M3talpig Posted October 6, 2020 Share Posted October 6, 2020 1 hour ago, Bullbasket said: It's a little difficult to work on a kit that is in transit between the UK and France Jeez the excuses....... 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jasper dog Posted October 6, 2020 Share Posted October 6, 2020 10 hours ago, Bullbasket said: It's a little difficult to work on a kit that is in transit between the UK and France. But now that the M1 S.Sherman is finished, I can make a start on the turret, which I do have. Watch this space. Almost smacks of lacking commitment John.... Just saying, wouldn't want folk to be whispering stories of excuses...😉 5 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bullbasket Posted October 8, 2020 Author Share Posted October 8, 2020 Just got an email from the post people to say that the kit is in the country, and that they will try and post it into my letter box!! Good luck with that! John. 1 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
M3talpig Posted October 8, 2020 Share Posted October 8, 2020 7 hours ago, Bullbasket said: and that they will try and post it into my letter box!! Good luck with that! if your postman is anything like ours it will go through that letter box.....doesn't matter whether it's the size of a wardrobe and covered in stickers saying handle with care........ he will get it through that letter box 4 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ernst Posted October 9, 2020 Share Posted October 9, 2020 Another interesting build. I'll follow this one. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bullbasket Posted October 9, 2020 Author Share Posted October 9, 2020 4 hours ago, Ernst said: Another interesting build. I'll follow this one. Glad to have you along Ernst. John. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bullbasket Posted October 9, 2020 Author Share Posted October 9, 2020 Le huit facile est arrivé. I'm glad to say that the post lady didn't try and shove it through the letter box, so hopefully, over the weekend, I'll be able to make a start. It looks to be a very nice kit, and the added bonus is the little Soviet staff car that is included with it. Not bad for £35. Another bonus is that I can probably use the mantlet cover from this kit as I used the one from the M51 kit on another build. John. 5 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Terry1954 Posted October 9, 2020 Share Posted October 9, 2020 It's quite exciting getting a plastic parcel through the post isn't it! I have to fess up to having had a few lately, ssshhhh! 🤐 Looking forward to seeing this one started John! Terry 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bullbasket Posted October 11, 2020 Author Share Posted October 11, 2020 On 09/10/2020 at 16:16, Terry1954 said: It's quite exciting getting a plastic parcel through the post isn't it! I It certainly is Terry. And I still have three more (small) parcels on the way. OK, so I’ve got my hands on the main item, namely Tamiya’s Easy 8, and what nice piece of kit it is (no pun intended). I’ve had a quick perusal through the box contents, and a couple of things caught my eye. The first is the .50 cal MG. Hallelujah! Praise be to…..whoever! Tamiya hasn’t included their ancient offering as they’ve done in so many Shermans and other kits. This is a completely new moulding and whilst it doesn’t quite measure up to the Asuka/Tasca offerings, it’s miles better than the original. On the face of it, there is no need to replace it with brass item. We’ll see as this progresses. The second is the canvas mantlet cover. I don’t have the one from the M51 kit, as I used it on another build. I thought that the one in the Easy 8 was going to be the same as the one in the M51, but it’s slightly different. I think that I can use it on the M51 turret with some modifications. Again, we’ll see later in the build. Right, first up is the lower hull. Ever since Tamiya produced the M51, they have made the lower hull in sections rather than a tub. IMO, this is better as you are able to square off the sides easier. And they’ve done the same with the Easy 8. Another nice touch is that they now provide the foot steps that attach to the towing lugs. Unfortunately, they have moulded the towing shackle as one with the lug, so if you want to depict your tank with the U shaped shackle, or none at all, as in this case, you have a little work to do. I cut the shackle off and then cleaned up the lug and drilled a hole in it before gluing it in place. Tamiya also provide raised welded areas for the lugs to attach to. On the left is the towing lug with moulded on shackle, and on the right is the modified item. Once everything was in place, I added a pin to each one, made from stretched sprue and strip. Lastly, I added a couple of retaining chains. And this is the state of play at the moment. Once I've tucked into a Full English (sans black pudding!), listened to The Archers and had 40 winks (I said winks you grubby little devil), I'll get some more done and with luck, I'll post an update tomorrow. John. 10 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
M3talpig Posted October 11, 2020 Share Posted October 11, 2020 5 minutes ago, Bullbasket said: (sans black pudding!) You heathen....... 6 minutes ago, Bullbasket said: (I said winks you grubby little devil) i don't know what you mean John Great to see it underway John ....look forward to the update 1 4 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dads203 Posted October 11, 2020 Share Posted October 11, 2020 Great start John, like the chains on the front tow lugs, are they from the Trumpeter chain set? 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jasper dog Posted October 11, 2020 Share Posted October 11, 2020 Full English, Archers omnibus and modelling! Ye-gads man, navana, one can but dream, someone must have been a very good boy! .....Mrs Bullbasket hasn't arranged all this for you?? Just saying.... At least you've made a start on the E8, nearly 2 pages of waffle and then.....in full glorious technicolor a lower hull, magnificent! Atb Darryl 4 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hamden Posted October 11, 2020 Share Posted October 11, 2020 Nice start John, looking like a Sherman already! Stay safe Roger 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bullbasket Posted October 11, 2020 Author Share Posted October 11, 2020 2 hours ago, M3talpig said: You heathen....... I can't stand the stuff, it's vampire food! John. 3 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jasper dog Posted October 11, 2020 Share Posted October 11, 2020 50 minutes ago, Bullbasket said: I can't stand the stuff, it's vampire food! John. Weirdo! Now't wrong lad we a bit of Bury pudding, non of this Scotch rubbish mind, proper Lancashire stuff with those lovely cubes of fat....yummy! 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bullbasket Posted October 11, 2020 Author Share Posted October 11, 2020 5 hours ago, Dads203 said: Great start John, like the chains on the front tow lugs, are they from the Trumpeter chain set? Hi Dan. No, I got them from the Tank Workshop. They do a whole range of them in various thicknesses. John. 1 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bullbasket Posted October 11, 2020 Author Share Posted October 11, 2020 4 hours ago, Jasper dog said: At least you've made a start on the E8, 4 hours ago, Hamden said: Nice start John, looking like a Sherman already! Thanks to both of you. A few little problems have arisen. One's sorted, but there are a few more caused by the fact that I'll be marrying up parts from two different kits......again. John. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bullbasket Posted October 19, 2020 Author Share Posted October 19, 2020 Slow progress, due to umpteen jobs to be done around the house. Moving on to the hull’s rear plate. I used the one from the Easy 8 kit, but with some modifications. When the Israelis got hold of all of these different types of Sherman, they standardised on the engines, ie; the Continental R-975 radial. So the diesels fitted to the A3 models were removed. This meant some changes for the rear hull plate. The right hand exhaust was removed entirely, but they retained the left hand one, and the engine access doors were also changed. So without further ado, out came the chisel blade and I removed all of the detail from the right hand exhaust, and then filled the hole with Milliput. The hole where the kit’s engine access door goes was also filled with a suitable thickness of card. I discarded the engine air filters for the A3 and used the ones from the M51 kit. All that was needed to do this was to cut a couple of notches in the long slot on the rear plate, and attach the new filters. As with the front towing brackets, one of each pair, has the tow shackle moulded integrally, but the rear ones are smaller, so carving them off wasn’t an option, so new ones were made from card. Left hand exhaust fitted also. The new doors are the same as in the M51 kit, and fortunately, I had a spare set. There is a box structure on the back of these doors which I made from 3mm wide strips of 20thou card. I also added new hinges from sprue and strip card, and replaced the moulded grab handle with one from .5mm brass wire. There are a couple of U shaped locking pins on the engine access doors, which have retaining chains fixed to them. To reproduce these, I bent the two U’s from .3mm brass wire. I taped them down onto a piece of plywood and then did the same with another piece of wire, butted up to the bottom of the U. These were then soldered together for strength. I then bent the end of another piece of .3mm wire and threaded a piece of fine chain onto it and bent the end flat, trapping the chain. The U shaped pin was then threaded through the other end of the chain, and both pieces were pushed through holes, drilled in the doors. On the hull sides at the rear, there are a couple of triangular extensions which are not wanted on this model. These were removed with a sharp blade and then the circular slot on the inside of the frames was filled and rubbed down. Final job for this part, was to bring it all together, including the idler axles and central tow hook bracket. Now I just have the labourious task of rubbing down the seams on all of the road wheels, idlers and return rollers.....all 36 of them. Stay safe and thanks for looking. John. 10 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
StuartH Posted October 19, 2020 Share Posted October 19, 2020 You should release your own range of kits with all these modifications! Lovely touch with the chains and pins..really nice 👍 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
M3talpig Posted October 19, 2020 Share Posted October 19, 2020 Beautiful work John...... as if i would expect anything else 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dads203 Posted October 19, 2020 Share Posted October 19, 2020 Lovely work John, something satisfying at kit bashing, looking at all the different parts working together 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Terry1954 Posted October 19, 2020 Share Posted October 19, 2020 Great work on this one John! Terry 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bullbasket Posted October 20, 2020 Author Share Posted October 20, 2020 12 hours ago, StuartH said: You should release your own range of kits with all these modifications! Lovely touch with the chains and pins..really nice 👍 'Morning Stuart, and many thanks for your comments. I'm just a tad concerned about the chains as they are a bit overscale, but they are the smallest that I have at the moment. John. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
M3talpig Posted October 20, 2020 Share Posted October 20, 2020 1 hour ago, Bullbasket said: I'm just a tad concerned about the chains as they are a bit overscale i did a little tutorial on my GB on how to make really tiny chain....... Page 4 John 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Longbow Posted October 20, 2020 Share Posted October 20, 2020 Looking good !! It can't be easy cross kitting like that. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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