Sgt.Squarehead Posted October 9, 2013 Author Share Posted October 9, 2013 (edited) Cheers! There is also the minor point that the US Army didn't actually use the M4A2......Just the US Marine Corps. The Airfix kit, if it can be said to truly represent anything out of the box, is an M4 Early (it has Continental R975 style engine deck and a welded hull.....QED).....With a long, long list of errors. My planned second build (Kasserine Pass M4) would basically involve bring the kit up to something like the specification that it most closely matches. I'm currently in several minds about what to do for a second build.....I really do want a 1/76 Kasserine M4 and I've got all the bits to hand, but I'm doing a Sherman already. I've got several Matchbox 1/76 M3 Stuarts in the stash and I'd really like to do a USMC version for Guadalcanal, or a 7th Light Cavalry machine in Burma, or even a Stuart captured by the Japanese. I also need to do an accurate M3 Lee as while "Antique" looks OK it's actually a bit anachronistic on the detail front with a mixture of early & late features. But then there's the rather superb MB/Revell 1/76 LRDG Set, or an Airfix LCM or Buffalo, etc. etc. Edited October 9, 2013 by Sgt.Squarehead Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Speedman Posted October 9, 2013 Share Posted October 9, 2013 Great build you've got going there! I remember building the Matchbox Stuart many moons ago. I had that, the Esci Sherman, Esci Valentine and a Matilda (can't remember the make), I might have to have a go at some small scale armour again. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sgt.Squarehead Posted October 9, 2013 Author Share Posted October 9, 2013 (edited) Cheers.....No time like the present dude! Edited October 9, 2013 by Sgt.Squarehead Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Col. Posted October 9, 2013 Share Posted October 9, 2013 Out of all that options I'd go with whatever needs the least amount of work to correct and detail as a relaxing project after this one. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sgt.Squarehead Posted October 14, 2013 Author Share Posted October 14, 2013 (edited) Found a nice site with some pics of what I'm aiming for with my first build: http://www.tarawaontheweb.org/usmctank.htm Oddly there are no pics of 'Cecilia', which might explain why I've got decals for almost all of the others, but not for the 'little tank who could'. Progress with the model continues steadily, but it's mostly been faffy little bits like the exhaust (It turns out my subject had a two part affair rather than the simplified one piece casting in the image above. ) that are hard to photograph with the moody macro settings on my camera.....However I've just joined the hull halves together permanently, so once it's all dry and cleaned up I'll take some piccys of that instead. Edited October 14, 2013 by Sgt.Squarehead Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sgt.Squarehead Posted October 15, 2013 Author Share Posted October 15, 2013 (edited) Just suffered an 'epic fail' fitting the tracks.....Barely resisting the urge to pound the kit to shards! I'm really annoyed.....I normally find fitting tracks a doddle, but I stupidly bought 'Zap - Zip Kicker' Aerosol CA Accelerator and it is to put it mildly, utter rubbish.....It would be better described as CA De-Bonder. I lost two bogie units on one side when the 'Zap' I used to fix the tracks, de-bonded the CA holding them in place.....I've made repairs, but it's going to be hard to clean up the mess, 'Zap' seems to cause the CA to foam more than other accelerators too. Edited October 15, 2013 by Sgt.Squarehead Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sgt.Squarehead Posted October 15, 2013 Author Share Posted October 15, 2013 (edited) Well I've fixed it, but it's not pretty.....I've run out of white primer too, so you'll have to face the full unmitigated horror: Piccy-Be-Gone Here's my attempt at the exhaust system (& generally tarting up the rear hull plate): Piccy-Be-Gone To be fair it could have been worse.....Fortunately I found a tube of my trusty favourite, Bostik Superglue Gel, which can usually be relied on to get the job done without accelerator. I may not have to kill it after all! Edited November 21, 2013 by Sgt.Squarehead Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
woody37 Posted October 15, 2013 Share Posted October 15, 2013 Looking good, knowing nothing about tanks, it looks like a Sherman to me Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sgt.Squarehead Posted October 15, 2013 Author Share Posted October 15, 2013 I've just noticed the MB/Revell sprockets are the wrong type for my subject! I could swear that I checked they were correct before proceeding with the build, but apparently not and it turns out the original Airfix ones would in fact have been closer, but then the tracks would either be wrong or not fit properly.....I can't easily fettle my way out of this one! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sgt.Squarehead Posted October 16, 2013 Author Share Posted October 16, 2013 (edited) As it turns out, I can in fact do just that.....So I have: Piccy-Be-Gone It's far from perfect, but so is everything else on this build.....It'll just have to do! Sorry about the pic.....Black really primer doesn't help! FWIW & All the best Andy S. PS - Don't worry, I didn't use all that black primer on two sprockets.....I've primed a Hetzer for spraying! Edited November 21, 2013 by Sgt.Squarehead Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sgt.Squarehead Posted October 22, 2013 Author Share Posted October 22, 2013 (edited) Still faffing.....Discovered I'm fresh out of 1/76 Jerry Cans and my subject almost certainly had a rack of them on the rear hull plate (all the other C Company Shermans seem to have had them), so yet more aftermarket bits are on their way. I reckon this little Airfix kit would probably work out at about double the price of the equivalent Dragon 1/72 version (I have five in the stash! ), were I actually to tot-up the cost of it's many & various components. Edited October 22, 2013 by Sgt.Squarehead Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Col. Posted October 22, 2013 Share Posted October 22, 2013 Ah but think of the fun you are having Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sgt.Squarehead Posted October 22, 2013 Author Share Posted October 22, 2013 (edited) It's certainly been interesting. Beginning to wonder if my title might not be a bit deceptive as there will only actually be nine Airfix parts in the finished model (although five of those parts are fairly substantial).....There are also seven ESCI/Italeri parts, eighteen parts from MB/Revell, three are from Unimodel, four parts plus the decals come from Dragon, plus there's Stu's M4A2 conversion set, a Milicast turned barrel and an assortment of aftermarket from Dan Taylor Modelworks & Friendship Miniatures (both of whose products and service I can very highly recommend). Some of the stowage and tools are from the SHQ 20mm white metal range. Here's a not very exciting picture of where it's at right now: Piccy-Be-Gone I've been adding some texture to the turret with a supergluey digit and you can also see evidence of where I had fitted tools to the rear plate, but it appears these must have been located elsewhere on Tarawa M4A2s as there is a Jerry-Can rack in their normal spot.....I'm thinking they might be stored to the underside of the rack like the gun-cleaning rods (IIRC) on an M4A3. My references are unrevealing in this area so any advice from Sherman experten who might happen to be be popping in would be gratefully appreciated. Edited November 21, 2013 by Sgt.Squarehead Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brews Posted October 22, 2013 Share Posted October 22, 2013 (edited) I suspect you might find that the jerry can rack was fitted over the tools. I presume you've seen this: http://www.militarymodelling.com/news/article/tarawa/3242/# Edited October 22, 2013 by Brews Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sgt.Squarehead Posted October 22, 2013 Author Share Posted October 22, 2013 (edited) Hi Bruce.....That was certainly the case for the folding rack on M4A3s, but I think not for these M4A2s.....Here is the best picture I've found of the rear of one of these tanks: It has the can rack and deflector per Steve's model: For Discussion Purposes Only But the Jerry-Cans all appear to be flush to the rear plate leaving no room for the tool normally stowed there (unless it sits just above them), also the hammer is clearly not where Dragon would have you locate it (above the left rear fender mount as you look at the image) and there is nothing to indicate that it ever was there. Edited October 29, 2013 by Sgt.Squarehead Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sgt.Squarehead Posted October 30, 2013 Author Share Posted October 30, 2013 (edited) My final package of goodies (For the tank itself.....There will be one more for the crew yet! ) arrived this morning, so I'm back on the road, courtesy of Friendship Models! http://stores.ebay.co.uk/friendshipmodels I am now the proud owner of sufficient shiny and beautifully cast 1/76 Jerry Cans to fill many racks.....I've also got some tidy little periscopes for my hatches! I really have to thank Ian at Friendship for taking the time to sort me out (I messed up my order, so he fixed it for me), as I know he is incredibly busy with a massively important new project of his own right now. Must admit that I really didn't think he'd have time to take care of my needs at the moment so I foolishly ordered some cans from 'other seller'.....They were not very good at all, so I decided to wait on Ian. I'm really glad that I did because compared to the Friendship cans they're garbage. I'll use a few in the middle of the rack under the tarp, but everything you can actually see will be Friendship stuff. I've also been fighting a bit of a cold-war with the tracks.....They're Revell black vinyl and were washed before fitting, I normally find these tracks stay put perfectly with a bit of CA (& usually some accelerator), but I'm having issues with them separating from the return skids & rollers on one side. I suspect it's down to my repeated priming, even a bit of paint or primer between the track and the plastic can really mess up the bond. At present we've achieved something like equilibrium, the track is still floating slightly, but not so badly as to be obvious. How it will look when it's painted may be a different matter and once it's painted getting a bond will be almost impossible. Edited November 1, 2013 by Sgt.Squarehead Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
thomastmcc Posted October 30, 2013 Share Posted October 30, 2013 nice work mate ... inspiration for my 20mm tarawa game.. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sgt.Squarehead Posted October 30, 2013 Author Share Posted October 30, 2013 It was one hell of a battle wasn't it.....Maj. Ryan's exploits on Green Beach in particular IIRC. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SleeperService Posted October 30, 2013 Share Posted October 30, 2013 Your battle with the vinyl tracks reminds me what pushed me out of 76th scale. Spent weeks on a M4A4 Firefly and got defeated by the tracks. Mr Hammer meet Mr Not Very Good Model. Still, you've pushed on and overcome so I doff my cap to you Sir! It certainly looks a lot more 'Shermany' that the tat you started with. With all these finished models starting to crop up I thought I was the only one at War with his entry!! Good Luck Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sgt.Squarehead Posted October 31, 2013 Author Share Posted October 31, 2013 (edited) In hindsight, were I to do this build again (which I will at some point.....I want three of these), I'd probably use Unimodel 1/72 L&L track and sprockets, the tracks are a little bit out for a 1/72 Sherman; while the width is right, the track pads are too narrow and the end-connectors too long. However if you sand down the end-connectors a tad, they should look spot on for 1/76.....If you were pathological enough about these things, you would have to replace the detail on the ends of each and every end-connector, but for me, in 1/76, that is most definitely a detail too far! Edited October 31, 2013 by Sgt.Squarehead Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sgt.Squarehead Posted November 17, 2013 Author Share Posted November 17, 2013 (edited) Been slacking a bit on this one, so in order to avoid having to transfer it to the KUTA build, I thought I'd better get my finger out. Recent work has mostly involved making lots of fiddly little bits like these: Piccy-Be-Gone These will become towing shackles.....I need five, so far I've made nine, I've got these two and I've successfully fitted three to the tank, the rest are in hyperspace somewhere! The model currently looks like this: Piccy-Be-Gone The speed with which the primer is flaking off the tracks is rather worrying.....I've used lots of MB/Revell tracks in the past and never had the problem to this extent before, although admittedly the model is being handled a lot. Things still to do include the exhaust deflector, tail lights (Apparently the headlights weren't fitted to the Tarawa Shermans. ), etched light guards, front hull & turret lift rings, blade sight, commanders hatch (open) & periscope, a tarpaulin and a bit more stowage plus the tow cable.....Annoyingly it looks like I've got to part paint the model before I can fit the exhaust deflector Edited November 21, 2013 by Sgt.Squarehead 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
woody37 Posted November 17, 2013 Share Posted November 17, 2013 Looking forwards to seeing the paint on, Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sgt.Squarehead Posted November 17, 2013 Author Share Posted November 17, 2013 Me too dude.....Just not sure if it will stay put on the tracks, undercoat really shouldn't flake like that, the tracks were properly prepared too! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CliffB Posted November 17, 2013 Share Posted November 17, 2013 Impressive to see so much love (if that's the word), being lavished on this old boy. Shows just what can be done, where there's a will (and skill)! Cliff Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sgt.Squarehead Posted November 17, 2013 Author Share Posted November 17, 2013 Cheers Cliff! Let's just say that I'm determined to have a reasonably accurate Airfix Sherman.....One way or another! How's it going with the ZIS? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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