3D Printing Meets Model Building with This Amazing T80 Russian Tank
If you’re looking for a way to while away the long winter hours and you have a 3D printer, Instructables maker and model enthusiast “8bitwood” has a project for you. This detail-oriented maker spent nine months painstakingly building a small-scale replica of a Russian T80 tank. This kind of a tank, known as a “Main Battle Tank” (MBT), is designed to be front and center on the battlefield. Designed and built in the Soviet Union starting in 1976, T80s were generally used in groups in formation.
Not only did 8bitwood spend nine months at work on this unarguably impressive model, but he admits in his Instructables log that he worked daily on the project, although he seems to have enjoyed himself thoroughly (as evidenced by the occasional bottle of Stella Artois in photos documenting the project and, of course, the end result).
He began the project by looking at photographs of the T80 and found one particular site, Primeportal.net, to be especially helpful in this regard. After tracking down multiple photos of the tank, he found orthographic views of the tank, which he printed to the specific size he wanted his model to be. This step, he noted, “is super important [as] these are the closest things to blueprints you will get.”
In addition to a 3D printer — he used a MakerBot Replicator 2 — you’ll need the following supplies:
– Digital calipers (see his blog for an explanation).
– Glue (super, epoxy).
– Plastic sheets (we assume he means for the printer).
– Knives, saws, tweezers, sandpaper — the stuff you need for model building.
8bitwood (we wish we knew his name!) modeled parts for his T80 replica using 3DS Max by Autodesk. Certain pieces he modeled separately and then printed and glued together. “I would… glue the simple pieces together to form the more complex part,” he said. “In this way I made all of the detail you see on the tank.”
Surely the most complex part of the project was the road wheels and the treads, but the determined maker started there first, getting the complicated scaling and sizing of the base of the tank out of the way before tackling the details, including the turret, which he seems especially proud of. In the end, 8bitwood reports that he made around 900 total 3D prints for this portion of the model and assembling the parts took him around eight hours.
Perhaps the most impressive aspect of this small scale replica of the T80 tank is the extraordinary attention to detail, including this maker’s seemingly infinite patience in printing out individual parts whenever possible, using bondo and sanding the pieces to achieve the desired finish, gluing them in their proper places, and then finishing the entire model with a paint job that is beyond convincing. The lighthearted tone of his blog belies the unbelievable persistence and patience this diligent maker must possess. We’re in awe even as we find this particular projecting slightly daunting!
Let us know what you think of this project in the T80 Tank Model forum thread over at 3DPB.com.
Subscribe to Our Email Newsletter
Stay up-to-date on all the latest news from the 3D printing industry and receive information and offers from third party vendors.
Print Services
Upload your 3D Models and get them printed quickly and efficiently.
You May Also Like
3D Printing Financials: Velo3D Looks to Bounce Back with Defense Deals
Velo3D (OTCQX: VLDX) is working hard to get back on track. The metal 3D printing company brought in $9.3 million in revenue during the first quarter of 2025, slightly below...
Formlabs CEO Says Company Is Caught in US-China Trade Fight
Max Lobovsky, the CEO and co-founder of Formlabs, raised concerns about the challenges his company faces due to ongoing global trade tensions, particularly between the United States and China, in...
University of Illinois Launches AM Research Center with $8M DoD Backing
The Department of Defense (DoD) has awarded $8.15 million to the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign to support the establishment of an additive manufacturing (AM) research center at the Grainger College...
3D Printing News Briefs, May 3, 2025: Executives, Awards, & a 3D Printing Factory
We’re focusing on additive manufacturing business news today, as both Velo3D and PostProcess Technologies announced changes to their Boards of Directors. Sandvik Metal Powder has a new president, and Klas...