hey guys, here is my academy 1/35 merkava II i am working on. before you start to be “harsh” on me, lol, i already know that the backdrop isn’t compatible with the model color, i just already had it up and was too lazy to change it, the rear chains are too long, and i am in the process of cutting them down right now. also the cables from the mine roller aren’t connected yet, because that would cause me to glue the upper and lower hulls together, which i still have to add the tracks, and i can’t do that with the side skirts in the way, so i haven’t done that yet. and any seams you might see between the hulls, its because its not glued. i also haven’t started the non-slip surface yet. so far, i have to say it has been quite a challenging and fun build. the chains will sure test your patience. most of it is OOB with the exception of the chains and balls and some grab handles. any advice and comments are welcome. no thin skin here. appreciate all the advice in advance guys.
No expert, but the only thing I would like to comment about at this stage is that the chain holding the “dogbone” between the mine rollers may be a bit too long. It should be long enough that the dogbone can “roll” freely on the ground between the rollers, but not so much that it might foul the rollers on uneven ground.
Looking like it is coming along nicely. Here is a tip for the hull halves. I assemble and glue them all together, hull, skirts and all. To attach the track, I leave the road wheels and sprocket loose so they still spin. Attach the track to the sprocket teeth and feed it through, spinning the sprocket. Attach the two ends together, then rotate the joint up under the skirt, where it can’t be seen. If you are using indi-link track, I only assemble what can be seen from under the skirts. By attaching the hull halves before painting, you get a better joint and don’t risk fouling up the paint job as well.
It looks like the ball and chain armor is too long with balls that are too large. (I know what that sounds like!) This should just graze the top of the rear deck. There should be more of them as well. I know, hello, tedium!. Looks like you used fishing sinkers. When I did mine several yeas ago, I used small craft beads attached to costume jewelry chain with brass wire. I think there were about 80 assemblies in all in two or three lengths. Here’s what it looks like:
thanks guys. i knew the chains were going to be a huge pain in my butt. i used balls, hehe, from bathtub stopper chain. obvioulsy this is way out of scale, and i think i need to take some “harsh” advice and go to michaels and see if i can find some beads more in scale and some chain. or is the chain fine? just too long? i have double the holes drilled, but only used half of them because of the scale of the chain and balls, so if i downsize, i’ll have half as much more chain. i like the idea and technique with the tracks, but i think i will pass on this kit. with the rollers beaing attached, i feel real akward and scared trying to handle more than i have too. but i will try it on my next kit [:D] thanks guys, i’ll be sure to keep you posted when i finish the many hours of trying to re-chain everything. hehe
Lookin pretty good. the chains and balls are completely out of scale. When I build these I typically don’t put the skits on, and leave the wheels off. After it’s all painted then I’ll attach them, the side skirts go on last to assist in putting the tracks on. I would have left the mine roller off and painted it separately. I think the thing you need to think about is sub assembiles. Are you going to replicate the cast texture on the turret sides too? Should be interesting to see what you’ll do with the chains. I will count them tomorrow to give you the exact number on the Merk II. If you get the fine chain with the small ball weights, the lenghts will be about 7 links per chain along the back and will start at 7 or so along the sides, shrinking down to about two at the ends.
Looks good! All I would suggest is some more smoke weathering around the outlets (even new, they became black very quickly, those American Diesels are smokers). Personally, I use a little dark pastels mixed up (try black, dark brown, and a few tiny bits of purple, yellow, etc), then smudged on. However, personal choice, and it’s fine as it is.
song.