Stokesy's 1/35 Magach 3 with ERA (M48 Patton)

[Stokesy44]

So here we go again, this time we're off to the races with something of a first for me. My first ever post-WW2 tank

Before we begin I just have to say a massive thank you to Paul and Lee of ISM as this kit was the prize in the August prize draw.



I'll admit the kit was not on my radar but its a beauty. Based on the M48 Patton, the Magach 3 is the updated Israeli version (bigger gun, better tech and a new engine). I'm not being a know it all - I looked it up

The box references the six day war in 1967 but this is a bit of a misnomer as far as the contents are concerned. The Explosive Reactant Armour or ERA on the tank was not around in 1967!

Its a Dragon beasty alright.



The hull is fascinating - you can see the effects of the lessons learned by the Americans in WW2, specifically in the hull shape. It differs from the early M48s shape-wise but you can see the late war genes in there.





Parts are beautifully detailed, its a Dragon so there's lots of bits but its going together nicely so far.







That's as far as I got today. Next up is finishing the suspension, gluing the hulls together and starting on the rear decking.

Its a great kit so far

[Tomcat64]

You're not hanging about are you mate - looking forward to seeing what you do with this one

[Stokesy44]

You're not hanging about are you mate - looking forward to seeing what you do with this one

Thanks mate. I hadn't planned on building this for a while but I saw a build video on Andy's Hobby Headquarters and thought, 'I'm having some of that!'. I love Andy's videos, the guy obviously loves what he does and his enthusiasm is infectious. Well worth a look see.

I'm hoping I'll get the post war bug from building this one. I recently got a Meng Leopard 2 for my Birthday and bought an AFV Club IDF M109 SP a couple of months ago. Two stunning kits and I don't think they'll sit long in the stash

[TheNordus]

You're not hanging about are you mate - looking forward to seeing what you do with this one

Thanks mate. I hadn't planned on building this for a while but I saw a build video on Andy's Hobby Headquarters and thought, 'I'm having some of that!'. I love Andy's videos, the guy obviously loves what he does and his enthusiasm is infectious. Well worth a look see.

I'm hoping I'll get the post war bug from building this one. I recently got a Meng Leopard 2 for my Birthday and bought an AFV Club IDF M109 SP a couple of months ago. Two stunning kits and I don't think they'll sit long in the stash

There's nothing wrong with building wartime tanks you know! Especially Panzers. I wish to see lots more WW2 build threads here.

I love the cast texture on that hull. Shame it gets covered in ERA. For some reason I haven't been able to get into Israeli armor at all, don't know why, I really like how the Tiran 5 from Tamiya looks.

[Stokesy44]

There's nothing wrong with building wartime tanks you know! Especially Panzers. I wish to see lots more WW2 build threads here.

I love the cast texture on that hull. Shame it gets covered in ERA. For some reason I haven't been able to get into Israeli armor at all, don't know why, I really like how the Tiran 5 from Tamiya looks.

Completely agree mate. I've only been building armour for about 2 years and the majority has been German WW2 stuff, there's just so much more variety with the German kits. I've been very happy with the Allied stuff I've made but my stash now has 3 Tiger I's, a Tiger II, a Nashorn and a Panzer IV flakwagon versus only 1 offering on the Allied side, a Ruskie JS-2m heavy tank!

As for the Magach, agree re the cast texture but the ERA stuff looks awesome (on the sprue anyway!). As for getting into Israeli armour, there's tons to choose from and I'm worried that I may have to break my 'No more buying kits for a while' vow at some point

I also have a strong feeling that if I enjoy the more modern stuff I will have to get am Abrams, a Challenger II and a T90 at some point too

[Tomcat64]

It's strange isn't it - for aircraft I'll build pretty much anything from any era, yet for armour I've been building almost exclusively WW2 era subjects and that's all that's in the stash too. Yet in reality I love the cold-war stuff as well... don't make me break my "no more kits" rule and get a Scorpion or Chieftain now...

[Stokesy44]

It's strange isn't it - for aircraft I'll build pretty much anything from any era, yet for armour I've been building almost exclusively WW2 era subjects and that's all that's in the stash too. Yet in reality I love the cold-war stuff as well... don't make me break my "no more kits" rule and get a Scorpion or Chieftain now...

Yep, it sure is. I wouldn’t even consider aircraft outside WW2. I never thought I’d fancy modern armour either but here we are.

As for your no kits policy...... good luck with that my friend

[Stokesy44]

Nice pre-rugby session today.

ERA applied on the front of the hull





Then it was on to the rear deck and a jigsaw puzzle from Dragon



Being a Dragon there's a lot of bits to play with but the quality of the detail and fit is just beautiful







Then it was time to finish off the suspension and running gear - again lots of parts but once I regained consciousness after looking at the instructions it was all straight forward and fitted like a glove.





Its also level - which is a minor miracle

[Kevthemodeller]

I saw a build video on Andy's Hobby Headquarters and thought, 'I'm having some of that!'. I love Andy's videos, the guy obviously loves what he does and his enthusiasm is infectious.

He is good isn't he, lots of great tip and ideas, only wish there was a model shop like that near me.

I
bought an AFV Club IDF M109 SP a couple of months ago

Great minds think alike mate I too got the same AFV kit only last month. I've always liked IDF armour, I can remember the news reports on the TV in the 70s and through to the 90's with Lebanon etc.

I do like modern armour and ERA, personally I think it makes the M60 so much better looking.

[TommyKillander]

Looks like a great kit!

Following this with interest - great job sofar!


Tommy

[digger303]

Some great looking detail on the suspension and so far part fit is looking good.

[Stokesy44]

Great minds think alike mate I too got the same AFV kit only last month. I've always liked IDF armour, I can remember the news reports on the TV in the 70s and through to the 90's with Lebanon etc.

I do like modern armour and ERA, personally I think it makes the M60 so much better looking.

Drove up to Breedon this morning for the paints I need for the Magach. Fell over in the shop and accidentally bought these



Looks like the fancy new bench light I was planning to buy this month is off the negotiating table

And these arrived in the post - water pens for decal solutions, gonna turn me into a decaling genius



Feeling quite smug right now - the guilt will follow later

[Kevthemodeller]

I know you've really got to watch all that falling

[Stokesy44]

Some great looking detail on the suspension and so far part fit is looking good.

Looks like a great kit!

Following this with interest - great job sofar!


Tommy

Thanks guys. Its certainly gone well so far. I'm currently working my way through the wheels. 14 of them, four parts to each and 4 sprue gates or lugs on each part

The fit has been great as you said. A build video I've seen commented the turret is a little trickier than the hull so standby for some sausage-fingered mayhem

[digger303]

Great minds think alike mate I too got the same AFV kit only last month. I've always liked IDF armour, I can remember the news reports on the TV in the 70s and through to the 90's with Lebanon etc.

I do like modern armour and ERA, personally I think it makes the M60 so much better looking.

Drove up to Breedon this morning for the paints I need for the Magach. Fell over in the shop and accidentally bought these :lol

Feeling quite smug right now - the guilt will follow later

I hope your wallet didn't suffer too much pain when you landed on it...

nice pickups....

I was lucky enough to pick up a Tasca Sherman recovery vechicle for 19 pounds BUT my wallet suffered as well cause my modelling budget is all used up now after buying a Vulcan Vickers tank plus some weather products from VMS due to there sales promotion....free freight plus thinners.... . Still haven't even got next months cheque yet

[Stokesy44]

I hope your wallet didn't suffer too much pain when you landed on it...

nice pickups....

I was lucky enough to pick up a Tasca Sherman recovery vechicle for 19 pounds BUT my wallet suffered as well cause my modelling budget is all used up now after buying a Vulcan Vickers tank plus some weather products from VMS due to there sales promotion....free freight plus thinners.... . Still haven't even got next months cheque yet

I'll let you know about my wallet when I visit it later at the hospital

Sounds like you got some good deals there, what's the old phrase, 'Spend in haste, repent at leisure', or something like that

[Tomcat64]

As for your no kits policy...... good luck with that my friend

Well I've got a birthday coming up soon and presents don't count do they?? Even if you buy them for yourself??

Nice progress on the Magach though - Dragon do seem to overcomplicate their instructions from what I've seen of them too!

You'll notice I've discreetly not mentioned the additional stash... ooops!

[Stokesy44]

As for your no kits policy...... good luck with that my friend

Well I've got a birthday coming up soon and presents don't count do they?? Even if you buy them for yourself??

Nice progress on the Magach though - Dragon do seem to overcomplicate their instructions from what I've seen of them too!

You'll notice I've discreetly not mentioned the additional stash... ooops!

Presents definitely don’t count. Days after stating my no kits policy I was up at Breedon buying my Leopard for my birthday, courtesy of my sister and her family.

The instructions ARE complicated but they’re ok if you take your time and be sure of what’s going on. The pay off is the fit. I’ll post an update later but this thing keeps going together beautifully.

[Stokesy44]

All 14 wheels are done. I sanded the rims after I took the pic so they're all nice and ready for primer now.



Then it was on to the fenders.

Here's the one I did yesterday. Going to need a tiny bit of filler on the end pieces, no problem.





And this is today's offering. All parts cut out and cleaned up.



Beautiful fit again, all done





Dry fitting. This thing is going to look really nice when the paint goes down. So much to work with.





Now properly attached. I used CA glue in a couple of places. The 2 main pieces had warped a little as a result of being in the box so the CA ensured they straightened up nicely.

IMG_6066 by David Stokes, on Flickr



Now its time for the turret

[Tomcat64]

Very nice work mate - I see what you mean about this resembling something from Battlestar Galactica from the top though!

[ElCapitan]

Looking great! There's nothing better than a kit that has a good fit!

Safe to say you've developed a taste for post-WWII armour then?

[Stokesy44]

Very nice work mate - I see what you mean about this resembling something from Battlestar Galactica from the top though!

Cheers mate, at least with the fenders on she looks less spacey now.

[Stokesy44]

Looking great! There's nothing better than a kit that has a good fit!

Safe to say you've developed a taste for post-WWII armour then?

Thank you Sir. I agree on the benefits of a good fit. I know some people enjoy the challenge of turning a sow's ear into a silk purse but for me the challenge with a kit is on the painting side, I don't want to get mired in having to 'fix' a kit to get it presentable. Lots of people enjoy that but not me.

As for my developing taste, most definitely. What I'm aiming to avoid though is any kind of OD on modern stuff. I've got 3 beauties in the stash now but next up for me will be an aircraft of some description or some WW2 armour. What is it they say, familiarity breeds contempt? I'm trying to avoid binging and falling out of love with my newfound muse

[Stokesy44]

Heck of a day gents, heck of a day.

The turret lived up to its billing!

This is just the first 2 steps for the turret, there's 5 or 6 in all!!!!!!



Progress before lunch at about 2pm. The rear basket was a bit of a PITA but the real issue here was the guesswork required for adding the ERA. Two things, the instructions have the wrong part numbers for the individual blocks and there are no connection marks / points on the turret surface for adding the ERA (and pretty much anything else!) once the pieces are done.

Thankfully the racks that the individual blocks sit on before they go on the turret have the part numbers for each block embossed on them in the middle of the attachment points. I ignored the instructions and went with those numbers. Got there in the end





Carried on after lunch. The turret is about 3/4 done. The heavy lifting is over, just the cupola, mg mounts and a few bits and bobs left. I was feeling it by then so I changed tack. I test fitted the gun and mount cover. There's a framework of ERA to go over the cover but that's for another day. Finished off with having a look-see at the turret in position on the hull.













Cannot wait to get to the painting stage.

[Kevthemodeller]

It's all looking good mate I can't wait to build mine now, I may just may delay my next planned build and slot it in

[Stokesy44]

It's all looking good mate I can't wait to build mine now, I may just may delay my next planned build and slot it in

Thanks Kev. It certainly is a beauty. There's a couple of blips in the instructions, I've covered the numbering of the ERA blocks on the turret but there's also a couple of blocks that appear on the hull just forward of the gun mount that are nowhere in the instructions. They just appear in later photos when the instructions are covering other things.

Andy covers these in his excellent build video on his channel - I would highly recommend a viewing prior to starting the kit.



At 1pm today I declared the build phase complete. I'm commenting about timings and build phases on this thing because it is, hands down, the most detailed work I've had to put in on a kit. Its been hard work but at no point did I feel I wasn't enjoying things. If there had been fit issues it might have defeated me but other than some vagueness in the instructions this thing has gone together beautifully.

Here's the ERA on its frame for the gun mount. The frame had six sprue gates plus about 4 lugs that needed cutting off. With every knife cut I thought, I'm gonna break this thing,' but thankfully it came through the ordeal intact A little bit of clean up with a sander and file and it was good to go.



Turret complete - yay The co-ax mount on the gun mount frame was 4 bits - the legs were individual parts

I've left the 3 mgs off as there is no way I wouldn't have broken them off during the painting and weathering phases. I'll do them separately and pop them on right at the end.









A painter's dream? I really, REALLY hope so! - You can see one of the 'magic' ERA blocks on the forward hull, directly below the gun mount, next to the vision port.









I'll leave it for today and prime it tomorrow, hopefully that way all the glue points will fully cure before I do anything else.

[ElCapitan]

Wow, fantastic work! That's an insane amount of detail!!

[Stokesy44]

Wow, fantastic work! That's an insane amount of detail!!

Thanks mate. It certainly is a detailed beast! I've got a Tiran 4 in the stash and it will be fun to see how the two compare when I get around to building it. ERA aside, the contrast between a US and a Russian designed tank of similar age will be interesting to look at.

Got the primer down today, its been a great build but I am definitely glad the painting has started. One final thing I did before spraying, I painted Krystal Clear over the hull and turret vision ports so I can still show the glass when its all done.



Ultimate black primer. For some reason I had a fair bit of tip dry today. I don't know why, it was a minor inconvenience and it didn't affect the final coverage but it was surprising nonetheless.



The turret is looking good, I gave it a good look before priming and used a sander on any seams or abrasions I had missed during the build.





Gun barrel and mount. Quite a challenge getting the paint in and behind the ERA blocks, the frame and the cover



Wheels all present and correct, simplest part of the session



And the hull, lots of angles to get coverage and lots and LOTS of primer used!







I'll give it 24 hours then do the shadow coat and base colour tomorrow.

[Kevthemodeller]

I painted Krystal Clear over the hull and turret vision ports so I can still show the glass when its all done.

Is that some kind of masking mate?

[Stokesy44]

I painted Krystal Clear over the hull and turret vision ports so I can still show the glass when its all done.

Is that some kind of masking mate?

Its the Microscale stuff, you can use it to make windows and clear lenses etc., looks like white glue and dries perfectly clear. It has the same adhesive properties as PVA so I can just peel it off when all the painting's done. I probably could have used PVA but the Krystal was nearer

https://www.emodels.co.uk/microscale-mi ... -mskk.html

[Stokesy44]

Got tripped up by those pesky Dragon instructions again. Was looking at some reference pics and spotted the forward spot lamps. My Magach doesn't have any lamps! Something is askew

Checked back at the earlier sections of the instructions and there they were So, out with the superglue and the knife and on they went.



Once they were primed - and the tracks too - forgot those yesterday , it was time for the shadow coat. Tamiya white, nice and thin.





Then the base coat. I made a mix of XF66 Light Grey and XF49 Khaki split 50/50. I made a decent amount and bottled it with some thinner in a nice dropper bottle so I can use it for any touch ups later on. The colour went down really nicely, a very pleasant session



Coverage is a bit thin just to the side of the gun mount. You can see it better in a later pic. That'll get fixed tomorrow with a bit more spraying.













You can see where it needs a little bit more paint.







I only gave the wheels a light coat as I want them to be a bit on the darker side, relative to the hull. I may have 'underdone' the effect so will spray some additional colour to brighten the wheels up just a tad.



That's tomorrow's job along with a little more paint on the turret. I'll also paint the wheel rims with Vallejo Model Air Black. The rims will get a buff filter for dust after that as black will stand out too much. Then its decals then a matt coat prior to weathering.

[Tomcat64]

Looking fantastic mate! I think you're right about the wheels looking a bit dark but everything else is great

[Stokesy44]

Looking fantastic mate! I think you're right about the wheels looking a bit dark but everything else is great

Thanks TC, I did all the tidying up today then put the 3 mgs together. Dragon tripped me up in .50 calibre co-ax, the ammo box doesn't meet the gun breach when mated to the gun, the instructions don't tell you to add some links of .50 ammo to bridge the gap, thankfully I spied a belt on the sprue so cut out a few rounds and they slotted in beautifully.



The two hatch mounted guns were more straight forward, lovely detail and a bit fiddly. A little bit of clean up needs doing (sprue gate on the ammo box ) before painting but they look pretty good so far.





If I get the chance I'll decal this afternoon and matt clear, ready for oils tomorrow. And I've still got to do the rubber wheel trims.

[TheNordus]

I don't intend to pick nits, but I do think the .50 cal can only feed if the box is flipped open, so not having a belt of ammo would be somewhat accurate. he machine guns look very nice. Were the tips slide-molded? I just finished building the Dragon M6A1 tank and it was a bit of a marvel of plastic engineering, each gun barrel was slide-molded to be open and the detail overall was very good. Then I dropped it and one of the .50 cal gun barrels on the hull front snapped off. !@$¤!%

[Stokesy44]

I don't intend to pick nits, but I do think the .50 cal can only feed if the box is flipped open, so not having a belt of ammo would be somewhat accurate. he machine guns look very nice. Were the tips slide-molded? I just finished building the Dragon M6A1 tank and it was a bit of a marvel of plastic engineering, each gun barrel was slide-molded to be open and the detail overall was very good. Then I dropped it and one of the .50 cal gun barrels on the hull front snapped off. !@$¤!%

Oh no, don’t tell me I’ve got to take the ammo out, it looks so cool

The .50 has a beautiful open end to the barrel but the smaller mgs don’t. I’ve got some weenie drill bits so I may try and open them up.

[TheNordus]

Oh no, don’t tell me I’ve got to take the ammo out, it looks so cool

The .50 has a beautiful open end to the barrel but the smaller mgs don’t. I’ve got some weenie drill bits so I may try and open them up.

I do agree that it looks very cool, I don't see that detail often in model kits, which is a bit weird to me, since this hobby is often so focused on small details.

I've been meaning to buy a set of tiny drill bits, haven't gotten round to it. I think the smallest bit I have is 1mm, which is still very wide for drilling out barrels.

[Stokesy44]

I've been meaning to buy a set of tiny drill bits, haven't gotten round to it. I think the smallest bit I have is 1mm, which is still very wide for drilling out barrels.

I've got a really nice set of bits and the smallest is a fair bit less then 1mm. Its still not small enough to drill out the mgs though. I'll just paint the ends black and take the win.

[Kevthemodeller]

Oh no, don’t tell me I’ve got to take the ammo out, it looks so cool

The .50 has a beautiful open end to the barrel but the smaller mgs don’t. I’ve got some weenie drill bits so I may try and open them up.

Sadly if you want total accuracy, then yes the lid must be open but you can have them in a ready state, that's where the belt is in the feed tray and the lid on the box is almost closed. This way it keeps the worst of the rain/dirt/dust out, but you'd have to cut the lid and raise it slightly at the feed tray end

[Stokesy44]

Thanks Kev

I think that’s what I’ve ended up with. The box lid does look open at the end where the belt feeds into the mg.

[Kevthemodeller]

Thanks Kev

I think that’s what I’ve ended up with. The box lid does look open at the end where the belt feeds into the mg.

[Stokesy44]

Thanks Kev

I think that’s what I’ve ended up with. The box lid does look open at the end where the belt feeds into the mg.

Here's how it looks, I reckon it'll pass inspection.





Got the decals down, no drama. The paint finish is pretty smooth so I didn't need to gloss before applying.







Road wheels on - and you can see the solitary decal needed on the hull - why I love AFVs





The sprocket isn't glued, the way the tracks are applied is to wrap the tracks round the sprocket then ease the sprocket onto the hull and the track over the wheels. I test fitted the track and it slides over the wheels nicely before settling down.



This is my first time with DS tracks and while they're nice and detailed, its very easy to rub the primer off, whether that's a trait of the material or down to my painting skills I don't know. My plan is to leave them off until the very end of the build, slip them on and weather them to finish everything off. I've cleaned up the offending areas with Vallejo black and will put them aside for now. Before they go on I'll paint the metal parts of the track with Vallejo steel, the rubber pads will be left black until the weathering gets done.

AND - the big news is I've ordered a proper light for the bench. The natural light (particularly over the winter) and the ceiling lights are not really good enough for modelling and taking pics so I've ordered a light based on a couple of threads on here and Paul B's recommendation.

http://cpc.farnell.com/shesto/lc8015/ta ... dp/LA03103

Hopefully it will arrive tomorrow, more like Tuesday

[Kevthemodeller]

Thanks Kev

I think that’s what I’ve ended up with. The box lid does look open at the end where the belt feeds into the mg.

Here's how it looks, I reckon it'll pass inspection.





:

That's it mate

[TheNordus]

Looking rather excellent. I'm usually a bit disappointed in the lack of decals in armour kits, I like the effect good decals add to a model.

[Stokesy44]

Looking rather excellent. I'm usually a bit disappointed in the lack of decals in armour kits, I like the effect good decals add to a model.

Thanks, I know what you mean re the decals. When I build aircraft there's something about the moment the main decals go on. I tend to build WW2 aircraft only and there's that moment when the national insignias go on and the kit suddenly looks like its rolling out of the factory before going to a particular unit for the squadron codes.

I don't build jets anymore because the stencil process is just not enjoyable to me. Everyone's different, its just not my thing.

[Stokesy44]

AK Ultra Matt Varnish this morning to seal the paint and decals. Then it was on to filters. I'm looking for a yellowing and fading of the paintwork so I only used yellow ochre and white.



The thinner was still drying when I took this pic. I really like the sheen it gives the metal. I'm really tempted to add a satin varnish at the end of the build to simulate this effect. I'll see when the time comes.



I chipped the hull and turret















Finished off the mg's too.



Next up is a gloss varnish so I can then apply a pin wash before oil and dirt stains. Nearly there, should be finished by Wednesday.

[Tomcat64]

wow - this has really moved along well since I was last able to drop in!

Great work on the MGs as well as the tank itself mate!

[Stokesy44]

wow - this has really moved along well since I was last able to drop in!

Great work on the MGs as well as the tank itself mate!

Cheers mate, yep I'm liking the MGs too, tempted to put them on but I know the sausage fingered one will knock them off before its finished.

Currently waiting for my new bench light before carrying on. Tracking says its in an UPS van somewhere on the way here......

[Stokesy44]

No sign of the UPS man yet so did a few bits in the mean time.

Painted the metal sections of the tracks





Then sprayed aqua gloss in prep for a wash. I am DEFINITELY going to finish this off with some sort of satin / semi-gloss coat. It looks so darn metallic with a sheen on it it looks heavier and the colour is so much deeper.

[Vindicare]

like yoda would say

"Interesting this build is!"

[TheNordus]

I love the dual-colour tracks. The tank looks great as well. The engine deck louvers might have done with some more washing, or maybe it's just the angle the photos are taken from.