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M48 Model B, Tamiya

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  • Member since
    September 2006
  • From: Dripping Springs, TX, USA
Posted by RBaer on Friday, March 24, 2023 5:32 PM

Yup, I'm getting the itch to start something else already. In the meantime, the Model B is in OD and the Magach in primer, gray so there's nothing to show. The black primer I shot on the Model B pebbled horribly, my fault entirely, so I had to do some sanding with a worn out Scotchbrite pad befor I put color on. I used Vallejo OD from their rattle can, then Vallejo olive green wash, and got the basic other colors on before I sealed it up with clear.

 IMG_3910 by Russel Baer, on Flickr

Now I'm checking pics of tanks with sandbags on them to get a feel for their color, but all the color pics I have are poor quality and don't give me a good idea. I'll probably go with a raw burlap look.

Apprentice rivet counter.

  • Member since
    November 2009
  • From: SW Virginia
Posted by Gamera on Saturday, March 25, 2023 7:42 PM

Hmm, that's interesting, the only paint I've ever had pebble is gloss. 

Could you maybe just paint the tops of the sandbags and leave the brown on the bottom as shading?  

"I dream in fire but work in clay." -Arthur Machen

 

  • Member since
    September 2006
  • From: Dripping Springs, TX, USA
Posted by RBaer on Sunday, March 26, 2023 1:50 PM

Gamera

Hmm, that's interesting, the only paint I've ever had pebble is gloss. 

Could you maybe just paint the tops of the sandbags and leave the brown on the bottom as shading?  

 

I was too far away from the work on a warm, windy day. Oops.

And yeah, that's my intention, to have the brown in the nooks and crannies as "pre-shading", fancy term for what I'm using as an easy way to blend shadows. Each sandbag will have to be indivudually painted and shaded, should be fun.

Really.

Apprentice rivet counter.

  • Member since
    September 2006
  • From: Dripping Springs, TX, USA
Posted by RBaer on Saturday, April 1, 2023 12:24 PM

As it sits now, sandbags coming along.

 IMG_3911 by Russel Baer, on Flickr

Apprentice rivet counter.

  • Member since
    May 2009
  • From: Poland
Posted by Pawel on Saturday, April 1, 2023 2:01 PM

Hello Russ!

The sandbags are lookin' good! The tank is very clean now though - I wonder how are you going to go about dirtying it up or shading it... Good luck with your build and have a nice day

Paweł

All comments and critique welcomed. Thanks for your honest opinions!

www.vietnam.net.pl

  • Member since
    March 2003
  • From: Western North Carolina
Posted by Tojo72 on Sunday, April 2, 2023 12:17 PM

Those bags look just right

  • Member since
    November 2009
  • From: SW Virginia
Posted by Gamera on Monday, April 3, 2023 8:23 PM

Looks good, she's coming along well! 

"I dream in fire but work in clay." -Arthur Machen

 

  • Member since
    September 2006
  • From: Dripping Springs, TX, USA
Posted by RBaer on Friday, April 14, 2023 5:15 PM

Thanks all.

Pawel, have no fear, it will be filthy. I'll use my usual acrylic washes and dry pigments but I'm out of a bunch of stuff, waiting to get to my friendly local hobby shop. In the meantime, the other one is in color:

 IMG_3912 by Russel Baer, on Flickr

 IMG_3913 by Russel Baer, on Flickr

 

Apprentice rivet counter.

  • Member since
    September 2006
  • From: Dripping Springs, TX, USA
Posted by RBaer on Monday, May 8, 2023 5:34 PM

Decals are on the Magach and detail painting is started. Decals are out of a re-release of Monogram's M48. Oddly enough, they were a very close match to a couple of pics in the Desert Eagle Magach 3 book.

 IMG_3920 by Russel Baer, on Flickr

 IMG_3918 by Russel Baer, on Flickr

And I'm pushing through on the -A3. Dusting is done, using Vallejo dry pigments, final detail painting is nearly done and some fluid stains still to be added. Then it's figs, antenna masts, return rollers and a couple of other bits and I can move on.

 IMG_3916 by Russel Baer, on Flickr

 IMG_3915 by Russel Baer, on Flickr

 

Apprentice rivet counter.

  • Member since
    November 2009
  • From: SW Virginia
Posted by Gamera on Monday, May 8, 2023 7:08 PM

They're looking good! Esp love the Vietnam mud and dirt on the lower! 

I've got on a weird Soviet Cold War kick lately, I need to get some done and post them as compliments to your Free World stuff! 

"I dream in fire but work in clay." -Arthur Machen

 

  • Member since
    September 2006
  • From: Dripping Springs, TX, USA
Posted by RBaer on Tuesday, May 23, 2023 2:36 PM

Long live the Free World! Big Smile

I scratched the itch to start something else, but because I still had so much M48 stuff out, I decided to do another one, a Magach 3 that's been converted from a Magach 2. In a nutshell, the IDF modernized their Magach 2's (M48A2C) using some conversion parts and some home-made parts. These tanks were previously incorrectly identified in pics as "M48A3 with two of the five terurn rollers removed by the IDF" or something like that. In fact this is the easy way to identify these converted tanks, and there seems to have been quite a few in service. The most obvious difference from a regular M48A3 (Magach 3) is the engine cover grills. The only pics out there only show the top of one after an engine compartment hit, and some of the side air intake grills are not there anymore, so I had to make an educated guess. I'm using yet another Tamiya hull and Takom turret, with bits from Dragon too. I got this far when someone posted pics of the (partly) visible IDF-made grills:

 IMG_3914 by Russel Baer, on Flickr

So this was the first step, cutting out the kit parts that would be changed and blocking in the area in with plastic stock:

 IMG_3917 by Russel Baer, on Flickr

Several hours later I have this:

 IMG_3922 by Russel Baer, on Flickr

 IMG_3923 by Russel Baer, on Flickr

I applied a light black wash to help the individual louvers show up in the pics which makes them look a little rough. Hinges were made from more stock, and all the lifting handles are MJ Designs 3D printed, very nice parts but incredibly fragile.

I'm still making progress on the other two, and will get pics up when I have significant progress to show.

 

 

 

Apprentice rivet counter.

  • Member since
    November 2009
  • From: SW Virginia
Posted by Gamera on Wednesday, May 24, 2023 7:50 PM

Yeah, long live the Free World but the Soviets built cool looking tanks...

Looks good! Love all the mods you've been doing with your stuff! 

"I dream in fire but work in clay." -Arthur Machen

 

  • Member since
    September 2006
  • From: Dripping Springs, TX, USA
Posted by RBaer on Saturday, June 3, 2023 7:44 PM

T'anks! I have some painting done on the figs for the Model B, Magach is ready for pigments but I'll wait till they're done to put up pics. As for the "other" Magach 3, I'll start another thread or this on will never end.... I do have some progress on it.

Apprentice rivet counter.

  • Member since
    July 2015
Posted by MR TOM SCHRY on Sunday, June 4, 2023 9:18 AM

RBaer, excellent work on your armor kits, especially the weathering on your Vietnam one!

TJS

  • Member since
    June 2004
  • From: East Stroudsburg, PA
Posted by TigerII on Sunday, June 4, 2023 11:45 PM

Hey, RBaer, great work on the Vietnam M48. Reminds me of a photo I saw many years ago of a USMC M48 with the extra sandbag protection.

Achtung Panzer! Colonel General Heinz Guderian
  • Member since
    September 2006
  • From: Dripping Springs, TX, USA
Posted by RBaer on Tuesday, June 6, 2023 5:42 PM

Well thanks y'all. I'll have finished pics of the original two up soon (I hope) and for clarity and will start a new thread on the third one, which is coming along nicely too. 

Apprentice rivet counter.

  • Member since
    November 2009
  • From: SW Virginia
Posted by Gamera on Tuesday, June 6, 2023 9:22 PM

Lookin' forward to the photos! 

"I dream in fire but work in clay." -Arthur Machen

 

  • Member since
    September 2006
  • From: Dripping Springs, TX, USA
Posted by RBaer on Tuesday, June 20, 2023 5:24 PM

Finally, the Model B is done. Figs are in, final stowage on and it's in the case.

 IMG_3945 by Russel Baer, on Flickr

 IMG_3947 by Russel Baer, on Flickr

 IMG_3948 by Russel Baer, on Flickr

Now to finish up the Magach and I can get back on the other Magach...

 

 

Apprentice rivet counter.

  • Member since
    November 2009
  • From: SW Virginia
Posted by Gamera on Tuesday, June 20, 2023 10:06 PM

Hurrah!!! It's raining awesome armour this week!!! 

She turned out awesome! Love the mud and dirt effects!!! 

Crackerjack work! Yes

"I dream in fire but work in clay." -Arthur Machen

 

  • Member since
    September 2006
  • From: Dripping Springs, TX, USA
Posted by RBaer on Friday, June 30, 2023 6:59 PM

Thanks G. I have the Takom kit in line, should be fun to see them together, built up. 

Figs for the Magach are coming along nicely, got some new Hornet heads in yesterday that will really help.

Apprentice rivet counter.

  • Member since
    November 2009
  • From: SW Virginia
Posted by Gamera on Friday, June 30, 2023 8:51 PM

Cool, love Hornet heads. So well detailed and a joy to paint! 

"I dream in fire but work in clay." -Arthur Machen

 

  • Member since
    September 2006
  • From: Dripping Springs, TX, USA
Posted by RBaer on Monday, July 17, 2023 5:46 PM

Yup, I'm using better heads now, sure makes a difference. So, on to the Magach. Finished pics here, all done and in the case.

 IMG_3971 by Russel Baer, on Flickr

 IMG_3973 by Russel Baer, on Flickr

 IMG_3974 by Russel Baer, on Flickr

 IMG_3975 by Russel Baer, on Flickr

Now I can finish the other Magach, maybe in time for IPMS nats....

 

 

Apprentice rivet counter.

  • Member since
    January 2015
  • From: Tumwater, WA.
Posted by M. Brindos on Monday, July 17, 2023 5:50 PM

Only one thing I can point out, Russ, and that's the drivers front vision block would be down if his head is out. Otherwise it gets in the way.

Yours looks better than mine! :D

- Mike Brindos "Lost Boy"

  • Member since
    November 2009
  • From: SW Virginia
Posted by Gamera on Monday, July 17, 2023 6:43 PM

Beautiful work! Great work on the tank, figures, and storage. And the sand on the hull looks perfect!  

"I dream in fire but work in clay." -Arthur Machen

 

  • Member since
    September 2006
  • From: Dripping Springs, TX, USA
Posted by RBaer on Monday, July 17, 2023 9:54 PM

Thanks y'all. Mike, makes sense about the middle vision block, so I looked again at pics and apparently the IDF drivers leave the thing up and open when they're driving head out. I'm going to look at more pics though- I can't find any of the big hatch M48's with any of the things closed, hatch open. 

Apprentice rivet counter.

  • Member since
    January 2015
  • From: Tumwater, WA.
Posted by M. Brindos on Tuesday, July 18, 2023 3:38 PM

My father , a former TC himself, told me that was what he did when he drove. That was Bamberg in '73, so I'm guessing that was standard practice for US tankers. Maybe it was just his unit.

- Mike Brindos "Lost Boy"

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