Hello
This is a tank I stated a while ago and ran into a snag. Resolution of the snag began to stretch out in time so I started my Su-12 and the T-80 went on the back burner.But the Su-12 is nearly done, the snag was resolved and now I am slowly focussing back on this.
It will be a 1:16 T-80 light tank in metal. I like this because:
- It was perhaps the only tank that could shoot aircraft with the cannon due to high elevation
- It has loads of doodahs on the hull
- I like the “broken neck” look of the offset turret.
Biggest problem is going to be tracks but I am no rivet counter so I will figure it out.
The above is my start point regarding angles and so on.
Crazy elevation on the cannon!
Here are the hull sidewalls cut out:
All in 1.2mm mild steel plate.
And here is progress on the hull itself:
I will use bevel gears and I had to make those. I think they will be OK.
Now in teh hull with the suspension racks and swing arms visible:
The turret was handy…all straight bits and handy angle things to cover up my shoddy soldering technique.
Not 100% detail wise but good enough for me.
The hatch on the top had to open to allow me to join the turret to whatever motor I stick under it.
And that was where I left it. Actually looking forward to getting back at it as I think it is a nice tank.
p
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Another incredible metal scratch build!
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If I tried soldering that I would end up with something that looks like it had been microwaved!
Now that I finished my Su-12 I came back to my T-80.
Spent a bit of time sorting out the hull. Not happy with the bulge on the front - had to use Milliput - but it will just have to do. The real thing was fairly crude in reality.
Then I installed my suspension. Its fairly soft and “dainty” but the tank is-currently-light.
Then I painted it my standard issue gun metal to cover the rust.
And I made some wheels and idlers (same thing!)…
Then I had to deal with the tracks.
The T-80 uses some weird double toothed track with a single row of teeth on the sprocket engaging in the middle.
The only two toothed track I know of is the Sherman. So I got some metal ones. Then I filed, ground, Dremeled and sanded off the chevron things. Then I made a little jig and drilled a hole in the dead centre of each link. Tedious work. The aim is not so much to produce a T-80 track, but to produce any track that works and that doesnt stink of Sherman.
Then the sprockets wouldnt fit correctly. So I ground off the back of the sprocket until I had just a disk of teeth left.
Then I adjusted the teeth spacing with a file. Then I mounted that disk between two steel “rims”, checked that the “sprocket” was running true, then bolted the two “rims” together ending up with a rudimentary sprocket with a central row of teeth.
They need some finessing and a means of getting them on the drive shaft but that shoul dbe OK.
They engage nicely with the tracks at any rate.
Now I just have to figure out Motor mounts.
p
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After more months than I am proud to admit and after having made more trips between the bench and the shelf than is healthy, I finished off this T-80 once and for all. Some paint touch ups and maybe some filler here and there but that is it. And I may not bother at all. Not perfect by any stretch but entirely impossible to purchase in this scale so its unique if nothing else.
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Lars, that’s an exquisitely skillfull scratch build! Magnificent!
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