Post 2

Primed with Black & Gray Stynylrez (I love this stuff) and ready for painting.  The top of the turret had a coat of the grey primer because it is going to be yellow and that is one hard color to paint over black.

You're doing really well so far. The Asuka/Tasca kits go together very well with few problems but the suspension bogies can be a little daunting. 

In the ones I've built I haven't seen more than a sheet of corrections to the instructions- that's interesting. And I don't think I've seen much translation from the Japanese in any of their kits but I've had few issues with just going by the diagrams. 

Looking forward to seeing her with some olive drab. 

Hello!

High time to learn Japanese, isn't it? Nice progress here, good luck with your build!

Paweł

Pawel - You might be right!  Thanks Gamera.

Part 3:

Olive Drab and Yellow coats done.  I have to touch up the yellow turret top as it shouldn't be so far back on the turrent and is a little aggressive on the sides. While I like this scheme, who paints a turret top yellow??? Aircraft ID?  I can't find a color picture of this tank so it's hard to know where they got these markings:  "Forget It", F Company, 66th Armored Regiment, 2nd Armored Division, Oran, 1943.

Now for some shading, washes, pastels and other weathering.

The Shermans developed so quickly from 1940 to 1945, and the early examples are profoundly interesting.  I look forward to seeing your model come together.  Taska/Asuka seems to have a wonderful reputation.  I wonder how it compares to the Dragon example.  I don't know anything about the yellow turret roof.  I'm currious about that.   

Chris

Alan 

I have the Osprey book "US Marines Corps Tanks of World War II" by Steven J. Zaloga.  In it there is a color plate of a M4A2 from Company B Marine 4th Tank Batalion with a yellow turret top.  the caption notes that the yellow paint was more durable than the red and yello air identification panels.  Some tanks also had thire number painted in large numbers on top of the turret too.

Chris: The Asuka/Tasca Sherman series is superior to DML in the finesse of the parts and overall accuracy, IMHO.  I've not bought a DML Sherman since I got my first Tasca Firefly many years ago (I did get two of the DML Priests and can say I'm happy with them in general).

The yellow roofed M4A1 was particular to one unit, for a specific period -- off the top of my head I don't recall but I think it's a very interesting look.

Nice workso far. I have heard about these taska kit. One of the guys at our club buildslots of Shermans and has done a few of there's. They seem really nice. The yellow roof is an interesting addition.

I have to ask, what is the direct vision in referance to.

Alan: She's looking fine so far! Good work with the yellow turret roof, I've said it a zillion times and I'll say it again I hate to paint yellow but yours looks really good! 

Bish: Direct vision refers to the driver and co-driver's viewports being right in front of them instead of periscopes mounted in the hull roof. Aka, if an enemy shell rips though the weak area where the viewport is the driver's head goes bye-bye so they changed the feature in later models. 

Part 4:

Yellow on the turret corrected, model coated in Future (yup, the real stuff from way back when) & decals applied.

I'm still trying to decide how much weathering to do.  But for now, I'm working on the tracks -- winging it with a song and a prayer:

Gamera

She's looking fine so far! Good work with the yellow turret roof, I've said it a zillion times and I'll say it again I hate to paint yellow but yours looks really good! 

Thanks. Yes, yellow is a pain.  I did a 1:48 Stearman with yellow wings and I had a few choice words and repaints on that one. I tried both Tamiya and Vallejo Flat Yellows and both had the same coverage problems.

Coot

Alan 

 

I have the Osprey book "US Marines Corps Tanks of World War II" by Steven J. Zaloga.  In it there is a color plate of a M4A2 from Company B Marine 4th Tank Batalion with a yellow turret top.  the caption notes that the yellow paint was more durable than the red and yello air identification panels.  Some tanks also had thire number painted in large numbers on top of the turret too.

 

Coot and T26E4 - Thanks for the info.

Part 5: FINISHED

I finally completed the Sherman. Overall, I'm pretty happy with how it turned out for my 2nd tank.  I still need to improve my armor weathering but that takes time and practice. Comments are welcome.

Interesting...

Looks great!

Pretty darn nice job! And I like the yellow too, I like how you weathered it without it coming out muddy looking. 

Someday I should dig one of my first tanks out of the spare parts box and post her just so everyone can have a good laugh. 

T26E4

I have a planned project in the future with lots of yellow -- what paints did you use? Did you apply a primer first? Can you relate your steps? Yours look great

 

Roy - Yellow is tough.  I tried both Tamiya XF-3 and Vallejo Flat Yellow and both work about the same. In my experience you don't want to use a glossy yellow.  I primed with Stynylrez Grey Primer; however, Stynylrez makes a yellow primer and that may be your best bet for something that is going to be primarily yellow.  I thin the paint a little less than normal and then adjust air pressure so I'm not spitting or puddling and then just spray light coats and build it up. Trying to do it in one or 2 passes just doesn't work.  I'm thinking that yellow primer may really help although I've only used their black and grey primers.

Alan

Excellent Sherman, a job well done.