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M4A3 (105mm) VVSS


mpguy80/08
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"Dr. Sherman" strikes again! I can hardly wait to see the next steps! One question: Did you paint or airbrush the OD color?

 

Lars

 

I tend to hand paint single color paint schemes as i can impart a texture to the surface of the paint to simulate the texture of rolled or cast steel. Armor kits tend to have lots of nooks and crannies that a lot of times an airbrush won't reach so you have to wind up touching up by hand anyway. The Bogie trucks on a Sherman are a prime example. A good look at the shot of the front of the lower hull shows the texturing I'm talking about. It doesnt really show that well till you drybrush, but there is a definite texture there.

 

Wayne

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I spent years as 1:35 scale armour modeller before collecting "real" militaria took over. Back then, the man who almost single-handedly transformed the hobby via his much-copied techniques was the Belgian modeller, Francois Verlinden. I remember buying Tamiya catalogues back in the late 70s and 80s just to see his dioramas which were always featured therein.

 

However...therein lies a problem (which was always hotly debated whenever I attended modellers' meets) ie, the question of weathering. The wash-and-drybrush technique pioneered by Verlinden certainly does snap out the detail on a 1:35 model, if properly done. But...if you've ever been around tanks, they DO NOT look like that at all in reality. A Sherman has only to run for a few hundred yards across open country for its bogies and tracks to be covered with mud! Not much detail is visible beneath the goo! Likewise, upper-surfaces quickly become covered with a layer of dust and mud from the boots of the guys climbing aboard. As for rust...a WW2 Sherman/ Stuart/ Chaffee etc was a "new" vehicle..just months or weeks old at the time. New vehicles do not show rust streaks all over, as portrayed by many modellers as a part of the weathering process.

 

Then we have what we used to laughingly call "magnetic pack syndrome"...ie., tanks festooned with musette bags and every other appurtenance known to man! Yes, GIs loaded their tanks with gear, but, if you've ever been around real tanks, whatever is carried has to be tightly lashed down or it falls off after moving just 10 feet. Likewise, there are places (air vents/intakes/ exhaust mounts) where kit would never be stowed...and yet we see this all of the time on supposedly "realistic" models!

 

I used to know a guy..a superb armour modeller back in the days where if you wanted a variant you scratch-built it...no easy resin add-ons in those days! Whenever he built a 1:35 tank he used to mix up a sticky goo with modelling compound, add various earth shades to it and liberally applied it to the tracks and suspension etc. All the details disappeared...but arguably, his models were far more authentic than those of us who lovingly dry-brushed and highlighted every bogie-bolt and rivet! So, what's the objective...a realistic model of a tank, or a "pretty" impression of one?

 

I offer the above not as a criticism but (hopefully?) as the starting point of a discussion on the matter.

 

Sabrejet

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Johan Willaert

I agree completely, Ian...

 

Being Belgian, I went to see some of Verlinden's models on display, and his modelling skills were absolutely amazing, but he tended to get the details wrong...

 

It was clear he had hardly ever seen or touched US WW2 militray uniforms and gear as most of the time the colors were completely off....

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I agree completely, Ian...

 

Being Belgian, I went to see some of Verlinden's models on display, and his modelling skills were absolutely amazing, but he tended to get the details wrong...

 

It was clear he had hardly ever seen or touched US WW2 militray uniforms and gear as most of the time the colors were completely off....

 

 

Hi Johan. To give Verlinden his dues, he almost single-handedly transformed the hobby and spawned a whole after-market culture for the model industry. I met him once at a big British model expo back in the early 80s...he was like the Messiah incarnate! Thereafter, most 1:35 models seen at shows or in hobby mags were "Velinden-esque". Originality suffered as a result...in my humble opinion!

 

 

Ian :thumbsup:

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I spent years as 1:35 scale armour modeller before collecting "real" militaria took over. Back then, the man who almost single-handedly transformed the hobby via his much-copied techniques was the Belgian modeller, Francois Verlinden. I remember buying Tamiya catalogues back in the late 70s and 80s just to see his dioramas which were always featured therein.

 

However...therein lies a problem (which was always hotly debated whenever I attended modellers' meets) ie, the question of weathering. The wash-and-drybrush technique pioneered by Verlinden certainly does snap out the detail on a 1:35 model, if properly done. But...if you've ever been around tanks, they DO NOT look like that at all in reality. A Sherman has only to run for a few hundred yards across open country for its bogies and tracks to be covered with mud! Not much detail is visible beneath the goo! Likewise, upper-surfaces quickly become covered with a layer of dust and mud from the boots of the guys climbing aboard. As for rust...a WW2 Sherman/ Stuart/ Chaffee etc was a "new" vehicle..just months or weeks old at the time. New vehicles do not show rust streaks all over, as portrayed by many modellers as a part of the weathering process.

 

Then we have what we used to laughingly call "magnetic pack syndrome"...ie., tanks festooned with musette bags and every other appurtenance known to man! Yes, GIs loaded their tanks with gear, but, if you've ever been around real tanks, whatever is carried has to be tightly lashed down or it falls off after moving just 10 feet. Likewise, there are places (air vents/intakes/ exhaust mounts) where kit would never be stowed...and yet we see this all of the time on supposedly "realistic" models!

 

I used to know a guy..a superb armour modeller back in the days where if you wanted a variant you scratch-built it...no easy resin add-ons in those days! Whenever he built a 1:35 tank he used to mix up a sticky goo with modelling compound, add various earth shades to it and liberally applied it to the tracks and suspension etc. All the details disappeared...but arguably, his models were far more authentic than those of us who lovingly dry-brushed and highlighted every bogie-bolt and rivet! So, what's the objective...a realistic model of a tank, or a "pretty" impression of one?

 

I offer the above not as a criticism but (hopefully?) as the starting point of a discussion on the matter.

 

Sabrejet

 

So true... I've been looking at Francois' stuff for years... certainly since I was a young modeller of about 12 or 13... the other big diorama nut was Shep Paine. I remember picking up the Monogram Armor and Airplane models and looking at the Dioramas he'd built. My all time favorites were the Sherman Screamin mimi and the TBD Devastator.

 

I agree that sitting on a diorama base, portraying a combat scene that mud and grime are a necessity. However, being in the army all those years, I never really took to building dioramas that much because of the fragility and the necessity of my having to move so often. What would break a model would be a disaster for a Dio. Having been infantry, and being both M113 and M2 Bradley crew, and even Humvee crew as an MP, I found that Mud and grime aren't the norm. At rest stops the crews would get out, check the track tension, and remove as much of the caked mud and gunk from the running gear as possible. Indeed, there are a lot of photos of crews doing just that. I've got pictures of me somewhere around here of me chipping the mud from the grooves of the M113 roadwheels at Fort Polk many years ago. Again, at Fort Hood, when I was deployed to Kuwait, and also in the field at Hood itself, there was a concerted effort to keep the vehicles as free of mud and gunk as possible. In the desert in Kuwait, we swept the upper decks and swept out the insides of the vehicle daily to keep the dust and dirt down. I lost a model contest at Fort Hood one year because my M2A2 Bradley "wasn't realistically dirty enough" even though it was acompanied by photos of the vehicle I'd modelled (my M2A2 in Kuwait). Oddly enough, the tank that won was an Israeli M60A1 that had a light coat of dust on the outside, but muddy footprints all over the interior you could see through the hatches. Another one of those inconsistancies that you spoke of.

 

I have a few references of Shermans in action, and its not often you see a tank totally caked with mud unless its being operated in a muddy field. Yes, there are those times where tanks took to the fields, but for the most part they tried to remain on the roads. Shermans were notoriously bad for bogging down in softer earth due to their narrow tracks. As early as North Africa we found that the narrow tracks and unusually high ground pressure would cause the shermans to bog down easily in soft earth or sand. This was why there was a concerted effort to widen the track and improve the floatation of the type. The initial resolution for this were the extended end connectors (duck bills) which replaced the normal end connectors during wet and rainy weather. The first attempt at this was intended to place a spacer between the bogie truck and hull to allow clearance for the inside track runs to mount the connectors on both the inside and outside of the track. However it was soon found that bent connectors on the inside runs weren't as easily replaced so the practice was discontinued. The widened track width between the tracks and use of end connectors on both the inside and outside of the track runs was referred to as the E9 suspension. After the difficulty of replacing the inside connectors was realized, it was decided to mount the extended connectors on the outside of the track run only. this was only a stop gap measure, but was used till the end of the war. The true resolution to this problem was the advent of the Easy Eight (E8) HVSS suspension with its 23" wide T66 track.

 

On the up side, Years ago I'd bought a Verlinden armored ammo trailer to use with an Italeri CCKW I'd gotten, but since has bought the farm. I still had the trailer after all these years, and had seen a picture of the trailer with some M4A3(75)s and had planned on using it parked as in the picture until I ran across a picture a few minutes ago of the very vehicle I'm modeling with this kit. The picture on page 32 of Concord's M4 Sherman at War (1942-1945) shows an M4A3(105mm) with the tactical hull number "58" from the 6th Armored Division driving through a village somewhere near the Ardenne, towing an armored ammo trailer. FORTUITOUS!!! The kit decals are for two specific tanks, Houston Kid II, and Number 58. I'd planned on using the 6th Armored's tank, as I liked the large numbers. As happy as I was finding this picture, I found that at the same time, my project just became a little bit harder... Number 58 is equipped with T48 tracks with Extended end connectors, which pretty much dictates I have to break out the AFV Club T48s I have. Individual link and end connectors... Individual links, individual end connectors, and individual extended duck bills. The AFV Club T-48 track kit gives you the option of assembling the track with or without end connectors. See the picture below. The Links are in the center section flanked top and bottom by the duckbills, and the end connectors themselves up the left and right sides. This is one sprue. Tracks for one tank takes SIX of these sprues. 168 Track pads, 336 end connectors and 120 duckbills.

 

Each track pad has a prominent raised circle on the roadwheel side that must be removed, each sprue attachment point must be trimmed away, and everything assembled. Its a long, time consuming process, but the results are amazing.

 

More to come...

 

Wayne

 

EDIT: LUCK!!! I remembered I had an Academy M4A2/3 Marine tank with the Wading trunks and had a hunch that tank had the rubbery T48 tracks with the duckbills, and BINGO!!! I checked the kit and the tracks were indeed the T48 with the extended end connectors. The Tamiya M4A3 105 comes with T48s, without the end connectors, while their early release comes with T54 all steel track with extended end connectors. I think a swap is in order!!!

post-3743-1271618644.jpg

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Interesting to get a serving soldier's perspective. I built nothing but Sherman variants for years. When I ceased modelling and began collecting militaria I gave all of my models to Phil Dyer (the man who did all of the drawings for the Hunnicutt books..nice, modest man. He gave me one of his original drawings as a thank you) He preferred the highlighted/dry-brushed look because he was a detail nut and that technique shows up the details to good effect!

 

 

Sabrejet

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Interesting to get a serving soldier's perspective. I built nothing but Sherman variants for years. When I ceased modelling and began collecting militaria I gave all of my models to Phil Dyer (the man who did all of the drawings for the Hunnicutt books..nuce, modest man. He gave me one of his original drawings as a thank you) He preferred the highlighted/dry-brushed look because he was a detail nut and that technique shows up the details to good effect!

Sabrejet

 

The main thing to remember about building scale models is that because of the smaller scale, sometimes you must <i>FORCE</i> the perspective. While we look at a full sized item, in true 1:1 scale, true 1:1 color, in scale modeling you sometimes have to force the same effect through the use of washes. Remember, a scale model is to us a 1:1 item... under 1:1 lighting, but because it is a scale model of something much larger, you have to "cheat" to get the same effect of what you see on the much larger item because 1:1 lighting is strong enough to wash out the details. An example of this is lightening the tone of a color as you scale something down. Something that is black in full scale, doesnt look right black as it is scaled down so you "scale" the paint as you scale the model. Does that make sense?

 

Also, as an example, lets say a Sherman interior. The interior of the Sherman was painted white. As the full sized tank is used, Dirt, grime, oil and such would collect in the recesses, and just in looking at it, the shadowing effect of the point of view of your light source casts shadows. In a scale model, you have to "cheat" to obtain the same result. A thin black wash, or a dark grey wash will simulate this shadowing effect. The same thing goes for washes in panel lines, around raised detail and such. A dark wash around lets say, the foundry marks on the hull or turret, followed by a light drybrushing <i>simulates</i> the shadowing effect seen on the real 1:1 tank under bright sunlight.

 

It is something I couldn't understand when I was younger... I was envious of those "pros" models because they looked much better than mine. Still today, there are those whose efforts far out do my own. Everything I know is pretty much self taught through trial and error, and reading how others do it and trying it out myself. Hopefully this discussion will help others with their efforts, or at least give them an idea of the questions to ask others to help them get better as well.

 

Wayne

 

EDIT: Reading this after I'd posted I thought of the perfect explanation of the reason for washes. Rear engine decking and panel lines. The rear deck of a tank often is predominently intake screening. Model parts of this area are often solid, with the detail pressed into it, but not through it. The problem is, when you paint it, say, olive drab, the part is just olive drab. Look at the real thing, and you will see that the spaces between the grates have DEPTH. You don't have that depth in scale so you must "cheat" and darken the space between the slats artificially by using a dark wash. The wash settles in the low spots and darkens the low areas, and a drybrushing picks out the raised detail around it such as the grill slats themselves, while leaving the recesses darkened. It's the same with panel lines.

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I hear what you say Wayne...artistic license in 1:35 scale!!

 

Ian :thumbsup:

 

Exactly!!! The end result though is what makes the modeller happy. Something I create might not win a contest, but if I'm happy with the end result as it sits on my shelf, then that's the goal, right? There are two goals for me in model building. First, is the relaxation and fun I have building. Second is the challenge. I always try to do something I haven't done before, or at least do it better than the last time. For this project, it's the first time I've added the bracketing for the foul weather cover. My next Sherman, I'm going to add the cover and see how it turns out. Sure, for just about any kit out there you can probably find the resin conversion kit to add the cover in resin but its the challenge of doing it yourself that gives you the most satisfaction. With the right references, you can replicate just about anything.

 

Wayne

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Hi again everyone!

 

I decided to see what I could tdo about the sunken seam lines so I pulled out my plastic cement, a knife and the tube of Squadron white putty. Using a narrow Super Glue applicator tip, I filled it with the white putty and pushed it through with the end of a paint brush handle Once it dries, I'll go back through and touch it up before painting.

post-3743-1271739829.jpg

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I thought I would give everyone a little treat and show the armored ammo trailer I'm going to display this tank with... This is Verlinden Productions Kit # VP 2100, US Army Armored Trailer. I've had it around for years now, and to be honest I'm surprised it survived this long. I gave it a slop wash of Folk Art Acrylic Burnt Umber, then drybrushed with Model Master Panzer Dk. Yellow 1943. Looking into the bin, you can see how when the burnt umber dries, it looks like a coating of dust and dirt. I'm still grinning ear to ear that I found a picture of the very tank I'm modeling towing one of these...

 

Wayne

post-3743-1271740291.jpg

post-3743-1271740309.jpg

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I thought I would give everyone a little treat and show the armored ammo trailer I'm going to display this tank with... This is Verlinden Productions Kit # VP 2100, US Army Armored Trailer. I've had it around for years now, and to be honest I'm surprised it survived this long. I gave it a slop wash of Folk Art Acrylic Burnt Umber, then drybrushed with Model Master Panzer Dk. Yellow 1943. Looking into the bin, you can see how when the burnt umber dries, it looks like a coating of dust and dirt. I'm still grinning ear to ear that I found a picture of the very tank I'm modeling towing one of these...

 

Wayne

 

I forgot to add last night that all the rails and grab handles and loops on this trailer are added with copper wire. This was actually a fun build at the time I put it together... Back when I got it, I was in the process of working on two other shermans back then... it was a nice change of pace in subject material, not to mention construction. Its easy using plastic glue to put together a model... using cyanoacrylate adhesives (super glues) is a bit more of a challenge. Overall, it was a fun build of an object you don't see too often.

 

Wayne

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Sorry for the lapse in progress posts... I had someone hack my router and crashed both my computers... I lost the whole batch of photos I've posted here and need to resave them from here, and redownload the originals to my computer from my camera. Now my router is locked down completely, but man rewriting your hard drive to zeros is a sobering process on one computer... try it on two... I've been doing some work on the model, and will have an update soon!!!

 

Wayne

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Okay gang, after a serious bout with hacked computers, I've finally gotten back into things with this project. I'm almost finished, lacking only crew and a few other details... Here is a picture of the right side, a 1/4 oblique view...

post-3743-1272182001.jpg

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...and a shot of the Armored Ammo Trailer with a load of ammo boxes and K Ration cases... Note the Bumper number of the trailer is the same as the codes for the tank. When a trailer is assigned to a vehicle, it usually carries the same codes with the addition of the "T" at the end... hence, HQ-58T...

 

Over the next fewe days I'm going to get together a crew and finish off a few other details for the 360 shots... I hope you are enjoying this as much as I am

post-3743-1272182208.jpg

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  • 2 weeks later...
mpguy80/08
were do you get the kits to do this stuff?

 

I have obtained all of my kits from various sources... local hobby shops (Hobbytown USA, Colorado Springs, Boardwalk Hobby shop, Cincinnati Ohio) and mail order (www.greatmodels.com) as well as some ebay auctions. The M4A3 (105mm) I got at a local hobby shop in Killeen Texas who's name escapes me right now, and the resin Armored trailer and 105mm ammo crates underneath the K Ration crates are from Verlinden Productions and were picked up at the Hobbytown USA in Colorado Springs. The K Ration crates and the wooden crates on the back deck as well as the .30 and .50 cal ammo cans I've added since the photos are accessories from the M-26 PErshing kit which are also included in the M4A3 (105) kit.

 

I have to say that Greatmodels.com has always been a good source of materials for my model building. You can search the site by scale, manufacturer and genre... and the prices are reasonable as well.

 

I hope this helps and answers your question.

 

Wayne

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Proud Kraut

Great kit Wayne!!! Two questions please:

1. Which decals did you use?

2. How -exactly- did you do the remaining sand/dust inside the trailer?

 

Thanks!

 

Lars

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mpguy80/08
Great kit Wayne!!! Two questions please:

1. Which decals did you use?

2. How -exactly- did you do the remaining sand/dust inside the trailer?

 

Thanks!

 

Lars

 

1. The decals were from the stock kit sheet, which being as I've had it for awhile, were a bit hard to get off the sheet with just a dip and ten second soak in water... I wound up having to dip the decals in micro set to begin with to soften the adhesive, then continue with Micro sol once the decal was on the model. Again, when using this system, first you must use Micro set on the model where you want the decal to be. Position the decal, then use the Micro set, covering the decal using a paint brush. Make any last second adjustments then let it set. Resist the urge to blot it, dab it, or whatever. The decal will wrinkle as the fluids dry, but it will flatten out, leaving a decal which nestles down really well to the surface. Any air bubbles can be pierved and dabbed with Microsol to get rid of the bubble.

 

2. Aaaaaaaaancient Chinese Secret.... Just kidding... LOL The Dust inside of the trailer is achieved with a wash of Raw umber Folk Art brand acrylic pigment, although any brand will do... Folk Art, Ceramcoat, etc. This can be picked up in the arts and crafts section of Hobby Lobby or Michaels. They are water based acrylics, so they can be thinned and cleaned up with water. Then I take an artists palette tray, one of the plastic kind, and mix my wash in one of the divots. I do any pre-shading with a black wash first, usually using the Testors model master or Polly S acrylics for the pre shading, letting it dry completely before the raw umber wash. I put maybe ten drops of water, then mix in the raw umber pigment by dipping the brush in the bottle and transferring it to the water and stirring it till it thins down. Then I just slather the wash over the undercarriage and wheels/tires, and inside the bed of the trailer. Then this pigment wash dries, it dries flat, and actually lightens as it dries, providing the dusty dried dirt caked look. Test it out on something you dont mind using as a test to judge how much or how little of the wash to use. The more pigment, the thicker the wash... less pigment, a thinner wash is the result.

 

Hope that hepls a little...

 

Wayne

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Proud Kraut
1. The decals were from the stock kit sheet, which being as I've had it for awhile, were a bit hard to get off the sheet with just a dip and ten second soak in water... I wound up having to dip the decals in micro set to begin with to soften the adhesive, then continue with Micro sol once the decal was on the model. Again, when using this system, first you must use Micro set on the model where you want the decal to be. Position the decal, then use the Micro set, covering the decal using a paint brush. Make any last second adjustments then let it set. Resist the urge to blot it, dab it, or whatever. The decal will wrinkle as the fluids dry, but it will flatten out, leaving a decal which nestles down really well to the surface. Any air bubbles can be pierved and dabbed with Microsol to get rid of the bubble.

 

2. Aaaaaaaaancient Chinese Secret.... Just kidding... LOL The Dust inside of the trailer is achieved with a wash of Raw umber Folk Art brand acrylic pigment, although any brand will do... Folk Art, Ceramcoat, etc. This can be picked up in the arts and crafts section of Hobby Lobby or Michaels. They are water based acrylics, so they can be thinned and cleaned up with water. Then I take an artists palette tray, one of the plastic kind, and mix my wash in one of the divots. I do any pre-shading with a black wash first, usually using the Testors model master or Polly S acrylics for the pre shading, letting it dry completely before the raw umber wash. I put maybe ten drops of water, then mix in the raw umber pigment by dipping the brush in the bottle and transferring it to the water and stirring it till it thins down. Then I just slather the wash over the undercarriage and wheels/tires, and inside the bed of the trailer. Then this pigment wash dries, it dries flat, and actually lightens as it dries, providing the dusty dried dirt caked look. Test it out on something you dont mind using as a test to judge how much or how little of the wash to use. The more pigment, the thicker the wash... less pigment, a thinner wash is the result.

 

Hope that hepls a little...

 

Wayne

 

 

Wayne, thank you very much for this comprehensive informations! I have ordered Micro sol & set and will try this now as well. Thanks again!

 

Lars

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  • 1 year later...
Cobrahistorian

Wayne,

 

Been an interesting read going back over this thread. Due to my new career situation, I've found myself sucked back into Armor modeling, particularly 48th scale armor. Since I'm doing a run of 48th scale SP Howitzers, the Sherman seemed to be a logical starting point. I picked up the Hobby Boss M4A3 and a Tank Workshop 105 turret and I'm very pleased with both. I've got a set of T51 tracks enroute too to replace the kit's vinyl track.

 

My question is, where did you find references of actual vehicles? I've got three good shots of 105 tanks in Steve Zaloga's Osprey Vanguard M4 variants book and the few scattered shots I can find online, but that's about it! I can't afford Hunnicutt's book at this point, (I think the cheapest on Amazon is over $200!) but may have limited access to a copy. The 105 Sherman is definitely an underappreciated variant!

 

After this one, I'm going to be building the Gaso.line M7 and M12 and the Kengi Models M8 and M3 halftrack (with a scratchbuilt quad .50 in the back!) kits. Fortunately, I've got one of each just around the corner that I can go climb all over and photograph as needed.

 

 

Jon

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Wayne,

 

Been an interesting read going back over this thread. Due to my new career situation, I've found myself sucked back into Armor modeling, particularly 48th scale armor. Since I'm doing a run of 48th scale SP Howitzers, the Sherman seemed to be a logical starting point. I picked up the Hobby Boss M4A3 and a Tank Workshop 105 turret and I'm very pleased with both. I've got a set of T51 tracks enroute too to replace the kit's vinyl track.

 

My question is, where did you find references of actual vehicles? I've got three good shots of 105 tanks in Steve Zaloga's Osprey Vanguard M4 variants book and the few scattered shots I can find online, but that's about it! I can't afford Hunnicutt's book at this point, (I think the cheapest on Amazon is over $200!) but may have limited access to a copy. The 105 Sherman is definitely an underappreciated variant!

 

After this one, I'm going to be building the Gaso.line M7 and M12 and the Kengi Models M8 and M3 halftrack (with a scratchbuilt quad .50 in the back!) kits. Fortunately, I've got one of each just around the corner that I can go climb all over and photograph as needed.

Jon

 

Over the years I've picked up quite a few books on the Sherman... Squadron Signal Sherman in action and Sherman Walk Around are good for the detail shots and Concord has their M4 Sherman At War Part 1 and 2... just about any book about Armor during WWII and/or specific battles where armor was present will have good pictures of Shermies. There is another book on the M4 Sherman which I can't find at the moment which is part of a Zenith series of books called "At War" and The Sherman Tank by Roger Ford. The Sherman bible is the book by Hunnicutt. I can't afford that one. LOL

 

I work primarily in 1/35th scale for armor, 1/48th for Aircraft with a few exceptions (Fokker Dr1 in 1/32 and the A-10, F-16 and F-14 in 1/32). I did one 1/48th Sherman years ago from the old Aurora box scale series when I was a kid and it's taken this long for 1/48th armor to really get big. Currently I'm working on adding a 76mm turret and sandbags to a Tamiya M4A3... the resin barrel was trash so I used a plastic barrel from a dragon kit that also includes an aluminum barrel. The dragon kits aren't bad, and the Tam kits suffer from small deficiencies such as the lack of the bolts at the bottoms of the bogie trucks and the sunken weld seams. The current crop of shermies is getting better and better... I want to pick up one of the Tasca kits... but haven't yet. Keep in touch... I'll help out however I can.

 

Wayne

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Cobrahistorian

I've got a bunch building right now, all 48th scale armor, but I'm looking for details/markings for a specific, interesting Sherman assault gun. I'm thinking of maybe doing a whitewashed vehicle from the Bulge. I've also got a 40mm Bofors, jeep and M27 bomb truck (scratchbuilt conversion) in the works, but I'm focusing on the Sherman right now. Gotta wire the Bofors' brakes and taillights, finish the paint, hit it with a wash and weather and it'll be done. The Jeep's in similar state. Still lots to do on the M27 though...

 

I've been pretty impressed with the Hobby Boss kit though. Backings to all of the road wheels and idlers, different types of bogey trucks, two different types of wheels, etc. It's been a fun little kit and with the Tank Workshop turret, it's even better!

 

Jon

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I've got a bunch building right now, all 48th scale armor, but I'm looking for details/markings for a specific, interesting Sherman assault gun. I'm thinking of maybe doing a whitewashed vehicle from the Bulge. I've also got a 40mm Bofors, jeep and M27 bomb truck (scratchbuilt conversion) in the works, but I'm focusing on the Sherman right now. Gotta wire the Bofors' brakes and taillights, finish the paint, hit it with a wash and weather and it'll be done. The Jeep's in similar state. Still lots to do on the M27 though...

 

I've been pretty impressed with the Hobby Boss kit though. Backings to all of the road wheels and idlers, different types of bogey trucks, two different types of wheels, etc. It's been a fun little kit and with the Tank Workshop turret, it's even better!

 

Jon

 

thats one of the things I liked about the Tasca bogies... One of the first things they released were the early and late bogies for shermans... before their first sherman kit. I used the roadwheels on my 105 armed sherman specifically for that reason. So many new kits out these days... What I want is the Tasca Sherman M4A1 DV (direct vision slots for the driver/co-driver instead of periscopes). I have two Dragon M4A1's here now that I'm going to do... one of them I'm going to put the older M3 style bogie trucks on with the return roller on top of the truck instead of on a trailing arm. Most of those were used by the brits and the US 1st Armored in North Africa though some did make it into the northern ETO on D Day. I love the sherman... it was such a versitile chassis... Just about everything we used was based on it. The M4 Series tanks, the M10 and M36 tank destroyers, the M7 priest, T2 and M31 Tank retrievers, M35 prime mover, M12 SP 155, up to the M40 later in the war. Not to mention all the different conversions of those models such as the crab or DD or Screaming Mimi.

 

Wayne

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