Good to hear that you like it Gamera.... but....

Woohoo! Olive Drab applied! I used Mission Models FS 33070 version of OD on this one. In all honesty, the more that I airbrush Mission Models, the less that I like them. Maybe it’s the dry climate here, but I get far better control and results with most every other brand. Anyways….

and some close ups of the casting texture and marks decals under the paint

More to come in a few days…

Excellent! I always love the sinster look of all black!

Thank you G. As far as casting marks go, I really don't know much about them. I do know that there is usually one symbol for the casting foundry, and then other numbers may be part numbers, lot numbers, or serial numbers. 

Looking great Stik!  I love those casting numbers.  Aw man, it's like PE seat belts - once you see them, you have to start doing them as well!

Regarding casting numbers on the real things, how often do they change during production?  Are there variations based on casting lot?   Inquiring minds want to know.

I airbrushed on a coat of Humbrol enamel Matt Black for the base coat

And a couple close ups of the added armor texturing and Archer casting mark decals under the base coat paint. I think that they look pretty good

Good guys wear black…

Thank you Gamera. It took awhile to find some good shots of the way the cover was held in place.

Super nice job there SP, love how you're doing the mantlet cover. 

Aside from adding the tracks and some antennas, basic construction is now complete. I replaced the kit .50 for the TC, with one from Dragon out of my spares drawers.

Painting can begin tomorrow…

Thank you Bill. It's finally getting there.

Having recently built the ESCI Leopard 2 that I had in my stash for many years, and comparing it to the Testor/Italeri Leopard 2 that I built when it was a new release, Italeri did a way better kit. They sure did have some good mold makers back then. 

warshipguy

Your M-47 is excellent!  By the way, I love the Italeri Leopard 1 series!

Bill

 

Remember, I'm talking early to mid 1980s here, but the Leopard II was better than the other option for a front line NATO tank, the M1/M1A1 Abrams kits by Esci. I built many of those kits for fellow lieutenants and even learned some scratchbuilding skills making pseudo-M1A1s by making resin bore evacuators from the Leo II and M1A1 kits,

So yeah, a 105 mm barrel with a 120 mm bore evacuator on it. I was proud of my work back then, but it would look very lame today!

Your M-47 is excellent!  By the way, I love the Italeri Leopard 1 series!

Bill

Thank you sir. I think the same of the Italeri Leopard 1A4 for 80's builds. It's a good kit that holds up well and just needs a little assistance. 

Yesterday I finally got around to making the brackets to hold down the mantlet dust cover

Almost ready for paint now. I just need to add a couple of things first.

Looks good!!!

I tend to put the dust covers on last but what you're doing here makes more sense. I'll have to alter my constrution sequence the next time I build something with the mantlet cover.

Thanks Gamera. Gino has been one among several over on Armorama advising me on how to improve this build. The casting marks being one such piece of advice.

Well, another day, another update: 

I found one more casting mark in some photos over the bow gunners position, so I added another casting mark decal. Some tanks had ‘em, some didn’t. But I figured why not for mine. And then later I created the dust cover for the mantlet using white glue and tissue paper.

So next I have to come up with all the little clamps that hold the dust cover in place around the edges...

Nice to see you back on this.

Rob & Gino might know about the casting numbers but I had no idea.

Thank you John. After a delay of three weeks, and mishap speed bump when I did resume work back in that time I finally have some progress...

Monday and back in action with this one. I added some Archer raised resin decals casting marks to the turret and hull. We shall see how they look under a coat of paint soon.

Yeah, these are for a Sherman, but most likely only a M47 fanatic would know that they are not proper for a Patton

Wow this build sure does look more like a tank compared to when I last saw it! Really great to see it start to come together.

Thank you Gamera.

Again, very cool! 

I hear ya Mike! But I've already done a good bit of work that is hardly visible in the engine compartment, so no need to dive deeper on that sort of thing...

Well, the back dating of the kit is now complete. I added the wire cage style brush guards to the commander’s and gunner’s periscopes, modified the sledge to reverse its positioning, and then added the hatch handles, rangefinder housing lifting eyes, and rear turret stowage bin. 

All I need to do now is add the mantlet dust cover and armor foundry casting marks

stikpusher

 

 

M. Brindos

I noticed you haven't added the TC's and Gunners periscope guards yet, and I believe there is a light casting texture to the main gun mantlet.

I'm loving what you've got going on.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Thanks Mike.

Yes, I still have some small detail parts such as those to add to the turret. And since I'm backdating this build to an early production model, I have to use parts from my spares for the periscope brush guards, not the kit parts. You are correct in the mantlet being cast, but I'm going to add a dust cover using tissue, so that cast texture won't be visible. It made no sense to me to add cast texture to an area that will be covered up.

 

I did honestly forget that you're back dating this one. But with a mantlet cover, you're absolutely right. I'd probably have done it and then remembered that I was going to cover it up lol.

Thank you Drums! You have a happy Easter as well!

Stick, your modifications are splendid. Have a safe and happy easter weekend.

DRUMS01

M. Brindos

I noticed you haven't added the TC's and Gunners periscope guards yet, and I believe there is a light casting texture to the main gun mantlet.

I'm loving what you've got going on.

 

Thanks Mike.

Yes, I still have some small detail parts such as those to add to the turret. And since I'm backdating this build to an early production model, I have to use parts from my spares for the periscope brush guards, not the kit parts. You are correct in the mantlet being cast, but I'm going to add a dust cover using tissue, so that cast texture won't be visible. It made no sense to me to add cast texture to an area that will be covered up.

I noticed you haven't added the TC's and Gunners periscope guards yet, and I believe there is a light casting texture to the main gun mantlet.

I'm loving what you've got going on.

Thank you Gamera. I'm getting lots of helpful advice elsewhere and trying to incorporate it here if I get it before it's too late.

One more update- I finished adding the cast armor texture a bit more rapidly than I thought that I would using Mr Surfacer and a Microbrush. 

and a couple close ups

it should look good under a coat of paint...

This will be my last update on this until next week. Have plans for the weekend, so I won’t get any bench time.

She's lookin' good! 

A little more progress to post. Over on Armorama, it was pointed out to me that the turrets had some external “dimples” welded into the armor where the gun trunnions attach to the turret sides. So I cut some small pieces of tube styrene and glued them into the appropriate spots

Then I sanded them to a more scale thickness, doused them with liquid cement, and gave a bit of weld texture around the edges with a toothpick.

Now I can proceed to adding the cast armor texture where needed... nearly all of the turret and much of the front and rear hull...