Dan, moving right along there- looks good!

Thanks Gamera.  The model master acrylic primer is extra thin, so it dries fast.  Have to keep cleaning off the airbrush needle.

Silentbob33. Yeah when gluing up individual tracks it's always time consuming, when I was gluing up the tracks to my King Tiger each side took around 90 minutes to glue up.  But I think there worth it, they give you more flexible.

Did some pre-shading on my M4 last evening, used Tamiya's gloss black.  And primed up the DS tracks, I put wire through the openings to hold them while painting and to hang up while they dry.

I made a little bit more progress, but nothing really needing a picture.  I finished the suspension and put some of the wheels together.  After reading Karl's tutorial on indy tracks that was recommended in the armor forum, I realized I'm going to need a good block of time to work on them and that probably won't happen until the weekend.  I also had to deviate from his instructions in that the support rollers go together the opposite way on the Hellcat, so I have to pop the road wheels apart to get everything to line up just right.

Looks really good Dan, guess I need to start priming myself, I normally just hit the thing with a layer of Tamiya olive drab and look for flaws in that.

Thanks Gamera.

Last evening I airbrushed on Model Master Acryl white primer.  The eye dropper I used to transfer paint from bottle to the airbrush cup had some water in it,  so the first few sprays of paint was watered down.  It just created bumbles, so when it fully cures I'll be using fine sand paper like 2000 grit to sand out the bumbles.  Also brushed on the first coat of steel on my 50 cal.

Not a problem Silentbob33, yes leave the wheels on dry on there bogies when your fitting the tracks on.  Yeah even know the tracks are in a flexible state, they can be broken easily if you try to force them on.   I would make a quick how to picture guide, but I'm not at that stage yet with my Stug III in the other group build.  

Bob: Looks really good! Yeah, what Dan suggested seems to be the easiest way to do it. As you said just leave the wheels loose and hopefully (cross your fingers) you can pull the whole thing off and paint it separably and then slide them back on when done.

Dan: She looks great, looking forward to seeing some paint slapped on her.

Thanks for the tip Dan!  Would I be correct in assuming that the wheels would just be placed onto their pegs so that way I can just pull them off when the glue on the tracks is dry?  Then when I go to put everything back together do I just need to be really careful not to push too hard to get every thing back to where it needs to be?  Sorry for so many questions, but this will be my first time with it.

Silentbob33: Great work on your Hellcat Interior.

On the individual link tracks, the way I've done it is pretty simple.  On my past Dragon models that used Magic Tracks, I used Testors non-toxic cement on the tracks.  I like to glue up one side of the tanks tracks at a time(left side or right), and use a straight edge to keep the tracks in line when gluing.  Just simply glue up one side, use a straight edge to keep the track links in line, then let the glue set up to a flexible state, depending on what glue you use that time will differ(Testors non toxic is about 90 minutes).  Then very carefully place the tracks on your wheels, the spots that tend to break are around the front drive and idler wheels.  If you want to simulate track sag, use some shims like balsa wood, styrene strips, popsicle sticks on top of the tracks in area's where sag is present.  Then after all that let the tracks set to your glu'se max cure time, then you should be able to take them off to prime and paint them.  Hope this helps.

Well I'm calling my M4 DV Sherman done, all the parts have been assembled.  Expect the Machine gun rounds holder, was not able to attach that.  Tow cable has been installed and glued in place.

I finished the interior of my Hellcat.  There were a couple of sink marks on the floor plate, I tried to fix them the best I could, but it isn't perfect.  I gave it a wash and dusting with pastels.  I found a picture of the Hellcat I'm modeling in France in September 1944.  It was a part of the 705 TD BN in Brittany and helped take the town of Brest.  I'm going for a dusty dirty look, as the battalion had been in combat since July.  Here's the pic I found:

And here's the interior:

I also built the hatches for the hull.  I did the lenses with drafting pens rather than try to paint such a small area:

I'm going to continue on with assembly, but does anyone have any tips on how to assemble these tracks so they fit and look right?  I only have experience with vinyl tracks (and not much at that as this is only my second armor build).

Any comments/critiques are welcomed.

Thanks Dan, funny I've built more than a few Dragon kits but not one of their newer Shermans, only the older kits. She looks great and I love those PE fenders.

Thanks Eagle 90:  This will be my first weathering job, I've done enough practice on scrap models that I'm convent I can apply that to my masterpiece models.

Thanks Gamera: This is my second Dragon Sherman, my first was the 75mm Normandy kit #6511 got it off of ebay brand new for around $40.

There are some minor things that can be fixed very easy, mostly gaps.

(Photo 1)The front end drive assembly does not butt up against the lower hull, so I used strips of styrene to attach the two parts.  As you can see on the bottom and both side.

(Photo 2 & 3) Then after that there is a nice 1/16 of a inch to 1/8 of inch gap, that can be easily filled in.  I used tape on the edges of the gap so after I put the filler in, any excess putty would be cleaned up easy.  (Photo 4) Then when you attach the upper and lower hull, there's a nice gap, but again it's easly filled.  (Photo 5) And where the front drive assembly meets the upper hull there's another nice gap, I used tape to cover the bolt plate but some putty did get on them.

Some of the hole's for the tool's that go on the back of the upper hull are not per-drilled half way on the inside, so with some easy measuring of the attachment points of the tools.  You can mark out the holes and drill them.  I used Testors Pin Vic and the smallest drill bit.  And there are some parts that have no placement markings on the hull, so you have to use a little guess work.

Other than that it's a pretty basic build, the photo-etch parts can be a little challenge to bend and shape like the front fenders.  Not sure if the British version has the same gaps or not.

It makes a lot of difference in the build for sure.  Thanks again!  And keep those great tips coming!

Eagle90

Dan: She's coming along great! The straight M4 is one of the Sherman versions I've never built. The Dragon kit looks really good there, did you have any problems with her other than the PE part?

Eagle: Don't mention it, as I said it's not my idea. A guy told me that after seeing my brand-new shiny tools on one of my tanks!

Gamera

Eagle: She looks pretty good to me. Only difference I'd make is a guy told me awhile back to paint the metal tools with dark grey and then rub a pencil on a piece of paper and then rub your finger in the graphite then rub it on the tool. It gives it a faint metallic sheen like old worn tools instead of shiny new ones.

Hey Gamera,

Tried that tip you passed on.  Wow!  What a difference.  The worn/weathered look is nice!  Really adds something to it.  I did a little dry brushing around the tools too to make it look like they have been taken off and used a few times.  Thanks again for the tip!

Also tried my hand at the figures!  I tried to make the jackets look "dirty" and worn, the faces a little scruffy, and put some Future on the goggles to give them that "lens" look.  The only thing that bugs me are the hands of the commander.  Not sure how to get the "shadaowing" effect between the fingers.  They look fakey right now to me. 

Eagle90

Thank you Dan!  Yeah, the gaps were huge!  But nothing that couldn't be overcome.

Your M4 looks awesome!  Can't wait to see her finished!

Eagle90

Eagle90: Nice work on your Sherman and paint job.  I've only built Dragon Sherman.  From what I hear Tasca makes the best Sherman kits.  Looks like Tamiya molded the parts in a dark olive drab color, my cargo truck was in a medium drab.  Remember buying a Panther tank that was made in the 70's I think(Still in production) and that kit had a big gap about the tracks.  Guess Tamiya could not be bothered with making some extra parts to fill those gaps.

Raven728: Great work on your M18, I like your Olive drab tone.


Gamera:  Nice Sherman's, M10's & M36 builds.

My M4 DV is just about complete, just have the tow cable to attach along with the rounds holder for the MG on the turret.  The Photo-etch part was to small and it broke off easy, so I'll have to find another way to attach it.  After I took these photo's, glued on the small photo-etch that is bent at 90 degrees and placed in between the two vision ports.  The tracks are just dry fitted, with the two ends held together with tape for the photo's.  I plan to glue the top tracks to the return rollers.

Very true!  I'm looking forward to giving it shot!

Eagle90

Eagle sounds good! As I said I'm still figuring things out myself and the nice thing about this is if you don't like the results you can always paint over it. All you lose is paint and money, not that either is cheap but compared to some hobbies they are!

Hey Gamera. I have all those colours!  I will be trying this hopefully this weekend!  I think it will work well with the Sherman, looks great on yours, so hopefully, I can get a similar effect.  I'm writing all the things down everyone suggests.  Sounds geeky, but I carry it with me to the model shows too!  You never know when someone is going to give you a tip or trick that you really want to try or use.  And my memory is the worst!    Thanks again!

Eagle90

Hey Eagle sorry it took a little while to get back to you. This was something I picked up from Steve Zaloga, paint the tracks and running gear with Tamiya Earth or the equivalent and then highlight with Tamiya Buff or Deck Tan working the lighter colour up the sides and blending the Earth on the lower hull and the Olive Drab on the upper using it.

I slightly altered mine by painting the lower parts Olive Drab, rubber etc and then putting down several coats of hairspray and then adding the Earth and Buff. I then took a moist brush like I was drybrushing and removed the mud and dirt paint from the raised areas like it chipped off. Then you can take the same brush and with up and down strokes on the lower hull give these neat stripes like rain water had washed the mud down.

It's still a learning experience with me, I just fool and paint over it if I don't like what I get. I leave it when I like the results or else I get tired and give up on it!

Hey Gamera,  those are great builds.  If you don't mind me asking (and I'm sure this is a novice question), how did you get the red dusting look on the M4A3/76 (the first tank)?  I was thinking of something like that for this one or a light mudding.  Much lighter than I did for the T34.  Just wondering how it's done.

Eagle90

RBaer: If you ever retake any of your photos I'd love to see them. 

BTW: Not to hijack the thread but here are a few of mine, I've got a LONG way to go to get to even half the different versions of the M4 plus SPGs, TDs, etc based off it's chassis.

M4A3/76

Marine Corps M4A2 (diesel engine) Yeah needs a lot more work...

 M4A4 / Mark V British lend/lease (longer hull with Chrysler 'Multibank' engine)

Still need to build a M4, M4A1, M4A3E8 (Easy Eight suspension system), 105mm howitzer version, and finish the M4A3E2 'Jumbo' I started here! 

Plus there were a zillion vehicles based off the Sherman chassis...

M10 TD #1

M10 TD #2

M36 TD

RBaer

Seconded on the tools, works good.

One minor point: The large crow bar on the right rear, it's just a long bar with slightly flattened ends. The "boxes" at each end of it are actually the brackets it rests in and should be the same color as the rest of the tank. Other than that, looks primo.

And re the Sherman variants, no group pics. In fact, the pics of almost all of them are in a PB account that I can no longer access, no idea why.....

Got it.  Would that be the same for any bracket on the tools?

No pics!  Too bad, I'd like to see the variants!  Guess I'll google it and see what I can find.  Be interesting to see how many there are.  I know Bish is a big 251 fan and he says there are something like 63 variants!  And he has most of them!

Thanks again for the help!

Eagle90

Seconded on the tools, works good.

One minor point: The large crow bar on the right rear, it's just a long bar with slightly flattened ends. The "boxes" at each end of it are actually the brackets it rests in and should be the same color as the rest of the tank. Other than that, looks primo.

And re the Sherman variants, no group pics. In fact, the pics of almost all of them are in a PB account that I can no longer access, no idea why.....

Now you know I'm going to go and try that now!  Thanks!  That should add some wear and tear to them!  Thanks again!

Eagle90

Eagle: She looks pretty good to me. Only difference I'd make is a guy told me awhile back to paint the metal tools with dark grey and then rub a pencil on a piece of paper and then rub your finger in the graphite then rub it on the tool. It gives it a faint metallic sheen like old worn tools instead of shiny new ones.

Great builds everyone!  Some really nice work!

Couple of update pics on the Sherman.  I have found this kit to be great!  Other then the major gaps above the tracks (thank you all for the info and help with that!), this kit has gone together very well!  Have had a blast with it!  Putting some final touches on it before gloss coating for the decals and weathering.  Thinking about having an MP40 on top with the commander!  Saw they used them a lot in the movie "Fury".  Let me know if this is not accurate.  I happen to have 2 MP40's from the Testors 234/3 kit, and thought I could throw one on the Sherman with the commander.  What do you guys think?  The figures are time consuming since these are the first 1/35 ones I've done....so be gentle! 

Here she is!

Eagle90

still waiting on good painting weather here, so I can get more done on my Sherman.  It seems that whenever it's not raining, it's either too windy or I'm working.  It looks like yours is coming along nicely.

RBaer

Tamiya Shermans all pretty much fall together, and all have the same slight omissions and inaccuracies. Having said that, there's nothing in any of them that can't be fixed or upgraded with a little modeling.

I would say the worst of the bunch, as far as accuracy goes, is the Jumbo, but you can pick one up for $5 at a show these days.

Geez, Sherman variants.....    I think I have about ten in the display case, another half dozen or more in a box, no two the same. Yeah, 'tis a slippery slope indeed.

WOW!  You got a pic of those Shermans?  So many variants!  Well, I guess it can't be as bad as Bish's 251 variants! 

Eagle90