two tin cans and a bit of string still works and can't be intercepted by the enemy!

stikpusher

Sounds similar to the commo MOS that I had. Official title was 31C, single channel radio operator/maintainer. In the course, we actually spent more time on the UGC-74 teletype than on any other single piece of equipment. And that same item was in our shelters on the back of our HMMWVs. But in my LRS unit, we never used the teletypes, just the radios (HF & FM), and digital burst devices. We called them RATT Rigs, but the higher ups in Division Signal Battalion got huffy about that name. 

 

Harold

Sounds similar to the commo MOS that I had. Official title was 31C, single channel radio operator/maintainer. In the course, we actually spent more time on the UGC-74 teletype than on any other single piece of equipment. And that same item was in our shelters on the back of our HMMWVs. But in my LRS unit, we never used the teletypes, just the radios (HF & FM), and digital burst devices. We called them RATT Rigs, but the higher ups in Division Signal Battalion got huffy about that name. 

stikpusher

Im always happy to help out Sarge. Besides, us commo guys gotta stick together 

 

Im always happy to help out Sarge. Besides, us commo guys gotta stick together 

stikpusher

Wow! Only your third build? That is impressive. Even if you have a related skill set for models, I suspect that it’s a case of apples to oranges going from architectural models to scale military models. Especially vehicles. You’re doing just fine Sarge.

 

Harold

Wow! Only your third build? That is impressive. Even if you have a related skill set for models, I suspect that it’s a case of apples to oranges going from architectural models to scale military models. Especially vehicles. You’re doing just fine Sarge.

Gamera

Oh wow, after all that work I hope you're going to build another Sherman and use the Tank Workshop turret on her! 

She's lookin' great! Thanks for letting us follow along as you bring the photo to life. 

 

Without context some members might think I’ve been doing this for years because I am learning quickly from members like you, Stikpusher and Snapdragonxxx, but the fact is this Sherman is my third model in two years.

My work as a commercial construction manager and building designer required architectural scale models of structures with landscape topography. I built models, surveyed the land, drafted building and excavation plans, worked with structural engineers and county officials to get permits. Since I’m retired now I decided to find a hobby that I can use some of those skills without the physical demands of a job site.

At 73 arthritis and my eye sight make it hard to do some of the things I love, but the detail of scale modeling is like therapy for me.

Harold

Oh wow, after all that work I hope you're going to build another Sherman and use the Tank Workshop turret on her! 

She's lookin' great! Thanks for letting us follow along as you bring the photo to life. 

I decided not to use the Tank Workshop resin T-23 turret shown in previous posts. It just did not have the quality of workmanship I was looking for compared with Tamiya's M4A3 Sherman kit.

Since I've been unable to find an aftermarket T-23 turret other than Tank Workshops' with split loader's hatch (early production) I decided to use a Tasca kit #35-019 M4A3 (76) W Sherman.

If the T-23 turret shown below fits my Tamiya hull I will probably keep the Tamiya hull, but if not, I will use the Tasca kit instead of the Tamiya Sherman even though it does not have full fenders and dust-shields. I'm also considering the Aber M1A1 metal barrel instead of the plastic barrel that comes in the Tasca kit because it looks more realistic to me.

I found polystyrene rod like Stikpusher suggested that I thinks is small enough to work with the polyester tulle shown below. This product is Evergreen Scale Models .020" rod; however, its actual diameter is .0180" which looks right to me for the application of Sommerfeld matting at 1/35 scale.

I finished sanding the turret surface to remove excessive casting marks. The Tank Workshop T-23 resin turret is very realistic except they over did the casting marks in my opinion. The photograph below is the sanded turret ready for primer and paint.

The photograph of an actual T-23 turret is the way I would expect to see a casting when it's ready for paint. Notice there are very few casting marks and no scaling on the surface.

The two photographs below were taken before I removed the scaly looking casting marks with my Proxxon sander. The lighting makes it hard to see what I'm talking about but it's there and looked even worse when I applied a coat of primer.

Started assembly of Tank Workshop's T-23 resin turret kit. However, the turret ring in this kit was not formed completely, so I modified the Tamiya turret ring and it fits remarkably well after minor adjustments. I still have a lot of work to do but so far there have only been temporary setbacks.

Above is an example of what I think Summerfeld matting would look like over dark camouflage colors. I believe the matting was galvanized, so its color would have appeared flat grey or pewter. The way I hope to apply this material is after the hull is painted in the camouflage colors of black, olive drab and light green I will mask off a section, apply a clear coat of Matt Varnish and lay the tulle in the wet varnish like the sample in the picture above. When the varnish is dry I can trim off the excess material. The tulle will give the paint underneath a similar appearance to the illustration above.

Harold

Looks good to me. My suggestion would have been to use thin styrene rod glued to the hull first, and then superglue on the mesh...

My first attempt at representing Summerfeld Matting using .015" music wire and polyester tulle. The music wire is attached to the upper hull by drilling .018" holes and creating a 90-degree bend in the end of the wire.

Thank you M1GarandFan, I was surprised how much work was required to make the fenders and dust-shields look right. I did not glue the tulle down yet, I’m still trying out ideas on how the wire and netting should go together.

Harold

Sergeant, It looks like that worked out well for you. The fenders look very good.

I can't remember exactly, but I think I used super glue on the tule I used on my M5A1 at the rear exhaust.

Stikpusher, M1GarandFan and TigerII, thank you for the ideas and encouragement. I found a way to make the fenders and dust-shields work.

First, I removed the small fenders from the upper hull in kit #35250 below. Then I removed the small fenders from the upper hull of the other kit #35190 and glued them on kit #35250. Using Stik's idea I shimmed the fenders until they were straight with the transmission housing, you can see just a little polystyrene shim stock in the photograph below.

In each kit there is a board (not shown) attached to the inside of both right and left fenders that sits on the transmission housing. It will be installed later. I also attached the back fenders, so the only thing left on this step is the center dust-shields, some putty, a little sanding. Then I need to wait for the Tank Workshop T-23 turret to arrive.

I found some Tulle material at a craft store I think will be perfect to represent Somerfeld matting in 1/35 scale; however, it's made of 100% polyester and I'm not sure how this material will react to glue, or primer.

M1GarandFan

Sergeant, Stik, et al

Just my opinion, but this discussion about OD shades is why to a great degree I don't sweat the exact shade. Between dust, dirt, mud, water, scratches and rust just about any shade or combinations of shades could be correct. When it comes to Sherman variants, it's almost the same thing. Accounting for different models, factory and field mods, repairs, individual unit tastes and crew modifications almost any combination of equipment could have existed.

BTW, the jeep looks terrific!

 

So True!

Sergeant, I agree with stik on this question. I'm a little stunned that the fit of those fenders is so bad on that Tamiya kit; they usually do much better.

I can see by the old photo that the fender is missing on the right front of that M4A3 and the left side is obscured by the jeep except for the front fender. There is a chance that the piece still on the left front is the ONLY piece of the sand shields still attached as most units removed the shields entirely to ease track and bogie maintenance. I would consider not using the fenders at all. The next tank behind the one in the photo may not have any sand shields at all. Just a thought.

Love the jeep w/radio and the figure!

All I can say is go with the later large hatch hull. Some sheet styrene can be used for the gaps and alignment problems on fit. 

But you will not see a 76mm T23 turret on a small hatch hull. The hull hatches interfered withnthe travese of the turret. 

Sergeant

I think there is a tooling problem, or maybe it's me? The photograph above is the Sherman I'm trying to represent with my Tamiya M4A3 kit #35250. If you notice the tank has one fender missing. Be that as it may all the pictures, I've seen of the 9th Armored Division Sherman's in the Battle of the Bulge had these fenders and dust-shields installed. However, when the 9th Armored Division arrives in Germany in 1945 the fenders and dust-shields are removed in most of the pictures. I mention this fact for reference only.

Above is the fenders and dust-shields Stik gave me from another kit. They are the right length and seem to fit until you look straight on at the upper hull with the fender in place. When the inside of the fender is straight with the transmission housing the curve of the two fenders leave a large gap as shown below.

So I purchased a Tamiya M4A3 kit #35190 which had fenders and dust-shields and encountered the same problem as shown below. According to Scalemate's web site these two Tamiya kits came from the same tooling.

 

If I didn't mind the fender turning into the transmission housing then I think the Tamiya fenders from kit #35190 might work on kit #35250, but I do mine and they may interfere with the tracks. Please see photograph below. I realized it may be hard to see how much the fender turns into the transmission housing in this photograph, so I measured it and the offset is a 1/16".

Next, I compared the fit of fenders and dust-shields that came with Tamiya kit #35190 and they appear to my eyes to be the way you would expect them too. So, I believe Tamiya may have made a sight change in their tooling for kit #35250 which according to Scalemate was released later and did not have fenders and dust-shields in the kit.

Sergeant, Considering how much effort you've put into this so far, I'm sure the diorama will look great and I really love the diorama's concept. As is so often the case with the armor modelers, I'm a huge wwii history buff, with the Bulge being one of my favorite subjects. I've been fortunate to be able to visit the area twice. Sitting on a shelf in my office is the barrel and receiver of an M1 I picked up in a forest in the Schnee Eifel in 1973. Looking forward to the finished dio!

M1GarandFan, thank you for the compliment. I wanted the paint to be as close as possible to factory O. D. before I weatherize it with mud, dirt and snow. The goal is to use this Jeep and a Sherman M4A3 in a diorama representing 9th Armored Division in Belgium on 19 December 1944.

I agree with your statement about olive drab color... To see it any other way is an exercise in futility.

Harold

Sergeant, Stik, et al

Just my opinion, but this discussion about OD shades is why to a great degree I don't sweat the exact shade. Between dust, dirt, mud, water, scratches and rust just about any shade or combinations of shades could be correct. When it comes to Sherman variants, it's almost the same thing. Accounting for different models, factory and field mods, repairs, individual unit tastes and crew modifications almost any combination of equipment could have existed.

BTW, the jeep looks terrific!

stikpusher

Hey Sarge, some units still used bumper codes on the rear bumpers as well.

 

According to Army regulations AR 850-5 the bumper codes must be shown unless the space is covered with equipment or there is not enough room at the designated location. But under no circumstances can the bumper code be abbreviated or shortened. So if I understand the regulation I can either use smaller lettering or not show the bumper code on the back.

You may also be able to tell the bumper in my photograph above is painted with Gloss Varnish; tomorrow I will give it a coat of Matt Varnish to seal the water-slide decals and hide the gloss finish. I had to attach the Archer Fine Transfer decals to Experts-Choice decal paper and apply them as water-slide decals. I could not get the Archer decals to look right by applying them directly to the painted surface. No problem with the Archer product, just operator malfunction. At 73 my eyesight and coordination are starting to fail my ambition for mastering new skills.

Harold

TigerII

Hey Sergeant, I know this thread is way beyond this point; sorry about that, but I was very happy with the Tamiya XF-62 Olive Drab.

 

The color we see on the screen of our computers can be affected by many different things, like the graphics card, color settings and room lighting. Then we add camera filters and periodic changes paint manufactures make, plus our mixing of paint, color of primer and airbrushing method (modulation). When we’re done what do we compare our work too, an artist colorized black and white photograph, illustration or another model because there are few World War items to compare with and most have faded over the last 75 to 100 years, or been repainted. In the end we do our best and call it olive drab because in practice ever military vehicle after it had been in the field was a little different shade of olive drab.

I noticed where you‘re from... I had relatives in Lititz not far from Harrisburg.

Good to hear from you again TigerII

Harold

Hey Sarge, some units still used bumper codes on the rear bumpers as well.