Wade how many projects you working on?
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Yes, Kermit is definitely chillin’ 
Cajun 
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Randy, way too many! Have 12 active projects & 2 in que for the year. Hopefully when I get started painting again several will wrap quickly. Four are old shelf queens over 20 years old with one being 30+ years old.
Hopefully will get 14 done this year.
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Wow that is some list. Can I send you some of my shelf queens. VBG!
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Finished the restoration of the second half model for a client .
As found in a damp basement with a dirt floor - sad
.
Better now - saved all the original finishes . The backboard was beyond saving - warped , separating and water stained . Replaced all the glazing . Replaced the missing mast , stanchions , rail and weather cloth around bridge . Turned one brass port on the lathe to replace missing one in forward skylight. Waiting on engraved plaque then delivery to owner .
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Really nice ressurection of a cool looking wall hanger, another project you can be proud of.
Cajun
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Really like the “Half Model” restorations. Nice work! 
—mike
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Your self-propelled guns themselves turned out amazingly: everything is in moderation and beautiful. I’m even jealous. But the tools ruin everything! They cannot be uniformly silver. Maybe only a little along the cutting edge and at the tip of the shovel. Even when they are new, they are not so beautiful. I am attaching a couple of photos that I quickly found on the Internet.
I think even these are enough for understanding.
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Trying to figure out where everything goes on the topside of the M113 A1 G ABRA/RATAC.
Most of this is just being held by gravity or tape at this point.
Yes, I cut the engine deck prop rod off of a sacrificial M113 roof.
The previously destroyed cupola used for test fit.
Check out the 3D printed antenna mount. I couldn’t get the bottom part to stay taped to the fender…
Some of this resin is nice and some is just dreadful. You can already see where CA has been used for bubble filler like the left fender.
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I took a look at the one I bought many years ago and decided that if/when I try to assemble it I would rebuild many of the parts using styrene sheet and profile.
Use the resin parts as templates.
Those anti-slip patches are simply f-ugly, more of a trip hasard than a slipping protection.
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I plan on rectifying that with more weather and the use of graphite sticks like I have used on the roadwheels for the JSU-152. I tried to use Vallejo oily steel for the initial color.
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At 9X, everything looks awful except these printed tail light/blackout lights with wiring and the jerry can/ straps.
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I’m sure you will do well. Please keep us updated. I’m especially interested in how you make the tracks.
These are my photographs from the military museum in Verkhnyaya Pyshma.
This is a real tank with low mileage in modern history.
I’ll be happy if they help.
PS This is not exactly your self-propelled gun, but the base is the same.
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@fromSalekhard Yuri & everyone,
Seeing the Russian WW2 tanks posted, does anyone know details about this T-34/76 STZ probably a model 1942?
Read on Reddit it was pulled from a river in 2016, is the only surviving STZ T-34 and is maybe at the Kubinka museum? Would like to know more about this tank if possible, if it’s being restored and so on.
Thank you
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Thank you very much for your question. By answering questions here on the forum, I myself learn something new.
I was able to find the following brief information:
“The most active participants in the battle for Stalingrad were tanks that were produced at the Stalingrad Tractor Plant. These are the T-34 produced by STZ, as well as the T-60 produced by plant No. 264.
Both of them have survived to this day in single copies. Until recently, it was believed that only one Stalingrad T-34 manufactured in 1942 survived. This car is located in the village of Bondarevka, Lugansk region.
In 2016, the second tank of this type was raised from the bottom of the Don River near the village of Ukrainskaya Builovka in the Voronezh region. This vehicle took part in defensive battles, judging by the damage, at the time of its loss it was being sent for repairs. What happened in August 1942 (and it was lost, apparently, at the beginning of the month) cannot be said for sure. Not far from this place, the 130th Tank Brigade sank several of its tanks (M3L) during the battle with the Hungarians. It is quite possible that the T-34 was lost in a similar way, so that it would not fall to the enemy. Alas, no serial number or any full-fledged tactical markings were found. Local residents knew that there was a tank at the bottom of the river; they got hold of it in the summer of 2016.
On July 14, 2016, the tank was raised by a search group of the Ministry of Defense of the Russian Federation and employees of the department for searching, repairing and restoring exhibits of the Patriot Park. Next, the tank was delivered to Kubinka, where the process of putting it in order began. Initially it was assumed that the tank would be restored to running condition, but further work showed that this was extremely difficult. No, even in this form it was possible to restore it, but at the cost of the actual destruction of most of the original parts. Staying in river water had an extremely negative impact on the condition of the parts. If the tank had been in the mud, the outcome would have been different.
As a result, it was decided to leave this tank as is. The decision is correct, since this is the only surviving T-34 produced by STZ in the spring and summer of 1942. A classic “Stalingrad” with characteristic details such as the armor of the periscope observation device for the loader and the movable armor of the gun. After cleaning, the tank was preserved, and now it can be seen in the museum sector of the Patriot Park. It is located in the pavilion dedicated to the battles of 1942."
This summer I saw this tank in the Patriot Park pavilion, which I will definitely talk about here someday.
In my opinion, being there is the best guarantee of long-term preservation and the opportunity for as many people as possible to get to know it.
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Yuri, thank you very much for taking the time to share that excellent summary!
The additional pictures are fantastic! The authorities are very wise in choosing to preserve the STZ as original. Very historical vehicle and truly a treasure.
There are many great looking Russian tanks like the JS-2, T-34’s, T-55, T-72, SU-100 etc for the modeler’s subject matter, however my all time favorite Russian tank is the 1942 STZ T-34. Hope to build the Dragon kit after wrapping some builds up.
Cheers 
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Thanks for these, I was under the assumption the light source was suspended from the tubing over the white cross. I guess I should’ve wondered where the power cable was if that was the case.
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Thanks for that!
The BeobPzArt gets primer, along with a bunch of other stuff this morning.
New paint booth worked pretty well with the nasty rattle can primer but I still needed my respirator; wages of sin n’ all…… here the paint is still out-gassing and the stinky fumes are going outside.
The BeobPzArt (right) next to the TrgFzRechnVbuArt previously assembled and base coated with the addition of new corrected /updated side skirts.
The weirdness also continues with the Radar Panzer….
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