ARMOR - Sherman Family Group Build

QUOTE: Originally posted by boybuddho LOL...Scubaboy....You're too much! Around here, I feel like a neophyte with the talent that this build is showing... Dan

no kidding well I have my bogies put together [now I really appreciate the work going on here] and most of my hull goodies attached.

Now I am waiting on stuff to arrive to go on. [putty knives, tweezers, paint, air brush, regular brushes. etc, etc, etc

oh, yeah and the CORRECT barrel, tow cable, correct treads man this is NOT a cheap hobby

LOL...Scubaboy....You're too much!

Around here, I feel like a neophyte with the talent that this build is showing...

Dan

Looks great, I'm envious!

Here's the progress for today...a coat of sand and bogie application:



Dan

Been offline for 5 days, lots to catch up on for sure. Sounds like everyone is busy and having fun. Family and friends visited over the long weekend (Monday holiday here) so nothing much done. I've posted a couple of pics for prospective Acadamy Achilles purchasers, just to show a little of what you would be in for.

Firstly, comparison of the Eduard 17 pdr Firefly barrel (I cut the last section off, just before the flange, as the barrel is really for the Firefly and the flange is not seen on the Achilles) and the kit supplied barrel. The mantlet had to be drilled out to fit the barrel as the Acadamy barrel is a D profile at the end, not round like the replacement. As they say, a picture tells a thousand words!


Secondly, the filled ejection pin marks on the inside of the turret components.



I've since glued the turret together, but had a devil of a time getting it all to marry up correctly. With the constant realigning to make sure the seams did not spring or move out, and the poorly fitting front piece, I'm glad I am going to do the weld seams over.

Anyway, going to get myself into gear on this beast today. Keep up the good work all.

Not to my knowledge Dwight .... maybe someone else has heard of it happening.

QUOTE: Originally posted by shermanfreak The site has been updated. Asykr has been added to the group. And the first pics of a completed Sherman have been added. Erock's German Sherman !!!! Oh ... the horror !!!!

BTW Sherm, in the same line of thinking, did it ever happen that the US modified a Sherman to look like a German tank to fool the Germans like what the Germans did on the Ersatz M10?

Trevor - you must thank your daughter for helping to produce a little battle damage.
Sounds like you handled it very well ... kudos !!!!

Mike - Thanks for the kind words.

Today I come home and happily look at my Sherman, to find what looks like a white dog hair on the top of turret. I pick up my dusting brush and try to brush it off, it doesn't budge. A closer look reveals that it's a scratch. I look to my darling children and ask "How did this happen?" and together the two of them say "I don't know." I then hypothesized that it was made with the dental pick lying on the table next to the model. After this assumption was made my loving, but not sure if she is going to make 11 year old, daughter could no longer look me in the eyes. All I could do is look at her, shaking my head and explain to her how I felt about what she did. Oh well, it's an easy fix but depressing none the less.

The site has been updated.

Asykr has been added to the group.

And the first pics of a completed Sherman have been added.
Erock's German Sherman !!!!
Oh ... the horror !!!!

Good progess everyone. I have some 30 minutes work on my M-51 last night. Just added some things on the upper hull and sanded the seams of the turret and gun.

I am moving along just fine, slowly but fine. He-he-he.

Great progress so far gang ..... it warms the heart of this old Shermie lover !!!!!

The M-50 looks great Dan, that old hull from MP does have its moments but nicely overcome Build22 (by the way, I feel your pain. My thumb got in the way of a new blade last night.)

Don't let Mike worry you guys about the indy tracks ... he's just skeered !!!!

Finally got to catch up on the threads I missed this weekend. Looks like everybody's been busy!
I worked on my bogie units and dry fit some interior castings. Also fitted my tranny and steering brake housings into the nose. Still have to be painted and detailed.. Then if I can find a camera it'll be time to post some photos.
Sorry I can't import images from Ron's site, can't right click with my computer and I haven't figured out how to pull up the URL's.

Ron

Thanks everyone....!
Thanks Build... I bought my MP kit 10 years ago and quit after doing the turret and attempting the bogie assemblies. Seeing how well you have done on your hull has given me new hope for mine.

Dan

Dwight - thanks for your concern. It was nothing 30 minutes of direct pressure couldn't handle. I definetly know I don't have "blue" blood.

Dan - it's MP's M4A4 -hull only. I know what you're saying - same problems here but theres some good to it, too. I changed a couple pieces for a little crisper detail. Great job on your M-50 - now that's crisp detail !

Thanks Erock

I've got mine built to 3 subsections. Lower hull, Upper hull, and Turret. Painted (hopefully final coat), Now have to paint vinyl tracks and decide on weathering (amount, etc). And do the figures. What is the proper color for tank crew uniforms (mid-44 europe)? And tracks too.

QUOTE: Originally posted by renarts QUOTE: So many happy Shermans in one thread! Wait Brian, the indy tracks haven't been started. When that part comes......we'll see how many happy shermans there are. Mike

and that's why i've got my vinyl tracks from Accurate Armour!!!

everyone's builds are coming along very nicely!!! I am just about ready to start on the outside today

Hi,

I just posted some shots on Ron's site, http://rongeorge.com/modules/Gallery/upload?page=7 These are of the bow machine gun mount on an M4A2, the 'Caliope' (short version... you know, the T-what's it) on an M4A1 and a shot of some muddied up suspension on an M4A3 from being ground guided through some muck that almost caused me to bottom out the tank.

Ron

QUOTE: So many happy Shermans in one thread!

Wait Brian, the indy tracks haven't been started. When that part comes......we'll see how many happy shermans there are.

Mike

Everybody is really doing wonderful work! So many happy Shermans in one thread!

Looking good Dan!

Build,
Nice job on the AFV suspension

Build 22, are you using the MP adversary series M50?
I have that kit but never finished it...the fits were so lousy!

Regards, Dan

Looks good already even at this stage, Dan. Should look even better when the final paint and weathering are applied.

Good progress there, too, Build22. Sorry for the accident. I guess you can't call yourself a blue-blooded modeler until you spill your blood on the workbench. LOL. Good to hear that you're fine.

Well,

I'm finally rolling. (Been on injured reserves - exacto knife mishap) But here's the progress

Gave up on the tank workshop suspension - went with the AFV
Put some detail that was better than the MP stuff
You can see that good size horizontal joint in the middle of the nose - took some putty to fix that







Spent a lot of time researching insignia - alot of stuff to weed thru but a lot of incidental info out there - don't take those factory decals for granted !

Looks good Dan. Ga hope you get to feelin' better.

Way to go Dan!

Looks like you'll be done soon.

I got one side of the tracks cleaned up today. Slow, but steady.

Looking good Dan

Ok....I primed the hull and turret and will start painting this week.
I thought a gray -green basecoat might help with the overall Israelian Desert
sand color. It has been easier to paint without the bogies and rollers on.



Dan

Wow, some great stuff so far. Trevor, nice interior on the turret. Mine won't have nearly that much. Kind of wish I wasn't putting a figure in the hatch so I could do some serious detail work. Yours is awsome.

I worked on my turret today. Added stowage cleats to the rear of the turret and altered the blade sight on the front and the new updated site. Ended up turning a new barrel. The kit barrel looked almost like somebody had given it a squeeze. For what it would have taken me to fill and fix, I just took some styrene and turned a new one to match.

The seams for attaching the upper and lower pieces of the turret were really sloppy so I had to do some putty work. I smoothed the putty on and really smoothed out the edges and surface. Once this was feathered I took a sheet of 200 grain sand paper and pressed it onto the surface of the putty before it surface cured. This gave the finish that sand casted look to match the rest of the turret surface.

The cheek reinforcement armor was a thick. Really thick so I sanded it to a much thinner thickness and added the weld line down the middle and around the edges.

The lifting rings were kind of nasty so I made new ones and attached those and started making the guards to go over the periscopes. Drilled out the front of the protrusions where the tow rings are and realized that the DML M4A4 doesn't have the tow u-rings. So I'm going to have to scratch a set of those.

I endeavor to percivere.

Oh, if there are any chinese members on the forum........Happy New Year.

Mike