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Asuka 1/35 M32B1 Recovery Tank


Npal21

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Time to start a new build. After contemplating kits in my stash for a week I have decided to go with Asuka's 1/35 M32B1 Recovery tank. I have the Academy 1/35 M36 kit that has the drivers compartment/ transmission etc. in it and will kit bash it to fit this build. I am also considering adding an engine bay to this build as well. 

 

I will use online references and also Tankograds Book on this vehicle for my build. 

 

The plan is to depict a WW2 era vehicle. I think I have the Star Decals set for this too. I may replace the tracks with aftermarket if paint doesn't stick to the rubber ones. 

 

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50 minutes ago, Hamden said:

 

I'll follow along if I may having built the Italeri offering of this I'm interested to see the difference between the two.

You may find this site of interest for your build     http://the.shadock.free.fr/sherman_minutia/tankrecovery/m32_trv.html

 

  Stay safe       Roger

Hi Roger,

 

Yes please do, feel free to point out any errors I make. Im sure there will be a few. 

 

Thanks for the the link. That is a great help!! 😊

 

How'd you find the Italeri kit? 

 

Many thanks,

 

Nick

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1 hour ago, Npal21 said:

How'd you find the Italeri kit? 

 

Not the best kit for various reasons my build log is here  if it's of any interest

 

              Stay safe   Roger

 

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1st test fit of the hull floor and transmission firewall. Almost a perfect fit, just had to add some sheet styrene to either side of the inner hull sides (not pictured). This was to cover up the bogie mount mould cavities for the outer hull detail and as a spacer so there was no gaps where the floor meets the hull sides.

 

The engine firewall and the Academy parts are not glued yet. Lots of dry fitting and checking, sanding and checking…

 

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Its a well molded kit @Bertie Psmith. No issues so far.

 

I have added the internal bolt deatil for the bogie mounts, only the front 4 though. I have also glued the seats and transmission to the hull floor and glued the hull floor into the lower hull. Also the differential housing has also been glued on. Just need to find the right foundry casting numbers now. 

 

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On 4/22/2022 at 7:22 AM, Hamden said:

having built the Italeri offering of this I'm interested to see the difference between the two.

The big difference is that Asuka chose the right hull type.  Small hatch.  Italeri just recycled their 76mm large hatch hull without doing the research.  There is a photo of a large hatch hull M32B1 but this may have been the only one.  No other pictures have ever emerged.  M32s of all types were intended to be built on remanufactured used hulls of older tanks.  The M32B2s for USMC were an exception as these used new-build hulls.  However 91 new M4A1 hulls were also used to make up for a shortage of used hulls.

 

There were only 100 large hatch 75mm M4A1s built anyway.  Most of these were taken for DD conversion, although the exact number seems unknown as records do not discriminate.  Minutia reckons all of them but the one known M32 conversion disproves that.  DD and M32 conversion overlapped by about a month.

 

Even assuming that Italeri modelled the one, or one of few, large hatch M23B1 the hull is still wrong.  M4A1 75 large hatch tanks had the "cast-in applique" hull sides.  Italeri's hull is a 76, and therefore wet stowage with no applique.

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20 hours ago, Das Abteilung said:

The big difference is that Asuka chose the right hull type.  Small hatch.  Italeri just recycled their 76mm large hatch hull without doing the research.  There is a photo of a large hatch hull M32B1 but this may have been the only one.  No other pictures have ever emerged.  M32s of all types were intended to be built on remanufactured used hulls of older tanks.  The M32B2s for USMC were an exception as these used new-build hulls.  However 91 new M4A1 hulls were also used to make up for a shortage of used hulls.

 

There were only 100 large hatch 75mm M4A1s built anyway.  Most of these were taken for DD conversion, although the exact number seems unknown as records do not discriminate.  Minutia reckons all of them but the one known M32 conversion disproves that.  DD and M32 conversion overlapped by about a month.

 

Even assuming that Italeri modelled the one, or one of few, large hatch M23B1 the hull is still wrong.  M4A1 75 large hatch tanks had the "cast-in applique" hull sides.  Italeri's hull is a 76, and therefore wet stowage with no applique.

If I understand the difference the Italeri kit is fine for a Korean War model but completely inaccurate for WW2. I was going to get the correct hull and graft on the italeri parts without realizing there is a better kit available. I guess it's a case of skill level or cash to realize the WW2 version 

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Some progress made yesterday. I added the internal storage provided in the kit. I also added the driver's control panel and the radio on the co drivers side. 

I also added some bolt heads and wiring boxes to the engine bay firewall.  Maybe not completely accurate but the kit provided part was lacking any details. I will add some wiring through the lower hull, mainly for the radio and crew comms.

 

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I have some tough decisions to make. What “pose” do I put the tank in? Main boom up, using the winch at the front or the rear boom?? Also spoked or pressed wheels?

I have references for both types of wheels been used.

Anyway, test fitted the crew compartment floors today. Nothings glued in yet. I have also glued in a very crude drive shaft as a small part of this will be seen under the cable roller. I have also added some wiring to the rear firewall and radio.

 

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Edited by Npal21
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21 minutes ago, NIK122 said:

It's looking great and suitably busy inside. My choice would be boom down but hey it's all subjective. Well to be honest I don't think it would fit in my display cabinet otherwise 😅

I was thinking boom down and the crew in a relaxed pose. I don't want to make a diorama for this one, just a base. 

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"If I understand the difference the Italeri kit is fine for a Korean War model but completely inaccurate for WW2."

 

No, I'm afraid not.  The Italeri hull is OK for potentially only 1 single WW2 example, or perhaps a very small handful, and only if you ignore the missing cast-in applique armour.  No more appropriate for Korea than for WW2.  No new M32 conversions on 76mm large-hatch hulls were made after WW2.  The M74 ARV conversion came along in 1954 and these were mostly on M4A3 hulls, apart from being completely different in every other respect: although some old M32B1s were later converted from 1958.

 

By Korea we're seeing HVSS being retrofitted (M32B1A1) and the automatic tow hook.  HVSS necessitated revision of the boom raising arrangement and there were many other more minor improvements  Spare wheel and return roller holders for HVSS wheels were fitted.  Shapeways do the automatic tow hook and a couple of other useful bits for M32s.

Edited by Das Abteilung
correction
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I've chosen to use the spoked wheels as I like you can see through them and gives a bit of "depth" to the wheels and the boom in the stowed down position at the rear. I have also ordered some crew figures in relaxed poses as they are waiting to be called up or in a leaguer. 

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Been working on these this morning. I have got all the bogies completed and glued into place.

 

Using my references I have added a subtle cast texture using Mr Surfacer 1500, all the bolts /holes where bolts go on the front and rear of the bogies, added the grease points? on the top horizontal part of the bogie and fitted them to the lower hull.

 

I used a template I made for the placement of the bolt details.

 

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On 4/29/2022 at 9:05 PM, Das Abteilung said:

"If I understand the difference the Italeri kit is fine for a Korean War model but completely inaccurate for WW2."

 

No, I'm afraid not.  The Italeri hull is OK for potentially only 1 single WW2 example, or perhaps a very small handful, and only if you ignore the missing cast-in applique armour.  No more appropriate for Korea than for WW2.  No new M32 conversions on 76mm large-hatch hulls were made after WW2.  The M74 ARV conversion came along in 1954 and these were mostly on M4A3 hulls, apart from being completely different in every other respect: although some old M32B1s were later converted from 1958.

 

By Korea we're seeing HVSS being retrofitted (M32B1A1) and the automatic tow hook.  HVSS necessitated revision of the boom raising arrangement and there were many other more minor improvements  Spare wheel and return roller holders for HVSS wheels were fitted.  Shapeways do the automatic tow hook and a couple of other useful bits for M32s.

I sit corrected 🙄 Thanks for the info

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Your photos of the bogies have reminded me that the roller brackets actually attached with 6 bolts.  There are 2 on top too, in the flanges just outboard of the track skids.  Which means blind holes either side of the track skid at the front.  There was a small raised strip along front and rear edges of the top face of the bogies which was machined flat to mount the brackets and skids. The skid was mounted on top of the roller bracket, whereas these kit parts suggest that it was mounted directly to the bogie top with a gap in the roller bracket top flange.

 

The front and rear faces of the bogies were also machined smooth to accept the roller brackets, and it is not uncommon for this to take the appearance of 2 machined pads with a slight dip between them. It varied from foundry to foundry but was certainly noticeable on National Malleable Castings bogies supplied to Chrysler and others.

 

Some people insist that there is a "missing 3rd bolt" inside the track skids.  Not so.  They were only attached with 2 bolts at each end.  I suspect they are confusing the roller bracket top bolts.

 

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This one isn't particularly well machined but it's the best pic of the area I have.

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3 hours ago, Das Abteilung said:

Your photos of the bogies have reminded me that the roller brackets actually attached with 6 bolts.  There are 2 on top too, in the flanges just outboard of the track skids.  Which means blind holes either side of the track skid at the front.  There was a small raised strip along front and rear edges of the top face of the bogies which was machined flat to mount the brackets and skids. The skid was mounted on top of the roller bracket, whereas these kit parts suggest that it was mounted directly to the bogie top with a gap in the roller bracket top flange.

 

The front and rear faces of the bogies were also machined smooth to accept the roller brackets, and it is not uncommon for this to take the appearance of 2 machined pads with a slight dip between them. It varied from foundry to foundry but was certainly noticeable on National Malleable Castings bogies supplied to Chrysler and others.

 

Some people insist that there is a "missing 3rd bolt" inside the track skids.  Not so.  They were only attached with 2 bolts at each end.  I suspect they are confusing the roller bracket top bolts.

 

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This one isn't particularly well machined but it's the best pic of the area I have.

That is a great pick up. I will be adding those bolts to the roller supports. The tie wire.....not so much lol!! 🤓

Edited by Npal21
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After a warm soapy wash and plenty of time to dry, I have masked and primed the M32B1 with Tamiya's Fine Gray Primer from a rattle can. Once dry it will be a light coat of flat black before the white interior colour. 

 

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