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

[ColemanCollector]

In case people were wondering if the KV-2 fell through the ice of some Russian bog...it hasn't. Deer season was longer than expected, retrieving a full-size jeep, and helping move a son and his wife to their new home in Sudbury, Ontario, (actually Noelville which sounds like the setting of a cheesy Hallmark Christmas movie--but isn't), absolutely gobbled up November and this first bit of December. Enough excuses. Back to the "Dreadnought" as crews apparently liked to call them.

Seems like this is less of a "tank build", and more of a "tank stripdown". A KV-2 not only has none of the KV-1E Ekranami add-ons, but also none of the additional armour plates added to the standard KV-1. So off comes the upper hull's bolt-on armour of the KV-1E, and the armour plate on the upper glacis around the machine gun, driver's vision block, and the headlight and horn. KV-2s did not have supplementary fuel tanks either. Red marks show the bits that will be axed.

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The HL glue monkey was cooperative on the bolt on armour, and the diesel tanks were PO add-ons so easy-peasy.

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The armour on the upper glacis was a swine to remove. The horn and "that light" (possibly HL's feeblest attempt at modelling) were easy yoinks, but the plate took some careful (relative term) prying to remove.

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I figured I may as well clean-up some other areas of HL-aucity so off came the engine vents for some proper screens, the exhausts will get bored out, and I'm still digging through references to see exactly how many and where the toolboxes need to go.

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All done. Here's a tantalizing and slightly risque image of the bare hull surrounded by the many veils it's shed!

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Fun's over, time to start the repair work.
Mike.

[tankme]

Nice start.

You can also leave off the barrel cleaning kit as that was for the 76mm gun and not the 152mm of the KV-2. In the later versions of the KV-2, the wood saw was also moved from the fender to the inside of the lid of the last tool box on the right side. Some KV-2 did have external tanks mounted to the fenders, but they were the square type as seen the pic below. The Russians did all kinds of things in the war so having a round tank on it would probably be rare, but probably not impossible. It's your tank though so do what you like.

But since I don't know what I'm talking about, I'm sure others will tell you something different.

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[MrChef]

More important before we address the KV2's disassembly issss,,, Did ya bag a woodsy bovine?

But I find tearing these things down more fun as I keep doing more of em. It just goes too quickly for me.

I'm here to learn all things KV2, and I didn't know any of the points that you and tankme pointed out. I do like my Winter KV1 though. It's one of the reasons I wanted to do another winter build.

Have at it. You've got my attention.

[MrChef]

And since were gonna be all things KV1, KV85, KV2...

Who can shed some light on this Big Bugger?

[ColemanCollector]

More important before we address the KV2's disassembly issss,,, Did ya bag a woodsy bovine?

Yes! A nice buck. The tenderloins were excellent. My wife and I made up a batch of fennel sausage using a new recipe and they are delicious.

Mike.

[ColemanCollector]

And since were gonna be all things KV1, KV85, KV2...

Who can shed some light on this Big Bugger?

I believe that's a KV-2 sporting a 107mm gun. Never went into production which isn't a surprise given all of the faults that the KV-2 brought to the table.

Mike.

[HERMAN BIX]

I have a few printed square oil tanks that go on these things.
I can send you one for free if you like ?
Will bung a pic up asap.
Are you going to free up the louvers under the deck mesh ?
I have done that on all of mine & its well worth it.

[Meter rat]

Did ya bag a woodsy bovine?

Woodsy bovine. That’s a new one for me.

[Herr Dr. Professor]

"Less of a 'tank build,' and more of a 'tank stripdown' ": that's a good description of my first steps with the Pershing, too. I found that some of the Taigen parts came off quite easily, as if they were just pressed into holes without any glue at all. Others were stubborn critters. I would have been wincing as I removed the added armor on the KV. I have a book or two (not much) on the KV tanks. I wish there were more information out there.
Ah, Meter rat, in Wisconsin we call the "Wood Rats" because they annually commit automobile suicide by the thousands. My insurance agent called the one that hit me a "natural disaster," covered under my policy like storm damage.

[ColemanCollector]

I have a few printed square oil tanks that go on these things.
I can send you one for free if you like ?
Will bung a pic up asap.
Are you going to free up the louvers under the deck mesh ?
I have done that on all of mine & its well worth it.

Herman, that would be most generous and a nice bit of garnishing for what is a pretty barren tank. I'll pm you my address and get you the postage for it.
Yes, those louvres need some opening!
Thanks!
Mike.