Weathering T34/85 Rc Tank

Hello, In this project I will winter camo weathering on the T34/85 Rc tank, 1/16 scale from Heng Long. This tank is one of the famous tank in WW2. This time it will be more complex in cutting, drilling, and bending plastic, still not too difficult to make. It fun and looks realistic to the scale model. The step is simple and basic and easy to do. The result looks great. Let’s begin.

Supplies that you need to do Weathering T34/85’s project.

1. Heng Long T34/85 Rc tank (or other models)

2. Arcylic paints, (white, black, dark brown, red), paint tray, water spray, and paint brushes different sizes. (I use Liquitex Basics: Burnt Sienna, Raw Sienna, and Mars Black)

3. Spray paints (Surface primer: Red-brown, matt white), (If you want to be correct in color, need to buy Tamiya’s spray color). Also metal iron paint, rust activator, and baby oil.

4. Heat gun, Dremel tools, Power Drill, Hair dryer, Hair spray, Masking tape, scotch brite sponge, and paper tower.

First I need to disassembly the T34/85 rc tank by unscrew at the bottom of the tank, it should be about 6 screws. I took the turret’s piece (top part) and the upper hull, lower hull with wheels (bottom part), then disconnected the wires ports. Next I remove the wheels and use masking tape, tape at the edge of the wheels and it should be ready for paint. Now I drill the small holes different sizes around the tank, when I drill, I sometime drill at the angle, so the holes will look a bit bigger. Then I use heat gun to heat the plastic, don’t put the heat gun directly in one place the plastic will melt (The shape of the object will not be the same) , try to do a little of the time, when the plastic soften, I bend the fender track’s cover, the gas tanks to replicated the twisted metal that been hit by something. Make sure look over on both sides.

Then prepare the T34/85 paint, I use alcohol to clean of the grease and dust. This T34/85 model come with green color. At first I spray paint surface primer (Red brown) to the turret, upper hull (top part), and lower hull of the tank. After it dry, I use hair spray to spray cover the (top part) of the tank, at least twice. Let it dry, now I spray matt white color to the turret, upper hull, lower hull, and wheels (I masking tape the outer black ring, before painting ). Next I scrub with the scotch brite sponge on the edges and some large areas that I think the paint will fated off. Next I assemble the tank, so that I can see what I should adjust to make it look better. Then I do the graphic (I use stencil and paint gray) and decal (I free hand painting red wing) on the turret. For the lower hull I paint the side dark brown to represent the wet mud. I want to make the rust to the wheels, the tank need to lean on the side, that is the easy way to paint, you can control the paint more easy.

Now I will do the weathering of the T34/85. Then I mix the dark brown (Burnt S) by adding water. Then apply the first coat, the paint will not apply on material well (This process need to apply many times, but need for the paint to dry, or use hair dryer). I use this color to make high light of rust throughout the tank and also the track. (The rust will have different shades of colors) Next I mix Raw Sienna with water, by using the smallest brush, I paint over the dark brown, by hold the brush and gentle paint straight line. At this point the rust should be random. There is nothing wrong or the right way to paint, so feel free to do. The grove on the tank, the bullet holes, the twisted metal, the tracks, the back end of the tank, the nuts and bolts, some panel will have rust. Then I apply metal iron paint to the area that I paint highlight rust before. Touch up a little bit at the time in all areas, this process will take time and wait until it ready dry, maybe a day. Next apply the rust activator to all the area that I apply metal iron paint and wait for the rust to shown. If the rust not shown, then need to apply rust activator again in some area. Also the wheels have some oil leak, so in the middle of the wheel will use black color, and the exhaust pipe, engine outlet as well after that I apply baby oil to the black paint. It looks real and it run or can be a show piece as well.

Thanks