Hi,
IDF subject is completely new for me. I entered it because of Tiger Model's Nagmachon. I started searching the web and I found there was a problem of IDF grey color match for current use tanks. There are at least 5 suggestions for Tamiya acrylics:
1/ 4/4/2 XF57/XF20/XF1
2/ 1/1 XF57/XF20
3/ 1/2 XF49/XF20
4/ 6/3/1 XF25/XF62/XF65
5/ 5/4/1 XF65/XF49/XF57
Which version should I choice? Or is there another combination of Tamiya paints to reproduce IDF grey?

Thanks in advance,

Michal

There are as many schools of thought on current IDF Sand-Grey as there are for U.S. OD. Which means either of these mixes could equally be right. Using a Merkava as an example, if you photographed the same tank at different times of the day at the same location or even if you followed it around the countryside, you'd see a different interpretation of that Sand-Grey in each photo. So I wouldn't worry too much about the base colour. Especially when you factor in a fair bit of 'dust' on your model

P.s. I take it you've already checked out the IDF modelling site?

For a 90's and 2000's IDF APC, you have a few choices that match the colour:
Humbrol 83 enamel(perfect for IDF tank a sunny day)
Xtra colour enamel has a good IDF paint, perhaps a bit darker

model master (enamel and acrylic) has a close IDF colour.

No need for mixing a few colours with these 3 choices. The HU83 is perhaps too in the new Humbrol acrylic range.

Michael Mass, thinks that HU83 is THE choice.
I saw a few IDF vehicles in Paris military show and the right colour is really a sand-brown (=HU83). I took some photos of same subjects under sunny and grey sky, and the colour changed.
All of the new acrylic paints offered these last years are off out of the bottle.

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

This site gives you Tamiya mixes for each period.

I read somewhere.. but haven't tried this yest..

For a grayish color ... XF-49 Khaki + XF-20 Medium Grey 1:1

For a greenish shade ... XF-51 Khaki Drab + XF-57 Buff 1:1

I have tried XF-20 Medium Grey + XF=59 Desert Yellow for a sandy shade to use for my Achzarit.. which I think looks pretty close.

The thing is some people (like me) just use Tamiya acrylic paints.. and it can be very difficult to change to other types of paint

Hisham

Thanks for Your comments and suggestions.




I'm using Tamiya (and sometimes Gunze) paints for years. I was trying another brands like Vallejo and Lifecolor- and (in my opinion of course) Japanese product is the best.

Anyway....would be better HU84....not 83.

as said above and as has been discussed a million times on various sites, IDF colours have a multitude of shades (and apart from that different base colours depending on the period). idf-modelling.com is probably THE site to take your references from.
According to my purly personal taste the following mix works best for modern IDF vehicles: 1 part XF20, 1 part XF27, 1 part XF49 and 1 part XF57. I blend this mixture with 4 parts X22 and finally dilute it with 8 parts X20A Thinner (I am quite sure that I retrieved this recipe from www.idf-in-scale.com (the predesessor site of www.idf-modelling.com)).
I see IDF vehicles on a regular base and I will stick to this recipe for future projects too.
That is the way it looks (with the limitations of interpreting photographs ): http://armorama.com/forums/203114&ord=&page=1

One aspect I like at this recipe is that it can be toned up and down to achieve tonal variations or scale adjustments by altering the ratios and still stay in the "same" colour range.

My two cents.

I think Mig Jimenez nailed it when he stated: the colour is wrong, but it looks right.

happy modelling and happy new year
Michael

U r absolutely right Michael. It's me to hate mixing.....preferring a single color for coating. And am addicted to Humbrol. A good weathering will make the difference in my opinion.....will it be easy to find out which was the original tone....or if acrylic instead of enamel? Don't think so Happy modelling and Happy New Year all !!!

Jep Guido!
If I look at your Nagmachon, Doher Wip or D9 they definetely underline your point in the most impressive way!

Looking forward to see more results from your work bench in 2016.

I did an extensive amount of testing for IDF colors back in 2012, and I've included a link to that thread, below. I actually had a few more threads on this topic as well. Bottom line is that the best colors to match current IDF vehicles are either Humbrol 84, or a mix of Tamiya 2:1 ratio of XF-20 to XF-49, which about matched the Humbrol color. This is supported by the IDF armor expert Michael Mass, who has done many IDF armor books (Desert Eagle Publishing), and he posts a lot over at IDF-Modeling (which is difficult to become a member of, if thins haven't changed). The Tamiya mix is the color that I have begun to use for my (many) IDF vehicles, none of which I have completed (bad me!) I'm beginning my Meng Merkava 3D, and that's the color I'll be using. Good luck, and I'll be happy to answer any questions if I can be of assistance. I'm no expert by any means, but I messed around with this topic quite a bit!

http://armorama.com/forums/191101

I was trying to access this DG- but without success. Therefore I'm very grateful for Your suggestions.



I checked photo of your Merkava wheels. They perfectly meet my expectations. Thanks
Have a nice day

My suggestion is to contact Michael Mass or Adam O'Brian (maybe on FB could be a bit easy) and ask them how to join the site.

This is the link to Michael Mass's FB page, if anyone is interested in contacting him

Hisham

Glad to be of help!

Actually, Kevin Benson (heavykev on Armorama) is the IDF Modeling site administrator, or at least used to be. I'd suggest a message to him and ask him the latest membership requirements and process.

Regarding Michael Mass, unless things have changed recently, I think you'll find that his recommendation for current IDF color is Humbrol 84, which is fine if you use enamels. I'm a fan of Tamiya acrylic paint, and this was my reason for experimenting with the mixes of their paints. The XF-20/XF-49 mixture really hit it on the head, IMHO.

Hi Guys, What really surprises me is that no major manufacturer has pinned down "Sinai Grey" in their paint ranges.
If anyone can put me straight on this point I`d love to know because I do not do is paint mixing. I wont do it for two reasons, the first is I worry I wont have enough to finish a kit, the second is if I mix up a big batch will it end up becoming unusable over time.
Paint makers PLEASE take note !.

It's a mystery to me as well why paint manufacturers are so 'off' on certain colors, such as IDF and modern British desert colors. I'm sure it is partly an artistic/scale effect thing, but the colors that purport to cover these colors are so wrong it's hard to believe they were even trying to match them. With research being so relatively easy today, I cannot fathom why this appears to be such a problem!