Foghorn Leghorn Posted February 2, 2018 Share Posted February 2, 2018 4 hours ago, Sgt.Squarehead said: Errrr.....Houston: FFS! Holy cow. Now that's what i call a gap! Sooooo glad I didn't but a UM kit 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Graeme H Posted February 2, 2018 Share Posted February 2, 2018 Knowing very little about Armour and Shermans, but the Heller kit has a couple of different plates with bolts to fit in there, including the cast front ends would they be any use? 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Robert Stuart Posted February 2, 2018 Share Posted February 2, 2018 Looking at that gap, and not knowing the Heller kits, I suspect an equivalent 1/35 plate (Dragon, say?) would come closer to filling the space 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sgt.Squarehead Posted February 2, 2018 Author Share Posted February 2, 2018 UM provide an etch part that I can only assume was intended to fill that gap.....I'll fit it shortly and then you too can wonder at just what the hell they were thinking about! 5 hours ago, Graeme H said: Knowing very little about Armour and Shermans, but the Heller kit has a couple of different plates with bolts to fit in there, including the cast front ends would they be any use? If I'd realised how bad the gap was I think I might have done just that, but you have to fit the part early in construction and I've welded them solidly to the sides and floor.....The issue wasn't apparent until I fitted the sponson blanking plates, which lock the upper & lower hull halves into their (nominal) proper location, but I couldn't fit these until the tracks were sorted. 6 hours ago, Foghorn Leghorn said: Sooooo glad I didn't but a UM kit TBH there's a nice little Sherman in there somewhere, it just struggles to get out.....For an early M4A1 in Tunisia, Sicily or Italy it's a decent kit with a few issues. For my late war platoon it was just a bad choice, especially with five Dragon kits sitting right behind me.....I've probably spent more time adding bits that are missing (from a later production example) than I have sticking together the bits that UM gave me. 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Corsairfoxfouruncle Posted February 2, 2018 Share Posted February 2, 2018 There is supposed to be a strip of what i believe are Bolts. I believe that is to hold the upper section of the Transmisson cover to the upper hull. It definitely looks like theyre missing ? Maybe there is a piece on the sprues that is seperate i know a good number of 1/35th Sherman types ive built have it seperate. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sgt.Squarehead Posted February 2, 2018 Author Share Posted February 2, 2018 Yup, it comes as a skinny and rather bendy bit of etch.....You'll laugh when you see it compared to the hole it was (presumably) supposed to fill! 1 1 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sgt.Squarehead Posted March 2, 2018 Author Share Posted March 2, 2018 Right.....Back to it! I got into a bit of a moody with myself for using the UM kits for this build, when I have five plus perfectly serviceable Dragon kits that already have the bits that I need (even if some of them are probably wrong). However I'm over it now and I'll be finishing off the hulls in short order. The turrets will be identical for all three with the exception that one will have the hatch open (thus requiring a periscope, Wee-Friends provides) and a .50cal. I need to drill out the mortar port in all three and I also need to do some fiddling with my cheek armour. 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sgt.Squarehead Posted March 12, 2018 Author Share Posted March 12, 2018 On 2/2/2018 at 5:44 PM, Sgt.Squarehead said: Yup, it comes as a skinny and rather bendy bit of etch.....You'll laugh when you see it compared to the hole it was (presumably) supposed to fill! So it turns out these 'skinny and rather bendy' bits of etch were a bigger chore than I could possibly have imagined.....Here's one fitted (and it's still not bloody straight) and another still on the fret half-way cleaned up to show you how they mounted it: Rather than have it as a distinct part in itself, it is a part of the structure of the fret, so you wind up with ten plus attatchment points to clean up.....What a stupid, stupid use of etch! It is entirely possible, indeed highly probable, that I'm going to take a mallet to these before I finish them. 1 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PlaStix Posted March 12, 2018 Share Posted March 12, 2018 Yep! That is ridiculous! Why would the designer think that was ever a good idea! Do the best you can with it then use judicious amounts of muck and mud or stowage to disguise them! Kind regards, Stix 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sgt.Squarehead Posted March 12, 2018 Author Share Posted March 12, 2018 Cheers fella, I reckon that's the way forward and fortunately these earlier M4A1s tended to have a lot of stowage on the glacis as they didn't have the rear rack, but still.....WTF were they thinking! What is it with me & GB builds.....I either pick a stupid kit and waste loads of time modifying it (and/or subsequently destroying it), or, if I do the sensible thing and pick a 'state of the art' kit, I have technical problems and waste loads of time fixing it (and/or subsequently destroying it). PS - This thread does IMHO demonstrate the utter insanity of Modelcollect turning out Pz.46 dross when this is currently the best 1/72 M4A1 on the market! Do they really think flights of fancy would outsell an accurate one of these.....Maybe they should ask Dragon how many they sold before they buggered the moulds up for QB kits. 1 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
philp Posted March 13, 2018 Share Posted March 13, 2018 Sarge, Didn't want to say anything when I saw you start but I had recently finished watching another modeler (who has built almost 1,000 braille scale kit) struggle with his build (the one with the roller). I just figured you had some secret to making these go together. What I have seen confirms my desire to never purchase one of their Shermans. Thanks for that. Good luck on your endeavors and besides storage, you can always sandbag the glasis. Phil 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sgt.Squarehead Posted March 13, 2018 Author Share Posted March 13, 2018 I think Doug Chaltry at the 1/72 Sherman Site summed the UM kits up rather well with the word 'Mediocre'.....If you happen to have a monster Sherman spares box and a lot of patience they are just fine, but sadly while I'm very well sorted on the former front, I'm just a teensy bit lacking in the latter these days. Having said all that I still reckon these will look OK when they are done and right now, unless you can source an original tool Dragon kit, this IS the best 1/72 M4A1 with a 75mm M3 on the market, by virtue of being the only 1/72 M4A1 with a 75mm M3 on the market (same goes if you want a Sherman Firefly, it's UM or SFA).....But hey you can always have this instead: 1 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sgt.Squarehead Posted March 13, 2018 Author Share Posted March 13, 2018 For better or worse, the hulls halves are married: Don't worry about my talk of mallets BTW, it is only that.....If I say I'm going to do something violent/destructive it's quite safe, when I mean it, I just act! PS - Based on what I'm seeing with the closed up hulls, the next six pieces of etch (two per model) will fit slightly worse than the last lot! 7 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Foghorn Leghorn Posted March 13, 2018 Share Posted March 13, 2018 5 hours ago, Sgt.Squarehead said: , this IS the best 1/72 M4A1 with a 75mm M3 on the market, by virtue of being the only 1/72 M4A1 with a 75mm M3 on the market (same goes if you want a Sherman Firefly, it's UM or SFA).....But hey you can always have this instead: Maybe a stockpile of cheap heller kits (creative sell them cheap every now and then) used as donors with UM is the way to go. That etch bolt plate is b****y stupid though And as for that behemoth, what's wrong with you man? EVERYONE wants german 1946 kits, they keep making them so it MUST be the case. In fact we're probably breaking the law by not making german stuff in this GB Looking great otherwise ... 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Graeme H Posted March 13, 2018 Share Posted March 13, 2018 5 hours ago, Sgt.Squarehead said: Having said all that I still reckon these will look OK when they are done and right now, unless you can source an original tool Dragon kit, this IS the best 1/72 M4A1 with a 75mm M3 on the market, by virtue of being the only 1/72 M4A1 with a 75mm M3 on the market (same goes if you want a Sherman Firefly, it's UM or SFA).....But hey you can always have this instead: Oh, I have the Dragon kit 7303 Firefly which I have about 3/4 built, thought it was a goody and was going to get in and finish it off, but this sounds a bit depressing 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
badger Posted March 13, 2018 Share Posted March 13, 2018 1 hour ago, Graeme H said: Oh, I have the Dragon kit 7303 Firefly which I have about 3/4 built, thought it was a goody and was going to get in and finish it off, but this sounds a bit depressing It is a very good kit - just sadly no longer available. The only firefly kits currently available are the UM ones. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PlaStix Posted March 13, 2018 Share Posted March 13, 2018 Hi Sarge. Good to see them together and, actually, now they are together they do look alright. Good luck with the next bits of etch - just make sure the mallet is not right next to where you do your modelling.....just in case. Kind regards, Stix 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sgt.Squarehead Posted March 13, 2018 Author Share Posted March 13, 2018 Cheers guys, I'm feeling a bit more positive about them today. The turrets have had their cheek armour fixed (in the correct position this time) and I've had a bit of fun texturing them (both because I enjoy doing it and to hide the mess I made relocating the cheek armour), I'll post some photos a bit later on.....Off to the vets with dog three (Buddy) right now.....He has a dicky shoulder (his whole front left leg is slightly malformed TBH) and he's limping on it quite badly, so I want to get him scanned or x-rayed to see what's actually going on in there. 7 hours ago, Graeme H said: Oh, I have the Dragon kit 7303 Firefly which I have about 3/4 built, thought it was a goody and was going to get in and finish it off, but this sounds a bit depressing That's a great kit fella, you should finish it. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nigel Heath Posted March 13, 2018 Share Posted March 13, 2018 Those hulls and turrets look good now they are together. Well done on battling them into submission. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ozzy Posted March 17, 2018 Share Posted March 17, 2018 Just catching up sarge, nice progress that land cruiser looks a beast. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sgt.Squarehead Posted March 21, 2018 Author Share Posted March 21, 2018 Two knackered dogs and a lot of faffing around later: The basic build's done, if I can get the details and stowage on pronto I might just make deadline, but if they keep fighting me or if I have any more real world dramas..... Oh FFS.....Just realised I forgot to drill out the smoke-mortars and the gunner's sights.....Hopefully I can prize the mantlets off the turrets without destroying anything! To add to my woes with Buddy's** front leg/shouder, Shale, my Lurcher bitch, has torn one of her dew-claws three-quarters of the way out at the root.....Third time she's done it, off to the vets again tomorrow. ** He's my dog now BTW, two kids and a dim but lovely dog was more than my sister could manage, apparently. 5 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hewy Posted March 21, 2018 Share Posted March 21, 2018 Concerning dogs I used to own two brian nuttall bred patterdales sarge, good boys, but much much trouble, border terrier bitch now, soft as owt, any way i digress good work on the triplets,c'mon you gotta make it sarge, nobody gets left behind. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sgt.Squarehead Posted March 21, 2018 Author Share Posted March 21, 2018 I've absolutely no intention of giving up.....I'm currently adding the last of the plastic bits (keep finding more), it would be so much easier if the guy who designed the parts and the guy who drew the instructions had actually talked to each other, maybe even discussed their project with a modeller while they were at it. Some of the parts in these kits are just silly. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sgt.Squarehead Posted March 22, 2018 Author Share Posted March 22, 2018 A bit closer: Lift rings (more about those later), brush-guards, tools & stowage still to do.....Then it's primer time! I'm quite excited to see how they will look. PS - I've straightened out the 'stowage-shelf' on the right hand model since seeing this. 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nigel Heath Posted March 22, 2018 Share Posted March 22, 2018 Shaping up nicely there Sarge. I am currently fettling (and yet more fettling) individual track links for mine. 47 down, 111 more to go plus the connectors. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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