WINTER 23-24 KV-1 to KV-85 to KV-2 COMPLETED!

[ColemanCollector]

The ugly duckling KV-1E hull has been undergoing the necessary surgery so that it can emerge as the swan-like KV-2 hull it has always wanted to be--razor saws and flush-cuts on deck.

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The openings get backed with styrene and filler to get things flush-ish.

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So it's about those engine decks grills. HL is an odd company, he says stating the obvious. They mold faux louvres into the deck, and then cover them with faux frames n' screens. The razor saw makes a return appearance to remove the louvres, and also chop up the screen frames to accept proper-ish screening. You'll notice I like "ish" as a modeling philosophy...

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More sheet styrene to make the louvres secured with MEK.

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Up top, there was quite a bit of cutting, sanding, filing, measuring, swearing, exasperated cussing, and Dun Bheaghan consuming. Finally, the screens and frames over the louvres took shape.
A nice improvement over the clunky HL unit.

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So, some sources show metal bits going side to side over the mesh on these screens, and others show metal frames under the mesh. After pouring over walkaround sites, a bunch of books, and this place--https://www.worldwarphotos.info/gallery ... ks-2/kv-2/ --all 235 KV-2 images on it, majority ruled-ish, and on went the over-the-top strapping. Glad I did.

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After all that stuff, it was nice to get on with the pretty straightforward job of grinding out the exhaust stubs to give them some depth.

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Baby got back, as Sir Mix-A-Lot would say!

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[HERMAN BIX]

Love your work Mr Coleman, the vents are a necessary evil on these as it also lets more sound out of the hull.
Are you going to add the deck lifting points into the dimples around the engine decking too ?

[ColemanCollector]

Next up was more derriere work for the KV. Once again, HL mystifies the world by turning the KV's tail light assembly into the exhaust pipe for its smoker unit! A bit of bent styrene strip replicates the tail light bezel and a red lens will get popped in from behind...as soon as I remember to do that. I might even get all cocky-like and put in a LED at some point.

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Photos show that the sheet metal thingy that crosses the back of the tank takes a real beating so some dings and dents get added. Parking in those shopping malls around Smolensk must've been rough.

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Finally, under the overhang of the hull's stern on a KV was a section of screening to help cooling. This is a solid panel on the HL, so I added screen over it. I'll give it washes of black to give it the appearance of being screen over an opening. I could cut out the panel but HL's notoriously noisy gearboxes are right there, so I'm trying to keep that racket to a minimum.

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As alluringingly curvaceous as the KV's shapely backside is, the front end needs some attention, too. Welds are added--and a drain hole- to the bulletguard at the base of the machinegun mantlet.

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And then there's that bit of Heng Long design swagger: THAT headlight. What in the name of Greyskull is that thing, and while we're at it, the random bit of plastic that lingers between the horn and that slightly titillating headlight?

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HL's interpretation of the wiring conduit, horn and headlight leaves a lot to be desired. Some stripped wire covering, fine copper wire, plastic rod for the wiring bus, and a bolt head, help to get things a bit more on target.

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The headlight bowl got scooped out using my Foredom, and a new LED in soft white will be used.

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A couple of lenses are on order, and will complete the headlight rework. I'd fab up new mounts for the horn and headlight, but my skillz aren't as mad as some on this forum when it comes to that kind of magic!

Plus there's that Bol'shaya Bashnya to deal with!

Mike.

[ColemanCollector]

Love your work Mr Coleman, the vents are a necessary evil on these as it also lets more sound out of the hull.
Are you going to add the deck lifting points into the dimples around the engine decking too ?

Thanks, and yes those little devils are trying my patience, but I think I'm on the verge of getting them right-ish!
Mike.

[HERMAN BIX]

Oh good, your suffering like I did too
Nothing like spreading the pain to make one feel better !

[MrChef]

Great to see your KV moving right along. Now I'm keeping a nice mental list of all the "things" that should and can be righted on this Heng Long specimen.

Keep it up Mike Good to see a fellow welder

[ColemanCollector]

Great to see your KV moving right along. Now I'm keeping a nice mental list of all the "things" that should and can be righted on this Heng Long specimen.

Keep it up Mike Good to see a fellow welder

Every tank you see you start asking yourself, "Ooooh, is that a push weld or a pull weld?!"

HL actually put weld marks down in a neat little trench joining the hull sides to the hull top. That was nice of them!

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Unfortunately, the welds on the real deal (at least the sole survivor) are flush with plate tops, so HL's welds just look kinda wrong. It's the thought that counts... (photo below from net maquettes.com)

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Welds all over this tank, but as I've discovered from the pics out there, they were typically pretty neat and tidy. KV-2 production ended just before the move of the factory to the Urals, so the rough and ready welds, castings, and flamecuts of later tanks aren't found on KV-2's. Restraint Mike, restraint...

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Mike.

[MrChef]

Every tank you see you start asking yourself, "Ooooh, is that a push weld or a pull weld?!"

Yes sir, I love learning how to add these cool details. You've got a good handle on this process.

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Those are some long weld runs there. What are you using? It looks red or pink? What product is it? Since I'm just starting to learn this I picked the Green Stuff because it has a good working time. It doesn't cure rock hard, but I wasn't looking for that result anyway.

I like that you picked the KV because outwardly it doesn't look complicated or overwhelming with work required but there are many things that can be, and beg to be improved making noticeable differences. You're doing great work. One day I may use your and Mr. Bix's builds to renovate my KV1 too.

[ColemanCollector]

Thanks, Chef! Welds are done with autobody spot and glaze putty. Not ideal but The two part Tamiya stuff is on order. The auto putty dries nice and hard, but it dries a little too fast and doesn't like to be extensively worked as it dries. The "welding" tip needs to be kept wet so that it doesn't pull away the putty.

The long body welds were done by masking off the original weld trenches, filled about 6cm at a time, worked with weld marks, and then the next 6cm etc. A little acetone helps knock down any areas that are too rough.

Mike.

[ColemanCollector]

All right, the hull metalwork is over, almost time for primer!

Added the little loops for straps that were used to tie tarps and gear etc. on the fenders. Not all KV's had them but when you really look at photos of disabled tanks, it's amazing how you suddenly spot the dangly bits of the straps hanging off the fenders. Even th KV-1 at the Aberdeen Proving Grounds Museum has them. They are feeble looking things welded onto the hull.

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The photos of the real KV-2 and a little algebra (a1:a2=b1:b2) got me the correct size for the access cap on the air cleaner bulge. Fabbed one up that's fairly accurate-ish.

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And then there's those @#$%&* lifting rings on the engine deck covers! I finally settled on some solder to get the right chunky thickness yet still a tight radius. Drilled holes to lower them to the right-ish height, some putty for welds and they were done.

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Both these and the air filter cover got a coat of diluted putty to give them the cast look of the originals.

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Next up were those crazy little donuts on the bow of the hull (there's also a gazillion of them on the turret). HL depicts them as neat little smooth circles. In reality they are circular welds around what are presumably round pegs that fit into holes on the other armour plate.

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Out comes the "welding tip" on my childhood Weller woodburning iron (that burned pretty much everything except wood!) and many little tap-tap-taps to replicate weld bead. Tiresome to do, but I love the way it gets rid of the toy look of the perfect little donuts.

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The bogies, idlers, and drive wheels got a spotty coat of thinned filler to give them the cast look of the originals before priming.

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And finally, some rattle can antique bronze outdoor paint on the tracks. I like the rough, cast-ish looking texture it provides prior to a series of washes to dirty up the tracks.

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Mike.