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Armor/AFV
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Merkava Question #2: What Color?
Sabot
Joined: December 18, 2001
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Posted: Sunday, May 12, 2002 - 10:22 PM UTC
I have seen box art that makes the kit look like various shades of tan/sand as well as stone/gray. Photos on TV and the net make some look like a pale green. Is there a true color these tanks are painted in? Or is it like the mysterious Tiger colors in Tunisia?
CaptainJack
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Posted: Sunday, May 12, 2002 - 10:26 PM UTC
Hmmm let me see here. Well Rob, any shade is basically on, with the variables involved. However I would recommend Vallejo colours! Particularly, 819, I will post an entire set of IDF Sand grey redcepies this week if anyone in interested?

Jack at your service
m60a3
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Posted: Sunday, May 12, 2002 - 11:01 PM UTC
Sabot,

The green stone is the way to go. I know Model Master and Polly Scale both produce Israeli Armor Sand Gray (I prefer the MM acryliccolor a little more). It truly is a pukey color in real life (a friend got me a few paint chips when in Israel). The tan is normally the color used on the early Mk 1s used in the 80s (Operation Peace for Galilee, for example).
ArmouredSprue
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Posted: Sunday, May 12, 2002 - 11:09 PM UTC
For modern israeli AFV I use Humbrol H72, it was a suggestion from an israeli modeler and I very satisfied with the finnished, and it matches ok just out of the bottle!
HTH
Maki
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ARMORAMA
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Croatia Hrvatska
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Posted: Sunday, May 12, 2002 - 11:39 PM UTC

Quoted Text

For modern israeli AFV I use Humbrol H72, it was a suggestion from an israeli modeler and I very satisfied with the finnished, and it matches ok just out of the bottle!



I also use Humbrol's 72 Khaki Drill, and I think it looks just fine. I have seen a lot of discussion on the "perfect color" for Israeli AFVs, with a lot of reference pics supplied to support the numerous theories.
I have learned one thing in all this.. there is no "right and wrong" when choosing the color for IDF vehicles. It should be a shade of sand color. Sometimes it could be more greenish, sometimes greyish... although I have seen some pics of blue Merkava.. Imagine that..

Mario M.


m60a3
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Posted: Sunday, May 12, 2002 - 11:43 PM UTC
Paulo, I like that color too, but am not able to airbrush oil based colors. The closest I found was Tamiya XF-49 in acrylic.
m60a3
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Posted: Sunday, May 12, 2002 - 11:45 PM UTC

Quoted Text

I also use Humbrol's 72 Khaki Drill, and I think it looks just fine. I have seen a lot of discussion on the "perfect color" for Israeli AFVs, with a lot of reference pics supplied to support the numerous theories.
I have learned one thing in all this.. there is no "right and wrong" when choosing the color for IDF vehicles. It should be a shade of sand color. Sometimes it could be more greenish, sometimes greyish... although I have seen some pics of blue Merkava.. Imagine that..


Amen, Maki!
SEDimmick
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Joined: March 15, 2002
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Posted: Monday, May 13, 2002 - 12:46 AM UTC
Lifecolor makes two IDF paints for the 73 war and 82 War that you might want to check out. I have the 82 Color but I haven't had chance to do any of my IDF Armor yet

Scott
m60a3
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Posted: Monday, May 13, 2002 - 12:56 AM UTC

Quoted Text

Lifecolor makes two IDF paints for the 73 war and 82 War that you might want to check out. I have the 82 Color but I haven't had chance to do any of my IDF Armor yet

Scott


Scott, thanks for the info: have never heard of this Lifecolor line...where do you obtain it?
SEDimmick
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Posted: Monday, May 13, 2002 - 01:03 AM UTC
http://www.militaryhobbies.com/directory.cfm?CategoryID=7[/url]

Thats where I got mine...great place to deal with

Scott
m60a3
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Posted: Monday, May 13, 2002 - 01:13 AM UTC
Scott, Thanks for the Intel...looks like the Allied Armor paint pack is gonna find a new home
210cav
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Posted: Monday, May 13, 2002 - 01:29 AM UTC
[quote]
Quoted Text

I also use Humbrol's 72 Khaki Drill, and I think it looks just fine. I have seen a lot of discussion on the "perfect color" for Israeli AFVs, with a lot of reference pics supplied to support the numerous theories.
I have learned one thing in all this.. there is no "right and wrong" when choosing the color for IDF vehicles. It should be a shade of sand color. Sometimes it could be more greenish, sometimes greyish... although I have seen some pics of blue Merkava.. Imagine that.. /quote]
Amen, Maki!



Bob---I just started using the Tamiya acyrlics on my M-26 DW. The flat red was a mess. Watery despite several attempts at mixing thinner and pigment. How are you mixing it to spray? Or, applying with a brush?
thanks
DJ
m60a3
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Posted: Monday, May 13, 2002 - 01:44 AM UTC
Colonel, I do not thin Tamiya if at all possible. Clean the airbrush with warm water as soon as you are done shooting...if I do thin it, I use a little (I mean little) distilled water. I once shot it with alcohol, and all I did was make dust...if I have ANY alternative to Tamiya paint, I go for the alternative.
Of course, master modeler Chris Mrosko uses Tamiya, and you can't complain about his finishes...
210cav
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Posted: Monday, May 13, 2002 - 03:30 AM UTC
DJ--I shall follow your recommendation on thinning. I am on the M-26 project right now. She is a true beauty. Goes together with little or no problem. Beauty will be in the eye of the perceiver here again. I almost hate to cover all the little details with the cab. Did you build the DW yet?
DJ
m60a3
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Posted: Monday, May 13, 2002 - 04:06 AM UTC
No, Sir. I almost bought on on a trip to Japan when it first came out, but had too many other goodies to bring back. I look forward to seeing your completed version here!
Sabot
Joined: December 18, 2001
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Posted: Monday, May 13, 2002 - 06:09 AM UTC
Just got my IDF tank crew from Matt, and I ordered the Royal Models ball & chain armor from Discount Models (thanks Ken). I should be ready to begin this Merkava project, my first IDF model (OK, I do own a Blazer M60).
Sundown
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Posted: Monday, May 13, 2002 - 10:22 AM UTC
I just did my base coat on my Merk II this past weekend using Life Color's Israeli Sand Grey 82 and it looks pretty sharp. I just received a recommendation to drybrush it with WN yellow ochre, titanium white and a bit of sap green (something I'll do this weekend).

Check out this url about paint mixtures for IDF AFV's

http://idfmodelling.free.fr/article01.html

And I'm really interested in the quality and appearance of the ball and chain set from Royal Models. Can you keep us updated or post some pictures when you can?

Thanks

Symon



shiryon
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Joined: April 26, 2002
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Posted: Tuesday, May 14, 2002 - 05:08 AM UTC
Hey sabot , I don't think there is any one paint that covers your Question. As far as active duty vehicles the sand color was only seen on the test vehicles. By the 1982 'operation peace for Gallilee' The lighter green shade of paint was used. This is best matched by the Humbrol 72 and Model master 'Israeli armor sand grey(f). towards the 90's Vehicles seem to be painted in a darker shade which I use Polly s ' gungy brown as a base. If you ad some medium and light grey to your washes You'll be able to get that grey hue you see in pictures. One more note, My references are fairly extensive on Iisraeli Vehicles and shades seem to change even on photos of the same tank taken a few minutes apart or from different angles. So I'd advise you to pick 1 photo and match you painting to it.

Shiryon
m60a3
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Posted: Tuesday, May 14, 2002 - 09:04 AM UTC

Quoted Text

Hey sabot , I don't think there is any one paint that covers your Question. As far as active duty vehicles the sand color was only seen on the test vehicles. By the 1982 'operation peace for Gallilee' The lighter green shade of paint was used. This is best matched by the Humbrol 72 and Model master 'Israeli armor sand grey(f). towards the 90's Vehicles seem to be painted in a darker shade which I use Polly s ' gungy brown as a base. If you ad some medium and light grey to your washes You'll be able to get that grey hue you see in pictures. One more note, My references are fairly extensive on Iisraeli Vehicles and shades seem to change even on photos of the same tank taken a few minutes apart or from different angles. So I'd advise you to pick 1 photo and match you painting to it.

Shiryon


Welcome, Shiryon...good to see another IDF fan on board!
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