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Meng Late Achzarit Heavy APC


BlackMax12

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Picked this up this afternoon for something different.  Yet another model with an interior and individual track links.  Interior not bad but no engine, strange, and track links like Dragon Magic Tracks, just glue the one piece

links together and drape them around the wheels.  That's a relief from Rye Field and Meng's labor intensive track runs.

 

Here it is as of this evening, one track run done, enough for today.

 

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Sure Corsair, if you want to tell me what Tamiya acrylic is close to the right color for Israeli AFVs.  I can see some kind of paint mix coming and even the interior has a lot of "hemp", what color is that in Tamiya?

All I use is Tamiya and usually lots of paint matching, or at least trying as they don't have a lot of colors, or accurate colors that is.

 

BTW the box top looks like a faded olive drab almost but the painting guide says "hemp" so I'm lost.  Guess Google to the rescue, I hope.

 

Thanks 

 

Lloyd

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Thanks Soeren

 

Thanks Julian

 

Not much progress today, fiddled around with the interior a bit and procrastinated over starting the second track run but didn't.

 

I think I came up with a Tamiya paint mix that might work.  Andy from Andy's Hobby Headquarters recently did a Merkava in Israeli green/grey and it looks good.

He mixed 50% Tamiya XF49 Khaki and 50% Tamiya XF66 Light Grey to get the green/grey.  I tried a few drops of each and it looks pretty good, don't know if it's

"hemp" but it seems to be about the right shade.  Of course I only have a part bottle of each so it's off to the LHS tomorrow.

 

No access to the correct Vallejo 71.023 Hemp but will have to make do as usual

 

Lloyd

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Hi Lloyd 

I'm in - that's rapid progress.

I did a paint comparison in my Nagmachon WIP. 

Nagmachon - Early

 

Tamiya XF49 and XF20 with varying ratios 1 : 1 to 1 : 2 seem commonplace in use by many modellers.

I have the Nagmachon and Magach 6 Desert Eagle publications - ALL the vehicles within IMHO are done in the green grey that the Tamiya mix gives you.  I think that many vehicles are dust covered and in bright sunlight - this leads to the impression of a hemp finish.  I have heard some say that there are 2 shades in use??  I may be totally wrong. The new AK lacquers opt for the sand-brown hemp hue.  I'm unconvinced

Looking forward to seeing this unfold

Rob

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Thanks Rob, I'll swap the XF66 for the XF20

 

Thanks Agent

 

I'm off to the LHS for some more XF-49 and some XF-20 which I'll try with the suggested 50:50 mix.  I'll be using it over my normal NATO Black primer so hope it turns out as good as yours Agent.  Is there a dark wash over yours or did you highlight

the panel centers with a lighter color?  Whatever it is really looks good.

 

I played around with the interior a bit yesterday and most is just dry fitted now waiting on some paint. It will be mostly Tamiya Flat White with some Deck Tan mix to give a sort of an ivory.  Used that inside the 1/16 King Tiger

and liked the look.  Sort of disappointed there is no engine or transmission, just a huge glaring empty space in the left rear corner.  No, I'm not about to attempt to scratch an engine module to fit.  The rest of the interior is

decent and won't be seen when the roof goes on anyway.

 

Here it is as of this morning, still limping on only one track run.

 

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Thanks Stix

 

Not sure what I'll do with this, there's no big gun to compare with Gremlin's.

 

So far there hasn't been any snags, it goes together well, the hull upper and lower just snap together, talk about precise fits.  A little disappointed that while the interior is pretty nice there

is no engine or drive assembly, not even an attempt, just a big empty hole where it should be.  What the heck though, with the lid on and even opening all of the hatches about 96% of the interior is hidden 

anyway so it doesn't much matter if there's no power plant.

 

And again we have the indy link tracks a la Dragon Magic Tracks that you glue together and wrap around the sprocket and wheels. The links are one piece though which is much much better than the 6 piece per link

Rye Field workable tracks on the Abrams.  I'm not a fan of rubber band Tamiya and the like but have to admit I'm getting just a little jaded over 90 link per side individual links too.  Beginning to think the link and length

tracks in some kits are the best compromise unless you need the sag of the WWII German heavy armor.

 

Your Pkw III is coming along well, pretty soon have to build a snowman to sit on the turret or rear deck. 

 

Take care,

 

Lloyd

Edited by BlackMax12
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2nd track is done and so am I. 

 

I hit it with my elbow and knocked it off the bench.  Got some parts to put back together, this might have to have some combat

damage from Lebanon or where ever.  Dumb klutz...first time I did that!!!

 

Need to take the rest of the day off and lick my wounds.

 

Lloyd

 

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19 hours ago, BlackMax12 said:

And again we have the indy link tracks a la Dragon Magic Tracks that you glue together and wrap around the sprocket and wheels. The links are one piece though which is much much better than the 6 piece per link

Rye Field workable tracks on the Abrams.  I'm not a fan of rubber band Tamiya and the like but have to admit I'm getting just a little jaded over 90 link per side individual links too.  Beginning to think the link and length

tracks in some kits are the best compromise unless you need the sag of the WWII German heavy armor.

Your Pkw III is coming along well, pretty soon have to build a snowman to sit on the turret or rear deck. 

Take care,

Lloyd

Hi Lloyd. I don't know if you have got very far with your track links but if you check out the post I'm hoping to post this afternoon you'll see how I've made mine up - I basically assembled them into sections like link and length tracks and I thought it seemed pretty straight forward.

Also with my project, you are right, I am going to have to start the whitewash painting soon.......

Looking forward to seeing more progress on this project soon.

Kind regards,

Stix

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I highlighted the upper areas by adding a drop of XF-55. Pulled it all together with a dark wash.

 

I like that interior, it is a shame it lacks the power plant though. 

 

What type of tracks are on this, Merkava?

 

G

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Thanks Stix

 

The tracks are both done and in place.  They were assembled as one unit and since the idler and sprocket  are both push on with poly inserts

they can be removed for painting.

 

Interesting procedure you have to build magic tracks and on the right track (pun intended) to looking like the real thing.  I don't have the patience, when I start

track building I just want to get it done so usually sit and build one side per session. That way the glue doesn't get time to fully dry before I get to the end of the run and I can

put them in place and mould them to shape before it does dry.

It probably is a lot easier to paint though with your method and I'm going to try it that way on the next build.  Got a Stug IV coming that has magic tracks so I'll

see how it works.

 

Thanks for the tips,

 

Lloyd

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Hi Agent

 

So a little Tamiya deck tan to lighten the mix? 

 

I was thinking of the NATO black pre-shading around panel edges with flat white in the panel centres and then the

Khaki/Grey mix lightly over everything.  I'll give it a coat of Dullcoat after applying the decals then go back over it with a dusting in the panel centres of the Khaki/Grey with a little

Deck Tan added as you suggest.

 

I don't know squat about IDF vehicles but had assumed they kept the tracks from the T-55 what evers when they converted them to these APCs. I like

the look of some of the IDF stuff so there may be a Merkava in the near future.

 

Thanks for looking,

 

Lloyd

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Thanks Julian

 

Meng did a decent job on the front 2/3 of the interior and it was as if they ran out of budget to finish adding the drive train.

 

WTH, I can't see anything inside all of my other 1/35 vehicles with interiors and only able to see inside the 1/16 units by removing the upper hulls and

turrets. This one has something like 4 hatches in front and that big open walkway at the back so you can get a bit of a peek inside.

 

Sure looks strange without a turret though, looks like a tank under construction but not quite finished.

 

Lloyd

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I managed to find and pick up all of the pieces after my klutz yesterday.  The rear of the hull is going to need some serious clamping but otherwise it doesn't look too bad considering.

 

Sure looks strange without a turret, like an unfinished T-55.

 

Here it is as of this morning.  Got to do some masking on that 8 sided view cupola or whatever it is then off to the paint booth for some black and white.

 

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Here it is as of this morning.  Not one of my better efforts so it won't make it to the RFI page.

 

Considering I knocked it off the table and re-kitted it and had to try to put it back together like Humpty Dumpty then spent several hours on the interior and forgot to take some pics before gluing the hull together

I think I'll just quit.  Still need some wire for the tow cables as the string doesn't do it but maybe they lost the cables somewhere.

 

One Achzarit pretty dirty and ridden hard.

 

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Thanks Soeren

 

I'm rather disappointed with it, not the kit's fault, the operator had a couple of bad days.

 

It's a very nice kit and even with the table/gravity/floor exercise it's still a nice kit.  Too bad the builder wasn't more with it though.

 

Take care,

 

Lloyd

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Thanks Rob

 

Don't know it you noticed but it's sitting on top of a box for a Magach 6B Gal Batash and the color looks pretty close between the two, of course box top paintings and

actual models are two different animals but it's close to my old eye.

 

It has a whole bunch of Vallejo Desert Dust wash on it and that looks kind of yellowish to me but maybe it could have little real dirt and dust yet.

 

I'm moving on to something else for now but may come back to this one like Etienne and his T-34, like I'll ever measure up to his work......dream on!

 

Take care,

 

Lloyd

 

 

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