Tamiya AMX-13, 6 Day War

[rustybaer]

I've had a couple of these in the stash for a while now, along with Friuls, and wanting to do something a little different I thought this was perfect. It's going to be IDF, of course, so I loaded up with a couple of good references (Images of War AMX-13 and SabingaMartin AMX-13 in IDF Service Vol.1) and promptly dove down the rabbit hole. The Tamiya kit is good but represents, as near as I can tell, a French tank with a rebuilt Type A hull and updated FL10 turret. Hmmm. The IDF got Type B (or C) hulls and did the turret updates in-house, mainly adding the big bellows style dust cover between the turret's upper and lower parts. The biggest things I'll need to change are the side stowage bins, headlights and brush guards, road wheels and make the missing turret riser. While I wait for a Takom donor kit and some AM bits, I'm doing what I can. I scratched the turret riser, added the covers over the rear air intakes and since the only AM bolted wheels are for the Takom kit, I have removed the weld beads from the Tamiya road wheels, making them ready to add 12 bolts (each) around the outer circumference of the rim. I have the early style headlights and guards coming from FC Modeltrend, fingers crossed there since I have not heard good things about a lot of their parts. I've also modified the gun crutch to the early style on the IDF tanks and cleaned off the mounts for the splash shield on the trans housing, not used on most IDF tanks.
The Takom "IDF" kit has the needed stowage bins and turret details but lacks the turret riser and bolted road wheels and has other errors and omissions, otherwise I would have just built the Tamiya kit as French and waited for the Takom kit to do an IDF tank. Once again, I started something before I knew all that was involved in doing what I wanted to do. You'd think I'd have learned by now.
Pics so far:

IMG_4099 by Russel Baer, on Flickr
IMG_4098 by Russel Baer, on Flickr

Below, my scribing tool (a needle in a pin vise) is pointing to the area of the road wheels that I'm re-working. The kit "welded" wheels had 12 welds around the circumference of the inner rim/outer hub that Tamiya reproduced very nicely. I removed them and re-cut the inner edge of the rim. It will be easier to see once I start adding bolts (all 120 of them).
IMG_4103 by Russel Baer, on Flickr

[JCON]

Nice work!

[rustybaer]

Bolts, bolts and more bolts... wheel on left is "welded", wheel on right is same thing prepped for bolts.
IMG_4104 by Russel Baer, on Flickr
Below, all wheels done.
IMG_4106 by Russel Baer, on Flickr

Twelve per wheel, ten wheels. I'm taking a break.

[DuckyShot]

Oh, you're just a sucker for punishment, aren't you? I can get the bolts, but removing those weld seems looks really awkward. Looks great though!

[JCON]

Great job on those wheels!!!

[JED]

Great work on those wheels

[Robbo]

Nice looking build Rusty

[rustybaer]

Still here! I was waiting for parts to show up, but I now have everything I need to finish (I think) so I put it back on the bench. The Takom kit has the correct-ish side bins and a lot of turret do-dads, so I'll be able to use them instead of scratching a lot of stuff. The FC Modeltrends early single headlights and guards look good, a pleasant surprise, and even better I was able to get them prepped and on without destroying them. Oh happy day!
Pics as it sits after a couple of hours at the bench last night:
IMG_4119 by Russel Baer, on Flickr
IMG_4120 by Russel Baer, on Flickr
IMG_4121 by Russel Baer, on Flickr

[JCON]

That's looking really good Russ!!!

[Beekster]

Wonderful as always, Russ! Really impressive work on the wheels. I've got a couple of the Takom kits in the stash (90mm and 105mm variants, for Lebanon and Argentina) and they look quite nice, so I was wondering about how Tamiya's effort compares. These things are almost like Shermans in the variety of changes over time during production and by end users.

[rustybaer]

I agree, lots of small mods and rebuilds, but nowhere near as many permutations as Shermans, thankfully. They were exported all over the place so lots of variants to play with too.
Regarding the Tamiya vs Takom kits, I think it's the typical "if you want a really good model that goes together like it was meant to with a few detail compromises, Tamiya. If you want more detail and don't mind a couple of wtf moments, Takom". In a few places I'm using the Takom kit as a guide, but the Tamiya kit is really good.
Check your references carefully as both have errors worked into their efforts.

[JED]

I think I like this more every time I see it

[rustybaer]

Pics as-is now, going to prime soon:
IMG_4123 by Russel Baer, on Flickr
IMG_4122 by Russel Baer, on Flickr
Stuff like hatch covers, antenna mounts, etc are still to be done, but the "hard" stuff is finished. This was such a neat little kit I ordered another one.

[JCON]

Looking really good!!!

[rustybaer]

I haven't stopped work, just slow lately... but I did manage to prime and paint.
IMG_4132 by Russel Baer, on Flickr
Good ol' Tamiya rattle can gray primer first, then Tamiya TS-46 light sand from the can as well. Since Krylon is kaput, I'm having to up my game. Rustoleum, the company that bought and closed out the Krylon name, is crap.
that bugs me since a can of Krylon primer would do a half-dozen models, for about $8. Tamiya primer is $9 for a dinky can that I may get two models sprayed with.

[JCON]

Nice application there Rusty! I use duplicolor sandable primer, it's about $8 at my automotive store but goes a long way on 1/25th and 1/35th kits...

[rustybaer]

I'll look for that Joe, thanks.
Okay, decals are on, detail painting mostly done and the wash is nearly finished up too.
IMG_4143 by Russel Baer, on Flickr
IMG_4142 by Russel Baer, on Flickr
I used Vallejo "games wash" since it appears my normal Vallejo go-to acrylic wash is no longer made. I'm okay with it as this new stuff is very nice to work with, slower drying and easier to manipulate after it's dry.

[JCON]

Looking very good there Russ!

[JED]

Very nice

[rustybaer]

Still here! Christmas was busy, but now that things have settled down I'm working in some quality time. Weathering is about done, just needs a few bits and figs now.
IMG_4145 by Russel Baer, on Flickr
IMG_4147 by Russel Baer, on Flickr
IMG_4148 by Russel Baer, on Flickr
Figs are in progress and I'm digging around looking for US-style antenna mounts. Hatch covers are ready too. The PE screen over the cooling fan is painted, ready to go on too.