A RECIPE FOR DISASTER (pictures are back) Completely finished on page 11

heya Steve,

great tips for getting the wheels in place ' after the fact', and some sweet work making the return skids... I'd bet they were a bit of a pain, but still easier than trying to put the gentle curve in on a piece styrene. nice work dude!............now yer gettin me really hooked !

yer pal ,

bill   ;  )

Steve - Love the details and the advice.....and thats on just the smilieys 

Great Sherman tips....details are a way of life

Time for more coffee!!

Rounds Complete!!

Chazzer

     T(h)anks for da fix!


 Thanks DM for keepin it fun and giving up some good knowledge!!


Scott (Chazzer)

You got it......

                      ..... more fixes forthcoming!

AAHHHHH... an update. And a good one too.

My DT's (disastermaster tremors) have subsided. 

william carls

heya Steve,

great tips for getting the wheels in place ' after the fact', and some sweet work making the return skids... I'd bet they were a bit of a pain, but still easier than trying to put the gentle curve in on a piece styrene. nice work dude!............now yer gettin me really hooked !

yer pal ,

bill   ;  )

YOU!

'ya really gonna love the tracks.....

Come on Steve your nearly as slow as me now at building

redleg12

Steve - Love the details and the advice.....and thats on just the smilieys 

Great Sherman tips....details are a way of life

Time for more coffee!!

Rounds Complete!!

Thank you Mike

workin' on the next one right now.

wing_nut

AAHHHHH... an update. And a good one too.

My DT's (disastermaster tremors) have subsided. 

Thanks Marc

But those   tremors are probably from doin'

all those little tiny a$$ed nitty gritty bang bang Tigers.

(Actually you got me considerin' doin' one of those mini-boys)

Bodge

Come on Steve your nearly as slow as me now at building

Well....   being of a slow nature,

        sometimes it's not so easy......

......you just try a paintin'

      some of these ĐÆӎ thangs.

 Well it's been another week but for me this is just a hobby. That

means it's something I do in my spare time, at least for me anyway.

         Told you I'm slow.

 And, finally got my friends computer fixed and have had a good

week with my son being home from college all week.

**********************************************************************************************************

  So I will now set my tongue firmly in cheek and get my poker

face adjusted and get started with........

            'yall reddy fo dis'

 

                         

So now we have a well posed view of a bogie unit
    .......... with bogies and hardware all laid in place .                                       
   
                                  .......nice eh?
                                
                        

  Wrong forum....... OOP......
                                                                   

                Alright .... next on this thread

       I've yet to re-adjust the return skid profile and the bolt

heads properly.

      Nothing mounted permanent yet, left wheel is wrong side out.

                                        Notice that L O W profile....

        

 

I just realized I forgot an important picture, so here's a

fairly simple re-enactment....

                             another time maybe.......

               Here's how I got that L O W profile.

 The picture above is the Tamiya part which, as you can see, sits higher than the

same Dragon unit.

      

    (I don't have another part that's like the original one I used)

 

  By using the Dragon part it was just a matter of some 1/16 plastruct (hard plastic)

rod laquered high into the cut and left to dry thoroughly......

                              it cannot be seen.

 

 So, by using the Dragon arms with the softer plastic and the lower initial angle,

      the spread is minimal but the lowering effect is enhanced.

       

         The example above has NOT been cut, it just looks that way.

 

 As you can see in the final picture the lowered result is adequate to represent the

additional weight.

                                                

 NOW (without those wheels), it’s assembled; painted black and sprayed

Tamiya XF-62. For what I’m doing here the perfect shade or tint won’t be

important for the end result.

(Observe how you can't see the modification)

(I sometimes get carried away and have random painting attacks)

 

 

  Next, an evil lookin' mixture of distilled water, drop of detergent and

ground up pastels applied with a brush. I’m wanting red mud.

    Later, another lighter layer with an additional pastel color added to the

mix to vary the tone.

    After it’s dried out really well…… a light brushing off.

  It still articulates at this point but it does so incorrectly due to the way

it is engineered.

 

 Here’s how it looks ......below,

                                   with a bit of pencil work.
     (I've also been a playing with a whitewash here)              
    

                  Now ….....   a family shot  

 

  Pop in the pre-painted and weathered wheels and you get a satisfying result.

'Ya think?

    Here’s a picture of the other nasty components all done

up in the same manner. Gonna do a bit more tweaking on 'em for sure.

 

 

Any metallic shine was added with a pencil....  

 

My next update will get into what makes this Sherman different from

MOST of the Jumbos that I’ve seen.

 

I think y’all like it. 

           

                                             

                                   

Ahhhh......slow, but tasty!!!

Outstanding!!

Rounds Complete!!

Nifty trick for putting a load on the suspension Steve, definitely going to make this one stand out as you get one more check-box in the "attention to detail" category.

Steve you may think your slow but the work is excellent, those are some of the most convincing suspension units I have ever seen, dirty little chaps!

While typing I had an idea, what if one was to mix ground pastels with MIG pigments?

I'm only thinking of what kind of staying power they would have?

Terry.

Again , Steve, gorgeous weathering and every thing fits just beautifully !   I wonder why they didn't modify the suspension a bit to take on the extra weight?   ( I mean before they went to HVSS).... but a great credit to you to take this in consideration while planning your build... nice touch buddy  :  )

The suspension is nicely dirtied up, yet I can still see the details, nuts & bolts,ect ( ya know what I mean) and to me , that is very important esthetically 'cause I like to see how and what the vehicle is made of and thats coming through nicely on yours !

I won't tell ya to hurry it up (oops I guess I just did  )..... but man I can't wait to see these details becoming one beautiful M4 that I can see as a whole... but I know it's not finished till the artist signs his name....

yer pal,

Gabby

p.s. I am happy you had  an enjoyable time with yer kid ... That's what it's really all about  ;  )

redleg12

Ahhhh......slow, but tasty!!!

Outstanding!!

Rounds Complete!!

                 And sticky too.

   Thank you Mike! 

wbill76

Nifty trick for putting a load on the suspension Steve, definitely going to make this one stand out as you get one more check-box in the "attention to detail" category.

Thanks for checkin' in Bill.

               Still to come.............

     A busload of detail.

terry35

Steve you may think your slow but the work is excellent, those are some of the most convincing suspension units I have ever seen, dirty little chaps!

While typing I had an idea, what if one was to mix ground pastels with MIG pigments?

I'm only thinking of what kind of staying power they would have?

Terry.

Quite a compliment coming from such an accomplished modeler.

Many thanks to you Terry.

 I haven't messed with pigs .....

 I might give that a go sometime in the future but I suspect now that you've mentioned pigs & pastels......

Hi Steve,     I have been out of the loop for a wee bit but finally catching up on your build........   seems to be coming along nicely.              Some spot-on detail, for sure!

As always,, thank you for sharing

I'll tell you Steve that while we are yappin' about our new secret invention somebody is thinking of how to market it.......ha...ha...ha......

Happy Paddy's Day mate.

Terry.

william carls

Again , Steve, gorgeous weathering and every thing fits just beautifully !   I wonder why they didn't modify the suspension a bit to take on the extra weight?   ( I mean before they went to HVSS).... but a great credit to you to take this in consideration while planning your build... nice touch buddy  :  )

The suspension is nicely dirtied up, yet I can still see the details, nuts & bolts,ect ( ya know what I mean) and to me , that is very important esthetically 'cause I like to see how and what the vehicle is made of and that's coming through nicely on yours !

I won't tell ya to hurry it up (oops I guess I just did  )..... but man I can't wait to see these details becoming one beautiful M4 that I can see as a whole... but I know it's not finished till the artist signs his name....

yer pal,

Gabby

p.s. I am happy you had  an enjoyable time with yer kid ... That's what it's really all about  ;  )

Thank you Bill....

 I'm about halfway through the "spring cleaning" here at the house

and workin' on the next Sherman update for the forum later on this weekend.

  You'll like it.

BaBill212

Hi Steve,     I have been out of the loop for a wee bit but finally catching up on your build........   seems to be coming along nicely.              Some spot-on detail, for sure!

As always,, thank you for sharing

  Hi BaBill212,

As slow as this thing is going,

believe me............

         a wee bit outta the loop ain't gonna cost 'ya anything.

 The next update will be a wee bit more revealing

Yo : Bring It !!

Well, what can I say Steve; you just continue to maintain some of the highest standards of workmanship and weathering seen here on this forum. The suspension units look tasty to a weatherhead like me! LOVE IT!

Although I have to add as well that your attention to the tiniest details there in correcting the sit of the units was mind-boggling!

the doog

Well, what can I say Steve; you just continue to maintain some of the highest standards of workmanship and weathering seen here on this forum. The suspension units look tasty to a weatherhead like me! LOVE IT!

Although I have to add as well that your attention to the tiniest details there in correcting the sit of the units was mind-boggling!

Thank you Karl and thanks for dropping in too....

       Sometimes a feature that looks complicated is just that....it just looks complicated.

Since the Dragon plastic is so soft and the plastruct rod is a much harder plastic, this was a simple correction once I thought it out..... yeah, it's that patience thing again.

                                    **************************

Now, with such generous encouragement from all you fine fellas here I'll put down the mop   to post an update .....

(But I still got some house cleaning to finish)

Yes Karl, the devil is surely in the details alright.

   The next few pictures will give you an idea as to where

this build is headed and reveal why some of the things

I’ve done won’t be visible.

 
It gets more complicated from here on out

   Ever wondered how to make rebar in 1/35 scale
that looks reasonably realistic….. ?

       Sure, plain 'ol angle iron was used for this addition...

       but rebar was used too.

 

    So, let’s make it interesting.
      "Rebar" .....     much more interesting than

           common ‘ol angle stock.

 This(done in this fashion) is an original idea of mine, something different
that I've not seen anywhere else, so you guys get it first!

"Pulled from the ruins of destruction ......

   

 and used against the enemy"

 

 The references I’ve used indicate a stand-off distance from the hull

of about 1.5” for this particular feature. That equates to about .040” diameter in 1/35 scale.

TaT TADA DAAAAAAAA……..

                            

                          a few drum rolls.....

                                    

       

This is what you want to make……..what’cha think, eh?

HA, HA, heh.....         

 

After each pass, rotate it slightly (the rod, not the tool you dummy)

until you‘ve gone all the way around it.
Here’s how it looks after being attached to the hull appliqué armor.

It don't hafta be perfect.

Okay, time for some more welding ……………         
now, where’s my other torch….
          dern smileys.....

                                           

 
  A lot more welding to be done.

 

 And so it goes........

 Slowly for sure, but coming together.

This stuff's just gonna look grand on the turret.
The next update will reveal what all that rebar is about, but of course you probably done figured that one out.

Here I go again........ 

                 
                              

Steve,

That looks wicked-cool, and I probably missed this, but......what was all that rebar for on this tank? It seems to me that they would act as shot traps? Or was that the whole idea?

heya Steve  :  )   bro.. that rebar looks just like the real deal...(especially pic # 5).. don't know how ya figured grannys sewing machine foot could make rebar, but ya did..!  amazing... so now , with already 7 extra tons of armor, we gotta figure out what you are going to add or hang off the rebar.

I have pictures of Canadian tanks completely covered in extra tracks.. but they were fireflys, I believe... seen all covered in sandbags, and wood planks...

In fact, all my pics of 'E2s have nothing added armor wise.. only camo... trees,limbs and such....mmmm...

in the last line of your post it says 'we probably have it figured out' ..... boy do I feel dumb

nice progress dude !.......... got your P.M.  still working on some kind of reply that makes sense... 

Yer pal,

dumb a$s

Are you going to hang chicken wire off the rebar and put some camo it it?

     Steve...WOW. I've been laid up in the hospital and sick for the past couple of weeks. When I finally got to the computer and into the armor forum I wasn't disappointed.  ..WOW. I picked up a Dragon M4A4 75mm for $19.00 on sale at my LHS (Will post on the trip to the   hobby   store thread soon). I sure will use some of your tutorials and ideas. I can't wait to finish my current build and start the Sherman! Because of you,   you keep me and I'm sure everyone else so into the hobby. I gotta say thank you man!! I can't wait fer the next post. It's great to be back.Yep ya created a monster!   The fight goes on and I'm winning!  

 Dont let life get ya down!

Yer pal Scott(Chazzer) 

Agree with the others Steve, that re-bar looks awesome. Can't wait to see where you are going with this (I have no clue since it's Allied gear!).

JEEZ!  Now you're making rebar.  You are making the rest of us look bad.  But that look real good.