USMC M4A3 Dozer Riff Raff . Camera broke . No updates . 6/3

Them holes for the sand shield bolts . Wonder what they did with the skirts and all of them bolts ?

Here are some online pics:

http://www.network54.com/Forum/110741/thread/1236618494/M4A4+with+Mine+Scarifier

Photobucket album

http://s45.photobucket.com/albums/f74/ericadeane/M4A4%20Scarifier/

It appeared in a Military Modelling issue in Aug '10? or so.

Roy , AWESOME build ! I really appreciate you sharring the info and pics with me ...........

I'm stumped right on the hydraulic hose that runs to the hydraulic cylinder on the blade.  Looks like there is only one hose and it must attach at the base .

Have you seen this video ? Its a fun watch.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BV5nBQGn0w8

Moving right along with this one Carl, love the details you're adding along the way.

Very nice work so far!... Always a fan of the dozer!

Thanks everyone for your help and support .

I started putting the blade together . The bottom part od the blade that is gray took a lot of work to get it smoothed out , The reason being that the poor is from this side and when i cut it off i missed up the surface . I rebuilt it with c.a. .When i sanded it smooth the i discoverd in point air bubbles . They were so smallthat a heavy coat of gray paint covered them .

Looking GREAT!   Now you have been bookmarked.  You can't run, you can't hide from me...

Me either,,,,  I'm with Andy,,,,,,,,,,,,     

(great work Carl.............)

Ahhhhhh ............good to have my friends here !!!!!! 

Scratched a "comb" and temporarily positioned the hydraulic cylinder .

These are the brass p.e. parts that will build into the support frame for the dozer arms. These will attach to the front two bogies on either side . The p.e. is .4 mm thick and is fairly sturdy but bends easily due to the precisely etched bending lines .

I made up these rods with the  heads on them to act as the fasteners that run thru the holes in the brackets . Their made from .025 styrene rod with the ends melted against a heated flat screwdriver blade toformthe head .

This is the support frame with the brackets glued on and one of the rods put in place to help line up the holes in the brackets .

All of the rods are in and glued here .

This how the support frame attaches to the bogies . I used .035 styrene rod  for the four mounting points . The holes in the p.e. was precise for a great fit on this Tamiya kit . Fitting these support frames on any other kit might be a hastle .I'll go back and shorten the rods in the bogie truck frames  later .

Now to the other side .

Sand shield attachment strips on hull side .

 progress..........

Thanks Steve !

nice progress AND from your build I'm learning how the 1/1 was built

Thanks

I didnt want the "duck bill " extensions on this Sherm . The kit provids rubber band tracks  with the extensions . I ordered a set of "workable " tracks from Bronco ..............but they do not fit the Tamiya drive sprocket teeth . On a side note they do fit the Italeri drive spocket perfectly . I havent tried them on my Dragon M4's yet .

The Tamiya kit tracks .

After the extensions removal .

Nice bit of surgery there Carl. Would never know they had extensions if you hadn't shown the before pic.

Thank you Bill

Shellback--Why not just use the Italeri sprockets with the Bronco tracks?

fificat

Shellback--Why not just use the Italeri sprockets with the Bronco tracks?

I concidered doing that . Then i looked at the Italeri spockets . They have the "axle" as part of the drive sprocket where as the "axle" on the Tamiya kit is part of the hull . I know it can be done and maybe you have done it but i didnt want to do it on this build . Then there is that big "sink hole" in the middle of all of the Italeri M4 drive sprockets . I just didnt want work with them .

Very curious to know if the Bronco tracks fit the Dragon kit.  Be sure to post that when they come, please.

Satch

Take a look at this re the Bronco tracks.  Shows they fit the Dragon sprockets very nicely, and notes that the Tamiya ones can be repaired.

http://www.perthmilitarymodelling.com/reviews/vehicles/bronco/ab3538.html

CORRECTION ! Hey guys i went back and tried the Bronco tracks on the Tamiya drive sprocket again . With some sanding / filing on the edges of the Tamiya sprocket i was able to "force " the Bronco's around the Tamiya sprocket . It felt like the Bronco's might break but they are stronger than i would have thought . Mind you they actually just fell into place around the Italeri sprocket so "forcing "them around the Tamiya sprocket was difficult to accept . But for the sake of research and not mis-leading you guys i went ahead and adjusted the Tamiya sprocket and got the bronco's on .  fifcat , thanks for taking an extra look and doing the research !

On the Tamiya sprocket .

Here's the Bronco's i have , T-49's .

As you can see the "pins" are delicate looking .

Here's an update on how i mounted the support frame for the dozer blade arms . I wanted the entire dozer blade and its support frame removable for painting and weathering .

The fit is tight and no gluing is required for now . I may leave it unglued after painting and weathering .

I drilled holes in the pivot points of the dozer arms and in the support frame and inserted "pins" that i made from styrene rod .

  A DEFINITE  bookmark Carl.

                              I'm a watching.

Hey Steve , great to have you following my build !

 Great detail work. I have the Academy version on the bench. I'll be taking notes...

 Those Bronco tracks are a seemingly never ending task....

Great looking work Carl! 

            as always Carl,,,,   good stuff!