Matt, I'll take a peek ASAP.
Tom, thanks for pointing out something that, now that I take a closer look, is pretty obvious. I think that if I were Irish, my name would be O'Blivious, but anyway, I started the correction this morning. First step, removal of my added weld, down to the lip that's on the original MP turret front.

It's a bit rough, but a little cleanup later,

It's pretty close now. I may finish the cleanup (I had to use a little MrSurfacer) and move on. There's a lot of little parts on the turret there and I'm trying not to go too far backwards. From looking at The Book, I'm thinking the mantlet extension bolted in from the inside, in the original opening, with the flange added to keep squirrels and birds out....
I have a Dragon M50 turret that misses this detail (the area looks to have a very this weld bead, and an old Verlinden M50 turret that looks like a better attempt but still no banana. The Verlinden bustle extension weld and cut line is also incorrect. Hmmm.
Edit: I also have to replace the big slotted screw-heads on the top of the mantlet extension. Workin' on that.....

Posted, I want in.....

Jeez, I thought I posted an update on this a couple of days ago, but apparently not. I actually do have some progress. After the primer dried, I sprayed Tamiya's TS46 from the can, applied decals from a Bison M50 sheet and started the wash and scrub process.
The decal sheet had an example from the Golan, 1967, labeled as a "command tank", on an M4A3 hull. Perfect. All I had to do was move the port side bustle antenna mount to the front of the turret, apparently where the smoke mortar hole is/was.
So far, paint and decals:


Wash applied:

And scrubbed:

And the beginning of detail painting:

Thanks for looking, as always!

Very sharp!

Thanks, Robert.

A little more painting done....



I started work on another Magach last week, and it's been getting in the way of progress on this one, but I can see the light at the end of the tunnel now.

Minor update, some more detail painting, highlighting, drybrushing, etc.
Gotta make a trip to the art supply store for some more pastels....


Thanks for looking, comments always appreciated.

Do you use pigments for your washes? I still haven't mastered this. To be honest, I still have not made it past water colors.

Matt, I use both thinned paint and pigments for washes. So far, this one only has washes from Tamiya acrylics, thinned with isopropyl alcohol. After a shot of clear flat, it'll get washes from pigments, a dusting with dry pigments, and spots of heavily thinned gloss black enamel for very localized liquid spillage, and possibly a pin wash around panel lines on the engine deck. It varies by model and color, but that's almost a general rule for me.

Thanks, Russel. I just had a bad experience using enamels over acrylic. Have to completely repaint the kit. I'll try Tamiya acryls, this time.

I've had the same issue. If I'm going to use an enamel WASH, I'll use a clear coat (Testor's gloss or flat) first. I try to stay with acrylic washes now, and since I use rattle cans for base coats and primers, that almost always means lacquer or enamel under the acrylic.

Some chipping has been done, and a little wear and tear added. I want to beat this one up a little bit, since the opportunity to show French OD under the Israeli sand is a first for me, and I've always wanted to try it. On the other hand, all the pics I have of M50s and '51s show the paint to be in very good condition. I may be taking a little artistic license here, but I'm gonna clain the 5th.




I expect progress on this one to slow way down, found out yesterday that I'm being RIF'ed, so my modeling budget is essentially $0 for the near future, and I'm out of the pigments and pastels chalks I need. Hmmm....

That sucks. I hope you find comparable pay, soon. The chipping is an excellent idea. What pigments and pastels do you need? If I have any of them, I send you some for free.

Fine build you have. Would it be possible for me to buy or trade for the lower part of the Tamiya turret off kit # 35190. I have lost mine and need one badly.

Matt, I certainly appreciate the offer. I just used earth-tone artists' chalks, and occasionally bottled powered pigments. The chalks are cheap enough, but if I come home with modeling supplies right now, my wife might get a little perturbed.......
Kenneth, help me out here, which kit is that?

That would be the U.S. Medium Tank M4 Sherman Early Production kit.

Would any of these work? I can send you some in bags, if you want.

I have a couple of that particular Shermie in the stash, perfectly willing to work a trade.....shoot mw a PM with the addy and I'll get it on the way.
Matt, that's a most generous offer, greatly appreciated, and I may want to discuss further at a later date. Out of curiosity, what is the name, number of the color on the far right in the pic? That's pretty much what I'm looking for.
While I'm here, I got a little more work done on defining and adding some depth to the chips already done. Pics:



Thanks for looking, always appreciated.

It is AK Interactive AK-041 North Africa Dust.

Thanks. That's the ticket. How large of a container is that? I've only used artists' pigments, usually in a 4oz. jar, but they're very fine grain, easily soluable in water or denatured alcohol. They generally run 8 to ten bucks a jar.

It's 35ml. Cost about $4, on EBay.

I'll be shoppin!

Well, Matt, some white school chalk and the off-yellow that I use for Lebanon-theater vehicles and I came up with something very close to that AK North Africa color, exactly what I think I needed. So, on it went. I also did the tracks, using a wash made up with Pollyscale tan and lots of water, then the same pigment already mixed.
Da pics:




Thanks for looking, and of course all comments welcome.

I think you hit the nail on the head!

Why thank you sir! I feel pretty good about it, and I sure appreciate you posting the pic of the various pigments. It got me motivated nicely.