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Italeri 1/72 Merkava I


Osher

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Like my earlier Tiran 5, this tank was stated years ago, possibly before. It was partially built, badly (wobbly wheels!), with terrible painting (you can see the paint edges!) and colour choices (gloss black for tyres on a tank? Yikes!). I'm not going to build this to a normal standard, because, some parts are damaged (too much glue in places, etc), and I'll brush paint it. I think this was one of the earlier kits I bought when I came back into modelling (as opposed to those I was given, which is funny, because I had given some of them to my mate years earliers!).

The weird colour in places, was my attempt at weathering! Don't laugh too much please...!

Basically, I was in a bit of a mood after a long week, and wanted something simple to relax with. This kit, in my part-built stash, fits the bill! It also feel that it fits the KUTA description, as it's not been worked on for years!

MerkavaI1.jpg

Edited by Osher
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I've lost many small parts over the years, but, the floor of the rear storage area? Not so small, but, it disappeared! Heck, I even have wooden floors, but, nope, it went... Other than that, a lot of progress. All the wheel and supports back in place. The hull began to fall apart, but, fixed too. The rear panel separated, but, fixed too. Strewth, it's almost like building a new kit, but harder, yet, only about a few parts left unfixed or re-glued. A simple continuation is now a complete build almost!

The tracks were painted gun metal, thence, painted black lightly, with some light brown in places. Sort of looks OK. The tracks have also started to be glued in place, something I've never done before, so, it's a learning process. The machine guns have been painted using my own technique, of gun metal, then a 'bad' over paint in black. The reason is that no one produces a good gun metal black. Basically, speaking as an ex-tankie, guns are supposed to be black, but, often wear away, so, they're black, but with some metal sort of exposed, but, not quite (except in places), and it's not even. Anyway, it sort of looks right, so, it's right!

The ammo boxes are green. Tanks might be sand, and gun might be black, but ammo boxes for guns are usually green. No one tells you this, but trust me on it! Something they're other colours, but, green is normal. The spade snapped in half. Now it's a folding spade....

Gave the exhausts a wash in black ink, looks OK. Mortar attached, but not sure if the Browning 0.5 will be put on. The kit says it should, but, often they weren't used, and the kit mounting point is shaped with 4 false bolts, so, might leave it of...

Thanks for looking!

Merkava1iv.jpg

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Will it be finished by Christmas?
By tomorrow would be good, it's supposed to be a quick weekend job! Of course, it depends if I can find the missing bit or not! Thanks Daz! BTW, the paint job isn't that good, and, close up, one can it's brush painted.
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Managed to lose the side door of a Wessex! (also on floorboards!?) :banghead:

soon as i had painted up a scratchbuilt one it mysteriously turned up - in a VERY obvious place!

it will be of no consolation but my A4 sketchbook that i use for little drawing aids has now been swiped by the gremlins :(

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soon as i had painted up a scratchbuilt one it mysteriously turned up - in a VERY obvious place!
Know that one!

OK, I've finished, sort of, the Merkava. The decals have disappeared, part of the basket has done a runner, and then there are the tracks... I've never used part tracks, that one assembles, fixed. It wasn't as bad I thought, but, far worse than I hoped! Interestingly, I assembled the tracks, and used less parts than in the instructions. Oh dear, still, it's a learning process!

Here's the model, and the remaining parts (I won't bother finishing it beyond this stage)

Merkava1v.jpg

Here's the model, as I'm going to leave it

Merkava1vi.jpg

Gentlemen, I commend this kit as an offering to KUTA II!

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