Magach 6B Gal- converting a Braille-scale M60A3

[MikeC]

Keep going, getting even more impressed.
Mike.

 

[Jakko]

I love your Magach Richard- looks to be an early one, with the M48 turret

Since we’ve been getting into M60-series details here anyway, I see a need to point out that the standard M60 (“A0”) did not use the same turret as the M48 The front end is pretty much identical, but the back is different: on the M48 it curves down to the base of the turret while on the M60, the roof is flat and the back almost vertical. The turret from a model M48 is fairly easy to convert into that of an M60, though, with some epoxy putty (plus a commander’s cupola and gun barrel from an M60A1 or -A3, of course).

 

[rtfoe]

Before this gets haywire I think mine is an M48 conversion to an Israeli update and not the M60 series. My apologies Alistair as to me it nearly has the same profile from a distance. The two types differ in the front, turret and rear deck and perhaps everything on the inside as well I don't know. Any way it was a thirty odd year old build with archaic hand drawn plans and B/W tourist pictures...mind you it was fun though.

Here are some current images of the airfilters as reference but for the M48 I found...



Perhaps these were the ones referenced from for the article. Sorry for the interruption...at 1/72 the extra detailing you're adding on Bones is crazy but I know it won't look like a Magach without the armour.

Cheers,
Richard

 

[Road of Bones]

Mike, Jakko, Richard- thanks for commenting chaps, and for the detail knowledge-sharing

Had a productive day at the bench today- I tackled the gun barrel. The US M60A3 barrel has a smooth thermal shroud either side of the fume extractor. The IDF have a clamped thermal cover, probably as their Magachs were converted A1s, which had no thermal shroud. I spent the afternoon using very thin PE fret and scalpel blade packet foil to make the clamps. I also replaced the mouth of the barrel, as the kit one was a bit small, and added the reference vane on top:


I finished correcting the air-cleaners too, by sanding off the detail of the armoured covers, and making a new handle out of fine wire on top of each unit. I also added the inner chamfer as suggested by Richard and Jakko:

I fitted the Urdan cupola, and added a few lifting loops and a bit of bracket detail from spare PE, and attached the turret basket as well:

Time to move on to the turret blazer armour panels then...
Thanks for looking chaps,

Alistair☠️

 

[JR]

Alistair.
Some nice detail emerging here, more impressive with it being so small !

 

[Mini Me]

Small is Beautiful JR....Liking this a lot Alistair, keep up the good work.
Rick H.

 

[tr1ckey66]

Very, very impressive detailing work Alistair. In 1/72 too!
Awesome stuff

Paul

 

[Steve Jones]

Ooooooh! That's nice. Lovin all the mini detailing. Good luck with the armour panels

 

[Jakko]

The US M60A3 barrel has a smooth thermal shroud either side of the fume extractor. The IDF have a clamped thermal cover, probably as their Magachs were converted A1s, which had no thermal shroud.

It’s simply a different design using different kind of clamps You could also have sanded the American thermal shroud off to leave a bare barrel, or even modify it to represent a British L7A1 barrel (with or without a shroud), because the Israelis also put those into M60s. Though I’m now wondering if that was just the barrel or the entire gun, since the breech end is quite different too. Not that you would see that difference on a model with all hatches closed, of course

 

[Jim R]

Hi Alistair
Great scratchery and attention to detail.
Jim

 

[Road of Bones]

It’s simply a different design using different kind of clamps You could also have sanded the American thermal shroud off to leave a bare barrel, or even modify it to represent a British L7A1 barrel (with or without a shroud), because the Israelis also put those into M60s. Though I’m now wondering if that was just the barrel or the entire gun, since the breech end is quite different too. Not that you would see that difference on a model with all hatches closed, of course

I thought the 105mm in the early M60s was based on the L7A1 anyway? I realise that the Israelis constantly upgraded their original M60s though, so they would probably be very much akin to the Philosopher’s Axe eventually- look at the Magach 7s!
I could have done any of what you suggested, but I went with the clamped shroud because I like the look of it (and it was fun figuring out how to replicate it in such a silly scale, frankly!)

 

[Jakko]

The M68 is the American version of the L7, but in reality, the only things they apparently share are chamber dimensions and barrel length and threads That makes them interchangeable for practical purposes, though, and probably why the Israelis put L7 barrels on M60s when the breech end was likely still that of the M68. (Another fun fact: you can convert an L7A1 into a 20-pounder gun like that of the Centurion, or vice versa, in about half an hour. All you need to do is unscrew the barrel and replace it, then make a few minor adjustments on the inside, such as replacing the scales in the gunner’s sight.)

In any case, I agree that the thermal shroud you put on looks more interesting and is more intricate to build — I was really just pointing out to others that they don’t need to do it like that if they want to make a model like yours but don’t feel up to this bit

 

[rtfoe]

The thermal shroud always looks nice on the M60 Magachs Alistair. Am glad you did it and very nicely too "I like it when a plan comes together - A-Team". The gun looks beefier that way.

Cheers,
Richard

 

[Road of Bones]

Thanks Richard!

Blazer armour then...I made a 20mm wide panel of double-thick card, and dug out some unused PE slats from the D9R Doobi build:

I then cut the card into some 3mm wide strips, and used some of the PE slats to make the frames that the ERA blocks are mounted in (basically a trimmed slat either side of the card strip:

I then started making blocks, working by eye and using the old instruction sheet for the Legend resin set I used for the 1/35 tank, I worked my way along the side of the turret. The starboard side ended up like this:

Not far off the resin set in the end! I need a break for tonight though- will do the port side tomorrow evening.
Thanks for looking chaps,

Alistair☠️

 

[Jakko]

Looking good, though aren’t the ones on the turret front more trapezoidal so they cover better? If you want, I can take some pictures and/or measurements of the Italeri 1:35 scale parts, as I have them still on the sprue.

 

[BigGreg]

I cant believe this is 1/72.... WOW..

 

[SimonT]

Morning Al,

you will probably curse me for this but I believe the cupola has a few problems

the hinge arms should be parallel - with angled arms like that it would not open

the domed part is actually the opening hatch and should be larger and shallower plus it runs to the rear edge of the base ring

the outer edge of the base ring shouldn't slope quite so much

 

[Road of Bones]

Ok Si- I’ll deal with it later Let me get these damned blazer panels out of the way first though, eh?

 

[Road of Bones]

Well, after a week’s hiatus, followed by a weekend in the hammock, the cooler conditions today merited a return to the bench.
First order of business was to complete the blazer panels for the port side of the turret, and I also used a spare PE bracket to make the mounting point for the loader’s MG:

While I was at it, I made a couple of adjustments to the cupola, straightening out the hinge struts, altering the bracing strut and adding another PE bracket for the commander’s MG strut.
Returning to the starboard side, I used some more spare PE to make mounting brackets for the mortar that sits just below the cupola. Turning to the mortar itself, I had a root about in the spares box, and found a piece of steel tube from a bottle of Revell Contacta, which was the right diameter for the mortar tube. I then used the rubber sheathing from a phone cable to make rings to slide down over the tube. Another spare PE bracket went on top to make the handle bracket. Here it is so far:

Apologies for the poor focus- I had to zoom in a bit due to the size.
More later, thanks for looking chaps,

Alistair☠️

 

[scottie3158]

Bones,
Cracking work mate some really nice scratchery.