¹⁄35

Tamiya's 1/35 Merkava MKI

Detailing the commander's machine gun FN MAG 7,62mm
The commander's machine gun has a support with various things, just like: relieve spring, fire electric control, a Sealed-Beam headlight, etc. The kit supplied support is good and could be better if you paint it on the correct colors like: handle of the electric trigger - green, springs, headlight and all electric connections - black. To make the headlight I used one borrowed from an Italeri Hummer, the lenses was made using clear plastic heated and formed against a brush handle end that have the appropriate diameter. After it has cooled, I cut and fixed it with white glue.

The Browning .50
I used the machine gun that come together with the Minicraft Merkava MKII, without any modification.

Detailing the anti-RPG chains
That was, indeed, the most boring part of the entire assembly, because I cut the chains in pieces on the appropriate length and glued smalls balls with super glue gel. After it has dried, I glued them on previously marked places on the lower side of the turret basket, some chains were glued without the balls on the end, just to simulate a vehicle used in combat, where so many times this chains are pulled out by RPG detonation

Making of radio antennas
The antennas were cut on fishing steel wires, at the correct length, they were glued on the bases supplied with the kit after the overall painting and weathering of the model. Then they were tied, but unfortunately after the model was completed, an Israeli guy that I sent some pictures of the model, told me that the antennas tie positioning on the turret aren't correct, he also send me a draw to the correct positioning, but I didn't fix it, on other model of Merkava II that I built recently I did the corrections.

Detailing the fire extinguisher lock
This kit doesn't have the lock to activate the fire extinguisher system located on the outside front left side of the hull, this piece is very visible and we have to reproduce it, so I cut a plasticard rectangle on appropriate size, hollowed inside it and when I glued it I put a very fine wire to replicate the trigger. All of this was glued with super glue and after the model main painting it was painted in red.

Making the rubber mud guards
First of all I cut off the molded on kit mud guards, then using rubber sheets (used by dentists), I made straps on correct sizes following the kits mud guards as templates, you have to use epoxy glue since the super glue didn't work well on this type of material. To finish, I cut thin straps of aluminum foil and glued it on the upper side of the mud guards.

Making the ID Panels on the turret basket
To reproduce this I used a hygienic towel soaked in a 50% - 50% water - white glue solution, that way: over a tile or a piece of window glass you spread the tissue of hygienic paper, then you put the above, water - white glue solution, over the paper with a large flat brush until the paper has completely soaked, wait to dry and you can cut and paint it normally.
The panels painting was hand made using the colors according with your references.