John F Smith Posted June 2, 2015 Author Share Posted June 2, 2015 Thanks very much, Kevin Looking forward to trying some new (to me, anyway) painting and weathering techniques. John Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
John F Smith Posted June 2, 2015 Author Share Posted June 2, 2015 Appreciate you stopping by for a look, Mark. Yeah, it's been a long road.....but well worth it. John Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
John F Smith Posted June 2, 2015 Author Share Posted June 2, 2015 Many thanks for your suggestions, Bill. I've decided to go with the Orange Hobby antenna set; I ordered it last night. Not easy to find because most dealers seem to be out of stock on their stuff. It looks great though and I think it will really enhance the model. John Bill Cross 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
John F Smith Posted June 2, 2015 Author Share Posted June 2, 2015 Thank you, Don I'm glad you've enjoyed the build. John Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Peterpools Posted June 6, 2015 Share Posted June 6, 2015 John Geeeeez ... absolutely killer work and just blown away by your abilities with PE. must have studied the photos a half dozen times to make sure I didn't miss and of the details. Looking forward to seeing the Merkava in primer and then the paint shop. Keep 'em coming Peter Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
John F Smith Posted June 8, 2015 Author Share Posted June 8, 2015 Thank you, Peter. A little bit every day and that keeps it from driving me a bit crazy. Finished the side skirts this week in advance of priming....(why prime twice when you can do it once!?). Little by little it's coming together and I think that the end really is in sight. John Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
John F Smith Posted June 24, 2015 Author Share Posted June 24, 2015 .....three weeks since I posted on this build. Well, there has been some family travel, birthday events, and a little minor surgery, but still there is some progress to report. I definitely decided to go with the Friulmodel tracks and spent quite some amount of time cleaning them up, drilling the holes for the pins out, and washing them to get to the point of actually burnishing them. Lesson learned: A good soapy dishwashing liquid doesn't quite do it for white metal tracks. I had some small nooks and crannies in the tracks which did not get burnished because of leftover mold release agent. Next time (or for any white metal burnishing), I'll use Bleche White which is my degreasing and cleaning agent of choice for resin parts. Nevertheless, I'm not really worried because the weathering and wash process will, I'm sure cover the small areas which are still "white" and not burnished. I used the AK Interactive burnishing liquid and I really liked it a lot. But..... it's extremely fast. I dumped half of the tracks in the solution and they were ready to be removed in only 3 minutes, left to dry for only 5 minutes, and then immediately ready for a cold water rinse. You have to pay attention and move pretty quickly or it will way overdo the process on you. I suspect that diluting it some would make a difference, but I didn't experiment with that. Here's a photo of the burnished tracks ready for assembly. I also completed the priming using the Vallejo Polycrylic primer and all went well. I'm definitely in search of a new primer, though. In spite of what a good job the Vallejo product does in terms of laying down a smooth, self leveling coat; it does make a mess in the airbrush and demands a pretty thorough cleanup of the gummy stuff left behind. Pre-shading was done with Tamiya XF-61 Dark Green because it seemed to be a good complementary match for the IDF Sinai Grey color which is the main color for the tank. This was a new experience for me because there aren't all that many apparent "panel lines" and delineated control surface divisions like there are on an aircraft, so it wasn't super apparent about where to do the pre-shade. So, I tried to emphasize the raised detail on the tank as well as add some mottling undercoat to break up the monotony of the final color. This is my first tank pre-shade, and my first pre-shade on any model, for that matter, so I hope it turns out well. Photos of the turret and hull are below: I hope you will all excuse my photography today. It isn't quite up to par because I'm fighting a bit of an infection so I'm not operating at 100% either! Next up, I will be assembling the tracks, painting the tank, and doing some detail painting and final assembly. Thanks for stopping by and I'll see you all later. John Girlscanplay2 and Bill Cross 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bill Cross Posted June 24, 2015 Share Posted June 24, 2015 Very nice work. The Friuls can also be soaked overnight in white vinegar, but I'm switching to Bleche White, which I have around for resin. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
John F Smith Posted June 25, 2015 Author Share Posted June 25, 2015 Thanks, Bill I didn't know about white vinegar. If you try Bleche White before I do, let us know how it works out. Thanks again, John P.S. Starting painting today with AK Interactive IDF Sinai Grey acrylic. I'll report on it in my next update. Bill Cross 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
John F Smith Posted June 26, 2015 Author Share Posted June 26, 2015 Thank you, Maru It's been a long road, but I'm really glad I invested the extra time and effort in doing it. A really positive payoff all the way. John Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Peterpools Posted June 27, 2015 Share Posted June 27, 2015 Hi John Patience of a Saint with all the PE AM parts and no the Friulmodel Tracks ... amazing work. I have no doubts that when they are installed and weathered, the track will looks spectacular. Nice start on the pre-shade work and nice to see you're breaking new ground with the paint work. Can't wait to see the top color coats over the pre-shade and the mottled effects. Keep 'em coming Peter Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
John F Smith Posted June 27, 2015 Author Share Posted June 27, 2015 I appreciate your kind words on my build very much, Peter. Yup, I'm hoping that the pre-shade/ paint combination will work out well. I'm currently in a holding pattern waiting for thinner to come in from either UMP or AK Interactive for the main color. In the meantime, I've got plenty to keep me busy with tracks and side skirts. But, it's getting there slowly, but surely. John Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
John F Smith Posted July 13, 2015 Author Share Posted July 13, 2015 No, I haven't disappeared off the face of the earth..... I've been waiting endlessly for the thinner which I need for AK Interactive paints to come in. I've tried several generic thinners for acrylics and none of them work very well with this paint, so I have high hopes of UMP and/or AK's own thinner, both of which have been on order for weeks now. Keeping my fingers crossed for this week!..... In the meantime, I've been working on the tracks and ball and chain armor assemblies. As I mentioned in a previous post, soap and water didn't do a very good job of removing the mold release agent from the Friul tracks. I've assembled the tracks for both sides and it was apparent that it just wouldn't do without some rework. So, I went back with AK Burnishing fluid and a small paintbrush and I've been laboriously, track by track, working burnishing fluid into the nooks and crannies where it didn't take when the tracks were soaked. Here are a couple of photos of the before and after experience there. As you can see, the top tracks looked pretty poor, but the rework has made them look much better and ready for weathering with the rest of the tank. In addition, I have been working on each of the 59 ball and chain assemblies which the Merkava used as "armor" for the rear underside of the turret. Those are all complete now, but I'm still in the process of attaching each one to the brackets which will be glued to the turret. I've got to tell you that a set of magnifiers is essential to doing this part of the build, and a high tolerance for tedious as well. Here are several of them beside a dime to give a sense of scale. So, still a bit left to do on the tracks and attaching the ball and chain assemblies to their appropriate brackets. Oh yeah, and I've got to paint the thing, too!! Here's hoping that the thinner gets here quickly and I can get this beast finished and on the shelf. Thanks for stopping by. John Bill Cross and Girlscanplay2 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bill Cross Posted July 13, 2015 Share Posted July 13, 2015 Man, that ball & chain armor about did me in. Kudos to you! andromeda673 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Peterpools Posted July 13, 2015 Share Posted July 13, 2015 John Brilliant progress on the Friul Tracks and I'm eagerly looking forward to when they are finished and on the Merkava. Patience of a saint doesn't come close when you had to build 59 of the PE Ball & Chain assemblies. I'm first to admit, I wouldn't even attempt such work, as I know the odd are better buying winning Lotto Ticket then if I tried to actually finish then all. Simply stellar progress on a project demanding nearly countless PE assemblies that seem never ending. Keep 'em coming Peter Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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