7. Merkava 2B
Comments
2 30 April 2019, 19:40
Rui SI'm in😎
And also hopping that mates will comment in a more international language than the last build.😉
1 May 2019, 14:51
Andreas KoziolI have now the first steps of construction behind me and am really excited about Takom - very detailed & accurate. Here as an example, the very nice to look suspension. Unfortunately, you will only see very little of it in the end.
2 May 2019, 16:31
Andreas KoziolNow that I'm building the Merkava, I have to inform myself a bit about this tank. So I looked at one at the German Panzermuseum Munster. 🙂
4 May 2019, 19:42
Choppa NuttaThat teaser pic reminds me of when I lent up against someone else's Ferrari trying to impress some hot chick 😄
it worked as well😉 😄
4 May 2019, 21:51
Andreas Koziol@Choppa haha, no hot chicks nearby! 😄 this was the first tank I lent up after my german army time.
5 May 2019, 07:42
Jos JansenInteresting Andreas...I know the museum in Munster very good I have visited this often enough when we were on an exercise in Germany...great collection! Good luck with your Merkava, definitely following 👍 (I've also one in my stash 🙂)
5 May 2019, 09:27
Andreas KoziolThanks Jos & Holger and yes the museum is absolute awesome! I was there for the first time and unfortunately had too little time.
6 May 2019, 14:38
Andreas KoziolToday only some first work at the upper hull. I'm really impressed about the details. Addendum: It's better to glue the clear parts at the very end when the model is painted!😉
8 May 2019, 16:35
Andreas KoziolSee this the first time - a rear hatch, which is probably unique in a main battle tank. Actually, this system is only known by IFV (armoured infantry fighting vehicle). If your own tank was shot down, you can also easy exit through the rear hatch. Over this the vehicle can also get ammunition during the fight.
9 May 2019, 13:49
Holger KranichAndreas, is that on of the Merkava Versions with the integrated 80mm Mörser?
9 May 2019, 13:56
Andreas KoziolA mortar he has installed and in contrast to the previous model, you can fire it from inside as far as I know it is a 60mm mortar.
9 May 2019, 16:03
Andreas KoziolYesterday I glue the first photo-etched parts. I like the shown structure of the "tank backpacks" very well. 👍
11 May 2019, 13:35
Andreas KoziolStart the glue job at the turret! Here you can see very well the big difference between modern and older tanks - so many attachments.
12 May 2019, 12:53
Andreas KoziolUnfortunately, I currently do not have as much time as I would like for model building. I put together the turret and the hull loose. An antenna has already broken off. 😄
15 May 2019, 15:30
Andreas KoziolYesterday I do some small works at the rear turret basket with the ball & chain armour - some call it tank dreadlocks.
16 May 2019, 14:59
Andreas KoziolI'm really excited about that amount of details! You can really say that makes the difference between a modern and an old tank. 👍
18 May 2019, 16:10
Andreas KoziolI only worked a bit on the small parts: Tow ropes, secondary armament 1 × 12.7 mm (0.50 in) MG, 2 × 7.62 mm (0.300 in) MG and cut the identification flags. By the way: Anybody knows where I can get these metal (lead?) material of the flags?
21 May 2019, 13:30
Holger KranichLooks very cool. These ballchains are weird but good looking. Keep up the good work! 🙂
21 May 2019, 13:54
Nigel"Anybody knows where I can get these metal (lead?) material of the flags?"
Have you tried aluminium food containers? The type that take-away food comes packaged in? While it may not be lead, it is easy to cut and bend.
21 May 2019, 14:12
Andreas KoziolYou know I don't like brand new tanks! 😄 That's why I worked a little bit on the wheels of the Merkava and worn out the running surfaces of the rubber wheels.
22 May 2019, 15:20
Bryn CrandellLooking good. I like the detail you accomplished on the road wheels. Looks really good. I presume you used a dremel tool to do the surgery.
22 May 2019, 20:48
Andreas KoziolThanks Bryn and yes I use a dremel tool for this.
Thomas I knew you would love it! ;D
23 May 2019, 13:35
Andreas KoziolWorked on the anti-slip coating of the upper hull. This is my first time using this technique. I hope the final result will look good.
24 May 2019, 14:47
Andreas KoziolRui for the coating I used the products of the polish company VMS - the HULL TEX cement & texture.
scalemates.com/kits/..0-ml-bundle--1114699
25 May 2019, 13:07
Andreas KoziolI did it and removed the two side fenders/mudguards at the front! Simply because otherwise I would not have been able to glue together the upper & lower hull before the painting and the wheels & tracks assembly until the end. In my opinion that was the best solution to continue working well on the tank.
29 May 2019, 20:04
Andreas KoziolBack from vacation! This was the first time I used this art of jig for the track assembly. Works fine, but the single links don't fit perfectly together.
12 June 2019, 23:04
Paul ShearerI have been following your build on IG. Now I'll watch here too! Nice work so far. I love the jig they provide for assembling tracks
13 June 2019, 01:08
Andreas KoziolAfter 25 hours of glueing, assembling and applying anti-slip coating starts now my favorite part in modeling - the paint- and weathering job. 🙂
14 June 2019, 14:16
Andreas KoziolBlack is beautiful! The tank got its first color with the black Vallejo primer and I have to say that the anti-slip coating is still very good. I'll take care of preshading next - for the very first time.
15 June 2019, 14:47
Slavo HazuchaAnti-slip looks crisp, this is going to be a real joy to watch getting done! 👍
15 June 2019, 17:47
Andreas KoziolMy first attempt at preshading in the form of panel lighting has also gone pretty well! I made the following three mistakes: 1.) Forget to turn on the compressor. Now I also know how the spray picture looks like when the pressure is too low. 2.) Too much color filled in the gravity feed cup or no lid on it. And 3.) far too much white paint applied so that one has now hardly any contrast to the black color. Modeling is an eternal process of trying out, making mistakes and learning.😉
16 June 2019, 14:45
Samuel P👍 such a joy to watch this build, I also have a ton of those cat scratchers, will now put them to good use after the cats are done with them!
19 June 2019, 15:06
Andreas KoziolHehe, you mean the holder for all the small parts? Yes the thing is originally intended for cats! 😄
20 June 2019, 12:56
Andreas KoziolThis time i made a really bad decision! I painted the white mark on the barrel not with the airbrush but by hand - and all because I was just too lazy to activate the airbrush for that bit of white paint. As you can see, the result looks really awful! I would like to sand everything down and airbrush again, but that would destroy almost all the details at the barrel. So all I can hope for, is that I can hide as much of the weathering as possible in the end. Again a mistake on my list I will not do next time. :/
22 June 2019, 13:17
Andreas KoziolSince the modern tanks, in contrast to the older ones from the World Wars, can show very little to no chipping, I will be very restrained here too. Just a few minor scratches and no chipping on the metal. Above without and below with chipping.
23 June 2019, 14:14
Rene ScheiblichYou could also try to remove the paint by dissolving it. Less harsh way if you choose the right solvent 🙂
Otherwise the Merkava looks great so far👍😎
23 June 2019, 14:25
Andreas KoziolHere we are! The Merkava has now received his clear coat.
Now starts my favorite part of model building - the weathering. 🙂
25 June 2019, 15:25
Slavo HazuchaOn a more serious note, I am really looking forward to see how weathering will go with the anti-slip surfaces. The whole build looks great so far - Patiently waiting for the next photo release!
25 June 2019, 21:51
Andreas KoziolSlavo I know what you mean, the anti-slip with its large surface is like a sponge. we will see...😉
25 June 2019, 22:48
Andreas KoziolThanks Spanjaard! 👍
Enjoy the sunny day and start with the weathering outside. 🙂
29 June 2019, 14:59
Andreas KoziolWe had already talked about, that the Ammo of Mig color is closest to the original. On the right you can see the turret with my basic color of Vallejo. Left the hull after the treatment with the Tamiya wash, which I also used like a filter. Two now completely different colors, one very gray and the other more brownish.
30 June 2019, 14:04
Bryn CrandellLooked like you had everything you needed to do weather. And you kept yourself hydrated.
1 July 2019, 01:54
Andreas KoziolCheers Bryn!😉
I made it really easy this time and completed three tasks with only one step: filter, wash and streaks. I use the tamiya panel line accent color and some thinner for blending.
1 July 2019, 14:13
Rene ScheiblichVery nice progress. I like the restrained weathering. Fits the tank very nicely!
Stark contrast to the Löwe as well😉
1 July 2019, 16:02
Moritz FentzahnSubtle and realistic effect on the side skirts 👍. Following with interest
1 July 2019, 16:05
Andreas KoziolThanks Rene, Moritz and James!
And yes the contrast to my previous models is really very big.
2 July 2019, 10:21
Mark NorfolkWow Andreas. I'm greatly admiring your anti slip coating and the 'damage' to the rubber wheels - I wondered about that and read this whole thread to discover you did it! Very impressive - looks very realistic. And I am inspired by the cat scratcher use too - I have been thinking about what to get for that very purpose. You have solved that for me! Really looking forward to see your next progression.
2 July 2019, 15:09
Andreas KoziolThanks Soeren and Mark! 👍
And yes, the cat scratcher is a really cheap solution if you have too few hands.😉
3 July 2019, 11:18
Andreas KoziolTracks weathering: Only black primer and some Middle East Dust pigments mixed with water. Finished with some graphite for the metal effect.
5 July 2019, 18:58
Rene ScheiblichSimple in execution but looks very good!
Did you fix the white marking on the barrel? 🙂
5 July 2019, 21:58
Slavo HazuchaWanted to write the same thing - simple, but lacking in no department & fits perfectly to the rest of the weathering project so far. Looking forward to see it all come together!
6 July 2019, 06:53
Sergej IBeautiful, photos aswel as model, also nice H&S playing with odorless turp outside😉
Andreas, after you put the dust on the tracks, how did you fix it?
6 July 2019, 07:09
Andreas Koziol@Rene I have some Merkava reference photos found on which the white mark looks just as bad as mine, so I did not fix it!
@Slavo Thanks, I look forward to it next week should be ready.
@Sergej I do not use a fixer for my pigments because I find that he always lets them go unnatural.
6 July 2019, 09:14
Paul ShearerOften as not the barrel stripe is just slopped on with a brush. Neatness isn't that necessary
6 July 2019, 16:15
Andreas KoziolThanks Laurent and yes Paul, that's true.
Work on the details! Next time I will not have to apply so thick or thin the transparent paint for the optics, because only when I shine with the lamp you can see the color, otherwise it looks very dark almost like black.
7 July 2019, 15:19
Slavo HazuchaBut isn't that as it should be, these parts looking dark until they flash-up in a certain light & angle? If that is the "full reflection" appearance, then it looks pretty good IMHO.
7 July 2019, 15:26
Rui SIt looks like it has light from ínside. Looks fine to me 👍, but I'M not an espert on Merkavas
7 July 2019, 18:12
Rene ScheiblichYep looks fine from over here. These vision blocks do look very dark on real tanks 🙂
Thanks for the info on the white barrelmarking. Good to know, I have an Academy Merkava waiting in line 👍
8 July 2019, 03:50
Andreas KoziolThanks Chris! 👍
@Slavo I think even you are right, that is only depending on the light that they then show the colored glass.
@Rui I also lit up with a lamp from below.😉
@Rene I'm glad when I'm done with that tank! 😄
8 July 2019, 11:16
Andreas KoziolIf I want to represent real mud, that is a sublime structure, then I use Acrylic Varnish for it. Simply because it absorbs the most pigments, maintains the structure and also does not let it go.
9 July 2019, 13:19
Mark NorfolkI think this is really very impressive Andreas. So looking forward to the finished tank. It's fascinating watching it progress.
9 July 2019, 16:21
Slavo HazuchaNice progress & teaser shots - by all means the whole thing should look seriously good - happily waiting for the final episodes!
10 July 2019, 13:31
Rene ScheiblichHmm this beast has seen some mud. I like it!
The detail pics are promising, I'll take a seat next to Slavo on the Anticipation-Bench 🙂
11 July 2019, 16:43
Andreas KoziolOkay my friends, this will be the last sneak preview before I hopefully present you the final model on sunday. Keep your fingers crossed!😉
12 July 2019, 14:08
Andreas KoziolIt's done! This project has cost by far the most time of all my models: 58 working hours spread over two months. More photos & details will follow the next days. Constructive criticism is welcome - I hope you like it too?
14 July 2019, 12:06
Slavo HazuchaThe signs were there for some time that this is not going to be too bad, but what an outcome! 👍 Looks great, I'm looking forward to the photo-series, maybe if I invest 58 hours to check the pics, I'll find something to critically comment😉
14 July 2019, 12:17
Andreas KoziolThanks for all your kind words my scalemates! I am glad that you like it! 🙂
It was particularly difficult to create a realistic weathering on the anti-slip coating.
and I made some fingerprints (never touch a model with your naked hands after pigments)
and some problems with the tracks on one side...but you will see.😉
15 July 2019, 10:39
Andreas KoziolHere are some more detail pics of my israeli Merkava Mk.2B
What a beautiful back! 🙂 Can you see the fingerprint?
15 July 2019, 14:43
NeulingEin Prachtstück. Es stimmt alles. Eine daktyloskopische Schnellanalyse weist Dir im übrigen beste Bastlereigenschaft zu. Neben Deinem Merkava sieht meiner aus den Neunzigern - in jeder Hinsicht - alt aus!
15 July 2019, 14:48
Holger KranichGeiler Merkava! Eindrucksvolles Stück. Was man beim nächsten Mal anders macht oder ändern kann, weist Du jetzt selbst. Ich freue mich auf Dein achtes Machwerk!
15 July 2019, 14:51
Slavo HazuchaI can see the fingerprint of a highly competent builder doing a marvelous job with several challenging techniques at once!😉 Looks great in every aspect & detail so far. Artistically, my fav is still the first complete picture - the turret position "looking back over the shoulder" and that 3/4 from behind photo perspective just have a special sense of "presence" - extremely cool with this tank!
15 July 2019, 15:02
Andreas KoziolThanks again for all your kind words scalemates!
@Neuling But I think you can not compare models from the nineties with those of today.😉
@Holger I think project 8 will be something smaller and faster to build.
@Slavo Hehe, You always have the right words! 👍
16 July 2019, 08:49
Nathan DempseyNice! Those new pics really show all the extra love you put into this kit Andreas.
16 July 2019, 20:28
Jim JAwesome work Andreas! Recently, I saw my first one of these up close at the tank museum in Saumur Fr. Great job on the non-slip coating on top. It makes all the difference.
17 July 2019, 03:39
Andreas KoziolHere you can see my biggest mistake with this model on the rear pulley, the chain is not on! I do not know why but for some reason the chain on this side of the tank did not fit, even though it has as many links as the other side!?
17 July 2019, 14:45
Andreas KoziolThanks Chris & Hans. Do this Project together with a modelling friend (he build the same kit at the same time), and one rule was no aftermarkets.😉
18 July 2019, 15:30
Thomas K.Tolle Arbeit, Andreas ! 👍 ; Ich denke das die Ammo of MiG -Farbe besser gekommen wäre! 😉
22 July 2019, 20:08
Bryn CrandellAn absoulutely amazing build. Some really great tips and pointers in this build.
2 August 2019, 18:02
Markus Antoniusexcellent weathering and details! why are the antennas painted white?
25 January 2020, 09:03
Andreas Koziol@Stefaan: I used the products of the polish company VMS - the HULL TEX cement & texture.
instagram.com/p/Bx4vCx2BlOJ/
Thanks @Jean & @Markus - about the white antennas: I don't know the exact reason, but I think white gives the least contrast to the background/horizon!?
26 January 2020, 00:26
