Merkava 3D

[Mence]

Chaps.

Hi Steve, it was a tough call buddy I can tell you! All being well I will revert to a car for my next build, I find swapping between genres helps me focus better!

Hi Eth, glad to have you and your undoubted IDF knowledge along for the ride.
Anti Slip I don't like doing at the best of times, Dicky is sending me up some grit which will do the job although on a recent visit to the darker recesses of the garage yielded something promising too.

Will post an update soon but to bring you up to speed, my kit is missing the 16 polycaps for the wheels

[martyncrowther]

Excellent start Prof I'm really looking forward to this one !

[Mence]

Cheers Martyn!

Right, the polycap issue I hope will soon be resolved so until then that element is on hold.
I tackled the Merkava trademark rear door which is a sort of clamshell arrangement.
Sparing use of liquid poly ensures it remains workable although there is no interior to see.



Returning briefly to the wheels, while I sort the missing parts it gives me the opportunity to decide on wheel configuration. Smudge is currently doing a review of the kit and as he mentioned earlier in the thread, you have options, lots of options.
Check out his post and browse the following pic...



In brief, you need to be sure before you wave the glue around as different suspension arms suit different wheels, checking out a post on another forum, Michael Mass states that pretty much any combination of steel / rubber tyred wheels is 'correct' so it's up to you...

[spud]

them is fairly beefy looking doors prof.

[Smudge]

Hey Prof

PM sent. may be able to help with the polycaps.

Smudge

[Mence]

Chaps.

Cheers Spudders, Smudge, PM replied...

Did a bit more today, having finally decided what wheel configuration I wanted I set about attaching the appropriate suspension arms and springs.
A nice touch is the part number is molded onto the back of each arm so you shouldn't get into trouble.

They all look the same but depending on which you use, the axle sits about 1 - 1.5mm lower to accomodate the smaller diameter steel wheels.



Apologies for the blurry pic...

[spud]

that's a seriously complex looking suspension system.

Looking Good Prof

[wbill76]

Nice progress Prof, mixing up the wheels will give it some character for sure.

[bigjohn]

I agree with jackwagon, what ever it is he said.............

[Mence]

Hi chaps, thanks to you all.

Not much time as work is mad busy at present, have started cleaning up the very impressive wheels.

Top is the rubber tyred one, below it, the all steel one.

Plenty of options, plenty of clean up!

[WigWag Workshop]

Great Start! Looks like a very complicated build.

-Steven

[wbill76]

It will pay off in the end, very nice detail on those wheels. I wonder if there was any particular rhyme or reason to mixing them up? Just crew/maintenance preference or something more to it?

[Mence]

Hi chaps, thanks!

Bill, good question, the answer is I don't really know!

My best guess is the wheels are replaced as damage occurs as the Israeli landscape is pretty harsh, either that or the tracks give them a very hard time and wear them out?

Here we go, despite different wheels and suspension arms, the whole lot sits very nicely without too much tweaking, a testiment to Meng's engineering rather than prof's ability to glue stuff.

Drive Sprockets, Idlers and Return Rollers are dry fitted for the benefit of the pic along with the beginnings of the track.

[wbill76]

Making good progress prof! Your answer on the road wheels is as likely as any...sometimes there doesn't have to be a reason.

[martyncrowther]

Looking excellent Prof, well done on making progress

[bbd468]

Steady as she goes Prof!!! Keep'er comin'

Gary

[bigjohn]

Nice Prof, Looks like ya got the boring part out of the way. It's always a good feeling to get all the road wheels and suspension done. Seams like the rest of the build flies after that.

[multicam]

Looks good so far Prof:)

[Smudge]

Jul 18, 2012 13:35:09 GMT -5 Mence said:

Bill, good question, the answer is I don't really know!
My best guess is the wheels are replaced as damage occurs as the Israeli landscape is pretty harsh, either that or the tracks give them a very hard time and wear them out?

Hi Prof

Thats pretty much the reason as I understand it. My buddy is mad on IDF armour and gave me lots of verbal info (ta Gaz). It seems the rubber tyred ones break up and are often seen in some very poor states of repair but the IDF's maintenance programme is intensive and they are swapped as and when needed sometimes on a weekly basis which means markings aside ( for your chosen vehicle) pretty much anything goes and even photo evidence is unreliable because change is so frequent. Pics are out of date really quickly. Thats what I was told so I reckon you've nailed it

Smudge

[Mence]

Thanks to you all for continuing to follow my rather slow build (sorry, car hunting which seems to take forever).
I hoped I was pretty much there on the wheel eplanation thing, it appaears that pretty much anything goes which is great for modelers.
I'm working on the upper hull at the moment, tiny bit of adjustment round the oil tanks at the rear but once done, the fit is so good you may not even need to glue it!
Pic later...

[Smudge]

Jul 22, 2012 15:07:21 GMT -5 @dickyf said:

Looking very neat there so far Prof - like the compact look of the running gear and as you say that mix n match roadwheel mularky is a modellers dream eh? Are the tracks from the kit or AM? They look metal

Hi Prof

Like Dickie says the tracks look great are they from the kit? I'm not sure about the markings on the inside of the kits ones so I might modify my review to reflect this. Whats your thoughts?

Smudge

[Mence]

Hello chaps.

As you may be aware, I'm about to lose my modeling space, very possibly for good.

As a result, I can't take this build any further.

Don't panic as I have mailed the part built kit to Jaymes Crowther who has kindly agreed to finish it for me.

He will start as soon as he can, in the meantime, both myself and Jaymes thank you for your continued support...

[spud]

Sniff Sniff

[danb]

Thats a shame to hear Prof at least Jaymes will be finishing it long live the Merk!!!

Dan B

[wbill76]

A partner build! It's good to know this one will see its way through to completion Prof...and at least you'll be able to visit it as well from time to time! Take a "bike ride" and get in some build/consultation time when you can, eh?

[Jaymes Crowther]

Well I must admit this has been abit of a shock...I've looked and looked at this kit and thought of not doing it, its been built over and over on various forums...as most of you know I'm a small scale modeller but IDF stuff I have a massive soft spot for...I'm not blogging at the moment simply, because I don't have a laptop...I'm getting a decent camera and a shiny new laptop courtesy of my lovely student finance.... I'm planning to add some detail and alter some imperfections in the kit not much only because I'm a rivet counter when It comes IDf stuff I'm looking forward to painting it and weathering...I will certainly blog it on here! I will be back on the site once I get a lappy and new cameramabobby... I want to take the change to thank Mence for his really kind gesture and I hope I do the kit justice...obviously and Mence justice. Thank you fella and I hope you get back on the bench before we know it.

Jaymes

[bbd468]

Hello Prof,

I sorry to hear your having to put a halt to the modeling. I hope that your able to get back to it very soon. Very cool that the Merk will have its day at the finish line.

Best wishes,
Gary

[Jaymes Crowther]

Well I was going to start this in the New Year but I couldn't wait any longer. I ordered the Legened Upgrade with some of my Birthday Money’s and made a crack instantly. I wanted to take the opportunity to thank him and I hope to do this justice for the fella! So this is what I have started with I managed to glue the left hand side track on and get the back finished. This is where I already start cutting into the resin set and man what fiddly stuff! The rear stowage baskets weren’t the problem but the chain that holds them together. One thing the legened kit doesn't have that the Meng kit has is the pins that hold up the floor of the stowage basket. The simple way to empty the baskets was to drop the chain and let it all contents drop on the floor!

The track assembled the good thing about the tracks they are really quick and Mr Mence has already cleaned them up happy days!



Enter the resin job lot. The rear baskets are so well detailed! I couldn't not use them. I've added the pins which were made from 0.43 Piano Wire and bent to shape which the chain hooks onto.



As you can see the wire poking out at the bottom. I then added the chain which was a real nightmare I thought doing Braille Scale was tough but this was a right mare. Never the less I got all four on and glued in place. Next I will get the other run of tracks onto the running gear then get some paint down.



comments welcome I've finally got going again!

Jaymes

[Mence]

Splendid mate, really good to see my disaster get a new lease of life, keep it coming!

[spud]

i almost bought this today as a chrismass pressy from her to me.... i will be interested to see this finished