Robert_Y

A long time between updates - It's been a rough year with health issues, family death and other issues but I am going to necro this thread as I have been actually getting in some modeling time. I managed to get some paint on "Duke" and lots still needs to be done but it's a start. Thanks for looking!

This is a small update but I did not want it to get lost in a larger post. I started on the upper hull and there are a few things to watch out for around the drivers/ co drivers hatches. The post that sits between the hatch "knuckles" is included on the sprue but not mentioned in the instructions. I have added a pic from another Dragon M4A3 kit that shows the missing parts and part numbers. I have added it on the drivers side and left it off on the other so you see what I mean. I'm also going to add a small bit of styrene to close the gap below the bottom "knuckle". The rotating plate that holds the periscope sits too high in hatch (left side example) it should be level with the hatch as on the right. There is a mounting tab inside the hatch that can be cut out so the plate can sit level. The grab handle is also missing from the instructions (see instructions below) and the locking tab is missing I added it from my spares. I changed the periscope guard to the kit supplied one after seeing how bad the aftermarket one looked in this pic. My mark 1 eyeballs didn't catch it, must be getting old.

Thanks John! The TMD wheels look great and the clean up was easier than most of the styrene wheels I've been doing lately.

Cool Studs is a interesting M4A3(76) and easy to spot that it is Fisher built. The pressed roadwheels and idlers were designed by Chrysler and used throughout production on their VVSS equipped shermans. Fisher used either the solid concave or the welded spoke with small holes roadwheels for M4A3(76) production. I'm not sure if the closing of the open spokes was a problem of mud or getting things jammed in them. They had a larger reinforced bearing so they can commonly be seen on M4A3E2 Jumbos of which Fisher was the sole producer. The sprocket is also the plain type while Chrysler used a fancier type. Fisher started M4A3(76) production later than Chrysler so they used the final type of glacis with the short bullet splashes in front of the hatches and the lifting rings were moved further out. Dragon bogies with bolt holes drilled out, bolts added to track skids and Tiger Model Designs roadwheels This kit is one of Dragons earlier sherman designs made after moving away from using the Italeri sherman copies in their Imperial series. It still had the undersized final driver covers and other problems that have mostly been corrected in their newer kits. I replaced them with resin ones from TMD, and as I am going to be using Panda single link tracks I used a TMD engine back door plate with adjustable idlers so I can get a decent tension appearance. I added some styrene shims to the final drive sides to get it flush with the covers and a strip to lower the assembly for a better fit to the upper hull. Paul Budzig has some really nice tips on working with Dragon shermans here. I do disagree with figure 24 on his page 1 as I want the suspension arm sides with casting numbers to face outward to be seen and the roadwheel side with the insert to be facing inward and unseen. I added some styrene to give the sponson extenders something sturdy to glue to, they are off at the moment until this dries. The towing hitch could be turned sideways while not in use so I did it for the hell of it. Thanks for looking!

I recently read two books on the 761st "Black Panthers" and it inspired my next build. Both books are well done and worth reading - more for the stories than any modeling information. Cool Studs #4 has two pics both taken in Austria after the end of the war and both Dragon and Bison/Star Decals have decals for it. It is also interesting as it is one of the few Fisher built (only 525) M4A3(76). The majority of M4A3(76) were built by Chrysler (a little over 4,000) and there are a few differences between factories. Fisher manufactured M4A3(76) from Sept to Dec 1944 , October '44 was the start of oval loaders hatch and muzzle break so that makes this a Sept-early Oct build. I will try to point out the differences between production lines during the build process. I'll be using the Dragon kit with a few aftermarket parts to represent Cool Studs.

Thanks guys! I'm almost finished with the building phase, On the lower hull I added the tow cable, tools, spare track brackets and tracks, jerry can in the right track bracket with side skirt attachment plate and tied down the stowage. The turret details added were a new pistol port door with serial number, search light, bolt heads added to the commanders sight and armored gunners sight, Tasca .50 cal, mg stowage brackets cut and lowered with resin barrel clips, the loaders hatch had a periscope guard and mg clip bracket added, the main antenna base was the incorrect type and I sanded it flat and added a spares box base with a guitar string antenna, I then textured with Mr Surfacer 500. Only a couple more things to fix and I'll be calling it done until paint. This has been a fun project so far and I was able work on my skills and try out a few new things. Thanks for looking!

I made a little progress on the upper hull by adding sand skirt attachment strips, Value Gear stowage and after seeing last updates pics of the stock Italeri periscope and tail light guards I decided to replace them with photo etch as 1- I already had it and 2- I never did periscope guards from PE so I wanted to give it a try. I think the flat 2D shape in photo etch looks better than the super thick plastic parts. We'll see how it looks once painted. The revolving periscope frame was damaged during the old guard removal so I sanded it flat and added a PE replacement and used some spare resin periscopes and covers. I also managed to do a little work on the turret, I replaced the rod on the vision cupola and added bolt detail, cut drain channels on the rear splash guard for the hatches, added styrene to the loaders hatch to backdate to the earlier 'problem" version where the hatches only opened to a vertical position. I then textured the mantlet with Mr Surfacer and added lifting rings. I still have lots of little details that need added but I'm making good progress. Thanks for looking!

I started adding the details to the front of the hull, I used MJ Miniatures 3D printed light and siren guards, added siren wiring, some photo etch details on the hatches etc. The rear light guards are stock Italeri as they are longer on one side and the MJ set came with the symmetrical shape for welded hulls. I have some really nice TMD resin periscope guards I had planned to use but they look over-sized on this kit, they were probably designed for the Tasca or Dragon kit so I went with the stock guards. I am holding off on the tools at the moment as I have a Value Gear stowage set coming to give it that lived in look and the tools will go on after. The turret was next, I cut off the ventilator and mg stowage socket on the rear as well the the barrel stowage brackets as they need to be lowered. I cut the mounting tabs off the pistol port assembly so it would stick out a bit then puttied up to it. It's probably not perfect but it will look fine on my shelf. I added casting numbers from archer, a gunners periscope, gunners sight in the mantlet and a co-axial .30 barrel, drilled out the smoke mortar hole then added a Def Model 76mm barrel I still need to do a bit of work but it is a start. I couldn't help but mock things up to see where we are at. Much more to do but I'm having fun with this one! Thanks for looking!

The upper hull was next on the list, the molded on supports for the middle hull ventilator were cut off and the hole filled in leaving the early uncovered U shaped ventilator opening. The large hatch M4A1's had only one fuel fill point per side instead of the earlier four points, the engine decks with the extra fuel fill points were used until the new plates made it into the supply line and the older plates were simply "blanked off". I added handles to the fill caps, cut off and replaced the hull mg weatherproofing bracket, cut off the grouser vent covers and recessed the spare Dragon grouser covers. The upper and lower hulls have not been glued together yet. The lifting rings, mg ball and ventilator covers are Formations spares. I added a General Steel casting logo and stippled the surface using Mr Surfacer 500. I also used styrene to fill in the cut out across the bottom edge of the rear upper hull, it should be straight on large hatch M4A1's. Thanks for looking!

I managed a small bit of bench time this week and was able to get the suspension mounted and most of the lower hull done. The kit includes round air filters instead of the more common square ones that Duke had, luckily the reissued Tamiya M4A3 has some unneeded air filters. Tamiya also provided the towing hitch. The T48 rubber band tracks are from Tasca/Asuka and need a link or two removed to tighten them up. The transmission cover was textured with Mr Surfacer 500 and I used styrene to make some crude cast in steps. I also added casting numbers but it's pretty hard to see them. Thanks for looking!

Nice job!

Thanks for the link, it is not me building it over there, Some good info in that thread I'll keep a eye on it.

Construction begins with the lower hull - pretty boring and plain. I think I can do better. I whipped out my razor saw and cut off the molded on Italeri mounting pads and replaced with Dragon VVSS plates with bolt detail. I also added the bolts that connect the final drive assembly. The bogies on Duke should be the straight arm type instead of the kit supplied raised version. The spares box came to the rescue again with Dragon bogies, Academy wheels and the kit spring volutes. They are still in progress but I have drilled the bolt holes on the face and started adding bolts to the track skids. Thanks for looking!

Thanks! The last one of these I built was mostly out of the box with a little stowage and it turned out well. Hopefully I won't mess this up too bad trying to fix a few things.

I started a new project that I can work on a little bit at a time while waiting to paint the Firefly. It is the old (but not that bad) Italeri M4A1 that I will backdate slightly to one of the first 76mm M4A1's to take part in Operation Cobra. About 150 of these sat in England unwanted due to the 76mm's poor HE round. The heavy losses in the hedgerow fighting in Normandy left a shortage of tanks and the "orphaned" M4A1's were shipped to France to take part in Operation Cobra. They were distributed to the 2nd & 3rd armored divisions and saw action in late July '44. Many of these tanks were early production models that had turrets from the abandoned T23 tank program and had features not found in later models. You can see the list at the Sherman Minutia site the.shadock.free.fr/sherman_minutia/manufacturer/m4a1largehatches/m4a1_largehatches.html and I will also try to point out specific points along the build process. A couple pics of Duke The Italeri kit- talk about bad box art- a early small hatch M4A1 DV with 75mm T23 turret and 3 piece transmission. Not really a surprise tho, I knew what was inside as I've built a few of these over the years.