Various hogs and ongoing projects....

[rbaer]

Finding the right topic for both of these was iffy, but since they're both early '60s vintage, this one seemed best. I've been blathering on about cleaning up the stash, and since I have so few complete kits due to my habit of pirating parts, that means using it up or, I don't know what. So, here's two that have been, in one case, on the shelf for years and stagnant, or just now started but in the back of my mind for a long time.
First, a Tamiya M48 that I set up to carry a dozer, Vietnam era, then stalled when I realized adapting the M9 dozer from the Academy kit was beyond my reach. I squatted the front, and went to town. For giggles I fitted a pair of AFV Club tracks (Ahoy matey!) and had motivation, leading me to purchase the Dragon Magach5 with mine roller. All I wanted was the ERA and associated IDF stuff, more later. As it sits now:
IMG_6737 by Russel Baer, on Flickr
IMG_6738 by Russel Baer, on Flickr
I added about 1.5mm to the turret bottom, a metal gun tube, and quit. Since then, I have picked up a resin turret, origin unknown, and the aforementioned Dragon Magach5. Hmmm, Magach with Nochri? I also have the Desert Eagle Magach5 battering ram. Okay, back to the bench.
Then there's this:
IMG_6736 by Russel Baer, on Flickr
IMG_6735 by Russel Baer, on Flickr
"This" being a Takom "Brave Tiger" hull, modified front idlers and deleted #2 shocks, Academy aluminum wheels and Tamiya early drive sprockets with Dragon tracks, all topped my a Dragon M60 turret and aluminum gun tube. Aves putty was used for the gun mantlet cover. Yup, I bought three more kits in the quest to "thin the stash". This one will be US, Germany in the 60's, with some bright exercise markings.
So, that Takom Brave Tiger? That's a nice M48 turret on the M60A3 hull, giving me a much better turret that Dragon's effort, only leaving me to source another gun tube, no prob since I surely have something in the stash somewhere. Dragon's M60 hull is wonky, as are all their 105mm gun tubes, so I ahve another boat-load of spares. And to heap it on, I also started assembly on an AFV Club M60A1.

[Leon]

Looking good Russ! Nice way to start cleaning out the stash.

[rbaer]

I can only laugh at myself......

[joelsmith]

Ain't that the truth!

[rbaer]

So, some more done on both. I'm using lots of Dragon bits on the Magach, while the M60 (hereafter to be known as "Slick") is more basic with just a Dragon turret on the Takom hull, mostly....
Da pics:
IMG_7266 by Russel Baer, on Flickr
IMG_7265 by Russel Baer, on Flickr
IMG_7264 by Russel Baer, on Flickr
IMG_7263 by Russel Baer, on Flickr
On the Magach (M48) I just went ahead and grafted in the Dragon engine doors and part of the hull. Why you may ask did I not just start with the Dragon hull.... Well, I had the Tamiya kit well along ,and thought I'd just pimp it up a bit. Right.

[joelsmith]

And that's your story, and you're sticking to it!

[rbaer]

Like glue.
So far, M60 first:
IMG_7795 by Russel Baer, on Flickr
IMG_7794 by Russel Baer, on Flickr
And the Magach:
IMG_7793 by Russel Baer, on Flickr
IMG_7792 by Russel Baer, on Flickr
The M60 is actually ready for primer, still to humid to paint here though.

[dierk]

Looking good, Russ! Hope the humdidity will let you paint soon!

[rbaer]

Thanks, me too. Right now it's close enough to raining as to be raining, maybe later in the week.

[rbaer]

More on the Magach, turret stuff and some hull details. Coming along, slowly.
IMG_8654 by Russel Baer, on Flickr
IMG_8655 by Russel Baer, on Flickr
IMG_8656 by Russel Baer, on Flickr
IMG_8657 by Russel Baer, on Flickr
I swapped the Verlinden barrel for the DEF parts, very nice stuff and a better representation of the IDF bellows. I've also gotten the DEF stowage on, really nice stuff, and a close enough fit on the Takom turret even though it's designed for the Dragon kit. Aves is my friend.

[rbaer]

Still no paint on the M60, but I have been plugging away on the Magach. I'm using Dragon parts a lot now, and if I thought that adapting their detail bits to the Tamiya model was dicey, I re-thing that now. Just using the Dragon parts, mated to other Dragon parts is a pain, mostly because I'm doing the ERA blocks and Dragon pretty much fictionalized these. They're agouped in units of six or so on a backing plate, and bear very little resemblance to the few reference pics I have. I'm having to glue them all together to get the whole block, separate them and then fill and sand before attaching them separately as on the real thing. I've also found out Dragon has supplied a few less than needed, so I'll be raiding the spares boxes. So far, I've done the port side:
IMG_9390 by Russel Baer, on Flickr
IMG_9389 by Russel Baer, on Flickr

[rbaer]

Other side almost done, hull too. Pics tonight, hopefully.

[406 Silverado]

Very nice and clean building. Love all the little details your adding, brings the model to life. Keep her going Russ.

[rbaer]

Thanks Rob. So as promised (?) pics of where it is now:
IMG_9485 by Russel Baer, on Flickr
IMG_9484 by Russel Baer, on Flickr
IMG_9483 by Russel Baer, on Flickr
IMG_9482 by Russel Baer, on Flickr
There's a lot of Dragon parts on this thing, maybe next time I'll pop for a whole kit instead of the leftovers from somebody else's project, but where's the fun in that? I actually enjoyed rescuing a shelf queen too. The started Tamiya M48 had been hidden on my traveling shelf of shame for at least five years, so I guess I'm one up. Problem is, I have at least two more.....

[406 Silverado]

Looks good. Should be a fun model to paint and weather, lots of various items and details.

[rbaer]

Thanks Rob. I'm actually looking forward to it, unusual for me as I'm one of those "assembly is fun, painting is not so much" kind of people. So speaking of painting, the Slick is green.
IMG_9878 by Russel Baer, on Flickr
Once again, Krylon camo paint, this time what they call "forest green", I think. I skipped primer this time, since these paints cover so well, and it worked.

[Leon]

Paint looks good Russ!

[rbaer]

T'anks Leon. Now with a dark green wash, clear and decals, from the box, according to Dragon's placement instructions. I have some old Verlinden stuff around too, exercise "Aggressor/Friendly" stuff, that I'm going to dig out too.
IMG_0236 by Russel Baer, on Flickr
IMG_0235 by Russel Baer, on Flickr
Off to the SVRA event at COTA, see ya!

[dierk]

That's looking the bee's knees, Russ!

[rbaer]

Thanks Dierk. And here's a shot with two more applications of washes, one dark green, then dark brown (supposed to be "European Dust" but looks more like "Kentucky Mud" to me):
IMG_0803 by Russel Baer, on Flickr

[rbaer]

And assembled, tracks painted up but no dusting at all yet.
IMG_1036 by Russel Baer, on Flickr
IMG_1037 by Russel Baer, on Flickr
IMG_1038 by Russel Baer, on Flickr
I have been made aware that the Dragon markings are not very accurate, and now I have to decide whether to try and correct them, or move on and fix the next one. Ugh.

[rbaer]

I gave it a shot, but ended up having to dirty up the hull quite a bit.
IMG_1386 by Russel Baer, on Flickr
IMG_1385 by Russel Baer, on Flickr
IMG_1384 by Russel Baer, on Flickr
I have some old Verlinden war games markings, and I will probably see if any are applicable to this period, maybe add some stowage.....

[rbaer]

Motivation struck:
Primered:
IMG_5136 by Russel Baer, on Flickr
And color:
IMG_5138 by Russel Baer, on Flickr
For some reason, I went ahead and finished the turret and hull fiddly bits, and shot paint.

[rbaer]

And one month later, my normal pace these days, markings are on.
IMG_6605 by Russel Baer, on Flickr
IMG_6606 by Russel Baer, on Flickr
IMG_6604 by Russel Baer, on Flickr
I'm also starting on details, slow but sure....

[rbaer]

Washes, detail painting and adding some contrast with the stowage is coming along. I also decided to beat up the road wheel tires a bit, and to show some in US green, representing hastily installed replacement parts.
IMG_7645 by Russel Baer, on Flickr
IMG_7644 by Russel Baer, on Flickr
I also painted a few of the ERA blocks a slightly different shade, same reason.

[rbaer]

And with pigments, tracks test-fitted, and a few small detail parts not yet on:
IMG_8121 by Russel Baer, on Flickr
IMG_8122 by Russel Baer, on Flickr
IMG_8123 by Russel Baer, on Flickr

[buddho]

Fantastic work on both tanks, Russ.

[rbaer]

T'anks!