IDF Centurion Paint Time

Finally got my arse in gear and sprayed the model today. I used a mix of tamiya XF-57 buff, XF-59 desert yellow, XF-2 flat white & XF-23 light blue. I then went back over the model with a bit more white added to the basic mix and sprayed highlights. I may add more lighter tones later on but I need to let the paint dry first so I can see where it's at.

Very pleased with the colour looks just right to me. Now I've got all those figures to start on! 

Takom M47 Patton Build Complete!

Well I've really cracked on with the kit and have had great fun along the way. The canvas mantlet cover parts worked really well and after some careful sanding of the joins looks superb, likewise the barrel is brilliant too.

 Belgian specific modifications on the turret consisted of new antenna bases made from spares and brass rod. A call sign board on the back of the stowage bin and eduard fuel can holders with NATO style jerry cans. Finally extensions to the turret side racks were added using plastic rod and strip.

I've left off all the on turret tools as well as the .50 cal as this will be in a depot scene later. I must say this has been one of the best kits I've ever built as the parts actually fit and the detail is amazing. My additions are only really needed if you want to build a different version as I'm doing. Out of the box the kit is superb.

IDF Centurion Further Figures

The other figures have now arrived and been assembled. The photographer needed a far bit of cleanup but I've used him as is and I think he will work very well on the base. The tank crew guy just had a hornet head and comms gear added. He will work perfectly on the back deck of the tank. Both have also been primed so I'm hoping to make a start on painting these and the model in the next few days.

More Work On The Patton

I'm slowly getting on with the model and have now almost finished off the lower hull. So far construction has gone without a snag, however some care does need to be taken when removing some of the tiny parts from the sprues. I find a fine saw works the best and stops parts breaking up. 

The light clusters needed a bit of sanding on their edges which ensured the fenders fitted correctly. Some fine lead wire was used for cabling on the lights as well. The only Belgian specific modification at this stage was the exhausts which were adapted and added to using plastic hollow rod. Everything else fits very well and needs minimal clean up.

Takom M47 Patton Further Work

Work has been progressing well on the model & the second track run is now complete. One thing to note when assembling the left side tracks is that on the instructions the left side illustration is the same as the right. Which means if assembled as shown the tracks will face the wrong way on the left side. Simply reverse each part when building them up for the correct track direction. 

 The hull is now taking shape and here a few improvements and alterations are called for. The first is missing bolt heads on all the engine deck hinges, easy to do with a punch & die. I also added a slight texture to the upper hull sides to match the rest of the upper hull. 

On the rear I added two fire extinguishers which were fitted to Belgian tanks. I used a couple of spare items which looked similar to my refs and added tape straps. As I had fitted these the kit tow rope would not fit so a bit of cable was used after drilling out the cable ends and other fittings. Weld beads from stretched sprue have also been added and textured with a scalpel around the towing hooks and lifting eyes.

IDF Centurion Primer On

Primer is now on so I will leave this for a few days to cure fully. Now it's all grey the details have really popped, think I'm going to enjoy painting this one.

Takom M47/G Patton Tracks

Today I've started on the track runs for the model utilising the track jigs supplied with the kit. The first job is to remove the links and runs from the sprues which takes a while as they are attached pretty well. They only need a slight bit of cleanup and a swipe with a skinny sanding stick on the inner faces to remove some ejector pin marks.

The jigs include location marks for the different sections of tracks and I found working from the bottom up ensured everything fitted correctly. The bottom run is left off to help with fitting later. A trial run on the model shows they fit really well and look very nice indeed. the jig really makes a big difference when assembling the tracks as they hold everything in the correct place and being the correct shape they ensure the tracks will fit later on.

During my research I've found that Belgian M47's only had a few modifications specific to Belgian vehicles which makes building one that much easier. I'll be calling them out during the build so you won't miss them. Here's a few pictures for discussion only which I've found on the web.

Takom M47/G Patton

My next model on the bench is Takom's new M47 Patton. For some time now I've been planning and researching the M47 in Belgian service and had planned on using the old Italieri kit for this project, but with the release of this new model I just had to use it. Also with my annual trip to IPMS Belgium's plastic & steel show only a few months away now's the perfect time to get cracking.

This new Takom kit is an absolute belter of a kit, in my opinion one of the best engineered and molded kits I've ever seen. It has no etched parts what so ever included in the box, ( do I hear howls of derision from the rivet counters out there?) but trust me I don't think it needs it. The plastic parts are that good.

The kit comes with two funky track build guides which are something Takom have just started including in their kits. It looks like it will take the pain out of building track runs and you also get the added bonus of being able to paint the track runs off the model. The suspension and lower hull are pretty straight forward but they do exhibit really crisp detail with little or no flash. Likewise the wheels are made up of three parts and once assembled look great.

I've only got as far as the suspension and wheels but so far I'm really impressed. Next time I'll also include a bit about the M47 as used by the Belgian army.

Photobucket, Rot In Hades!

Well as you are all probably aware photobucket are being complete dicks regarding 3rd party hosting of images which seems at the moment to be affecting many people who currently use the free storage option. This means loads of build threads and other modelling threads on forums which have images added via PB now do not show said photos or images.

However that's not the worst of it as in December this year they will also stop those of us who pay for storage from posting images as well, unless we cough up $399.99 per year for the privilege. Fuck off PB are you mad? 

I now have the horrible task of either changing all my forum thread pictures before they disappear or leaving them alone. I know some of my earlier pictures on this blog came from PB. That means sorting through missing lynx and modelworx forums posts and deciding what to replace and what to leave.

Bastards! I'm pretty pissed about this and am cancelling my PB account as soon as I've copied some old pictures that are not currently on my pc. Yet another case of us small guys being fucked over by big corporations whose only interest is squeezing as much money out of us as possible. I for one won't line their pockets with cash for one minute longer, especially when I'd rather line them with shite!

IDF Centurion Stowage & Figures

Over the weekend I've been working on the stowage and figures for the model. The stowage was made using duro green putty rolled thinly and then sculpted into various tarps and packs. The two helmeted figures received boom mikes, cabling and com's boxes made up from wire, lead wire, plastic card and green putty.

An interesting point I've discovered during my research is that initially the Israelis used old WW2 style American helmets which they adapted with new com's and mikes. They then manufactured their own version of this type of helmet. There is a slight difference between the two but nothing that is noticeable in this scale.  

So the model is now ready for a wash and primer which I hope to get done this week.