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First Sherman in 1:35 - RFM Firefly ***Finished***


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Great photo etch work Simon, don't worry if the part is not 100% as it should be shape wise as there was often minor damage to bins, catches,  brackets etc:

 

         Stay safe                           Roger

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On 10/07/2022 at 09:04, SimonL said:

Tried to recreate the casting line across the front as suggested by Matt @Cerberus but it ended up looking rather messy. I cleaned it off with some nail polish remover, perhaps may have another go later. 

 That's the best plan yes if it starts to get too messy, the casting seam line is not that important to be honest (It's not a deal breaker) It's best to just keep the bogies looking clean and well put together, rather than have a mess on the front where the bogie ribs are. 

 

 Matt

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Thanks Roger @Hamden and Matt @Cerberus for the encouragement. Today I focussed on the turret and painting the bogies.

 

I’ve settled on Vallejo Model Air 71.017 for the SCC15. Thought I had made a mistake as it it is very thin, but after three brushed on coats looks pretty good. Looks pretty close to my eye to the paint chip in my copy of Mike Starmer’s book on British camouflage colours. I used Vallejo Dark Rubber for the tires. 
 

The turret was pretty complex, still only partly done but managed not to screw up the gun so it is able to be raised and lowered. Did manage to put the machine gun in upside down (not that you can notice 🤣), drilled out the barrel as well. 
 

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Now need to consider the options for the commander’s hatch. It will be closed - that much I know!

Edited by SimonL
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Couldn’t put it off any longer - time to do the tracks.

 

I decided to do a trial run of 6 links. I pre painted them with Tamiya Dark Iron, and once that was dry I was ready to start.

 

p?i=0e19e9de8e4184d0ffc184ae18fe271e

 

The next few steps required the use of the neat jig that RFM provide. First the “inside” parts of the tracks are placed in the jig.

 

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Then the end pieces, held in place by another part of the jig.

 

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Small dab of CA glue on the little “peg” and added the outer parts of the track links.

 

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Left it a bit to be sure it was all dry, then carefully removed the jig.

 

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And finally a little length of working track!

 

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Not difficult per se, just a bit time consuming.

 

 

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Nice work with the tracks Simon. I'm like you when it comes to tracks. My next build will be using Bronco tracks, and they're not known for being easy to assemble.

 

John.

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Thanks John. Yes, I’ve had experience of Bronco tracks. I even found their link and length tracks tricky. That being said, these RFM tracks while a bit of a chore do appear to be pretty “workable”. I’ll reserve judgment until I have them fitted…

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Managed to get one run of tracks completed (they are in blocks of 20 at the moment).

 

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In between working on the tracks I have been making other progress.

 

Bogies are on.

 

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Here is where I am at this evening. Started detail painting of the tools, few touch ups needed but pretty happy with how they appear. They are a bit stark at the moment, but will be toned down by the weathering.

 

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In other news, while fossicking around in  a charity shop (an op shop in Australia parlance), came across this neat wooden box which is exactly the right size for my increasing collection of Vallejo paints. Winner!

 

p?i=b13446fc233b1329a19b9b020a72660f

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That’s a worry Tom @Modelholic
 

Got another 40 track links done, and some touch up painting on the bogies and turret. Just placed the upper hull on top of the lower hull with the turret in place - pretty happy with how it’s going. I hope to complete  construction before I go back to work on Monday, leaving decals and weathering to be done in easy stages over the week.

 

p?i=08e969228e65c202164078d1b082a07e

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This is turning out great! Your attention to detail is an inspiration. 

Tracks are not difficult indeed. It's just time consuming and you have to keep your focus hat on at all times.

It took me quite some time to put the tracks for the RFM StuG together. But i have to say, once finished they really look the part. 

Keep it up! Love the progress! 

 

Grtz.

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Thanks @Bullbasket @Hamden @edjbartos @Maddoxx77. More track-bashing today. At the end of the day I had two lengths of 83 links. I was a bit anxious about the final connection, but ultimately that was actually pretty easy.

 

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Quick test fit, they slipped on easily and it was easy to adjust the tension by turning the idler wheel.


p?i=080e28364bd16c5f834297aafa2de796
 

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By far the best workable tracks I’ve come across. 

 

 

 

 

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RFM provide a rather weedy bit of thread for the tow rope, so I’ve been playing with some fine copper wire scavenged from an old power lead. Just twisted some strands together. What do folk think?

 

p?i=3998e23dd5cb0e2abef70fc8735454af

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4 hours ago, SimonL said:

What do folk think?

@SimonL Looks good on screen - and the camera is very unforgiving if something is even a little bit not right.

Edited by echen
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Final bits of construction done.
 

Before I added the top of the hull, I added some fishing weights to provide a bit of “heft”.

 

p?i=f3efa98ebc5aae2aaec5047b4a9dd10c

 

And here we are, construction complete. I used picture hanging wire for the tow rope as suggested above - it was a bit tricky to stick in place, but the glue stains are covered by the paint. 
 

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That's a very nice Firefly Simon. For future reference, if you use picture hanging wire again, before you fix it in place, anneal it first. That will make it soft and pliable, and allow you to bend it to the shape that you require.

 

John.

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I’ve used Tamiya XF84 Dark Iron for the tracks, which in the pot has a brownish-grey look, but looks a bit too grey on the model. I thought I would see if a coat of Vallejo Dark Brown Wash would make a difference. I’ve tried it out on the spare track links attached to the front of the tank. What do folk think?

 

p?i=a1792b44216b85e5bfe6777a0399f8c2

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I find washes cause me grief. First they don't seem to show up. I add to them. Then its swamped.😭

Trying to resist the temptation to add another to my T-80 BV because I know I'll probably over-do it. It's just that it looks like it needs something more......

Yours is progressing well IMO; looking good.

Edited by echen
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