Israel Defence Forces M247 DIVADS

[Jakko]

Thanks I need to fill those gaps on the edges of the engine deck, though, but I keep forgetting because it’s not as obvious IRL as in the pictures …

 

[Jakko]

Everything for this model together:



Well, minus the radar covers, as I forgot to put them in the picture …

The tracks are finally fully assembled, which was the last bit that needed to be done, and I hope Meng’s recommended 101 links are correct. If not, then at least Meng is not one of those manufacturers that give you only just enough links. This is what I had left after building two full tracks and losing some pins early on before I worked out how to best put the links together:



On the tank, the guns are still loose, as is the Stinger launcher. I’ll only remove the wheels from the sprues once they’ve been painted. The commander is from MiniArt, though he still needs a lead for his headphones, and the jerrycans are from Academy.

 

[scottie3158]

Jakko,
Nice work bring on the paint.

 

[Jim R]

That's looking great Jakko. The tracks look good but sound a nightmare. Having some links with short moulded holes just adds to the difficulties. I like the look of those cutters for brass but they are a heavy price for something that probably won't get a lot of use. As Scottie says "time for paint".

 

[Jakko]

Nice work bring on the paint.

Soon™

I hope™

The tracks look good but sound a nightmare.

I’ve built worse, if I’m honest. Like all of these workable tracks, the first bits are difficult because you have to figure out how this particular set is easiest to put together. Once that’s done, it’s mostly a matter of doing it in chunks to fight off the boredom.

I like the look of those cutters for brass but they are a heavy price for something that probably won't get a lot of use.

Like I said, I came across them in a second-hand tool shop without even realising exactly what they were. Because they were obviously high quality and the thickness of copper wire they’re for is printed on them, I eventually, after some deliberation, decided to buy them for what I thought was a lot of money already Not a tool I use much, but it comes in very handy at those times when I need brass wire cut without the pointed end you get with regular snips, so I don’t regret buying them. But I most certainly wouldn’t buy a new set if these break

 

[Jakko]

Junk.



That’s a good word to describe Stynylrez primer, IMHO. The text on the bottle says to use it unthinned and spray thin layers until the underlying colour disappears, so I did. With the result you can see in the photo. This is the third time I’ve tried using it, and the first time on a whole model — well, two, actually, because I also sprayed the metal parts on the Sherman I was given at the same time. To get this fine result took me three quarters of an hour, and it still doesn’t cover properly, but I gave up because my airbrush (Aztek with a light blue nozzle) did due to being clogged so badly I had a devil of a time getting it to even spray airbrush cleaner.

For comparison:



This is the turret of the Sherman, after about ten seconds’ worth of spraying Vallejo white primer from an aerosol can (plus ten more on the other side), which I did because I want a white line on the turret but didn’t think I’d get there easily with the Stynylrez.

As a primer, if you ask me, Stynylrez lives up to the name on the bottle: crap.

 

[Andy T]

I'd completely agree with you on the white. I have an almost full bottle that I'll not use again unless I'm really desperate.

I've found the grey & black to be excellent however (in the rebranded UMP bottles). Chalk & cheese, as if they are completely different products to the white!

 

[Jakko]

Odd, that. It would be nice if I knew someone local who owned a bottle of grey or black, who would let me test it. As it is, I think I’ll not buy any and instead first follow advice I got elsewhere about this, to buy a €3 rattle can from the Action, as this is apparently very good primer. If that doesn’t work out either I might just see about a different colour of Stynylrez.

 

[Scratchbuilder]

Thanks for the information about the tracks, I think I would take the laborious route and drill them straight through and use either metal or plastic rod.
Primer, I think that is where my bottle finished up in the c----er.... I have been converted over to the MrFinishing/Mahogany/Black/White in a 50/50 brand thinner.
Now get some paint on the job, my ice cream is melting....

 

[Jakko]

I guess by now you’ve started a new ice cream, as I got interrupted by correcting and painting that Sherman I was given. Last week, though, I did spray this model with AK 3rd Gen 11352 IDF Modern Grey, which didn’t work out as well as I thought it would. It’s probably just that this was the very first time I ever sprayed that brand of paint, so I’m not really used to how to thin it properly yet, but at least it covered the primer well and showed that there were no flaws in the primer coat that remained visible under the paint. Then this afternoon I sprayed highlights with Vallejo 71.138 US Sand:

 

[Jakko]

After the spraying, I applied an all-over wash of Italeri 4951AP Dark Brown Wash, slightly thinned with water. This is the first time I used this (having only recently purchased a bottle to try it out) and it’s a bit thinner than some other pre-mixed washes I’ve used, but it also seems to have the useful quality in that tide marks etc. can be gotten rid of by just brushing some more wash over them — at least if you do it soon.

When that had dried overnight, I drybrushed the model first heavily with Humbrol 119 Light Earth, followed more lightly by 187 Sand — both tins of at least 25 years old, but never opened. I came across these at a model show in February and immediately bought all the tins I thought I have a use for The difference in consistency was noteworthy, though. The 119 took me an advertising break plus three songs on the radio to stir before it had no more lumps in it, while the 187 took less than one song. On the other hand, the 119 remained usable on my brush for much longer than the 187, for which I had to dip it back into the paint probably three times as often despite not drybrushing it as intensively.

 

[Jim R]

You've a nice finish there Jakko. You can't beat enamels for dry brushing. I've tried acrylics but they just dry too quickly to work well for me. Strange about the Stynylrez white. I've not used it although I rather like the black and the grey but I find it too thick straight from the bottle.

 

[Jakko]

You can't beat enamels for dry brushing. I've tried acrylics but they just dry too quickly to work well for me.

It depends on the acrylics. Tamiya is hard to drybrush with, Mr. Aqueous even harder (due to being semigloss, I think), but Vallejo or Army Painter work quite well, in my experience. You still need to put fresh paint on the brush a lot more often than with enamels, though.

Strange about the Stynylrez white. I've not used it although I rather like the black and the grey but I find it too thick straight from the bottle.

I get the impression nobody can get along with the white variant I might just buy a bottle of grey and try that on a future model. The white, though … no