T'anks. Next one planned is a 6B Gal on an AFV Club hull, Legends conversion. The Legends stuff is alittle hinky, but since I have it....

Yeah, she looks even better against a clean background. And the blue sets out the detail on the sand.

Excellent work!  Your completed model 

is proof that a skilled modeler can take a "so-so" kit and turn it into a real head turner!  Congrats on a terrific build.  Happy New Year!

TJS

A couple of better pics taken in my super high tech whiz bang photo booth:

IMG_2574 by Russel Baer, on Flickr

IMG_2573 by Russel Baer, on Flickr

IMG_2570 by Russel Baer, on Flickr

It's amazing (to me at least) how much difference a clean background makes.

Well thanks all. 

Mike, steal away, isn't that why we post stuff on the web, to share?

Like usual, that looks amazing. I really want to work on mine, but tis the season to dress up the house and my "junk" has to be left in my cluttered corner :(

That is some light stowage, but it looks more than appropriate and fits with the build nicely. Good splashes of color and I have to say I absolutely LOVE the way you handled the ERA blocks. I'm totally stealing that because it looks visually appealing and more life-like to me.

Oh that's fantastic!!! Again the stowage looks great, it sets off the sandy tan of the tank perfectly!

I realize that was a lot of work, but damn, it looks good!!

Thanks G. I tried to add some visual interest and still make it look as realistic as possible. Basedi on the pics I'm working from, my model is very lightly stowed. That being said, I think I'm done:

IMG_2498 by Russel Baer, on Flickr

IMG_2496 by Russel Baer, on Flickr

IMG_2495 by Russel Baer, on Flickr

IMG_2494 by Russel Baer, on Flickr

Pics taken inside my "in-progress" photo booth.....

That looks really good!

The different colours of the storage nicely stand out from the sand of the tank.

Packing it on, including an ammo crate and oil can that are not secured, liking the oil can but not sure on the ammo crate. Both are as in pics I have....

IMG_2418 by Russel Baer, on Flickr

IMG_2416 by Russel Baer, on Flickr

IMG_2415 by Russel Baer, on Flickr

I've got three other projects I'm getting itchy to start, but I'm making myself go all the way on this one before I do.

Hoorah!!! Almost done now!!!

I love the idea of loading her down with storage. I'd love to see that.

Final (I think) weathering done, now adding stowage items and securing straps. 

IMG_2382 by Russel Baer, on Flickr

IMG_2381 by Russel Baer, on Flickr

I'm really leaning towards stowing this thing up like the Clampetts were taking it out for a trip. I have a couple of pics of tanks at the end of the Lebanon campaign, and they're really loaded down, stuff on every horozontal surface, parked up and some basic and I'm sure very needed maintenance beginning.

Looking good Russ,love your projects.

I'm loving the different colours you've worked in there. Adds a lot of punch to what would be otherwise a sorta 'plain jane' sandy tan vehicle.

Agreed Gino. I've built one AFV Club kit, nearly OOB, and used a Takom hull for a Magach 7C, and I'm with you, Takom is my new go-to.

Coming along nicely.  Great job so far.

RBaer

The Takom kits are reasonably priced and have a lot in the box, but I flinch when I see the prices on the AFV Club kits.

I prefer the Takom kits over AFV Club's.  The AFV Club ones are not worth the effort and price to have to fix the excessive casting texture.  They are broken down into too many tiny parts for me as well.  Takom's are well detailed and build up really nicely.  Unless you have to build an M60A2 or an M728 CEV, go with Takom.

MR TOM SCHRY

This is turning out great!  Probably the best build of an ESCI kit ever!  Anxious to see it when its completed.

TJS

 

Well thanks!. I have a fondness for the old ESCI/Tamiya/Academy kits, can't help myself. I'm trying to wean myself off of them though, and start working with the Takom and AFV Club kits instead, but dang it, they're cheap and still fun. The Takom kits are reasonably priced and have a lot in the box, but I flinch when I see the prices on the AFV Club kits.

Anyway, here I am: more shadowing and shading done, all with the desire/intent to emphasize the layering of the ERA over the hull, and making the ERA pop (visually, ha ha). 

IMG_2380 by Russel Baer, on Flickr

IMG_2379 by Russel Baer, on Flickr

I think a that at this point, I'm treating the model as if it were a 2D painting rather than something 3D, kind of like I did 20 or more years ago to get poor details to show up.

This is turning out great!  Probably the best build of an ESCI kit ever!  Anxious to see it when its completed.

TJS

Getting that well-worn look has begun:

IMG_2378 by Russel Baer, on Flickr

IMG_2377 by Russel Baer, on Flickr

it's getting dark, but the final step will be a selective application of light earth and sand colored dry pastel powders which will lighten it all back up.

Looks cool! Always great to see something ready for paint! 

Painting is begun, base coat and some details, and in an attempt to duplicate the scruffy look a lot of these things have, I used very light applications of acrylics, just off the base coat, on a lot of the ERA blocks. I don't know if it's a trick of the lighting or a lot of the blocks get periodically replaced, but I've noticed that they seem to be "different" colors in a lot of in-action pics. Anyway, pics:

IMG_2375 by Russel Baer, on Flickr

IMG_2376 by Russel Baer, on Flickr

Yes, the original Esci kits are getting harder to find as is the Revell M60A3 kit that was the best of the reissued kits (Italeri M60A1 and M60 Blazer). I've still got one each of the Esci M60A3, Esci M60A1, AMT M60 Blazer, Italeri M60A1 and Revell M60A3. I even have the Gunze Sangyo USMC M60A1 RISE/Passive kit. That last one is white metal and photo etch added to the standard Esci M60A1 kit.

But I have a number of the Esci M60 Blazer kits so I use those as the ones I can tinker with without fearing that I'm using up a collectable kit. These kits were my learning experience for working with link & length tracks, and for the time, they were very well done model kits.

I like that Rob. I mounted a Merkava 1 turret to an M60 hull a  while ago, an IDF "what-if", and have a couple more ideas still. The ESCI kits are getting to be almost collectors' items now, prices creeping up, but the old Tamiya and Academy kits are usually cheap at shows so I still pick one up now and then, for oddball projects and parts.

RBaer

It's all modeling! 

It's all modeling! 

Looks good! Nice to see all the different colours of plastic and resin to tell us how many different sources you used!

Paint soon: I'm rooting around in the stash for two 30 cals, going to leave the ERA and 50 cal off the mantlet. The extra can rack on the bustle is based on a coiuple of pics I have of '82 era pics, and I'm guessing they're a workshop/field addition, so I used extra fender braces for the sides to lend some credibility.

IMG_2317 by Russel Baer, on Flickr

IMG_2316 by Russel Baer, on Flickr

IMG_2315 by Russel Baer, on Flickr

I'm modeling this as an "in action" tank, so the bustle rack will be nearly empty. I need to make up the stretcher and tarp/tent bag that go on the front fenders too.

It'll be Khaki lung for me......

Turret's getting really close, ERA done and other bits going on too.

IMG_2280 by Russel Baer, on Flickr

IMG_2279 by Russel Baer, on Flickr

So many of the small bits in both the ESCI and Academy kits are just guesswork I'm finding it easier to just scratch them up rather than try and correct them.