The story of the Chernobyl liquidators should be well known by now, in part due to the recent TV series. I was interested to see ICM come out with a range of Chernobyl “themed” kits – they make for unusual subjects and in time I will try to build them all. For now, this is their liquidators kit (they call them “Rubble cleaners” #35903). The figures were all decent to put together, perhaps lacking the finest details, such as leather straps on some of them – I built four of the five. The kit comes with a cardboard background but I thought that this demanded a diorama base.

I added some texture paint to a small wooden base to represent part of the roof of a building adjacent to the nuclear reactor. Next, I added some of the kit’s debris bits (the metal girders and graphite blocks) and a variety of plaster bits, stones, wires, rods, lead foil and spare brass pieces to represent the debris from the explosion.

The whole base was sprayed with a 1:2 mixture of Mr.Color “Tire Black” (137) and Mr.Color Leveling Thinner. Individual details were painted with LifeColor “Green Stone” (UA783), “Blue Stone” (UA780), “Black” (LC02), “Red” (LC06), Vallejo Model Color “Intense Blue” (90925), “Black Grey” (70862), Citadel “Runefang Steel”, “Leadbelcher” and Humbrol “Aluminium” (DB0056). Much was then drybrushed with similar colours and the whole was sprayed with a 1:2 mixture of Mr.Color “Clear Gloss” (46) and Mr.Color Leveling Thinner. An oil paint wash was applied and then the whole was sprayed with a 1:2 mixture of Mr.Color “Flat Clear” (182) and Mr.Color Leveling Thinner.

The figures were primed using a Tamiya “Fine Surface Primer” (light grey) spray can. Paints used were LifeColor “Russian Uniforms – M35-41 Tunic” (UA448), “Russian Uniforms – Helmet” (UA446), “Black” (LC02), “Tire Black” (UA733), “Green Stone” (UA783), “Flesh 1st base” (UA709″, “Flesh 1st light” (UA708), Vallejo Model Color “Black Grey” (70862) “Leather Brown” (70871), Vallejo Panzer Aces “Old Wood” (310). They were sprayed with a 1:2 mixture of Mr.Color “Clear Gloss” (46) and Mr.Color Leveling Thinner. An oil paint wash was applied and then the whole was sprayed with a 1:2 mixture of Mr.Color “Flat Clear” (182) and Mr.Color Leveling Thinner. The leather overalls and gloves were painted with a gloss mixture to give them a sheen.

Various AMMO Oilbrusher paints were used for the previous oil washes and incidental details – “Starship Bay Sludge”, “Starship Filth”, “Dark Brown”, “Dark Mud” and “Rust”. Pigments – “Concrete”, “Rubble”, “Russian Earth” and “Dark Steel” – were brushed onto appropriate places to create dust and debris effects. I ground up a graphite rod – the sort used in school chemistry lessons – to use the powder on the graphite blocks and parts of the floor. Finally, I created a water puddle with Humbrol “Gloss Cote” mixed in enamel thinners.

9th Tank Corps, Germany, 1945.

T-34-85 (No.112 Factory) build – Part 1:Introduction
T-34-85 (No.112 Factory) build – Part 2:Assembly
T-34-85 (No.112 Factory) build – Part 3:Painting
T-34-85 (No.112 Factory) build – Part 4:Weathering

• The exhausts were painted with the various colours of the LifeColor rust set.
• Paint chips were simulated using Vallejo Model Color “German Camouflage Black Brown” (70822), applied with a sponge or fine brush.
• The entire model was washed with a dilute mixture of Winsor & Newton “Raw Umber” and “Lamp Black” oil paints (ratio about 5:1) in enamel thinners – the excess being cleaned up with a dry brush or cotton bud.
• Lowlight contrast was added using AMMO Oilbrusher “Starship Bay Sludge” and highlight using AMMO Oilbrusher “Olive Green”.
• To the some of the vertical and sloping sides of the hull and turret Abteilung 502 “Starship Filth” (Abt510) and “Sepia” (Abt002) were added. Then, using a flat brush, the oil paint was drawn down the sides to simulate streaks of dirt or rust.
• To simulate dirt the lower hull, engine deck, fenders and top of the turret were selectively treated with a wash of Abteilung 502 “Light Mud” (Abt125) and “Dust” (Abt003) in enamel thinners, with the excess being removed using a dry brush. These two oil paints were also added as dots to vertical and sloping sides of the hull and turret and drawn downwards using a flat brush to simulate streaks of dirt.
• The entire model was sprayed with a 1:2 mixture of Mr.Color “Flat Clear” (182) and Mr.Color Leveling Thinner.
• AMMO “Europe Earth” and Rubble” pigments were brushed onto the lower half of the tank and the wheels and fixed with a 1:1  mixture of AMMO “Pigment Fixer” (A.MIG-3000) in enamel thinners, added by brush.
• Before the tracks were fitted, AK Interactive “Dark Steel” (AK086) pigment was brushed on onto the raised parts of the tracks in contact with the ground or running gear, as well as the edges of the metal tools and the machine gun.
• The upper part of the tank and the top of the turret was treated with AMMO “Europe Earth” and Rubble” pigments, as well as small amounts of AMMO “Brick Dust”.
• Vallejo “Carbon Black” (73116) pigment and Tamiya “Soot” powder was added to the exhaust area.
• Abteilung 502 “Sepia” (ABT002) and “Engine Grease” (ABT160) oil paints, in varying dilutions in enamel thinners, were added to parts of the vehicle, to simulate oil and fuel stains.

Primer: Tamiya “Fine Surface Primer” (light grey) spray can.

Basecoat: A 1:2 mixture of Mr.Color “Russian Green 4BO” (511) and Mr.Color Leveling Thinner. This is a new paint for Russian WWII AFVs and I think I prefer it to their previous attempts – I can see me using it repeatedly in the future.

Details:

• Tools: Vallejo Model Color “Black Grey” (70862) and Vallejo Panzer Aces “Old Wood” (310)
• Road wheels: Mr.Color “Tire Black” (137)
• Hull gun: LifeColor “Black” (LC02)
• Headlight: Citadel “Runefang Steel”
• Unditching logs and stowage items: LifeColor “Brown Stone” (UA781), “Deposited Dust” (UA738), “British Uniforms – Leather Jacket” (UA445), “Russian Uniforms – M35 Tunic” (UA447), “Dust Type 2” (UA706), “British Uniforms – Yellow Tone Gear” (UA442), “British Uniforms – Battledress Dark Tone” (UA444), “British Uniforms – Water Bottle Bag” (UA440), “British Uniforms – Battledress Light Tone” (UA443), “British Uniforms – Green Tone Gear” (UA441), “Black” (LC02), “Red” (LC06), “Vulcanized Rubber” (UA732), “Light Wooden Stock” (UA728), “Dark Wooden Stock” (UA729), Citadel “Runefang Steel”. Drybrushed with LifeColor “Soviet Army – Dark Olive Var.” (UA238), “Russian Uniforms – Helmet” (UA446), “Russian Uniforms – M35 Tunic” (UA447), Vallejo Model Color “Pastel Blue” (70901), “Old Rose” (70944).

A 1:2 mixture of Mr.Color “Clear Gloss” (46) and Mr.Color Leveling Thinner was sprayed over the entire model and the decals applied. Gloss was reapplied to the areas with decals, in order to protect them for subsequent stages.

This was essentially built out of the box. I did replace the spare track piece on the front glacis with linked pieces of the Friulmodel metal tracks (ATL-09), secured with short pieces of brass rod driven through the plastic to mimic the securing bolts. I also added various stowage items (either resin pieces or sculpted from green putty) and some unditching logs (Reality in Scale #35239).