WINTER 23-24 KV-1 to KV-85 to KV-2 COMPLETED!
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WINTER 23-24 KV-1 to KV-85 to KV-2 COMPLETED!
Here's my build for the Winter 23-24 theme series...
I must've bought this "KV-85", at least 10 years ago from a fellow in Toronto, Ontario. He had some spare KV tracks I was going to buy, and then he offered me this whole tank for an incredibly low price. The turret was from a WSN T34-85 and modified to make it KV-85ish, and the Heng Long KV-1 hull was left stock, so very non-KV-85ish. Immediately, I thought KV-2. The Tamiya sprues needed for a turret were cost prohibitive so the tank was shelved. Fast forward to last year and the HL KV-2 turret is available at a nice price. The game is back on!
So my winter build will be a KV-2 based on a HL KV-1 that was masquerading as a wannabe KV-85. Lots of bits to correct/modify/accurize, servo recoil and elevation to add, Canshuo TK6.1 board to try out, and some homebuilt 3:1 gearboxes to fab up to make it a truly slow--and therefore accurate--KV-2.
Get on board the struggle bus!
Mike.
I must've bought this "KV-85", at least 10 years ago from a fellow in Toronto, Ontario. He had some spare KV tracks I was going to buy, and then he offered me this whole tank for an incredibly low price. The turret was from a WSN T34-85 and modified to make it KV-85ish, and the Heng Long KV-1 hull was left stock, so very non-KV-85ish. Immediately, I thought KV-2. The Tamiya sprues needed for a turret were cost prohibitive so the tank was shelved. Fast forward to last year and the HL KV-2 turret is available at a nice price. The game is back on!
So my winter build will be a KV-2 based on a HL KV-1 that was masquerading as a wannabe KV-85. Lots of bits to correct/modify/accurize, servo recoil and elevation to add, Canshuo TK6.1 board to try out, and some homebuilt 3:1 gearboxes to fab up to make it a truly slow--and therefore accurate--KV-2.
Get on board the struggle bus!
Mike.
Last edited by ColemanCollector on Sun Mar 24, 2024 3:00 pm, edited 1 time in total.
- Ecam
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Re: WINTER 23-24 KV-1 to KV-85 to KV-2 Phew!
I know very little on the Russian tanks so this will be a great build to watch for an education. Looking forward to the progress.
"Don't believe everything you see on the internet" - George S. Patton
Eric
Eric
Re: WINTER 23-24 KV-1 to KV-85 to KV-2 Phew!
This will be fun to watch since I have a KV1, yours is transitioning back and forth etc. And I just like Russian armor.
Let’s Go!
Let’s Go!
"Charlie don't surf"- Lt. Col. Bill Kilgore
Re: WINTER 23-24 KV-1 to KV-85 to KV-2 Phew!
I really like the KV85 - must get back into world of tanks and see what other crazy tanks they made!
- HERMAN BIX
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Re: WINTER 23-24 KV-1 to KV-85 to KV-2 Phew!
I have a soft spot for the Steel of the Proletariat too, so this is another one to watch.
(going to nee more popcorn & Jack Daniels)
(going to nee more popcorn & Jack Daniels)
HL JAGDPANTHER,HL TIGER 1,HL PzIII MUNITIONSCHLEPPER, HL KT OCTOPUS,HL PANTHER ZU-FUSS,HL STuG III,HL T34/85 BEDSPRING,
HL PZIV MALTA,MATORRO JAGDTIGER,HL F05 TIGER,TAMIYA KT,HL PANTHERDOZER,HL EARLY PANTHER G,TAIGEN/RAMINATOR T34/76,
HL AN-BRI-RAM SU-85
HL PZIV MALTA,MATORRO JAGDTIGER,HL F05 TIGER,TAMIYA KT,HL PANTHERDOZER,HL EARLY PANTHER G,TAIGEN/RAMINATOR T34/76,
HL AN-BRI-RAM SU-85
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Re: WINTER 23-24 KV-1 to KV-85 to KV-2 Phew!
My Starting Point
My starting point was the ersatz KV-85 above, which had used an old HL KV-1E model. It's bone stock and from the 27mHz era. The battery box was removed and all of the electronics which will get replaced by a Canshuo TK 6.1 board. It has servo ports for recoil and elevation, so down the road will see the BB version KV-2 turret converted to servo controls.
"E" in KV-1E is for "Ekranami" which means "with shields". My Russian has just increased 150%! KV-2s were shieldless. Off goes all of the hull's bolt on armour between the bogies and return rollers. KV-2s also lacked the additional armour plate on the lower glacis of a regular KV-1 so that got pried off as well. The factory glue guy was relatively skimpy that day so no drama. That leaves lots of holes and openings in the hull to be blanked off and filled. I'll use stretched sprue and MEK, and plastic card and filler for all of that. Another area on the lowers to get some attention will be the taillight, which HL figured was a good spot for the exhaust from the smoker to exit! Out goes the smoker. I'm not a fan of smokers so no big loss, and a bit more breathing room in the hull. Time to fab up a tailight bezel and lens. I could already see the front idler mounts weakening the hull sides, with a tiny bit of whitish plastic discolouration in one spot from flexing. That area has been reinforced with thick plastic sheet MEK welded, and a cross brace will be added for stability. Another orphaned KV-1 I had had one idler snapped right off. I used aluminum plate for that repair, but I'm hoping plastic will be good here since it was so far gone. So that's the lower hull on its way. Next comes some surgery on the uppers. And a gearboxectomy!
Mike.
My starting point was the ersatz KV-85 above, which had used an old HL KV-1E model. It's bone stock and from the 27mHz era. The battery box was removed and all of the electronics which will get replaced by a Canshuo TK 6.1 board. It has servo ports for recoil and elevation, so down the road will see the BB version KV-2 turret converted to servo controls.
"E" in KV-1E is for "Ekranami" which means "with shields". My Russian has just increased 150%! KV-2s were shieldless. Off goes all of the hull's bolt on armour between the bogies and return rollers. KV-2s also lacked the additional armour plate on the lower glacis of a regular KV-1 so that got pried off as well. The factory glue guy was relatively skimpy that day so no drama. That leaves lots of holes and openings in the hull to be blanked off and filled. I'll use stretched sprue and MEK, and plastic card and filler for all of that. Another area on the lowers to get some attention will be the taillight, which HL figured was a good spot for the exhaust from the smoker to exit! Out goes the smoker. I'm not a fan of smokers so no big loss, and a bit more breathing room in the hull. Time to fab up a tailight bezel and lens. I could already see the front idler mounts weakening the hull sides, with a tiny bit of whitish plastic discolouration in one spot from flexing. That area has been reinforced with thick plastic sheet MEK welded, and a cross brace will be added for stability. Another orphaned KV-1 I had had one idler snapped right off. I used aluminum plate for that repair, but I'm hoping plastic will be good here since it was so far gone. So that's the lower hull on its way. Next comes some surgery on the uppers. And a gearboxectomy!
Mike.
- Ecam
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Re: WINTER 23-24 KV-1 to KV-85 to KV-2 Phew!
My Russian just increased by 100%, I should be fluent by the end of your build. Great start. Sometimes some creative re-enforcement goes along way.
"Don't believe everything you see on the internet" - George S. Patton
Eric
Eric
Re: WINTER 23-24 KV-1 to KV-85 to KV-2 Phew!
Quoted for posterity...ColemanCollector wrote: ↑Sat Nov 04, 2023 8:43 pm My Starting Point
Out goes the smoker. I'm not a fan of smokers so no big loss, and a bit more breathing room
Mike.
Looks like your glue goblin (Monkey) didn't strike like mine did.
Good start sir.
"Charlie don't surf"- Lt. Col. Bill Kilgore
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Re: WINTER 23-24 KV-1 to KV-85 to KV-2 Phew!
Ouch, that's a lotta smoker lame-o references. Nothing against smokers--except the ones that flick their butts out their car windows. Makes me want unleash a KV-2 all over their...
Mike.
Mike.
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Re: WINTER 23-24 KV-1 to KV-85 to KV-2 Phew!
Not a lot of KV-II around here, nice to see one !