The Work Yard

As I prepare the tanks for rehabilitation, they each get their turrets removed.

Any markings, or decals get scraped off.

An inspection is done to see if any parts are missing, damaged, or deformed.

Missing hatches are replaced, and other parts are either sourced immediately, fabricated or the tank is pulled from the yard and sent to the spares pile.

My intention is to have all my T54 tanks, variants and spares back into full operation before the project is considered complete.  Right now I am waiting for a few new T54 tanks to come in the mail, and I also need some rubber and resin to cast a few missing parts.
 

Mass T54 Work

Common mold flaw in the Roco T54 tank.  The little hole in the horn on the starboard side.  Also the flash at the bottom edge of the turret.  Quick scrape with the X-Acto knife and the flash goes away.

This one has the forward hole that is too small for the turret pin.

It got broken off as I was turning it.

The pin is long enough that I can drill out the hole again and not have to put a new pin on the turret.

More turrets are ready for work.

Note the T44 hatch on the T54 turret!  Scraped off the number from the back of the turret.

More little plastic bits for the inside of the turret horns to hold up the gun.

Only a few more to go, actually there are many more to go besides these.
 

Roco T-54 Tank Project and Sherman Tanks

Despite working on the Roco T-54 tanks, I have also found a few minutes to paint some resin and Paul Heiser Sherman tanks.  The ones on the right are Sherman Jumbo tanks.  The Jumbo was built with massive extra armor.  My last major project was to build my Sherman tanks, but I did not paint most of them.  So on a good weather day, on a day when I have a little time, I can whip out a few Shermans and paint them.  I always keep my Testers Olive Drab spray paint on hand.

Roco Minitanks T-54 tanks that have been fully assembled and ready for combat.  Tanks that are fully unpainted are not going to be painted until all the tanks are assembled.  That way I have a better idea of what colors may be most important.

The T-54 boneyard.  The gray tank is a T-54 from some generic Chinese company.  It is very slightly larger than the Roco T-54 tank, just as the Roco tank is slightly larger than the actual Russian made T-54 tank models.

Here is my collection of right side T-54 tank track assemblies, about half of them have massive mold flaws.  I don't have corresponding left side T-54 tank track assemblies.

Some of my Roco T-54 tanks have these little truck type wheels on them for some unknown reason.

I removed then and will likely use them for other purposes.

Wheel close up.
 

T-54 Tank Upgrade

Roco T-54 tanks getting their upgrade.  These tanks were spray painted but with the turrets on, and so when the turret is turned, the unpainted space is revealed.  So I am touching up these tanks upper hulls.

Here is a green T-54 that had the same problem.

The junk pile.  Many of these tanks have mold flaws, missing or broken parts and other problems.  So some of them get tossed into a stack to get fixed later.  I am trying to get as many into service as possible in the shortest period of time.  However, my plan is to get as many fixed as possible.

My tank collection had solid green, camouflage green, tan, camouflage tan, and chocolate brown, and unpainted.

Here is a camouflage green tank.  It has what I have been told are Syrian markings on them.  I am painting these out.

Note the tan tank with the sheet plastic glued on the upper hull, with two of the boxes cut off.