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Post by rbaer on Jan 21, 2015 11:20:09 GMT -5
Bill, Leon: Thanks! Don't tell anybody about how much fun I'm having here or it'll get legislated against..... So speaking of that, TV had rather limited options last night, which meant bench time for yours truly. Commander's sight, loader's raised periscope and tail lights are all on, still need to add welds to the tail light guards, but moving along well.    I have the AFV Club RWS on the way from Sprue Bros (shipped within four hours of placing the order, nifty) and am thinking about tow cable mounts or later-style tow horns on the front hull. Also in the thought-train: Crew or not. I have in my possession two fine late IDF tanker figs from Valkyrie (nice stuff, will probably order more) but can't decide whether or not to use them here or save them for the Academy Merk4 that's in line. I'm thinking that all I really need for this one are a couple of shoulders-up types, maybe the old Verlinden NBC-geared US guys? The helmets would work..... |
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Post by rbaer on Jan 23, 2015 12:12:53 GMT -5
Found the Verlinden guys, so now I have something to populate the hatches with. This also means I have to detail the inside of the hatches..... So, I received a gun tube from a very generous fellow (Thanks, Paul!) from a Merk3, perfect because I want to up-gun this thing to a 120mm. One issue: The Merk1 (and erroneously the Academy Merk2 also) have a canvas covered gun mantlet, and the Merk3 does not, which meant my new gun tube was going to need some "adjustment". Going by a couple of pics of Merk2B's I have, I decided to start sanding on a spare mantlet w/cover and try to get close. I also have to make up the shroud over the top back of the tube. Pic:  Aves is drying now, then my buddy MrSurfacer will finish this part. The resulting gap at the back of the new mantlet will be covered with a sheet-metal piece, easy enough to fab up later. Then I popped open the AFV Club RWS, and oh boy are there some small parts in there. Nice kit, plus some parts were on sprues from a Stryker kit, so I now have some nice 5-gal cans and other bits, including 8 Stryker wheels. I dunno.... The RWS has a nice surface mount, but the Merk turret has no room for it, so I had to get creative again. I also had to clear the commander's sight. This is the result:   The rolled-up sandpaper is holding the cupola on the turret, going to have to attach all this after most if not all of the painting is done. Also, the end of the mount will be braced to the turret roof. By the time I get the droid on, the top of this thing is going to look like some kind of sci-fi submarine thingie.... |
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Post by deafpanzer on Jan 23, 2015 13:28:34 GMT -5
WOW! You have been busy... can't wait to see it done.
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Post by kaytermarram on Jan 23, 2015 14:11:04 GMT -5
Helluvabuild! Looks extreme interesting and full of ideas. After seeing it I had the idea if Sandpaper would make a good anti slip coat...??
Frank
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Post by TRM on Jan 23, 2015 16:20:36 GMT -5
Just some amazing modelling Russ!! I would be hard-pressed not to paint this one!!
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Post by Leon on Jan 23, 2015 16:38:07 GMT -5
WOW!!!! That is looking awesome Russ.  |
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Post by Deano on Jan 23, 2015 23:27:38 GMT -5
Amazing detail going into this buddy , I bet a lot of people are gonna second guess if this was an actual variant or not  |
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Post by rbaer on Jan 26, 2015 12:04:09 GMT -5
Thanks, guys. Deano, I'm kind of hoping so.... Frank, I've occasionally thought the same thing, haven't tried it cuz cutting pieces sounded kind of tedious, and I try to avoid stuff like that.  So I popped my "recoil shield" off the mantlet last night, cleaned up the base of the tube and re-did the shield, trying to just copy a Merk3 part. This is the first time I've dried forming sheet styrene with hot water, and I have to say I will remember this. Total success!   Next was the droid. Next time I do one of these things, I'm going to need a valium.  The brass gussets that are supposed to be at the base of the mount were smaller than my tweezer tips, so I used plastic. Geez..... anyway, three hours later:   It's getting closer. Now I need to decide how much more junk to add to the turret roof, finish the small bits, then get back to the hull storage boxes and glacis fittings. Yee ha! |
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Post by deafpanzer on Jan 26, 2015 13:49:47 GMT -5
WOW! You are really going for the 'sky's the limit' on this thing! Man, it is really looking stunning...
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Post by TRM on Jan 26, 2015 14:15:51 GMT -5
More detailing goodness!! Beeeeeeeeautiful! |
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Post by rbaer on Jan 26, 2015 16:05:49 GMT -5
Andy, it's getting kind of tall, isn't it? 
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Post by Leon on Jan 26, 2015 16:38:50 GMT -5
Nice work on the droid Russ ! Have to admit,I had no idea what the droid was.  |
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Post by wbill76 on Jan 26, 2015 20:13:25 GMT -5
Definitely starting to get a futuristic look to it now Russ...nice!
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Post by rbaer on Jan 27, 2015 10:55:12 GMT -5
Thanks, Leon. It was a new high (low) for me, tiniest brass parts I've dealt with so far. I have another build in the works that will get one, can't say I'm looking forward to it.
Best I can gather, the droid (Windbreaker in IDF parlance) is a passive threat warning device, lets the crew know if they're targeted by laser range-finders.
Bill, thanks. I'm really trying to stay within the realm of possibility, but it is getting a sci-fi look to it. Oddly enough, there's nothing on it so far that isn't already in use by somebody, somewhere.
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Post by kaytermarram on Jan 27, 2015 13:14:58 GMT -5
This looks bada$$!!! Absolute stunning, full with tons of ideas and I am REALLY curious about the paintjob and the figures (if you plan to alter them like What If... maybe add some special personal gear, weapons, anyway what. Greatly done here!
Frank
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Post by rbaer on Jan 27, 2015 14:13:44 GMT -5
Thanks, Frank.
Regarding figs, I did pick up the old Verlinden set of the three US half-figs in MOPP gear, thinking about that.
For a "what-if" IDF modern, urban sand-gray, I'm actually leaning towards staying with my standard Krylon primer gray, with maybe a green-ish wash. I'm all the time being nicked on my modern IDF colors being "too tan" so this may go down the path of being a "single-fingered salute" to a whole bunch of IPMS contest judges. Once I get it in primer, I'll decide, but it's almost too much fun to contemplate, AND it would work for the tank's "story".
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Post by kaytermarram on Jan 28, 2015 7:37:30 GMT -5
Yep, I know those figs, Verlinden was -at his time- lightyears ahead from everything of standart modeling, he has done great stuff and started a new time in modeling in general. They will look nice when you put them on the tank and hell, this is really a great build!
Frank
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Post by rbaer on Jan 28, 2015 11:52:19 GMT -5
Thanks Frank. True about ol' Francois, he was a definite trend-setter. My first "advances" in modeling were learned from his how-to books, aside from Shep Paine's booklets in Monogram kits. So, speaking of crew, I did the hatches and some other stuff last night. Both hatches, btw, are operable. For the TC, I used the regular Merk hatch, fit the hole, so it was a no-brainer. Loader's hatch just had a handle and top armor added. I pulled one of the cable cutters out of the AFV Club Stryker sprues, whipped out some mounts and moved on. Smoke dischargers came from a partial Legends Merk3C conversion I had laying around.   Also added was the rest of the roof armor and a radio mast mount. The hull got some Blazer packs, three on each side to protect the turret sides, and two in front, one each side of the driver's hatch.  Also added were some "implement" attachments, taken from a Trump T-55 kit. Thanks, Donald.  Lifting hoops were added to the engine cover,  ...so all that remains there is the gun travel lock. A few bits here and there, dingle balls on the back of the turret and I can smell primer. |
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Post by kaytermarram on Jan 29, 2015 5:23:47 GMT -5
Do you plan to add all those things hanging around modern tanks these days like ration cartons, tarpets, rucksacks and whatsoever?
And I would really love to see the old Monogram cartons with Sheps famous builds ups and dioramas done for them, hell yes!!
Frank
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Post by rbaer on Jan 29, 2015 18:11:39 GMT -5
Frank, it's gonna be pretty much un-stowed, plan is to put it on a base that looks very "urban", and generally speaking, all the crew personal gear would be somewhere else in that situation. Pics I have of IDF tanks as far back as the second Lebanon "incursion" show the turret baskets empty, nothing on the turret sides, and usually no loader's MG mounted. The IDF learned the hard way about flammables on the turret. TC's generally fight buttoned up in urban settings now too, part of the reason why I'm not sure if I'm going to use figs....
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Post by Leon on Jan 29, 2015 18:25:14 GMT -5
Nice addition of all the extra bits Russ! ;)I'm really liking the looks of this. |
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Post by TRM on Jan 29, 2015 18:55:54 GMT -5
Still looking Bad-A$$ Russ!! Can't wait to see the paint fly brotha!! Not going to get any of that Judge crap here my fried!! IDF Grey has such a wide range...then add the severe climate changes from one end of the country to the other, you can't really go wrong! Wow, she is sexy...LOL!!!
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Post by deafpanzer on Jan 30, 2015 10:51:39 GMT -5
That's it... I quit!!! STUNNING work!
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Post by rbaer on Jan 30, 2015 11:21:08 GMT -5
Thanks, Leon.
Andy, don't quit. If you REALLY want to be humbled, go look at Gary Boxall's T-54/Tiran 4 build on the "campaigns" board on the "Big A". It makes me weep....
T, I'm having fun with the system here, and I have pretty much decided to go with the primer gray, cuz you know what? It's actually close to what a lot of people "think" current IDF sand/gray looks like. And by the time I get done adding dirt, who knows? And I gotta tall ya, I have in person seen a few IDF tanks, in Israel, and they look different depending on WHAT TIME OF DAY IT IS, let alone how much dirt's on them, or how old they are. Every time I see somebody nick one of my later IDF builds as being the "wrong color", I want to tell them to go soak their heads in the Dead Sea.
I WILL take this one to a couple of IPMS shows, for sure.
Dang it, I'm FUNNY this morning.....
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Post by kaytermarram on Jan 31, 2015 12:21:34 GMT -5
Very interesting information about all those stuff I have seen hanging from turrets or stowed on tanks in diorama. Every day new things to learn! Thanks!
Frank
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Post by rbaer on Feb 2, 2015 11:26:02 GMT -5
Thanks to my brother Gary, I have balls... and chains.
And since I was in there adding them to the bustle rack, I went ahead and wound up all the little bits that were remaining. Pics below are ready for paint.
Well, I WAS gonna put up pics, but Photo-bucket is broken.
I also have one shot of the turret in primer. Harumph.
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Post by mrt51 on Feb 2, 2015 11:36:58 GMT -5
Oh I love this! Outstanding!
Terry
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Post by rbaer on Feb 2, 2015 15:59:26 GMT -5
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Post by Leon on Feb 2, 2015 16:09:10 GMT -5
Turret is looking good in primer Russ!Really coming along nicely. |
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Post by rbaer on Feb 2, 2015 18:31:24 GMT -5
Thank you Leon.
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The brass gussets that are supposed to be at the base of the mount were smaller than my tweezer tips, so I used plastic. Geez..... anyway, three hours later:
