Hi gang, herewith enclosed you can find some pics of my 1/35 Italian Military Police (Carabinieri) M-47 during the 70s. The tank served in the XIII Mobile Battalion in Gorizia, Italy.

Here is the tank out of the box with some basic pieces glued on.

The Italeri kit is still very good, but that hull and turret just scream for cast texture.

You're totally right Paul. Here are some pics of a real tank I played in a museum. Note the rough casting job on this one.

Here is the kit turret before the treatment. I'm used to add the Tamiya liquid glue, wait some seconds and tapping the surface with an old toothbrush. The day after I carefully sandpaper the surface with a medium grid sandpaper sponge (3M is the brand).

If you have access to "Mr Surfacer", then your pattern for rough casting will be simplified. See my photos here:

http://armorama.com/forums/247023&page=1

Oh yea...don't forget those casting 'eyes' just behind the manlet cover (very first 3D pic, on page 1, on web site referenced), of which I believe are main gun trunnion access (?) during production. To replicate them, I used Evergreen plastic tubing, cut to about 2mm (to sand down as needed) and then slightly bent to an oval shape and super-glued on. Shown here:

https://armorama.kitmaker.net/forums/256284

Certainly not the expert on the M47, but tried my best to add aftermarket that would show more detail to my M47's.

Good luck with your build! You have a great start!

This is the one I did several years ago. A French Patton at Suez. It was out of the box, so I didn't add the specific details needed to really represent a French tank of the period. There were several engine deck details that were different.

Unfortunately, you can't see much of the cast texture I added.

Yea, I remember your French M47 plastered all over the net!
Still shows up well, even today!

Thanks mates for your comments. The tank is done, waiting for the painting in these days. Due to the open frontal hatches, I scratchbuilt the driver and MG gunner interiors and part of the lower inner turret.

Looking good!

Here are some pics of the 3D printed interiors. It was made of resin but is suffered of raised laser lines. Not a big issue. The interiors are available at www.shapeways.com. I decided not to buy the turet interior due to lack of visibility since the 2 top hatches are too small. The 3D printed interiors arrived in 5 days, perfectly packed without any part broken. Top service! It saved about 4 to 5 hours of modelling....
Note the lower escape hatches completely remaded with plasticard.

I'd realized I'm in the wrong forum.... this is not a WWI tank indeed!!!! Moderator/webmaster can you help me moving this topic? thx

Interiors Painted and aged.

You're a sick man...adding all that extra detail...I love it!!

Bronco tracks: a true nightmare! They are sold as workable but not! The space to glue each single piece (6 piece per track!) is so small that in fact you glue all the tracks...
Remember to damage the rubber (on real tank) pieces. I'm used to damage them using a slow speed grit tool first and adding White glue then. After some minutes you must touch the piece with you finger leaving a nice irregular texture.

HEre is how I simulate the broken rubber parts on the track. Just adding some spots of White glue and the use of an old tooth brush.

Huh! Did I miss something? "Early Armor
WWI and other early tanks and armored cars."