Boy howdy does life tangle stuff up. Drums, you and Jarrod are progressing nicely on that " Zippo" , love the  stowage. Keep it going.

I hear you,springtime can be busy,it's a shame that real life interferes with our hobby 

Thanks for asking Gamera and sorry for not showing more on this build.

Jarrod and I are well. I have been very busy working in the yard, painting rooms in the house, attending sporting events, and more. It has been difficult getting bench time. I should be caught up with that stuff in a week or two. 

I hope to show some progress then. Till then, stay safe and keep modeling!

Ben and Jarrod (DRUMS01)

Ben: Any updates on this? Hope things are okay. 

She's looking good guys! I like the canvas cover for the gun mantlet, you can paint it and some of the storage a tan or light brown for a little contrast to the olive drab. 

Figure looks good, looking forward the other guys joining him. 

I'm thinking about using spray cans on my Tiger,at least for the base coat,it's huge.Some RAL colors are available in cans from AK and Vallejo,I haven't started yet but I'm thinking about options.

Love your tutorial so far, the build itself is a lot of work,no less documenting the whole thing,would make me crazy.

Thanks Greysnake. We think it might be a two bottle spray (Vallejo paints). 

We can tell you this is a great kit, and from what we've seen the Tiger may even be better!

Thanks a lot Armornut, keavdog, and Gamera. Jarrod really appreciates the encouragement as I read the build string updates and everyones remarks to him.

Up next is Step 27. It involves attaching the upper and lower turret, the cupola, 50 cal., and gun shield. Regarding the gun shield (also know on some tanks as the mantlet), it is contingent on having the main gun already added to the upper turret. As you already know, Jarrod and I are going to paint the sub assemblies before attaching everything. Also in this step you have the option to add the gun shield with or without the canvas dust cover. 



Regardless of the chosen gun shield, you will end up with an authentic looking gun shield for the model. For nothing more than additional interest, Jarrod and I chose the option with the canvas cover. The 4 part cover has positive alignment tabs and fits together very well. We may add some texture to the canvas, but other than that it looks wonderful. Here is how it looks placed around the gun shield:



Since we are at the point of painting, that is all we can do on step 27, now on to Step 28.



This is all about the main gun barrel, and the kit gives you two options; a two part plastic barrel or a turned metal barrel. Of course Jarrod and I chose the solid metal barrel. The 4 part M2 muzzle break is a wonderful piece of modeling and even includes barrel rifling. The real muzzle break weighed 87.5 pounds and required a corresponding counterweight be applied inside the turret / near the breach. You can see that the kit did strived for accuracy and provided the counterweight as seen on the recoil guard (below).



At this point, here is what the complete main gun assemblies look like:



The last step in the build is Step 29, the crew figure. 



Considering the number of parts the assembly is straight forward and keeps the number of seams needing attention to a minimum. The hands and feet do not have specific tabs or pins for a certain location. This can be good and bad; good that you have some flexibility of how they will be posed, and bad that if you are not careful the hand May not rest naturally on the cupola or he may not be able to stand unsupported. The Commander's hand mike is made of three small parts which look well made. It's a shame that the detail of the microphone will hardly be seen once the figure is fully assembled:

Strangely enough, the head and helmet is made up using 8 pieces, but once together look just fine. (base coats applied)



Jarrod and I decided to keep the figure and its head separate until the painting is done. 

We previously provided a sneak peek at some of the after market stowage we might be adding on the model. Here are a couple better photos of what Jarrod and I have in mind:







Well, that's it, we reached the point of painting everything, and we mean everything:





Our next update will definitely be more colorful. Oh! we almost forgot, we also purchased a couple crew figures and a couple more that will be standing on the engine deck, talking with the Tank Commander. We hope to show them at the reveal. 

So, bye for now, but we'll be back soon.

Ben and Jarrod

She's lookin' good guys! 

I mask off small stuff like periscopes with a little dab of white glue like Elmer's over the clear part. It stays put and then when you're done painting you can pick it off with a fingernail or X-Acto knife blade. 

Those weapons look fantastic!

   Super cool Drums, glad Jarrod is enjoying the buikd as well. You guys are doing a bang up job both with the build and the WIP thread KUDOS!!.

Thanks CapnMac82 for the info. 

And the steps just keep on coming, now Steps 23 and 24. These represent adding the main gun to the turret and the creation of the loader's and commander's seats.



Since we have yet to open a bottle of paint, Jarrod and I are going to wait to attach the main gun to the turret till there is some color on them. So we are going to go straight to Step 24, the seats. While the instructions show you how to assemble them in the folded position, we decided to build them in the open seat position. To achieve that all you need to do is orient part M49 (seat bottom) to parts J45, J46 in the open position. 



Steps 25 and 26 instruct the builder on how to assemble the M2 50 cal machine gun and the commander's cupola.

Both of these sub assemblies went together easily and look great when finished. The details on the 50 cal. jump out to the modeler and include separate charging handle, feed tray cover, hand grips, thumb trigger, as well as an accurate feed tray and gun cradle. We were enjoying the build so much that we decided to modify the 50 cal. by removing the solid sight hood at the front of the receiver and replacing it with a thin flat piece of cut spare plastic, and now we have a see through sight hood. As a matter of fact, we liked how the MG looked so Jarrod and I decided to add SOL resin ammunition to the ammo can and feed tray. Here again is the 50 cal photo (previously shown). We also just ordered 1/16 decals for the 50 and 30 cal ammo cans, which will be added after paint. The ammo is just sitting in the can and feed tray ready for paint:



Step 26 is the cupola and offers all of the minutia of an actual TC cupola. It is assembled in several sub assemblies in keeping with the rest of the instructions. While the instructions show how to add the TC periscope to the top of the hatch, this one is like the others and allows you to add it or not (we added the periscope). All of the handles and controls are present as you can see in the hatch portion of the cupola:





Jarrod and I debated on if we should add the clear parts before or after painting but eventually decided to add them now. Here is a photo of the assembled 50 cal. and cupola on the turret and the turret resting on the hull. If you look close you can see a bunch of after market "stuff" sitting on the front and back of the tank. Not sure if that is the final position of the "stuff" but it gives the idea of our intentions:



One thing is certain, Jarrod is eagerly awaiting the painting phase as he is going to get his first time experience with an airbrush. Thanks again for following along or leaving your motivating responses. Once again we have to go,.... till next time. 

Ben and Jarrod

DRUMS01

left side of the turret is called the Pistol Port

It's funny that the nomenclature of "pistol port" was retained from far earlier in US Tank History.

The most common use was as a way to dispose of spent main gun cases so that they'd not litter the turret floor.  Often, the port was used to pass new ammo into the turret (saving having to lifte each round up another couple of feet, to then lower it back down again).

But, the ports were a known weak spot in the armor, and one to make the loader maybe have a twitch for having it be right by his shoulder.  The Factory had all the gear and expertise to make the full-depth welds to seal up the hatch.  (Out in the field, that a lot of weld to make with only field gas welding units.)

A cracking good build by any measure.

Appreciate the details of your build and your blog

Ben & Jarrod: She's coming along great guys!!! I like the idea of leaving the upper hull off so you can add the interior later. 

So are ya'll going to try to airbrush or brush paint the whole thing? I'd think I'm be tempted to go with a spray can and just spraybomb the monster! 

Step 18 is more upper hull work, focusing now on the tow cable end connections, the barrel travel lock assembly, and the armored first aide box.



The kits location for the tow cable reflects the late war Fisher Body updated location. The detail once again is outstanding as it has separate parts for the clamp base, upper clamp hinge, and wing nut tie downs. The ends of the tow cable are a single part that is molded with a hollow end for the metal tow cable provided in the kit. 



The kits barrel travel lock reflects a late war style. It too has excellent detail and goes together easily. The instructions indicate it should be cemented but we found that it can be snapped into place at the hull's hinge points. This will make it movable which will aide in the painting of the model as well as future modifications or customization. Another nice touch is the working locking mechanism for the barrel travel lock on the upper front of the hull. In the photo below you can also see a better image of the completed front tow cable end assembly.





Before building the kit we did not have much history or knowledge about Sherman tanks. That was evident in much of the HVSS suspension terminology. Another place that came up was when building the armored first aide box. Frankly, we thought this might have been a phone or intercom for infantry leaders to communicate with the members inside. While there are some variants that have the intercom phone, this one is not one of them and it is normally located on a fender at the rear of the tank. The aide box was straight forward to assemble and gave you a choice of clip locks. Care should be taken to remove all the seams as it is in full view once attached to the hull. 

Before we go to Step 19, Jarrod and I want to catch you all up on other images of completed assemblies. 

Added tie downs and pioneer tool holders:


Here is the rear stowage rack built in the open position:

Steps 19 and 20, all involving the turret (finally). As you can see, Step 19 involves the gunner's hatch, gunner's periscope, spotlight, pistol port, and small bits.



NOTE: The instructions would have you glue the gunners hatch springs to both the hatch and the turret mount (J7, J8),... do not do that. Instead, just cement the springs to the hatch and you will have a working hatch.



Another note, careful positioning of the gunner's hatch lock (J17, J1) will allow you to use it as well.

HATCH LOCK POSITION:


GUNNER'S HATCH USING HATCH LOCK:


The spotlight can be positioned in the sow position or up and posed; we placed our's in the stowed position. As normal, the detail and fit is wonderful. The gunner's periscope was assembled like the others and had the same level of accuracy and fit.
Another thing we did not know about was the turret smoke grenade launcher. It comes out in front of the gunners station at the leading edge of the turret. When not in used, this version has a representation of a screw-on cap. Others versions sometimes were taped or had a small canvas cover, some variants were removed and welded shut. For the screw on cap version, they normally contained a small chain from the top of the cap to a welded spot on the hull. Jarrod and I added a small piece of chain to finish the authenticity. Here are these assemblies added to the hull.



The square hatch looking item on the left side of the turret is called the Pistol Port (another thing we didn't know). Depending on the variant, some had them, others didn't, and some were welded shut as a factory modification (?). Here is the Pistol Port assembly:





For what I believe is called the exterior gun sight(?), (J9,J18,J20) we added it with a slight modification of removing the larger top portion, which was solid, and replaced it with solder to make the see-through peep hole. 

Step 20 is to assemble the turret ventilator, antenna bases, M2 50 cal. stowage including spare barrel, and 50 cal. barrel lock when stored in the gun mount. The rear turret storage position for the 50 cal has two options, one being empty and the other with a barrel (spare in our case). The turret ventilation exhaust is co-located at the back of the turret and also contains the mount to store the M2 50 cal. when not in the normal gun mount. Everything at the rear of the turret assembled easily and fit well. 



The 50 cal. barrel holder is shown in the instructions to be cemented,.... do not do this. If you carefully cement only the two part hull mount together (J13, J14) a then to the hull, it will allow the actual barrel mount to pivot as on the actual vehicle.

And here is the turret after Steps 19 and 20:



And that concludes the updates for today. Stay tuned for more soon! Comments always welcomed.

Ben and Jarrod

Here is a response from one of my modeling friends in another forum: 

Just a thought - can you leave the upper and lower hulls seperate, just placed together, until you decide on the interior or one becomes available?

Brilliant! Not sure why I didn't think of that. Jarrod and I would really love to add an interior some day, and I would prefer it was a resin add-on and not scratch built. We will purchase a few figures to fill the holes until the interior kit comes available. I checked the fit of the top and bottom and it looks like I can do just that. Now I can go back and finish the small items I kept off.   

So Jarrod and I went back several steps and finished the fiddly whatchamacallit's. We're not going to re-invent each step, instead were just going to show you the new assembled items.

Here is a better photo of the upper hull around the fluid caps and the engine deck:



And here is the front with the lights and mirrors attached. As you can see I folded the mirrors in towards the hull as most M4's lost them early in battle. For those that kept them they turned them in towards the hull to avoid any reflections off the mirrors which could compromise their position. 



Staying with the upper hull, here are the side fender extensions of the M4A3E8 HVSS suspension and wider tracks completed:





Back to the lower hull this shows some better pictures:

FRONT:


REAR:


Here are the gas and water cans completed along with a chain added to the fuel can's cap:



And here are some of the pioneer tools that will be painted separately. If you look close you can see that we added wood grain where appropriate. We did this by using the edge of a hand file to scratch those areas. Once painted, we will used a thin wash to bring out the grain. We found this method works well when we added the pioneer tools to the SAS jeep model.



Jarrod and I are still working on the rear lights and stowage rack. Next update should have them complete and moving on to Step 18.

Till then....

Ben and Jarrod

Ok, enough of me pondering over the dual periscopes in the forward hull. Now it's on to Steps 12 and 13 which involved the rear lights, lift rings, tools, side fender extensions, and other fiddly bits. 



Like the front small parts, we are leaving the rear ones off until the upper and lower hulls are assembled together. As I age I have this rather annoying tendency to bend or break small things when working on the larger parts. Keeping these pieces off until the larger assemblies are combined reduces the chance of doing that. One group of parts we did add was the raised fuel cap protection ring on each side (R15, R16). They fit and look great, weld seam and all. They even have the correct drainage holes. 

BEFORE:


AFTER:




As you can see on the parts added near the turret (P5), they did not match up with the forward portion of the bullet splash rib very well so extra shaping was needed. Being the right side needed more shaping than the left we did accidentally filed or sanded off some of the serial numbers on the right side part (OOPS!).

We've read in other similar builds that some builder's chose to leave the side fender extensions (R2, R36) off until the hull was assembled but we followed the instructions to cement them to the hull. 

Steps 14 and 15 continue with the remaining small parts on the upper hull and the sub-assembly of the M4A3 exhaust gas deflector system as part of Step 15. 



The spare track links use the external track portion that does not have the track pin molded with it (B2). They were assembled in the same manner as the other track links and set aside to be painted separately. As with the other smaller parts, we decided to leave the fender support brackets off until the hulls are assembled. Credit should be given to the model creators as the multi part exhaust gas deflector assembly went together easily and have positive connection ribs or indentions where needed. 

NOTE: Care needs to be taken when adding the center support rod between the exhaust louvers as it will go all the way to the inner support easily but that will then not allot it to go into the hole in the outer most louver. The support pin should reside from the second louver to the last (exterior louver). The gas deflector will fit tightly between the rear fenders and rest on two pins allowing it to move. Pay attention to the orientation of the exhaust gas deflector as it will fit more than the correct way (backwards). 

And finally, one of my questions is answered by placing a plug in the square hole in the bottom of the chassis (Q14). Did we mention previously that the inner hull is begging for an interior? 

Steps 16 and 17 get us to the point of fixing the hull halves together and building the rear stowage rack.



Before we do this we are going to paint the hulls interior white. This is where we are facing our own self created dilemma. We are looking to see if it is possible for us to create a large part of the hull and turret interior from scratch before we button up the two main assemblies. We feel confident that we could create the walls, floor, and various boxes, BUT we are not sure if we can create the gunners station, wet ammo storage, transmission or transfer, and lower turret good enough to pass muster. Then there is the auxiliary power unit, the rear turret vent system, seats, controls, radios, TC controls, and much more. If we truly try to make this look authentic and worth the effort, this build may last a couple years and I'm not so sure we have that level of committment to the project. Then again, if we purchase additional figures, most of the detail will be hidden as they poke out of the hatches. 

As we ponder this, we did assemble the rear stowage rack. The details and fit are exceptional. While the instructions show you how to assemble it in the open position, the parts will actually allow you to assemble it in the open or close position as the side hinges are two parts and can be cemented either way to go along with the position of the rack. We are going to assemble ours in the open position to allow for extra stowage. The details of the bracket and cleaning rods are a very nice touch. Once completed you can even see the individual wing nuts as separate parts of the assembly. 



This is where we will leave you until we make the decision on the interior. I can't remember, did we mention that this tank cries for a detailed interior and turret? Still all said, this is a very nice model. The detail and fit for the most part is simply wonderful. Regardless if we detail the interior or not, it will have to be painted white before we combine both main assemblies. With that in mind we may move forward with the main gun assembly as it will be white as well. Next update will inform you on the direction we will take regarding the interior. Till then, remarks are always encouraged. Also, if you have any ideas or tips for the interior please let us know. 

Ben and Jarrod

Hey Ben, tell Jarrod I said 'HEYA!!!' And that he's doing a fine job! 

I dunno why some of the stuff is designed the way it is. The engine deck might be different parts since there were different versions of the M4 with different engines and therefore different rear decks. There was a version with an aircraft engine, one with a Ford tank engine, and the M4A4 with five Chrysler truck engines all coupled together driving a single driveshaft. 

Nice working replacing the broken periscope guard on the driver's hatch. I wish companies would put an extra one or two of these in the kit just in case they get broken. 

Time for an update, now at Step 7. So Jarrod and I moved away from the lower hull and begin modeling inside the upper hull. 



The image in the bottom of the step shows where to drill 1.5mm holes for the lift rings. We noticed that there seems to be two options as to where to drill the holes. There must be another version coming that will use the other set of holes (?). 

The inner machine gun collet is a one way fit and goes in place easily. 

The "T" parts are all clear. We added the clear periscopes knowing we will have to do some careful masking when painting the overall tank. One thing Jarrod and I did not know regarding the Sherman's periscopes was that the driver and machine gunner positions have a periscope in the hull facing forward and another in the individual hatches that can be positioned by each member. If anyone knows why the tank was manufactured that way and the benefits of the design of two periscopes per member we would like to know. 

Parts P32 represent the hatch springs. While it is a nice thing to see them along with the hatch locks representing good detail; without other interior detailing and with the instructions having you cement the hatches shut, one would question if the internal detail is justified(?). The hatch springs as tooled also leave a gap around the exposed top of the hatch by the slightest bit. If you are pondering assembling the hatches open on your build, those seams will have to be fixed. Otherwise the fit and details are wonderful.

Step 8 begins the assembly of the upper hulls external parts. We're continuing to see that many of the items that would normally be molded into the main hull assembly in 1/35 are represented by many single parts in 1/16. Step 8 keeps us busy at the front of the hull working on the machine gun and hatches as well as numerous other small stuff, including the lift rings for the holes drilled in Step 7. 



As with most other steps, this step also has you build several sub-assemblies. We're not entirely sure why the hull machine gun is made up of 4 parts (one being the rear sight which will not be seen with the hatch closed or with a crew member poking their head out of the hatch). And that does not include the 4 other parts for the ball pivot and armor plate. This kit is begging for a detailed interior so the extra details within the kit can be shown off.



The inside of the hatch sub-assemblies contain another 4 parts each and this does not even include the periscope sub-assembly which contained another 4 parts. The fit here continues to be excellent and the detail is superb showing mold numbers, screw heads, etc.



A nice feature within the kit is that the builder can make their own decision to add the periscope or make the periscope cover in the closed position. 



Once again, this makes for great detail if the builder chooses to assemble the hatches in the open position, but all the internal detail of the hatches will be for nothing if the hatches are assembled in the fixed closed positions (?). In the images below you can see that one of the periscope guards in our kit was broken clean across the middle. Jarrod and I first tried to fix it by gluing the broken ends but they did not want to cooperate so we trimmed them off and replaced the rod with steel wire.





So you only have an option of open or closed in fixed positions right?, no so fast my fine feathered friend. When looking at the pivot points for the hatches it became clear to me that if you wanted, you could drill the center points of the hatch hinge and hull to add a rod (pivot pin), thus making them operational (opened or closed at your whim). The process is easy and adds functionality towards future modifications.





Step 9 continues the detailing of the front upper hull focusing on the light protector brackets, drivers mirrors, and forward hull vent (between the drivers). 



For this build Jarrod and I are choosing to leave the mirrors and light brackets off until the upper and lower hulls are assembled along with the tracks. So, not much to show for Step 9 except the single PE screen used with the front hull vent.



Step 10 is a preparatory step to build the rear engine covers that become part of the upper hull behind the turret (see above image). These are not designed to be functional, which is just fine as there is no detail inside the hull to see. 

Step 11 will have you add the engine covers to its framing and then to the upper hull. Prior to adding the covers you need to drill four holes on each side of the frame for the assembly pins on the fixed hinges. Once again, it is strange to us why they can produce exceptional details in the molding but not be able to have those holes already open as part of the mold process (?). Jarrod and I were going to modify the hinges to make them functional but for the considerable effort needed and no details inside the engine compartment we thought better of it.

The framing for our engine screened covers was slightly warped. The warping caused a gap on both sides of the frame towards the rear of the hull. To solve the problem Jarrod and I cemented one side and then puled (squeezed) the plastic together to close the gap and then glue the other side to the forward edge of the frame. I repeated the process for the other side which brought the engine cover assembly back to square. 



The next image shows the engine cover assembled to the top of the hull along with the remaining (rear) upper hull plate that normally contains part of the pioneer tools. Jarrod and I chose to leave them off until the painting of the hull was complete. 



Stay tuned for our next update, beginning with Step 12. Thanks for following and for your input / responses. 

Ben and Jarrod

PS: Jarrod says "HI!"

Well Gamera, we feel your pain. So much so that the second set of tracks took three days, not two. We are happy with the result though. As for the "bogies", thanks for the info. I found these drawings on-line from an old Army Maintenance manual:

We also have an update to post, but that will take some time and photos to post. 

Ben amd Jarrod

The whole road wheel assembly is called a bogie. I'm not sure what the parts of it are called. Love how the tracks are going, I like how it sandwiches over itself to cover the injection pin marks. Filling and sanding the marks on every single blasted track link is yes, a royal pain. 

You and Jarrod are doing a bang-up job here, looking forward to more! 

Looking good,incredible details on the beast.

OK Gamera and all other followers, time for Step 2. This step is another pre-assembly for Step 3 and involves the rear sprocket drives (B), rear tow pintle (C), upper track rollers (D), and right and left exhaust (E, F). 



This step was easy to understand and quick to assemble. 

TIP: In sub-assembly C they show to glue all three parts, but Jarrod and I found that if you DO NOT GLUE part R30 you can have a functional towing pintle. While that may not seem like a big deal, there may be a time when you may want to add a trailer or tow cable down the road. Nothing more to report other than more seam cleaning for item (D) and the exhaust (E, F). 

Step 3, along with the 3x3 addendum sheet focuses on adding details to the rear of the lower hull. 





The tow shackles (partM19) were very difficult to snap into place over the attach points (M33). I've read in another builders blog that they removed a portion of the knob inside each tow shackle to allow it to snap into place easier. We found that with a little more pressure than you may be used to it will have the shackle snap in just fine. The rear drives (step B assembly B) easily attached to the rear of the hull with positive attachment points and a tight fit. The inner return rollers are suppose to be added but we are only setting them in place (without applying any pressure) so Jarrod and I can paint them prior to complete assembly. The addendum identified parts R6 and R7 which are the inner fender portion of the rear fenders and fit well and with a positive pin location. 

IMPORTANT NOTE: Pay attention to the images for the orientation of the inner fenders as the bolt heads should face towards the center of the hull. Failure to do that will result in having to remove the bolt heads when attaching the remaining rear fender parts and you will loose that detail. 

Jarrod and I also left the exhaust off to allow them and the hull to be painted separately. So with all this said, here is what the rear of the lower hull looks like now.



And now on to Step 4, the HVSS suspension. One more time the step begins with creating four sub assemblies six times. We are not going to pretend that we know what each of the assemblies are called, so we will say this. Study every step carefully before attaching the parts. The are several places where NO CEMENT is called out. If you cement where is indicated not to cement you will not have a working suspension on your model. In sub-assembly "G", we do not understand why you are instructed not to glue parts L29 to each side. They are not real working springs or bladders and do not move after the complete HVSS suspension is assembled, but we followed the kit instructions and left them half cemented. 



IMPORTANT NOTE: Be careful when adding parts L25 and L26 for two reasons. First is that only the outer end of the pivot pin shows detail (the inner end is just a stub). Second, and most important, be very careful when attaching those parts to the left and right suspension arms. Specifically, make sure the flat face with the bolt heads are oriented on the part correctly (look at their orientation in the main part of Step 4. If the flat face of the pivot pin is accidentally oriented towards sub-assembly G, the model will not allow you to finish the HVSS suspension in Step 5. (Don't ask how I know this).

Step 5 will have you complete the six HVSS suspension assemblies and add them to the lower hull along with adding the rest of the rear fenders. We have a surprise for you here, the instructions once again have several sub assemblies to make before finishing the suspension. 



The sub assembly is straight forward but I have three things to bring up here. First, when making the 24 road wheels you will need to remove a prominent seam in the center:



Second, when attaching parts L11, L7, and L14 make sure that the orientation of the finished Step 3 is correct. 



And third, I found that the axles that attach the road wheels through the assemblies suspension arms fit very snug or even tight. While one other builder would have you use a drill bit to slightly enlarge the hole, I found that using a file and sandpaper both inside the hole and on the axle shaft will do the same thing. If you want a rolling track system, these need to roll freely. 



And here they are, all six completed. In summary, just study the instructions carefully and pay attention to the orientation of parts during the assemblies and things will go well. While there are many parts, you cannot argue with the results (detail and fit).



Jarrod and I want to say thanks for following along. Thanks in advance for your input,.... till next update.

Ben and Jarrod (DRUMS01)

WOW OH WOW!!! Now that's epic Ben, and you and Jarrod are making some good progress on her. 

Sherman Easy Eight History:

M4A3(76)W HVSS Sherman (also known as the "Easy Eight_, or M4A3E8) was an upped-gunned medium tank. A new suspension system, bigger main gun and improved protection made up the Sherman Easy Eight variant. Throughout World War 2 (1939-1945), the classic American M4 Sherman Medium Tank was subject to many tests and programs to help the series maintain a viable presence on the battlefield - particularly against the latest generation of German tanks. This eventually led to the Sherman being produced across several "generations" over its service life. First generation Shermans carried over several deficiencies from the M3 Grant Medium Tank line - from which it was largely based on - and this included its narrow track links as well as its Vertical Volute Spring Suspension (VVSS) system which gave poor ground performance.

Even as the war raged, work was actively being done on improving the Sherman's qualities and this resulted in the finalization of the "Horizontal Volute Suspension System" (HVSS) coupled to wider track links. HVSS suspension increased the Sherman's weight by 2950lbs with the T66 single-pin track and 4780 lbs with the T84 double-pin track. HVSS allowed the installation of wider tracks, thereby decreasing the tank's ground pressure, and eased maintenance on the running gear since the bogie no longer had to be disassembled to remove road wheels. HVSS also provided more wheel travel, which gave the tank an easier and more stable ride, it also made the tank a much more stable firing platform. The HVSS was applied to the M4A3 production model and gave rise to the M4A3E8 / M4A3(76)W HVSS designations - nicknamed "Easy Eight". 

The turret was also enlarged to accommodate the more powerful 76 mm gun. Muzzle velocity of the 76 mm cannon, the vehicle's primary armament, was 792 m/sec, causing penetration of 101 mm of armor at a distance of 1,000 yards (914 m). Maximum range of the cannon in indirect fire mode was 15,000 yards (13,716 meters). From it's predecessor, the M4A3E8 inherited glacis sloped to 47 degrees to the vertical, while driver and co-driver vision slots were changed to periscopes housed in the top of the hatches.

The new vehicles were also featured welded hulls (as opposed to cast) and were powered by Ford GAA V8 gasoline engines. The revised qualities improved firepower (putting the main armament closer to the capabilities of the German 75mm guns), armor protection and performance over the earlier Sherman models.

The most significant change that distinguished the "Easy Eight" from it's predecessors was the "wet storage" of ammunition to reduce fire risk in the event of penetration from an enemy AP round. The primary place of storage of ammunition was moved from the side of the turret (dry storage) into protected folders on the floor of the tank under the turret (wet storage).

Production forms were available as soon as August 1944 and the variant saw introduction during December of that year, seeing combat service during the Battle of the Bulge and beyond. Production of Easy Eights totaled 2,617 examples during August 1944. These were completed by the Detroit Tank Arsenal as well as the Fisher Tank. During is active service the "Easy Eight" was used by the American military in World War 2, Korea, and the Cold War. The vehicle is also known as M4A3(76)W. It took part in many after-war conflicts up to the Indo-Pakistani War of 1965.  

The "Easy Eights" began in early 1944 and continued until April 1945. The "Easy Eight" became the standard tank of the American 3rd and seventh Army in Europe, and after the war, was successfully deployed in Korea and the Middle East. In the postwar years, it was included in the armament of various Western Allied armies. A total of 4,542 M4A3 tanks of both suspension types were produced.


The Model Kit:

OK, First off, the box is as tall as it is wide, nearly 11 inches. As you can see by the previous post, the instructions cover was made to appear as a manual (TM or FM your choice) which is a nice touch. Along with the instructions there was a small 3x3 inch addendum to correct step 3 for the assembly of the inner rear fenders. It is my understanding that the earliest models in the release did not have that addendum. The instructions cover 28 major steps on 21 full size thick pages. Page 29 is a single instruction for the figure. The end of the manual contains several different decal applications for a WW2 variant. 

The kit contains 22 sets of sprue along with a single part for the upper and lower hulls and two parts for the main turret. The kit also contains a machine turned metal main gun barrel, soft spun wire for the tow cable, a PE brass screen,a clear sprue for the periscopes and light lenses, and decal sheet. The plastic is thicker and harder than most plastic kits. With this being our first 1/16 kit, perhaps this is the standard fare for this size of kit (?). The sprue appears free of any flash but seams and large attachment points to the sprue carriers are with every part, so be care when removing and take your time cleaning up every piece. The ejection pin marks which are visible on many parts seem to be hidden after assembly. You will have to remove some ejection pin plastic overflow in some places (see below).



NOTE: While this piece of armor was used in the Korean war and beyond, it does not provide any decals or paint schemes for that or any other period than WW2. Perhaps that is part of the companies marketing strategy, to release a later version including camouflage and tiger face markings (?).

Assembly:

Step 1 begins with partial assemblies of the lower rear, front, and return rollers on the lower hull. 



When beginning this build one thing is immediately clear, the detail is very crisp and the tank is LARGE. 





Another thing was obvious during assembly, and that was the fact that every single joint between most two part assemblies creates a very noticeable seam that will need additional attention.  

NOTE: Attaching parts M19 to the lower front requires a lot of pressure. Some other builders suggested to remove some of the inner numb inside the parts to make them snap on easier. We found that a little more pressure than normal has them snap in just fine.

Completion of the pre-subassemblies for step 1 looks like this:



When trying to attach part P21 it was clear that the holes made in the lower hull do not match the pegs on the part. My solution was to use the forward hole and trim the rear peg off of P21 so it would fit flush on the hull, as intended. Alignment of P21 was still easy as it was parallel with the angle of the join between the hull and track fender.



So far, all of the parts fit tightly into their individual joints. Other observations identify some parts that might be a single piece by other manufacturers in smaller scales are comprised of 2-5 parts by TAKOM in 1/16. While that is not terrible, it does take more effort to achieve the same results. 

During Step 1 we found that one of the guide pins on the top of the lower hull, which aides the upper hull alignment, was sheared off and missing. Our solution was to add a new guide pin from our spare plastic parts. 



After a good days work Jarrod and I completed Step 1. The return rollers are not fully attached, only sitting on the post for the photo. The return rollers and main bogies are all attached by pressure, no gluing required. We are going to paint all of the road wheels and sub assemblies prior to attaching them to the lower hull. This photo brings up another question, why did TAKOM make a square hole in the center of the lower hull? Perhaps TAKOM also markets this upper and lower hull assembly for RC tanks and it has a purpose (?).  

Up next, Step 2, so stay tuned for our next post. Till then, thanks for watching and as always, comments are welcome (and encouraged). 

Ben and Jarrod (DRUMS01)

Thanks for sharing the link Tojo. I am finding the same issues. One correction they made was to add a small sheet to update step 3 for the rear track guards that were previously missing. I'll share more of our build in the next update.

Awesome my Andy's Tiger arrives wednesday,some guy had a great build log for your kit on Armorama,covered lots of tips and some pitfalls.

https://forums.kitmaker.net/t/building-andys-1-16th-sherman/25776