Theme editor

Scale Model Shop

Merkava MkIV

Thread owner
Due to work commitments modelling time has once again been drastically reduced. I've been concentrating on getting the turret finished with a myriad of additional parts. One of the main parts to tackle was the .50 cal that sits above the main gun. I ordered some IDF replacements but when I finally got round to looking at them the castings are awful and couldn't make one decent one out of the two supplied. Fortunately I hadn't done anything with the kit parts so I set about using them, some PE and some small scratch parts and it's starting to look ok.
gun 1.jpggun 2.jpggun 3.jpg

A bit more work and some paint and it should look ok?
The other job I was dreading was the chains for the ball and chain armour around the rear of the turret. I will never never ever again complain about tank wheels. Most are made up of three parts some just two. I'm just waiting for the beads I've got on order to arrive as the first ones sent were the wrong size.
chain.jpg
The numbers refer to where they go on their respective brackets. That's all for now folks as its work time again.
 
Hello Mick,
Doing well I see, all balls and 50 cal, some nice juggling with all the parts for the 50, remember that when it is in place it follows the main armament.
Cheers, Mike.
 
Mick,
Nice work on the 50, rather you than me with the chains, but you seem to be on top of it.
 
Hi Mick
Echo Scottie. Shame the .50cal replacement was unusable but your improved kit part does look good.
Jim
 
Coming along swimingly. You might want to reposition the barrel removal handle to the rear some. It's too far forward. Unless it's cemented, then of coarse it's right where it belongs. PaulE
 
Wonderful work on the 50 cal. Rather you than me on the beads and chains. I wish you all the best with that one :smiling3::cool:
 
Good grief - blingtastic. Just the thought of all that etch gives me a headache Mick. Very nice work.
 
Thread owner
Good evening folks and many thanks for the comments on my latest progress. I'm really not feeling the love for this model at the moment so I'm drastically cutting back the bling as I just want it finished and off the desk. Just as I start to make some progress another problem rears its head from my nemesis the previous owner. This time its a piece of superstructure that's been removed from the sprue and lost. No reason for him to have been anywhere near this bit so again I was slowed down. I will see it through and have included a couple of progress pics to show it really does look tank like now.
T1.jpgT3.jpgT5.jpgT2.jpgT4.jpg

Once again many thanks to those who have looked in.
 
Keep going Mick, not much further by the looks of it and it will be put the paint on time. Cheers, Mike.
 
Only just seen this Mick.
Coming along nicely.You could test your pe skills by doing something in 1/700:thinking:.
 
Thread owner
Only just seen this Mick.
Coming along nicely.You could test your pe skills by doing something in 1/700:thinking:.
My sanity, what's left of it, just wouldn't cope, I have total respect for anyone working in that scale.
 
Thread owner
After a couple of days of just tinkering I started to feel the love for this battle again. I had some time to myself yesterday as swmbo was away visiting. I started work on the side skirts which I plan to make up but not fit until the body is painted, the main reason being I stuck the top hull on too soon. When I looked at my reference picks I noticed they were different to my kit part as the last section of the skirt was a grille and thought this looked much better.
t1.jpg

Not a problem, I thought it would be relatively easy to remove the last section and replace it with a scratch built piece. So out came ruler paper and pencil and a drawing made up.
t3.jpg

At this point I had now removed the bracket from the skirt so I could make a start. I started to check through the relevant sprue for the pieces for the opposite side when I noticed another two side skirts, these were shorter and next to them the grilles!!! I checked the instructions but couldn't see an option listed for these skirts.
t2.jpg

Instead of cutting the current skirt and scratch building the solution was already there. Brackets carefully removed from the first skirt, some better bolt heads attached and just enough time to put the first skirt and grille together. Happy modeller.
t4.jpg
 
Thread owner
Mick,
That was a stroke of luck.
Wasn't it just mate. I had all the sprues on my desk at the time. If I hadn't I could have been beavering away for hours with ready made parts three feet away :smiling::smiling:
 
Back
Top