium Tank
1941 - 1945. Great Britain: Reed
International Books.

• Zaloga, S. J., Kinnear, J. & Sarson, P.,

(1996). New Vanguard No. 20, T-34/85
Medium Tank 1944 - 1994. Great Britain:
Reed International Books.

• Zaloga, S. J., Kinnear, J., Aksenov, A. &

Koshchavtsev, A., (1997). Soviet Tanks in
Combat 1941 - 1945. 603-609 Castle Peak
Rd.: Concord Publications Co.

• Zaloga, S. J. & Grandsen, J., (1981). T-34

in Action. Carrollton, Texas 75006:
Squadron/Signal Publications, Inc.

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