1/35 M48 A3 Patton (Tamiya) improved with Eduard and RBmodel parts

[math-x]

Hello All,

Because I have already shown my two models which I did recently, now it is a time to show what I am working on currently.

So here it is Tamiya's M48 A3 Patton which will be valorised with Eduard's, Rbmodel's photo etched parts. The rubbish Tamiya tracks will be replaced by movable ones for AFV.

I already done some work on it so I will post some summary.

The KIT:

Old Tamiya (acordingly to others the best M48 anyway

The tracks will be replaced by these:

Ok, model is easu to assemby, however there are several isseues which need to be solved (filling and polishing). Tamiya kit is quite old and it has issues and it imperfections which need to be sorted out. Initially this kit was desined to insert smal motor and makes it movable. This causes the model has sveral bizzare empty spaces, holes, etc.

every single wheel need to be polished to give nice smoth surface, especially edges.

At tis stage model looks like this:

Texture

When I have started working on cast iron texture of hull as well as turret, I was experimenting a bit with diffrent solvents which react with polymer. The best, which works for me well was an Acetone/Toluene mixture mixed in 60/40 ratio. Simillar mixure (called as "nitro-solvent" at least in Poland) is comercially available in stores (in UK might be accesible in B&Q I guess. The 'nitro' which I saw at Range store was based on alcohols which is obviously wrong).

Pure toluen is too agressive, whereas acetone acts on the surface and makes it matt. Combination of two is perfect.

Some mixtures of ketones are also fine. Testors plastic cement works as well:

The method I used was to coat desirable area by thin layer of mixture and after few second when reaction proceeds and when polymer disolves strike the surface gently using hard flat brush (prefarably) - soft ones are not good since some fibers may stuck on the sticky surface which is not easy to remove after.

This method have to be applied in well ventilated areas. Toluene and acetone are harmful !

Then, I started work with Eduard photo etched parts and so far model looks like this:

Edited January 21, 2011 by math-x

[math-x]

Ok Next,

Because M2 Browning looked rubbish, my Polish colleagues convinced me to remove barrel, and handles on the back and replace them by new ones from RBmodels which looks way better:

Turret:

there is some other work:

At this moment my M48 looks like this.

The rubbery Tamiya tracks are mounted temporarly and will be repleced soon by these ftom AFV. The main body is almost finished and almost ready for painting (base coat).

Any comments, hints and questions are very welcome. Thank you.

Edited January 21, 2011 by math-x

[Andy K]

For a REALLY old kit that is shaping up quite nicely. Those RB barrels are great and make a big difference. Keep going!

[PaulH]

NICE work - tempted to do one of these myself as I'm inspired after playing Battlefield Bad company 2 Vietnam (has these M48's in )

[math-x]

Ok, not much has happened durring last week or so. I am working on AFV Club track replecements. Original ones from Tamiya are rubbish (not much details, not movable, with creepy features). These from AFV are way better. You can see bolts, screws, and empty space in between. The only disadvantage is that every single piece needs to be filled, polished which takes 3-4 four minutes fer each. Because each track has 79 of them, it takes time and the whole work is pretty boring ...but slowly I am getting there:

[darson]

Great looking work there and those indie link tracks are really time consuming to assemble aren't they, but definitely worth it in the end.

Thanks for the tip with the testors cement, I have tried that before with other products and have never gotten anywhere near the results you have.

One thing, check the Tamiya drive sprocket with the AFV Club tracks. I had to insert a spacer between the drive sprocket halves on my TAM M-60 in order for the AFV Club tracks to fit.

Cheers

[smuts]

Very nice, got this one with the same bits must order the tracks now still a good base kit aftr all these years too.

Andy.

[math-x]

I worked recently a little bit on this model, so here is some update:

The model was coated by Tamiya Grey surface primer:

Then model was painted with base colour - Dark Green (Tamiya). On photos colour is not quite as it is in reality. Should be darker and deeper.

(Sorry this is my camera:)

The Tamiya's towing cables paced on the back of turet have been removed and replaced by 0.8 mm wire (RBmodel).

In original Tamiya kit 3 holes (120 deg) are missing in each drive sprocket . These need to be drilled out. A bit painful thing to do but it looks better:

Now, I need to make some cosmetic corrections and then I will go to the next stage...more painting, decals, tank supplies, etc. AFV tracks are ready too.

Edited February 6, 2011 by math-x

[math-x]

I did some small work over this weekend.

I put thin coat of OD just to make some highlights and model become a bit greenish, which in my opinion looks better.

Additionally, it has been coated by 1-2 layers of Klear and when it dried decals were placed as well.

This is how it looks at this moment:

I got some extras from AVF and US cardboard boxes (Ration C, Medical, etc), so fun fun fun.

[hythe]

Awesome! Those cartons look a mite fiddly...

[math-x]

Ok, I did some work this week.

First I did an initial wash with oils. I have used mainly raw umber, olive, yellow and green to fade base dark green. Now the dark green is somehow washed and broken by hint of lighter green as well as brown. As far as I know these tanks were washed quite often with fuel/green paint mixture

Then the whole model was matt coated and I put some small amount of stowage (still more to go:). Most edges were washed with tiny amount of silver. For this I have not used not a 'dry brush' technique but 'dry finger' instead

I believe this is a good base for further work with pigments/pastels. What do you think ?

[smuts]

Lookin very nice, Ilike the effect the wash has had on the base green.

Andy

[math-x]

Ok I had some fun yesterday .

The model is not as nice and shiny as it was...I love dirt/dust! Obviously tank from Vietnam is not expected to be clean.

I played a little with pigments. (mostly Vietnamese and African red earth+ light and dark mud + different types of dust) and here it is.

The idea was to make it dirty, but not too dirty. I tried to make it like rain washed dirt (mainly turet and front of the hull) and I am quite happy with the effect I have menaged to do. Now,

I need to make some corrections here and there, then coat it with thin layer of matt varnish and next splatter light mud on lower hull and front.

and then tracks

This is how it looks now:

Edited February 15, 2011 by math-x

[math-x]

Few weeks just passed away since last update. It was a busy time but I found some time to work on my M48.

Several things have happened since. First I had my little tracks mayhem which needs brief explanation.

As I mentioned before I have polished every single AFV track and when assembled I have painted it in base flat black colour. They were nice and still movable. Fine and dandy! Then, I applied the MIG pigments (standard rust on linkers and Vietnamese/African earth on tracks itself) with turpentine/white spirit and some MIG fixer. It looked OK, however when it dried completely, the tracks become very stiff. With use of flat, hard brush I have removed the excess of pigments which accumulate between tracks, but the problem was somewhere else. Solvents did something nasty to the pins (they have softened a plastic which become very fragile), which snap easily when I tried to bend a tracks. I was trying to get a sensible solution but after few failures I decided to do it from scratch….so annoying one week of laborious work went to the trash bin. So I did the new set of tracks again (!), in such way, that every single track was polishes, painted black and then covered by pigments separately. When all were ready I assembled then and hopefully they become movable and still sturdy! So if anyone would like to play with AFV tracks, I think this is a proper way to go with 

Then…I have covered tank with pigments (especially lower and front part of the hull). The extra stowage stuff was mounted as well. The idea was to make this tank dirty and covered by red laterite soil as they quite often were being in Vietnam I believe the tank is preety ready. At this point it looks like this:

I did some cosmetics corrections. More detailed pictures I will post in ‘Ready for inspection’ section soon (weekend I believe).

Thanks for viewing. All comments are very welcome.

[J.P.]

How "timely" to find this, as I just started on my M48. I can't comment on your work since my job has blocked anything from Photobucket and the like, so I can't see the pictures. I'll have to check it out when I get home.

[FrancisGL]

Absolutely amazing job, i want one of theses too!!!, cheers

[Badder]

Brilliant job.

I find that the best way to 'silver' edges etc is to use an artist's graphite stick. You can pick out 'chips' with the sharpened point of the stick (I call it that so as not to be confused with an ordinary pencil. It's shaped exactly like a pencil but is made from solid graphite, no wood.) Or you can silver edges and surfaces with the 'flat' side of the stick.

Badder