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Sgt.Squarehead's 'Shermanicus Genericus'


Sgt.Squarehead

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Sarge,

Will be watching.

 

Just watched one of my buddies struggle through building this kit with the mine exploder.  Took him about 5 times longer than his average 72nd build and fought him all the way.

 

So watching you do at least 5 will be interesting.

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2 hours ago, philp said:

So watching you do at least 5 will be interesting.

We'll see how that goes (they're not the best kits, but thus far I'm actually rather enjoying them).  ;)

 

I'm a bit perplexed about my applique armour plates, I copied the parts provided in the Dragon M4A1, but they don't seem to match what I'm seeing on the bulk of the contemporary photos at all, the angles of the upper edges are massively exaggerated.....I've now found one example of a M4A1 with matching plates, 'Dodo' of 66th Battalion 2nd Armoured Division (ironically that's a unit I've been investigating in relation to @AndyRM101's M31), this one has fancy sprockets and stamped roadwheels.  :rolleyes:

 

EDIT - Wooyay, I have now found several more examples with matching applique, it looks like there was some evolution to the design.....I'm much happier!  :yahoo:

 

 

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The current state of play:

 

DubbleWonki

 

Was planning on fitting the return skids, but all my CA appears to have dried up so it will probably have to wait until monday now.....I may well start work on the running gear of a couple more in the mean time, need to find a big box to put all the sprues in though!  :rolleyes:

 

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Buggeration.....'Dodo' is an M4 Composite not an M4A1!  :wall:

 

I need to check the others now.....

 

Phew!  I still have at least three images with angled applique that are definitely M4A1s (including one with each sprocket type)!  :yahoo:

 

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Like I said in Nigels wet Sherman thread, these tanks  are a mine field, the same version can have lots of different parts to another tank of the same version :huh:

Research really is the name of the game eh sarge 

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8 hours ago, Hewy said:

Like I said in Nigels wet Sherman thread, these tanks  are a mine field, the same version can have lots of different parts to another tank of the same version :huh:

Research really is the name of the game eh sarge 

Cheers fella, you are not wrong.....I'm only tring to model a few generic Shermans rather than a specific example, but I want to base them on real examples from the theatre in question at approximately the right time.  Even so it's given me a few headaches as you can see and I've definitely spent more time in Hunnicutt etc. than I have at my bench, although that imbalance will be redressed.  ;)

 

For this reason, I will probably only build one more UM M4A1 and a couple of M4s (including the dozer) for this unit as it's occured to me these kits are probably better used for early examples in the Italian theatre (that way I don't have to add most of the bits I'm currently adding).....I've still got six or seven assorted Dragon M4A1s and an Italeri kit that I can bash into yet another M4A1(76)W, plus about the same number (if not more) Dragon & Heller M4s, so the unit won't be going short handed!  :mental:

 

13 hours ago, PlaStix said:

Very impressive work on the applique armour and their seams! :coolio:

Bit chunky TBH, but hopefully it'll look OK under primer.  :pray:

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My own progress currently rather matches my cold.....The bogeys never end!  :cold:

 

Photo's when I've assembled another tub to stick 'em to.....There have been changes.  :ninja:

 

PS - For the benefit of anyone else about to start on a UM kit, if you have the newer corrected five spoked road wheels and you plan to use them, make sure to relieve them massively.....The 1.6mm I used on the stamped wheels wasn't enough and I had another bogey fatality.  Fortunately you get two spares in each kit, so I'm well covered.

 

 

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Decided I couldn't live with my 'orrible fat weld seams and noticed that the Shermans with the angled applique all seemed to have spoked wheels, so:

 

AndThenThereWereThree

 

One M4A1 with spoked road wheels & angled applique, two M4A1s with stamped roadwheels & regular applique.....Many thanks to @PlaStix for providing me with a handy reference.  :coolio:

 

I'm getting pretty close to the bit of this build that I'm dreading.....If you are thinking that's the etch skids you are quite wrong.  :mellow:

 

I've not made it out to buy some CA yet but the return-skids really are the least of my worries, compared to what I'm about to attempt.....Look at your own peril:

 

Spoiler

Getting these off the sprue undamaged is going to be a lot of fun:

 

SprocketsOfFear

 

WTF were they thinking?  :doh:

 

 

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5 hours ago, Sgt.Squarehead said:

I've not made it out to buy some CA yet but the return-skids really are the least of my worries, compared to what I'm about to attempt.....Look at your own peril

 

Man, that's brutal :o  Thought about the surplus sprockets in the Heller kit? Not sure if they're the right pattern though

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The little squad is coming along there Sarge

 

I've been doing some work in 1/72 lately and I feel your pain with that extra detail your putting in good luck

 

beefy

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Hi Sarge. That looks ridiculous!! Why would anyone think that the sprue attachment points should be done in that way?!!! I certainly do not envy you trying to get those sprockets off safely........good luck!

Kind regards,

Stix

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5 hours ago, Bonhoff said:

I'm "looking forward" to my UM Firefly less and less....

You'll be fine fella, dive into it with confidence.....My spares box has many Sherman bits in it, they are yours if you need them (same goes for anyone here working in 1/72).  :coolio:

6 hours ago, beefy66 said:

I've been doing some work in 1/72 lately and I feel your pain with that extra detail your putting in good luck

Wotcha been up to?  Got a linky?  :hmmm:

 

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40 minutes ago, Sgt.Squarehead said:

Wotcha been up to?  Got a linky?  :hmmm:

No Link just a little floaty thing with torpedoes and guns and a lot of hair pulling out this GB is giving me a good break from it for now  B)

 

beefy

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  • 2 weeks later...

So, I decided I couldn't live with straight UM running gear after all:

 

HellerBits

 

Cheers to @Foghorn Leghorn  for sending me an extra set of sprockets, I'll be using them on one of the models with stamped roadwheels.  :coolio:

 

Need these to be really, really well cured before fitting the tracks.....Had to improvise a bit to get 'em on there, getting them off again would be quite easy I suspect.  :unsure:

 

Reaching the point where I'm going to have to start being careful to fit the right bits to the right model.....I need to have a root through my spares box in the hope of finding two horns, it appears the one I'm basing the model with spoked roadwheels on did not have one fitted.  :nerd:

 

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