Hi there,
I've just finished building an M47 from an Italeri Kit, on which I spent quite a lot of time in detailing. I reproduced a vehichle in service with Cavalleggeri di Lodi (15°) Regiment of the Italian Cavalry in the early 80s. A few pictures of the model follow:







All brass parts are photoetched, and all the copper ones are scratchbuilt including the main gun and big part of the .50 Browning. The tower comes from the Italian Kits (www.italiankits.com) improvement set.
My problem is that I like it so much as it is (even if I understand that for some of you cannot be such a great model) that I cannot decide if I want to paint it or not!!!
All suggestions/critics/opinions/ideas are more than welcome in order to help me deciding what to do next.

Thats some awesome detail work, especially the scratch built stuff. If I were you, I would give it a very light (light in terms of thickness, not color) base coat and then a light detail wash concentrating on those parts you worked so hard on. Finally, some good drybrushing all over, especially to those detail pieces should work well to bring them out.

I think you like it now because all the brass and copper contrasts the plastic and highlights the areas you worked the hardest on. I think you can maintain a large part of that contrast and still produce an accurately colored vehicle as well.

Nice model,

Excellent work Scoccia :-) .... nice clean detail work especially the PE....great work on the .50. Keep us posted as you paint and finish this gem.

scoccia,
Amazing detail, just love that .50. I don't build armour but I would say If you can finish as well as you can detail then I would paint and weather it. Take a bunch more photographs, like these and you will always be able to see, and so will others, what went into it. I for one would love to see this finished. :-)
Amost makes me want to build armour
Very very nice.
Mal

That is great looking work. Very nicely done. Love the machine gun myself. Keep us updated.

VERY NICE WORK CONGRATULATIONS

ROBERTO

So far I've got five answer and four suggesting to go on with painting. I think I'm going to reconsider the decision to leave it as it is...
Thanks everybody for your comments and preciuos suggestions.

:-) scoccia Painting cannot hide mistakes but will enhance a well constructed model.
There is no doubt that painting will enhance this model as it is superbly built. Go for it and please let us see the results :-)
Mal

A nice pre-shade first, in very dark olive drab, followed by a coat of your base colour. Wash in burnt umber oils. Two coats of FUTURE floor polish. After dried for two days, another coat of your base colour but whitened by a tone or two.
When tacky, use some tape to pull off areas of your base coat revealing your first coat with the was. Follow this with another wash of burnt umber. dry brush with a lighter still base colour. Weather as usual ans seal in a coat of varnish (matt or semi gloss).
Easy!

As somebody said above........ take loads of photographs of it, as it is now and the get on with painting it. No matter how good it looks now, it will only be better with painting. If your painting skills are as good as your building skills, this will be great.
I especillay like the turret extras, the box straps and the mantlet covers ...... first class. I think it would be a crime not to paint this.

nice, Nice, NICE! I can't wait to see the finished product... I really like the .50 cal and the tension springs on the hatches...

"Wow, Wow, and Wow"

Beautiful pe and copper work on this piece!!!! This is just outstanding work. I can almost smell the gun oil on that 50.

Congrats, on a great, great job.

ps: Paint it. If you are as good at painting as you are at detailing, you've got a contest winner (in my humble opinion

Ok, I will go for painting it! I'll keep on posting the progress, but first I have to shhot a couple of million photos.
Once more, thanks everybody for helping me taking a decision.

Tremendous work, you just have to paint it. I'm gald you re-considered, and I can't wait to see more.

Top class.

Roger

It looks beautiful as it is
Wonderful job on the 50 cal. Looks very real.

Great Job. Looking forward to the pics if you do paint it

Great job Scoccia!! I notice you went the soldering route that must of been a *itch as these small *ss parts are a *itch to work with
and welcome aboard

scoccia - Here's is an idea (because I agree that painting it will make it better, if you can believe it). Get a photo album or one of those big frames that has a bunch of smaller openings in it and make a colage or a photo album. You can include the box art, the instructions, take scans of the logos of the PE, print off any research items, etc. etc. Anything relavent. Put it ALL in there and make a tribute to the kit. Kinda like a museum display.
If you REALLY wanna go nuts, make a second one, and leave the second one paint-less - before/after!

Only one more question: shall I initiate a new thread with the results of the painting job or stick to the present one? Thanks again for you input, if you're not teasing me with exagerated aprreciation of my work, I have to say that I'm very moved about your comments

NEW post int Rivet Review!

Amen to that brother

This is some fantastic work!
I would start a new threat with a update in the title

I can't wait to see it painted

Stunning piece of work. I love the .50 cal. Is it my old Mark 1 eyeballs or is the .50 just a little off center on its pintle in the second picture?

wow that is some very nice work, it looks great

Bender

for AJLaFleche:
yes it is! It has non been fixed yet I'll do it later for painting purposes and I did'nt find any rod, pin or nail to fit it perfectly at the first attempt.

As promised after the result of the survey I'm going to paint it. I'm just back from a work trip and as soon as I was back I started setting it up for painting.
Step 1 accomplished: breaking down the M47 in sub assemblies ready for painting
Step 2 to be started tonite: priming



Thank you all once more for the support.

You want to know what to do next? OK pack it up real careful in a box and mail it to me. In return, I'll mail my unbuilt kit back to you. Guy, you have done some incredible work. I'ld just spray it lightly with OD paint to get the color right. Maybe a few touch up highlights. Don't do too much weathering, you can get by if someone citisizes by saying its standing inspection. A-1 best thing I've seen on this net I think even Tony Greenland would be impressed