British Tank M3 Grant "The English Patient"

[THEscaleSHOW]

Hello all

 

While the Churchill AVRE has got its SCC 15 base coat and is still drying, I would like to show one of my other projects today, which I am working on parallel to the other models.

 

My planned vignette will show a half-destroyed Grant in North Africa - therefore the title "The English Patient". 🤕

 

In my imagination the damage was caused by a shell exploding inside the tank close to the side hatch and bent some riveted plates.
In addition, a few rollers were also burnt out.

My plan is, as in the film, to leave one part destroyed and one intact 🔥

 

Have fun with the first pictures!

 

MD

 

 

 

Vallejo Putty works also fine in this case

 

 

 

 

open hatches

 

 

 

first damages on the plates

 

 

fuel cup modifications

 

 

 

 

Next steps are the boggies and PE

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[Bullbasket]

Interesting idea. I shall watch this one.

 

John.

[Cerberus]

I like the cast texture effects on the FDA and gun mount, looks good, nice damage effects as well.

[Kingsman]

M3 castings were not that rough.  The lower rear transition plate was a piece of RHA plate, not a casting.  There was a line of twist fastenings around the gun mounting for the canvas cover.  The fastenings were not always fitted but the holes were always there.  Here's the Bovington Grant, showing both cast texture and fastener holes.

  

 

Here's the FDA.  As you can see, it's actually quite smooth. Ignore the maker's plate on the centre section.  Only the very early ones had these.  BTW there were some small factory variations between Baldwin, Pressed Steel and Pullman Standard.

 

Here's a PaK 38 5cm hit on a glacis.  Knocked the driver's visor right off.

 

I found an inside picture of a PaK38 APHE penetration right behind the right side door and next to an ammo bin.  The round detonated but didn't set off any stored rounds.  That tank had the armoured internal bin modification and there could have been 16 75mm rounds in that bin.  Catastrophic destruction if they had gone up.  But try as I might I cannot get it to upload here using my Chromebook.  Should have gone for Windows......

[clive_t]

Following with interest, good luck with it

[THEscaleSHOW]

14 hours ago, Das Abteilung said:

M3 castings were not that rough.  The lower rear transition plate was a piece of RHA plate, not a casting.  There was a line of twist fastenings around the gun mounting for the canvas cover.  The fastenings were not always fitted but the holes were always there.  Here's the Bovington Grant, showing both cast texture and fastener holes.

  

 

Here's the FDA.  As you can see, it's actually quite smooth. Ignore the maker's plate on the centre section.  Only the very early ones had these.  BTW there were some small factory variations between Baldwin, Pressed Steel and Pullman Standard.

 

Here's a PaK 38 5cm hit on a glacis.  Knocked the driver's visor right off.

 

I found an inside picture of a PaK38 APHE penetration right behind the right side door and next to an ammo bin.  The round detonated but didn't set off any stored rounds.  That tank had the armoured internal bin modification and there could have been 16 75mm rounds in that bin.  Catastrophic destruction if they had gone up.  But try as I might I cannot get it to upload here using my Chromebook.  Should have gone for Windows......

 

Hello and thank you for your information!

 

I agree - the texture is still too rough and I will sand it down.

I'm sure it's a bit overdone, but it should get better after all the paint applications.

If I make it too smooth, you won't be able to see any texture from a distance at this scale.

 

I will add the holes for the tarpaulin-thanks for the tip 👍

 

To make the tank a bit more interesting, I came up with the idea of the explosion.

 

In war (unfortunately) everything is possible...

 

MD

 

 

 

 

 

 

[Cerberus]

52 minutes ago, THEscaleSHOW said:

If I make it too smooth, you won't be able to see any texture from a distance at this scale.

 Totally agree yes, sometimes it pays to go a little over the top to allow for that scale effect, It's a subject that's hotly debated on many forums, and is not to every ones taste, me personally I like a bit of slightly overdone cast texture

[vytautas]

Looks great, will be fun to watch. I really like non-standard solutions 👍

 

Vytautas

[Kingsman]

Windows PC to the rescue: a curse on you, Chromebook......  Below is the Grant penetration and aftermath from a 5cm PaK or KwK APHE round that I mentioned above. 

 

To quote Michael Caine freely it didn't blow the bloody door off.  But it did take the doors off the ammo bin.  A few inches further back and it wouild have set off the rounds in that bin.  You can see there are 9 or 10 still in there.  Then we'd be finding the turret some distance away........  On which subject, the demolished Shermans you pictured are just that: demolished.  Blown up by German forces to deny their recovery.  Those are not the results of shell hits.  The M4 is a riveted lower hull PSC tank and it is interesting to note that the lower hull has survived largely intact whereas the welded upper hull has been peeled back and the welds broken.  PSC began building M4s using the left-over compatible M3 lower hull parts: waste not want not.  The cast M4A1 has survived more intact, although there is no knowing if the same charge was used.  In most cases the turret ring was the weakest point of failure after the hatches for the over-pressure caused by ammunition explosions,  which is why they were so often seen blown off.  The energy stored in the propellant was enormous, should they be set off: the chamber pressure for the M2/M3 guns was about 17 tons per square inch.

 

There are many techniques for representing cast texture.  My personal favourite is a thicker slow-setting liquid cement like white-cap Tamiya, brushed on and worked in random patterns with the nylon cap brush or a really cheap nylon-bristle child's paintbrush.

 

[THEscaleSHOW]

13 hours ago, Das Abteilung said:

Windows PC to the rescue: a curse on you, Chromebook......  Below is the Grant penetration and aftermath from a 5cm PaK or KwK APHE round that I mentioned above. 

 

To quote Michael Caine freely it didn't blow the bloody door off.  But it did take the doors off the ammo bin.  A few inches further back and it wouild have set off the rounds in that bin.  You can see there are 9 or 10 still in there.  Then we'd be finding the turret some distance away........  On which subject, the demolished Shermans you pictured are just that: demolished.  Blown up by German forces to deny their recovery.  Those are not the results of shell hits.  The M4 is a riveted lower hull PSC tank and it is interesting to note that the lower hull has survived largely intact whereas the welded upper hull has been peeled back and the welds broken.  PSC began building M4s using the left-over compatible M3 lower hull parts: waste not want not.  The cast M4A1 has survived more intact, although there is no knowing if the same charge was used.  In most cases the turret ring was the weakest point of failure after the hatches for the over-pressure caused by ammunition explosions,  which is why they were so often seen blown off.  The energy stored in the propellant was enormous, should they be set off: the chamber pressure for the M2/M3 guns was about 17 tons per square inch.

 

There are many techniques for representing cast texture.  My personal favourite is a thicker slow-setting liquid cement like white-cap Tamiya, brushed on and worked in random patterns with the nylon cap brush or a really cheap nylon-bristle child's paintbrush.

 

 

I usually use Mr. Surfacer 500 and a stippling brush for textures (sand castings and rolled steel), but in this case it was my first try with Vallejo Putty.

 

For Russian tanks the rough surface is fine, for rolled steel I sand it down to a smooth surface and for smooth castings I usually use baking paper for modeling.

Sometimes there is a danger of overdoing it and the advantage of this putty is easier removal with a blade.

I am not an tank expert like you and so it is very interesting to read your knowledge of many specific details.

I have 4 shermans in stock and will contact you before I start building if you agree 😉

 

Thanks and have fun modeling!

MD

 

[THEscaleSHOW]

15 hours ago, vytautas said:

Looks great, will be fun to watch. I really like non-standard solutions 👍

 

Vytautas

 

Hello Vytautas

 

Thanks for the feedback!

 

In my opinion, there are countless models that almost always somehow look the same.

To be honest, that's too boring for me.
The beauty of the hobby is to bring in his creativity and do something different.

Important for me is only that a realistic background exists - that's enough.
A model can be very well built, but if it does not fascinate the viewer, the work was in vain-that is my opinion.

 

MD

 

 

[THEscaleSHOW]

16 hours ago, Cerberus said:

 Totally agree yes, sometimes it pays to go a little over the top to allow for that scale effect, It's a subject that's hotly debated on many forums, and is not to every ones taste, me personally I like a bit of slightly overdone cast texture

 

Hello Cerberus

 

Thank you!

 

The same topic with the right colour tones...

German yellow or OD, for example, has been discussed 1000 times 😴

I don't take it 100% -the end result is important to me.

Everyone cares about something different and that's fine.

 

MD

 

[vytautas]

29 minutes ago, THEscaleSHOW said:

For Russian tanks the rough surface is fine, for rolled steel I sand it down to a smooth surface and for smooth castings I usually use baking paper for modeling.

Can you explain about the baking paper? If I understood correctly, are you making details from it? If yes, how do you glue it?

 

Vytautas

[THEscaleSHOW]

3 hours ago, vytautas said:

Can you explain about the baking paper? If I understood correctly, are you making details from it? If yes, how do you glue it?

 

Vytautas

 

I use the baking paper to smooth the surface and create an uneven surface.

When Mr. Surfacer is almost dry, you can press on it with the paper like a stamp because it doesn't stick.

This way you can also remove the brush strokes from the application.

 

MD

[THEscaleSHOW]

On 19/01/2021 at 11:07, vytautas said:

Can you explain about the baking paper? If I understood correctly, are you making details from it? If yes, how do you glue it?

 

Vytautas

 

Hello Vytautas

 

The zoomed image shows an example where I smoothed Mr. Surfacer 500 with baking paper.

With a brush this does not work and with sanding the surface becomes too even.

 

MD

 

[THEscaleSHOW]

Hello all

 

Today I would like to show more pictures of the Grant.

 

For example, I turned off the rollers to get a burnt out effect.
I also added some extra armor as a field improvisation 😉

I haven't seen this on any picture of my Rechere, but it is possible and something different.

Before I start the painting, I will rework some small things and the cast structure after the tip from Das Abteilung 👍

Does anyone have any info on what color the interior and hatches are on British tanks (Grant MK I and my Churchill AVRE)?

I read something about silver and / or white glossy 🤔

 

Thanks and have fun!
MD

 

 

 

first coat of the casting structure

 

 

partially burned roller

 

 

 

 

 

the places where the boogies are torn off are still being reworked 😏

 

 

 

 

 

 

the Browning will be replaced later with a metal part

 

 

ready for priming after finishing the last steps

 

See you!

 

 

 

 

 

[diablo rsv]

Nice detailing work. I like the way you are going with this one.

 

Wayne

[vytautas]

In this case, it’s probably wrong to say “looks great”? So, it looks awful 👍 🙂

 

Vytautas

[Bullbasket]

It's looking suitably battered. I like what you've done with the popped rivets. Nice work.

 

John.

[THEscaleSHOW]

Hello or in german: Mahlzeit! 😁

 

First thanks to Vytautas, John and Wayne for the nice comments 👍

 

Today an update from the Grant.

I have posted a few pictures of the construction of the vignette, because it might be interesting for someone!?

 

Have fun!
MD

 

 

my inspiration for the layout

 

 

railway track from Trumpeter

 

 

first layout

 

 

fitting the tank

 

 

 

dramatic look 😮

 

 

 

basecoat

 

 

 

better cast structure with fixing holes (ok, somewhat large) for the protective tarpaulin 🧐

 

 

new Browning

 

 

now the alien stuff

 

 

 

be careful when removing with the PE parts ☝️

 

 

 

 

everything went well for me, no green paint mist and good to use as a base 😅

 

See you!

 

[diablo rsv]

Nice work with the camo MD. Those putties make life a lot easier.

Wayne.

[THEscaleSHOW]

Mahlzeit!

 

Today there is again a small update from the Grant.

I painted some details and the improvised additional armor and applied a hairspray chipping to the plates.

 

Have fun!
MD

 

 

 

 

the mechanics in the field workshop work very accurately 🧐

 

 

 

only the primer they have forgotten 😁

 

 

[THEscaleSHOW]

Hello all  🥳

 

Yes-after a long absence i am back in the WIP and that's very cool 😎
I started working on my Grant again and want to give you a little update on the build.
I have refreshed the paint including camouflage and decals and started with a pinwash.
I also added a figure-again from Panzerart, also with Hornet head and small modifications.
B&W technique with Mr. S 1500 as preparation for the painting and a base coat for the vignette with Valljo sand paste.

Have fun!
MD

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

That`s a dramatic look

 

 

 

Jesus-this tank is really ready for the scrap yard 😮

 

 

My help tool for painting turrets.
The cap is fixed with Pattafix. If you want to put the turret on the model, simply unscrew the bottle 😁

 

 

 

Violet as a complementary contrast to yellow for some pinwash..

 

See you!

 

 

[Model Mate]

Really lovely work on this - I love a bit of battle damage, and this certainly has that! Looking forward to seeing how the figure and diorama progress too.

[THEscaleSHOW]

2 hours ago, Model Mate said:

Really lovely work on this - I love a bit of battle damage, and this certainly has that! Looking forward to seeing how the figure and diorama progress too.

Thank you for your comment!
And yes-I like damage on models too. But the real challenge will be painting the burnt out part of the tank and ground area. I am already looking forward to that 😅

MD