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Post by rbaer on Mar 6, 2017 17:47:57 GMT -5
Just because I was almost finished with my last build, I figured it was time to start another, my excuse being I'm not yet set up in the new model room to do pastels, and that's what the Magach is ready for. Yeah, yeah, that's it. So in the interest of once again doing something easy and at all costs avoiding the two or more other in progress builds that I'm staring at every time I model, I pulled Tamiya's IS-2 out of the stash. The SpadeAce tracks were already assembled, so in an afternoon, I had the lower hull done. I'll clean up the texturing around the tow hooks, but this part is essentially done, and a very nice kit it is, too. I plan on doing some serious damage to the fenders, the result of a poorly trained tractor driver fresh off the collective, still bouncing the State's property off of everything in the neighborhood. Pics so far:   More later! |
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Post by Leon on Mar 6, 2017 18:09:47 GMT -5
Nice start Russ! Always good to have the tracks out of the way.  |
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Post by TRM on Mar 6, 2017 18:38:59 GMT -5
Always good to get the lower end done and out of the way! Looking good Russ...best of luck on the upper half! |
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joelsmith
Full Member
Member since: July 2012
There no winners in war, only survivors.
Posts: 1,404
Jul 5, 2012 22:33:58 GMT -5
Jul 5, 2012 22:33:58 GMT -5
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Post by joelsmith on Mar 6, 2017 20:32:17 GMT -5
Dang, Russ! I didn't know you had the Magach done.
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Post by dierk on Mar 7, 2017 6:21:54 GMT -5
Got this in the stash (the limited version with Aber barrel and PE) X-mas prezzie from a few years back - before prices went through the roof. So I'll be waiting for each and every update with bated breath.
Are you using the kit fenders or AM?
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Post by rbaer on Mar 7, 2017 11:03:01 GMT -5
Magach is on hold until I get the laundry and ironing board out of the model room, wouldn't go over well if I got brown pastel dust on the clean clothes......
I don't have any AM for this one other than the tracks, so I'll be thinning and damaging the stock fenders.
And I have to say, doing running gear and tracks is one of my favorite parts of building armor. I may be unusual.....
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Post by tobias5555 on Mar 7, 2017 12:00:23 GMT -5
I like it big, ugly and green
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Post by Tojo72 on Mar 8, 2017 7:05:16 GMT -5
Very nice Russ,love those metal tracks,I used Spade Ace Tiger tracks,they were pretty good.
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Post by rbaer on Mar 8, 2017 11:12:27 GMT -5
Big, ugly and green is good, thinking of trying the oil dot technique on this one.
Anthony, I've used SpadeAce before, found them to be well molded and well detailed, with minimal flash, although I seem to remember this particular set needing a small piece trimmed from each link. The nice thing about them and SpadeAce in general is the supplied wire. It's stiff enough to insert without having to drill the links and with the gentle curve from being coiled needs no adhesive to stay in the links. I have to use .020" steel wire in Friuls, and because it's straight, glue each pin. It's the little things, the itty bitty things.....
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Post by rbaer on Mar 15, 2017 9:10:13 GMT -5
A bit more:  IMG_0426 by Russel Baer, on Flickr I broke down and bought the RB barrel, very nice piece with a multi-part muzzle brake. I've also done some more component assembly, and texturing on the nose casting. Fender damage is probably next. |
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Post by dierk on Mar 15, 2017 10:50:49 GMT -5
Looking good Russ!
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Post by panzerjager2 on Mar 15, 2017 14:47:26 GMT -5
Well, it is BIG, semi ugly and green
Looks pretty good from here
PJ2
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Post by rbaer on Mar 16, 2017 17:18:28 GMT -5
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Post by Leon on Mar 16, 2017 19:22:56 GMT -5
Nice work on the texturing Russ! The RB barrel is a big improvement. |
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joelsmith
Full Member
Member since: July 2012
There no winners in war, only survivors.
Posts: 1,404
Jul 5, 2012 22:33:58 GMT -5
Jul 5, 2012 22:33:58 GMT -5
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Post by joelsmith on Mar 16, 2017 22:34:25 GMT -5
Great work on the surfacer. It seems like Russian tanks have the surface smoothness of a burlap bag of walnuts.
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Post by deafpanzer on Mar 16, 2017 23:26:31 GMT -5
Fantastic work on the texture... it is really good seeing you making progress on this!
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Post by dierk on Mar 17, 2017 5:00:21 GMT -5
I love the smell of Mr Surfacer in the morning.  |
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Post by panzerjager2 on Mar 17, 2017 6:03:50 GMT -5
OKAY, I'll bite................. What is Mr. Surfacer? said the guy who hasn't built/finished a manufacturer's production kit in 20 plus years.....
PJ2
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joelsmith
Full Member
Member since: July 2012
There no winners in war, only survivors.
Posts: 1,404
Jul 5, 2012 22:33:58 GMT -5
Jul 5, 2012 22:33:58 GMT -5
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Post by joelsmith on Mar 17, 2017 7:06:19 GMT -5
PJ, Mr Surfacer is a type of thinned putty that is used to create cast texture on models, I also use it as a skim coat for small depressions on models. The surfacer comes in two grades, 500 and 1000. The 1000 is the finer of the two. I have read of modelers spraying it through their airbrushes as a primer coat, but I'm too chicken to try that usage. To mimic cast texture, you apply the surfacer, then "stipple the surfacer while still wet with a stiff brush, this "raises" the surfacer giving more texture to the part. Hope this explains everything to your satisfaction, Joel.
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Post by Tojo72 on Mar 18, 2017 18:09:00 GMT -5
Nice improvements with that texturing.Just to add to your point,I use the 500 for texturing rusted exhaust pipes.
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Post by wbill76 on Mar 18, 2017 19:03:43 GMT -5
Can't go wrong with that combination Russ, the Russkies sure knew how to beef up that chassis design.  |
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Post by tobias5555 on Mar 19, 2017 2:05:27 GMT -5
Great update.
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Post by rbaer on Mar 22, 2017 10:04:52 GMT -5
Thanks all. A bit more: all the in-action pics I have of these things show a lack of tools and usually no aux fuel tanks, so......  IMG_0432 by Russel Baer, on Flickr  IMG_0431 by Russel Baer, on Flickr The saw bracket came from a DEF Models T34 set, other bits are scrap. Fuel tank brackets are from the kit, just cleaned up and locator tabs removed. The fenders are very thin now, after lots of shaving and sanding, still contemplating how much damage to try. |
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Post by Leon on Mar 22, 2017 10:26:28 GMT -5
Looking better and better Russ! |
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Post by rbaer on Mar 22, 2017 10:30:47 GMT -5
Thanks, Leon. And, from now on, I guess I should refer to this thing as an "IS-2", gotta get the nomenclature right, dontcha know.
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Post by panzerjager2 on Mar 22, 2017 10:34:44 GMT -5
Looking good
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joelsmith
Full Member
Member since: July 2012
There no winners in war, only survivors.
Posts: 1,404
Jul 5, 2012 22:33:58 GMT -5
Jul 5, 2012 22:33:58 GMT -5
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Post by joelsmith on Mar 22, 2017 11:24:43 GMT -5
Looking great Russ! Are you going to finish it as a "Battle of Berlin" tank or something else?
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Post by dierk on Mar 22, 2017 12:44:51 GMT -5
Nice progress Russ. As far as I know the auxiliary fuel tanks were usually removed before entering urban areas.
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Post by rbaer on Mar 23, 2017 10:40:23 GMT -5
Looking great Russ! Are you going to finish it as a "Battle of Berlin" tank or something else? Looks like urban, so that means Berlin, given how late production the Tamiya kit is. I've been thinking about trying to combine a Dragon early hull with the Tamiya kit to get an early production hull, but that might be rather onerous, given the dimensional errors in the Dragon kit. Toby, makes sense that a bunch of large, ready-to-use Molotov cocktails would be removed before going in harm's way. Also, as far as I can tell, the extra tanks were not plumbed into the tank's fuel system either, so deleting them is that much easier. |
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Post by dierk on Mar 23, 2017 13:21:25 GMT -5
Toby, makes sense that a bunch of large, ready-to-use Molotov cocktails would be removed before going in harm's way. Also, as far as I can tell, the extra tanks were not plumbed into the tank's fuel system either, so deleting them is that much easier. I suppose all Germans must look the same to you?   |
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