1:72 M48A3 Vietnam DONE!

Pawel,

I had actually started my project before I found this thread, but it has helped me immensely!  I had completed the road wheels, the upper hull and turret, and was thinking about how to tackle the treads when I found your build. It helped me on some details on both the upper hull and turret and gave me an idea about approaching the treads.  That is why I resurrected your outstanding achievement!

Bill

Hello Karl!

Time flies, when you havin' fun, eh?

It was actually Bill who resurected this thread, because my tank is completed for a long time now (the photos are there, check 'em out!), but Bill wants to try something similar.

Now with those OKB Grigorov tracks you could build something like that a bit easier and a bit better, too.

Thanks a lot for your comment and have a nice day

Paweł

Holy crap, I can't believe that you started this project in 2011!!! Oh my god, I am amazed that you have ressurected this without losing half the parts! :)

Pawel,

That OKB Grigorov set looks great!  Mine hasn't arrived yet, but I have another M48 awaiting!

Bill

Hello!

Cool thing - my OKB Grigorov order just came in. Here's what the M48 tracks look like:

A little soft on the edges. Lots of sinkholes, and on both sides of the tracks. But I think those could be useful, still the best M48 track around and not very expensive - a set costs less than 10$ plus shipping.

Have a nice day

Paweł

warshipguy

Rob,

Thanks for that link!  I just bought that M-48 suspension correction set for the ESCI M-48 kits.

Also, I see a lot of references here to color modulation. However, I do not really understand it.  Could someone please explain it simply to me?

Thanks!

Bill

 

Bill, don't get to hung up on this idea of modulation. Unfortunatly its been pushed as the only way to finish armour and as a way of producing realistic results. It is however purely artistic. If you want artistic, then that is the way to go and it does look very nice when done right. If you want realisim however, it is best avoided.

No problem, Bill. 

Mike,

Thanks!  I'll have to work out a technique.

Bill

Color modulation is simply lightening the base color a little to simulate either fading and/or natural lighting. It can help to add extra dimension to a build.

The natural lighting, or shading, side of modulation is also referred to as chromatic painting. If used subtly enough it can help trick the eyes into seeing more definition in your builds.

Sometimes it can be lost under weathering if too subtle. So it takes some practice until you get results you like.

However, it is a simple technique.

I sometimes start with a darker color than needed and lighten it as I go until I get a good base tonal value to work from. That way I don't lose the original color with too much lightening.

It's a balance, but one that you get to choose as your own preference. There are some really spectacular examples in here to follow. Lol I do.

Pawel,

Thanks!  Please note that I am not as proficient in armor modeling as with ships. Tanks are a new-found interest.

Bill

Hello!

Now I have also tried to buy something from OKB Grigorov - let's see how that works out.

As for the colour modulation, I'm not sure what exactly is meant or how to do it - one thing for sure you want some shading, especially on one colour finishes, and it doesn't have to be only in the black-white continuum, but the colour of the dirt, for example, can also affect the shading. I do it with the airbrush and with washes, but some people also do the wash a bit differently, by putting oil paint on the model and then cleaning it off with solvent - some of the oil paint stays, changing the base colour slightly.

Good luck with your builds and have a nice day

Paweł

Rob,

Thanks for that link!  I just bought that M-48 suspension correction set for the ESCI M-48 kits.

Also, I see a lot of references here to color modulation. However, I do not really understand it.  Could someone please explain it simply to me?

Thanks!

Bill

warshipguy

Pawel,

I had tried to purchase the OKB Grigorov set but they never responded with a price quote.  That is why I purchased 10 M60 kits.  I also used the "U" shaped lifting brackets from the M60 kit to add a little more detail to the ESCI M48.  The first model is almost finished except for the tracks, so I will study what you accomplished very closely.  Anyway, in many ways, 1/35 scale is much easier!

Bill

 

Bill - that's the funny thing about OKB Grigorov - they got stuff so good, that they rather keep it for themselves! A kind of a pity sometimes, I'd be glad to buy from them but they don't wanna sell!

They say that the ESCI M48 is a scaled down Tamiya kit - sounds phony, but take a good look at the turret - you've got faint marks there just in place to mount parts that are not in the kit, like towing rope hooks, jerry can bracket and stuff like that. You can also achieve quite a lot by using right diameter wire instead of kit parts - like those handrails on the turret, some grabhandles, or those lifting rings.

Mike - You might want to check out the Revell 1:72 M-60 series. Those babies look really good with much better suspension. Kit bashing those with the old ESCI kits might give you some very interesting possibilities.

Lookin' forward to seein' some WIP photos - good luck and have a nice day

Paweł

Italleri has the old esci molds?? Good to know! I've been wanting to remake the old M-60 series in 1/72 since I got back into scale modelling. I used to have about 4 or 5 types at one time when I was much younger... than I am now... 

I'd love to super detail at least one of those old kits.

Pawel,

I had tried to purchase the OKB Grigorov set but they never responded with a price quote.  That is why I purchased 10 M60 kits.  I also used the "U" shaped lifting brackets from the M60 kit to add a little more detail to the ESCI M48.  The first model is almost finished except for the tracks, so I will study what you accomplished very closely.  Anyway, in many ways, 1/35 scale is much easier!

Bill

Hello Bill!

I'm a little surprised to see a new comment here after six years or so, but I'm also glad that I can help you any. 10 M60 kits, that's a lot! I wished there was a better way - and for some time it looked like there was - a company called OKB Grigorov had a kit of M48/M60 wheels and tracks in 1:72, but sadly it's and actually always was very hard to get. So for now the modellers have to stick with the Revell M60. I actually wonder why there is no Shapeweys offering for that - Patton wheels and track.

Looking forward to see your WIP thread here on the forums and if I can be of any assistance, plase let me know. Good luck with you build and have a nice day

Paweł

Pawel,

"They" say that imitation is the highest form of flattery.  I had started this same conversion of an old ESCI M-48 A2 as the first of a projected 1/72 M-48 series, then just found your thread.  You have done precisely that which I have started, so I will follow along in detail!  After finding the necessary ESCI kits on EBay, I then bought 10 of the Revell M-60 A3 kits for their wheels and suspensions. Granted, this will give me some extra M-60 A3 kits, but I also procured a conversion set to convert the M-60 A3 to an early M-60.

Yours is an exceptional build that I hope to emulate!

Bill Morrison

Thanks a lot! I just hate to see derelict models sitting around, and I put too much emotion into them once to throw 'em away - so I tend to rebuild models that have any good parts left in them. Glad you liked it, have a nice day

Pawel

   Don't build much armor but wow! Bringing this "back from the dead" was remarkable. Thanks for posting and giving us an inspiration for resurrecting our old builds!

Rob - thanks a lot, that's very interesting. I suppose you know now why I modelled the spare wheels that way. Where would you put extra road wheels, if you wanted to carry more of them?

Mike - thanks a lot for your kind words!

Thanks again, have a nice day

Paweł

Very nice!!

Rounds Complete!!

It weighs about three times as much as a car tire.

Well, well - all of my favourite FS modellers in one thread! Thanks a lot for your comments!

Mike - we'll see about the base, when I finish my move and the model returns from the display.

Rob - Thanks a lot. I just put the wheels on like I've seen it in my reference. But 30 secondds googling also yields something similar, for example this photo:

Link

In my model both halves of the wheel are also shown as not bolted together, so you could only lift one of the wheel "halves" at time. By the way - how much does such part weight?

Will - oh yeah, that with the packing up was tight. As I put it on display, the paint was still wet on some parts...

Steve, Bill, Karl - thanks a lot for your kind words, they mean a lot to me.

Well, thanks again, and have a nice day

Paweł

Wow, this has been a genuine powerhouse of a build, Pawel.

You kicked butt on this one, no doubt. A REAL showstopper!

LOVE IT!!!

Ditto to Steve's comments, nice work on this one Pawel!

  Excellent work!

.....Especially for 1/72 scale

Nice looking final product! And congrats on finnishing it before you had to pack up.

I like it, excellent job. The doubled up spare road wheel looks out of place and cumbersome. I'd have mounted them separately.