FINISHED - M-50 Israeli Sherman - MP Models - 1:35 Scale

[CDW]

Road wheels all painted and lower hull assembled, it's ready for the tracks at this point. Got to first get the tracks painted.

 

[Old Collingwood]

Love the weathering on that rolling gear  very life like.

 

OC.

[lmagna]

So what color did you use for the body Craig? It came out much more faded and brownish than the OD I used on my Huey. It is still a little browner than I was hoping for but still not as green as what I used either.

[CDW]

That's Tamiya XF-60 Dark Yellow over Vallejo Panzer Gray primer. I reduce my dark yellow WAY down then apply thin coats until I get the look I want over the panzer gray primer. I probably used five coats to get to that color, that way some of the dark primer color shows through in the creases.

[CDW]

Before it's all said and done, I'll mix in varying percentages of flat white with the dark yellow, get that reduced down real thin, then use it to highlight various places on the model to give the dark yellow a sun faded, battle worn look. I'll do that last once most of the model is assembled and before I add on all the fuel cans, stowage, and tools.

[CDW]

This was a limited run model made in the 80's, and not nearly as high tech and well designed as today's CAD assisted molds. The track links are individual units and must be assembled piece by piece with just a few mating points on each link and are secured by glue...each and every link. 

In these photos, I have assembled one set of tracks then painted them in gun metal. Once the glue has time to properly set up, will build, paint and install the opposite set, then will weather and detail them before installing the upper tank hull.

 

 

[Old Collingwood]

Your doing a great job mate, I remember those individual tracks on a T72  I once built  (bloody fiddly)

 

OC.

[CDW]

7 minutes ago, Old Collingwood said:

Your doing a great job mate, I remember those individual tracks on a T72  I once built  (bloody fiddly)

 

OC.

Thanks OC. Yes, indeed they are fiddly. Just can't get in a big rush or else it'll end up a mess.

The idea is to assemble long straight pieces, let the glue set up, then come back and gently bend them round the drive sprockets, hoping you've "guessed" the right number of links to match up at the ends where they join. It's not an exact science, more like trial and error.

[CDW]

8 minutes ago, Old Collingwood said:

I remember those individual tracks on a T72  I once built  (bloody fiddly)

 

OC.

Oh yes, I think it was probably the old DML T-72. Recall it had individual links as well. Another 80's kit.

[Canute]

Nice fade with your body color. And the suspension looks great, too.

[CDW]

13 hours ago, Canute said:

Nice fade with your body color. And the suspension looks great, too.

Thanks, Ken. It's fun working with an armor model as they are not as sensitive to painting errors as are automobiles, aircraft, and ships.

None of the parts of this model are assigned a part number. All you can do is follow the crude pictorial "instruction" sheet, that's really more of a suggestion sheet as the correct part locations are very loosely shown. It helps tremendously to have lots of reference photos from other sources.

Here, I started the assembly of the upper hull and finished another set of tracks before I ran out of gas for the day. It was a good rainy day for modeling, tomorrow will try to finish up the upper hull and start getting some paint on it.

 

  

[Old Collingwood]

Some good detail on that  hull   should look great  weathered.

 

OC.

[CDW]

1 hour ago, Old Collingwood said:

Some good detail on that  hull   should look great  weathered.

 

OC.

There's a lot more detail on the lower hull that I'm adding now. Plus, there is a set of stowage. Lots to see.

[Egilman]

On 5/13/2020 at 4:23 PM, CDW said:

When Israel became a nation in 1948, Shermans were available in significant quantities as surplus from WW2 military equipment stockpiles. Many armies the world over had Sherman tanks in their military inventories.

Or in storage dumps rusting away.... Every country in Europe had at least a thousand of them... Germany, two thousand.... WE did not bring them all home.... {chuckle} Lots of them got sold off at pennies on the dollar to whomever wanted one... many were sold for scrap value and made it to the black market arms dealers...

 

Post WWII was an arms sellers dream....

[Egilman]

On 5/13/2020 at 10:51 AM, CDW said:

Never played the simulations, but I used to see a lot of guys playing on tables at the hobby shops. Those games seemed quite involved.

Panzer Leader, Tobruk, Desert Fox, Battle of the Bulge... just a few my brothers and I played. I loved BotB, I couldn't lose on either side and that pissed off my brothers... But then I couldn't win in Desert Fox to save me either... Panzer Leader campaign games became epics 48 - 72 hour marathons... (when mother pulled the plug is when they usually ended) none of us could win that one...

 

The old days of being young and not having a care in the world....

[Egilman]

On 5/16/2020 at 6:50 PM, CDW said:

Interesting video about the Sherman tanks, including this model/version and the subsequent purchase of the tanks by Chile. A long, storied service life of the Sherman tank.

 

 

You see that image on the video , that is a sherman tank mounting a 90mm gun. and every time I see something like that is reminds me of the brainless ideals of Leslie McNair, who said that the Armored force could not have a sherman with a 90 cause it simply wouldn't fit.... (despite how many times the Armored Board and Tanks Corps said it would and they could do it) cost tens of thousands of lives that bonehead ideal... (after McNair was ordered by Marshall to sent the M-26 to Europe, he went over there to see if his orders to scatter them around in singles units were being followed, he was killed in action) and thankfully Eisenhower, as CoS after the war, disbanded Army Ground forces cause it did more to screw things up than it ever did to straighten things out...

 

At some things, we were our own worst enemy....

[Egilman]

This is coming out nice brother, great job on the tracks.... anticipating the rest of the color scheme, so far looks great.... Israeli armor can be very difficult to get right, it's not like US armor which is one color to match and is easily made... you need multiple colors and layering techniques to get it right.. One of the reasons I don't do them... (I have an affinity to drabish greens with white target markers on them)

[CDW]

32 minutes ago, Egilman said:

This is coming out nice brother, great job on the tracks.... anticipating the rest of the color scheme, so far looks great.... Israeli armor can be very difficult to get right, it's not like US armor which is one color to match and is easily made... you need multiple colors and layering techniques to get it right.. One of the reasons I don't do them... (I have an affinity to drabish greens with white target markers on them)

Thanks EG....glad you're here.

[CDW]

More details before primer and paint.

 

[CDW]

One thing for sure...I would hate being a tanker. Cramped up inside all that steel, and can't even imagine how terribly hot it must have been inside in desert warfare. At least the modern tanks are air conditioned, but as all things do, the air conditioning probably breaks down from time to time and I would bet repairing an A/C system isn't a high priority in the big scheme of things.

  

[lmagna]

2 hours ago, CDW said:

One thing for sure...I would hate being a tanker.

I got to ride in an M-60 once for about 15 miles or so. It is really an impressive way to travel for the most part, but the real shocker for me, (But probably obvious as an after thought) was the overwhelming odor of diesel fumes!😝 Even with the hatches open and traveling at a good clip most of the time, I had a headache by the time we arrived. I don't even want to think what it would be like all buttoned up on a hot day.☠️

[mtaylor]

4 hours ago, CDW said:

One thing for sure...I would hate being a tanker.

I would also.  Especially the  "Ronsen" Tank.   I did get to drive an M901 when I was doing the manuals for it. Between fuel, ammunition, various greandes, side arms and that big fuel tank.....  nope... don't want to be in that beast, I'd rather take my chances in a chopper.

[CDW]

Here's the hull with primer and a base coat of Tamiya dark yellow paint. After detailing with washes and additional highlighting layers of paint, will begin adding accessories.

 

 

And the turret is almost ready for paint, too.

 

[Old Collingwood]

Looking great mate, reminds me (with the colour)  when I  built a Desert Storm  British Challenger tank.

 

OC.

[CDW]

39 minutes ago, Old Collingwood said:

Looking great mate, reminds me (with the colour)  when I  built a Desert Storm  British Challenger tank.

 

OC.

Love the British tanks, although at this time only have the Centurian...an IDF one.

[Old Collingwood]

12 hours ago, CDW said:

Love the British tanks, although at this time only have the Centurian...an IDF one.

The Tamiya versions  Challenger 1  and 2  are both Brilliant kits, well worth internal and super detailing  Accurate Armour  do some Fabulous Resin and PE  update sets.

 

 

OC.

[CDW]

Here, everything is painted dark yellow and a clear coat has just been added to the entire model. Once the clear has sufficiently dried, will begin shading and color modulation.

 

[Egilman]

She's really beginning to look the part....

[CDW]

With color modulation

 

[popeye the sailor]

Wow!  your making fast progress with this project!.............looks great!     the color looks super too...........the only tanks I've ever built had the rubber tracks.