IDF GB 4/20/08 - 4/20/09

Thanks. I've got a couple of the dozer blades now, and one built up on a Tamiya -A3. Makes for a nice addition, even if it is missing all the hydraulic lines and resevoir. I did an OLD Tamiya M60 a few years ago, with an AEF 'slick' turret and used Verlinden's dozer blade, and for some reason, I "approximated" the lines and resevoir on it......ah, the fog of time.

Tamiya's unit,

And the oldie, with the Verlinden blade. The plan was to have this one pushing a disabled T55 out of the way, so I "squatted" the front suspension. I'm still working on the T55......10 years later.

I have found my project.

In the spirit of the AMX-13 Sherman I will build a AMX-30 Merkava.

I did start this project in concept(turret ring, wheels,and slight turret modifications) however it is less than 10%.

I will post pics as soon as possible (as soon as I figure out how to post them,LOL)

I think I may even put a dozer blade on it just for fun.

I am open to any suggestions or idea's?

Hi all,

I'm just about to slap the first few bits of Merkava together and did a bit of cruising on the web for color data. I found this page:

http://www.mheaust.com.au/IDF/Research/paint/IDFsand.htm

US Armor Sand FS 30277 is recommended (that tallies with the kit instructions) with the rider for a 7% addition of white for scale color effect. What do you all think? Should it be grayer to be a 'Sinai Gray'???

I've still not come up with much in the way of 'official' info (read none!) and Merkavas sure do look a different color in every pic you see!

Cheers,

TB379

I think it's really hard to nail IDF colors, and that all the pictorial info we see is colored (ha!) by the terrain conditions the picture was taken in. I've got good, clear pics of recent and current IDF AFVs that show a huge variation in coloring. So, in a nutshell, it's hard to go wrong with a sandy-grey on later Merks, IMHO. What I do see, I think,  is "newer is grayer".

Hi RBaer,

Thanks for the thoughts -- given the variations observed, I think I'll add a spot of pale gray to the FS 30277, then preshade, dust and fade the overall finish.

I got a start on the Merk last night and Academy's 1992 engineering was apparent at once. The plastic grade is slightly softer than optimum, and the molding was probably at lower pressures than desirable today, resulting in larger sprue attachment points (I noticed this in my Academy Tiger for the Big Cats GB also). Also, I started with the turret and the fit of the upper and lower halves is (given the inevitable comparison to Tamiya) attrocious. Here's the result of my first session, before rubdown of the filler needed to dress the serious 'stepped' joint line around the back of the turret (which hopefully will be fully obscured by the bustle rack in any case).

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I'll rub this down and mount more detailing later today.

Here's a thought: photos show plenty of stowage on Merks -- does Israel buy US personal equipment, suggesting at least some US tank stowage would be apporpriate? Or is there a specifically IDF stowage set available?

Keep sanding,

TB379

I tend to fill Israeli turret baskets with box shapes but from styrofoam, and then cover it all with a tarp. The newer Merks (and Megechs) have a fitted cover with integral tie-downs that could be modeled as well. Most of the reference material I have shows some kind of tarp over the stowage in the bustle rack. Once again, the new books by Michael Mass are excellent references, and reasonably priced. The Merk book is advertised by several vendors now.

BTW, I have Academy's Merkava II in progress, and it'll have a covered basket, partially to cover the less-than-excellent kit basket.

Hi RBaer,

Thanks for the info. Hmmm, tarps -- I've not made one before but I know the technique (dilute liquid glue, soak tissue, press to shape, let dry, trim, paint). At the moment I'm leaning toward the Airwaves PE set for the basket floor, so I'll have to make a choice a little way down the track.

I did some more structural work and the fit of the mantlet is poor. Good job the projecting spurs of the frontal armor cover the joint line! The barrel halves fit well enough but the fit to the mantlet is very sloppy. Did you find this on your example? I noticed there are one or two places where the molding is fractionally incomplete -- what was I saying about lower pressure injection? I'll get another photo up when I've finished the rub-down and applied the rest of the turret dressing.

Another point: looking at Merks on the IDF modeling site, I noticed some modelers had chosen to roughen-up the casting texture of the lower turret dome-sides. I can't bring this feature to mind from the Merk photos I have, but they must be doing it for a reason. Any thoughts?

Cheers,

TB379

RBaer wrote:

It will definately need a very long gun barrel.......

Hummm.............

Well I was thinking the Barrel that came with the AMX-30 kit was pretty long but I may rob on eoff an AS-90 that I have to make it a bit more interesting.

T-bolt, I'll look at the pics I have. Sometimes modelers, myself included, will add texture in inappropriate places, just for visual interest. Not sure on the Merk....

I need to look at the Mrk2 I have in progress, see about the joins. I built it by the TV, so I could be in the same room as my wife but it was long enough ago that I can't recall.

russianfist, I need to snap a pic of something I have in the "concept" stage. You may be amused.....

Hi RBaer, thanks for the thoughts on the rough texture. I'll hold off on that for the moment, it's easy enough to add at any time before painting if needed.

Here's the state of the Merk -- turret complete but for topside guns and basket. You might be able to make out the sliver of shaped plasticard inserted as a periscope ahead of the loader's hatch. I'll be doing the same for the driver's periscopes.

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Note the cutting mat, I just invested in one. The grid means farewell to misalignments of sloppy-fitting barrels (this one is a touch off but I can only tell when laying it over the grid).

And here's a closeup of the rear turret area to show the filling needed. This is the best putty job I've done in a long time, a smooth feathered edge countering a distinct step between the parts (not to mention repairing the scratches that adzing the joint caused).

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By and large, she's falling together, not too many bumps along the way, though I could have wished for closer fit here and there. The hull top is almost done (driver's hatch, periscopes and light cover to go), the skirt/leafspring units are done, the transom is nearly finished, the only major subassembly left to go is the lower hull and suspension. The next WIP shot should be all subassemblies laid out before being brought together.

Cheers,

TB379

RBaer wrote:

T-bolt, I'll look at the pics I have. Sometimes modelers, myself included, will add texture in inappropriate places, just for visual interest. Not sure on the Merk.... I need to look at the Mrk2 I have in progress, see about the joins. I built it by the TV, so I could be in the same room as my wife but it was long enough ago that I can't recall. russianfist, I need to snap a pic of something I have in the "concept" stage. You may be amused.....

Outstanding, I wood love to see it.

I will post my pic's as soon as I figure out how on my Girl friends new computer and cammra. LOL,

I do need to find a barrel craddle for the front hull,I may snag one out of my old M-109 kit.

By the way, just curious.

With all the squaking about group builds on the armor page will we be moving to the GB page or staying put?

I could move, got some progress pics to post. In the meantime, this is something I've been piddling with for a while......

Sorry, couldn't help it.

Man you guys are all doing such AMAZING work.  In fact I think the quality of work being done here is so good, that when this GB wraps up, that we might take a collection of the photo's and send them to the IDF.  It could definately increase morale for them I think.  Make them proud, and give us a more real sense of accomplishment.  Everything being done is just exceptional.  I've got a couple of things I have to work on and finish up, but I'm gonna pull my SHOT Centurian out soon, and see if there is a way to salvage it.

Club meeting last night, and there were a bunch of free models being given away.  All had been started to some degree.  I walked away with 4.  One of them about 75% complete, but I needed it for parts, and it will allow me to complete 2 other builds.  Picked up German AA, but it's gonna be more work then I thought, it's a Tamiya kit, but the lower hull was replaced with an Italeri version and not done very well.  Things don't quite fit right so alot of work there, but I REALLY want AA.  Tamiya F-15C Eagle, with just part of the cockpit started.  Testors V-22 Osprey with a few thigns started, and I've already fixed most of the "issues" with it, and have commenced construction on it.  Still have to repair 5 other prop blades, and that is all that's left of repair work.  I repaired one prop blade.  The Osprey, and one of my Bradleys are the only things I wanna get finished soon aside from one truck and my R-34(found the mirrors this morning).  I'll probably pull out the centurian tonight and take a damage asessment.

Cool. Scoring parts to finish WIP's is always sweet.

Are we moving? I've got a few WIP pics..... 

RBaer wrote:

I could move, got some progress pics to post. In the meantime, this is something I've been piddling with for a while...... Sorry, couldn't help it.

OMG! About six different punch lines popped in to my head when I saw this thing....

All of which I think are a bit off color,LOL.

I guess the best one is a quote from the movie "hell boy" when the American solder seen hell boy for the first time.

"Would you look at the size of that whammer on that little guy?" LOL

That is soooooo, cool.

I guess you could call that the "super dupper sherman"?

I have next week off work so I can get settled in and do some serious building.

I will post some pics soon (I know I keep saying that) but seriously.

Before I start the serious build I will post what I have so far first.

Hi all,

After a few misgivings on fit, the Academy Merkava has literally fallen together. All major subassemblies are done and there are about 90 dressing components left to go, including the tracks, vinyl tires, three persicopes to carve from plastic strip, two antennas to make from .015" wire, and one grab handle to replace from .020" brass rod as it vanished from my tweezers between the glue brush and the assembly...

Here are some shots:

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Next, I'll bring the assemblies together for a pre-painting shot with the tires and tracks press-fitted and the skirts taped in place, plus the driver's hatch and return rollers added. Oh, and I'd better come to a decision about the turret basket soon, too.

Happy building,

TB379

OK I finally figured out how to do this, I think.

This is where my build is my build at this time.

I will be steeling parts from my M-109 kit (plow blades,gun craddle,Storage box's.etc) as well a AS-90 barrel from barrel depot.

I also intend to use a dozer blade from verlinden.

I seem to be missing a set of license plates and markings for IDF vehicles, so if anyone has any extras they would like to float my was I would appriciate it.

 I will post more soon.

Hi all,

Latest WIP shots of the Merk -- assemblies are press-fitted. I left the skirts off for this shot as tape made it look daggy. At this point there's just over fifty components left to go. The periscopes are all done, the return rollers need adjustment on the port side and the rear hatch needs to be fixed in place.

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I'll pop the tires off and mask their location points for painting, remount the tires afterward and dust them to cut the shine of the vinyl. I have MiG 'Gulf War Sand' pigment on its way, which appears to be a gray and should compliment the 'Sinai Gray' paintjob.

Keep sanding,

TB379

russianfist, that's gonna be neat, and totally plausable as well.

Tbolt, lookin' good. I noticed your tracks looked loose, and if I remember, the tracks on my Mk2 were too tight to even mount. Have you moved the idlers already?

A couple of shots of my Megach:

Basic hull with Blazer ERA,

Turret, with Blazer,

Barrel, with clasps on sleeve.

I was digging for photos of 'A3s and found an error on my build that I'm gonna go with, and call it "artistic liscense". I had assumed, from text only, that the 'A3s, when fitted with the front hull ERA, had the US-pattern headlight guards left intact. I can't find any pics of this, and had to eleminate one "box" on each of the two rows of ERA on the glacis. It fits, and looks OK, but the Israeli-specific headlight guards really should be there. Forgive me..... I've also already broken the US-pattern wind sensor, so I'll have to do something about that but will wait til just before paint.

Hi RBaer,

The tracks are pretty tight! The portside track has a couple of major kinks in the vinyl that make it look loose, I'll try to straighten them a bit before mounting, then make sure the worst is behind the skirts. The starboard track looks fine. I might need to reinforce the tracks with thread to get them to hold once the drives and idlers are fixed securely.

I've found aftermarket towcables by a company called Eureka XXL, they have a set for the Merk II. They're braided copper wire with resin connectors, and look extremely good. They'll conform to the basket contours far easier than heat-deforming the plastic parts. All I gotta do is track down a source.

The Megach is looking good! Very business-like. What's the base kit for the modification? Academy? Ertl? Tamiya's A3 was cast in tan, IIRC. I look forward to seeing this one grayed and dusted.

Given that the build goes for another 43 weeks or so, I'm hopeful of building the Tiran-4 and an Isherman as well.

Cheers,

TB379

Thanks, it's Academy's M60A1 RISE/Passive, with the dozer blade and a partridge in a pear tree. I think it's a toss between the M48/M60 and Sherman for my favorite build. Next on the list is either a Megach 6 gal or a Megach 3, haven't done either one of those yet.

I've got Tamiya's Mk1 and Academy's Mk2, both on the shelf with basic paint, waiting on Friul tracks. Both kits' tracks were so tight the idlers or drive sprockets popped off when I tried to mount them, so I'm just waiting there.

Looking forward to seeing your paint. The build's looking great.

Next step for me will probably be the obstacle clearing device, and see if I can cobble up the tow bar commonly seen stowed at the base of it. Need to find some tow cables as well.

Thanks, It's been alot of fun so far.

After some research I found that the IDF has a Howitzer build on a merk chassis that looks alot like the project I'm doing now.

It's called Sholef (gunslinger or slammer) and it uses and American built 155MM gun in a Soltam built turret.

So, the only logical name to give my kit is Sholef MK2 (I like gunslingerII).

I have dry fit the the turret,AS-90 barrel,manlet,gun craddle.

Now that I look at it, this looks alot like the original Sholef.

 I need to find some external storage box's and I think I will be able to get moving on this turret.

Check out this video link I found on the Merk.

http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=-8853586453841327363