Hello!

I've got this one and I think it's very nice.

Good luck with it - and what paint scheme do you have in mind for this one?

Have a nice day

Paweł

With all the old tankers on this forum, you should have lots of help if you need it.

OMG, Hobby Town is a long ways from the strip. I wouldn't want to do that except in the winter, maybe.

Good luck with the build.

Apologies to all the old tankers for calling you old. You're just mature.

It's an amazingly detailed kit. The suspension gimick is nice if you want a dynamic looking pose on a base, but otherwise it would've been nice if there was a (removable for movement) pin or something for static display.

The spring loaded breach for the main gun is also a neat addition, but because it's metal the paint and primer tend to scrape off.

One last thing to note with the kit is the bustle; it's fragile as all get out. The one I built for M60Tanker is already broken in several places and it's been on a shelf out of reach till I can repaint it in the proper colors for the 35th AD.

The overdone cast texture can be reduced with paint layers or sanded down. 

It's still an amazing kit however. Aside from the scratch built goodies I added it's all a stock kit. 

Love to see what you do with it, Russ.

Pawel, it might be in an IDF sand scheme.

M1, I'm counting on it. It's going to be OOB, and from what I understand, it's pretty accurate. All I have to do is follow the instructions.

M. Brindos

It's an amazingly detailed kit. The suspension gimick is nice if you want a dynamic looking pose on a base, but otherwise it would've been nice if there was a (removable for movement) pin or something for static display.

The spring loaded breach for the main gun is also a neat addition, but because it's metal the paint and primer tend to scrape off.

One last thing to note with the kit is the bustle; it's fragile as all get out. The one I built for M60Tanker is already broken in several places and it's been on a shelf out of reach till I can repaint it in the proper colors for the 35th AD.

The overdone cast texture can be reduced with paint layers or sanded down. 

It's still an amazing kit however. Aside from the scratch built goodies I added it's all a stock kit. 

Love to see what you do with it, Russ.

 

Mike, the detail is insane, you're right. My priority is to not goof it up. I'm sanding the texture where it's obvious, and will soften the rest of it with weathering, or that's the plan now.....

I'll be bypassing the spring loaded gun tube.

I bought one when it first came out, but since it wasn't "one of my tanks", I haven't gotten around to it yet. I did get the M60A3TTS kit, but haven't gotten around to it either.

The M60 series tank kits have come a long way since the original Tamiya M60A1 and M60A2 or their subsequent M60A3TTS/M60A1 RISE/Passive retools.

I did get the Dragon M60 in IDF fittings, but have not tackled it. Same with the two Dragon M48 variants I got. Man, I am just behind the times.

Rob Gronovius

I bought one when it first came out, but since it wasn't "one of my tanks", I haven't gotten around to it yet. I did get the M60A3TTS kit, but haven't gotten around to it either.

The M60 series tank kits have come a long way since the original Tamiya M60A1 and M60A2 or their subsequent M60A3TTS/M60A1 RISE/Passive retools.

I did get the Dragon M60 in IDF fittings, but have not tackled it. Same with the two Dragon M48 variants I got. Man, I am just behind the times.

 

Rob, I chuckled. I have the other AFV Club kit too, haven't started it, and grabbed the Dragon M60, but used just the turret with the Takom CH60 hull to build the M60 slick I did a while ago. I still have a boat-load of Tamiya and ESCI kits, and of course "plan" to use those for builds as well, but we all know what happens to plans.

My goal on this AFV Club kit is to not get confounded and shelve it. The parts count is staggering, comparatively speaking.

AFV Club are good kits if as said they're a little overly complex. 

Gamera

AFV Club are good kits if as said they're a little overly complex. 

 

I would call it a lot overly complex. I'm spending as much time on the floor searching for parts that are too small to see without an optivisor as I am actually modeling, very frustrating. I may pull a Tamiya kit out for therapy.

That being said, I have the front hull buttoned up and the central hull partitioned off, only to give an impression of something other than emptiness when looking through open turret hatches.

IMG_4371 by Russel Baer, on Flickr

IMG_4372 by Russel Baer, on Flickr

This thing is a slow, slow build.

That's why I scratch built all those greeblies in mine. Lots of emptiness in there. 

The TC's cupola is pretty sparse as well.

So yeah, it's a slow build indeed. But don't worry, Pawel is making the interior for it. Something I really wish I had!

Are you trying to paint the interior driver compartment green? Tank interiors are gloss white.

Mike, And Pawel too, interiors give me the shakes, more power to both ofyou.

Rob, no, just heavily washed in green, what's visible has been recently dry brushed in off-white.

So, addendum: (or maybe adumdum?)

I was doing the engine cover, un-texturing, and broke some little doodad on the sprue, so gave up and started robbing the -A3 kit, which was nearly complete except for tracks and drive sprockets. Once I did that, I realized I had a metric ton of spare parts, maybe enough to do another project that's been in a box for a while, just waiting for, yes, parts. I also had lots of Takom parts, left over from another "project", so in a fit of inspiration (madness?) I pulled it out. "It" is another M60-something, ESCI hull, lots of Italeri and Academy Magach parts, and even more miscelaneous resin bits. I figured that as I added parts to the AFV Club hull, I could "copy" it on my ESCI hull, something I've done before. It also got me closer to my happy place. So, the AFV Club hull so far:

IMG_4428 by Russel Baer, on Flickr

And my collection as it is now, and with the rest of the running gear test-fitted:

IMG_4429 by Russel Baer, on Flickr

IMG_4430 by Russel Baer, on Flickr

Looking around, I have a LOT of partial kits, more spare parts than I can possibly use on this hull. Anyway, I'll leave these together until they begin to go their separate ways.

Nice work there Doctor Tankenstein... 

*Well, you are taking a bunch of kits and sewing them together into one... 

Huh, huh, Tankenstein - that's a good one! Now I have to resist not to use it regularly! :D

Good luck with your M60s and have a nice day

Paweł

I wholeheartedly agree with Pawel. That was a great one Gamera. That even made my wife laugh and she thinks you're a bunch of masochists for continuing to attempt to build these things with such tiny parts that it almost makes you crazy. 

"Tankenstein" made me laugh, but hey, it kinda fits.

Actually not my invention. When people kick up the old threads there was someone using the handle 'Tankenstein' on one of them. It stuck with me! 

Well, I'll wear it until the original owner takes it back.

So, while I'm here, I've gotten the ESCI hull caught up with the AFV Club (hereafter known as AFVC) assembly. ESCI did a very nice texture originally, so I've used MrSurfacer only to blend on the cast paieces, adding some on the engine deck. I found towing lugs and front fender extensions in the reesin box, so used those, and some more AFVC parts on the rear hull. I made up some extra towing lugs for the rear, so that means this hull will be early 1980's or newer. I have a bunch of Legends stuff somewhere, but have already hogged out the turret ring to fit an AFVC turret. Hmmm.....

IMG_4433 by Russel Baer, on Flickr

IMG_4431 by Russel Baer, on Flickr

More as I figure it out.....

Gonna have to update the tail lights on the ESCI hull, oops.

Engine decks:

IMG_4515 by Russel Baer, on Flickr

I wasn't planning on doing as much as I am on the ESCI hull, but oh well. The separate pull handles look so good....  and I have several pics of Magach6C's with the old, non-reinforced tail light housings, so I'll be leaving those around.

Also: the fenders  on the AFVC kit are so thin, they may be actual scale thickness, except on the outer edges. Very nice parts, with LOTS of push pin marks on the undersides.

Looking fantastic already, Russ.

Love what you're doing with the ESCI Hull.

Thanks Mike. You know, I had a thought last night, a question actually, and if it's occurred to anyone else that's been looking at this, thanks for not asking it. The question is: "Russ, (that's me) why didn't you use some of your considerable stash of M60 parts to make up a whole AFV Club kit, instead of using most of an almost complete AFV Club kit to build something that will have parts from EVERY manufacturer that makes an M60 kit?"

I'd best not ponder that too long.

So, here's the two together, fender braces all on:

IMG_4627 by Russel Baer, on Flickr

And the answer ot the question above, the Esci hull (now affectionately known as Gimel) showing the reason I model.

IMG_4628 by Russel Baer, on Flickr

The AFVC braces are closer to scale thickness than etch, I think, so I'm going with them on both, adding the missing mounts on Gimel from stock, and lots of sliced hex rod for bolt heads.

All the white stuff on Gimel is detail added to try and make it as accurate as the AFVC kit (now identifying as Alef). I just love this stuff, and it's making the process on Alef a bit more enjoyable as well.

Looks good! Glad you haven't primed them yet so we can still see the different shades of plastic from the different kits you used. 

Thaks G. "Tank of many colors"?

More stupid but fun details on Gimel, copied from Aleph where applicable. The AFVC kit is really detailed. I can see the two in-hex adjuster bolts on the driver's hatch rest, crazy.

IMG_4664 by Russel Baer, on Flickr

IMG_4663 by Russel Baer, on Flickr

IMG_4660 by Russel Baer, on Flickr

IMG_4661 by Russel Baer, on Flickr

No bilge pump outlet for the IDF, and a couple of other small differences so far, but I'm getting close to where the two will become separate builds.

I almost started carving off the fender mounted stowage boxes on Gimel, intending to use AFVC parts, but am thinking seriously about holding off on that. I also have some Dragon parts in a box somewhere, maybe giving me an opportunity to get anouther color plastic on Gimel.

Maybe you should see how many different colors of plastic and resin you can get on it and then leave it that way! ;)

M1GarandFan

Maybe you should see how many different colors of plastic and resin you can get on it and then leave it that way! ;)

 

Lol, I like it!!! 

In all seriousness she's coming along nicely! 

Thanks G.

I had some quality time with both today, finishing the air filters, AFVC side loaders for both. Oddly, the IDF removed the top loaders the -A3's were equipped with and replaced them with side loaders, so I duplicated that. I also subbed in some Dragon fender sections in Gimel since ESCI kind of missed the mark there. Now I have Dragon parts on Gimel as well. I also copied some under fender detail, again using Aleph as a guide. Tool box lids are all AFVC, hinge detail on Gimel added from stock.

IMG_4665 by Russel Baer, on Flickr

IMG_4667 by Russel Baer, on Flickr

IMG_4666 by Russel Baer, on Flickr

More later.

She looks really good. Almost a shame to cover everything with paint but you'll still have the photos!