Welded hull M-51

[rbaer]

Using Academy's lower hull and running gear from their M-51 kit, a Dragon upper hull and the Tamiya M-51 turret, with bits and pieces from a lot of parts kits. I have some Kaizen T-80 tracks coming, my first time for these.
IMG_4141 by Russel Baer, on Flickr
So far everything is going together with a minimum of fuss. I've always wanted to do one of these things as there wre only 40 or so done and it's rare and unusual, even for the IDF.

[george]

What a Frankenstein! Good luck with this project, Russ.

[rbaer]

Thanks George.

[rbaer]

Kaizen T-80 tracks are from the DEVIL!!!!! I spent about 90 minutes, got two and a half links together, put it all back in the box and fished out a set of tracks from Tamiya's Korean War Sherman, and they worked great, shortened by one link. Then I did the engine deck, Tamiya and Italeri parts, and the exhaust and the engine access doors. So far I'm okay.
IMG_4142 by Russel Baer, on Flickr
IMG_4143 by Russel Baer, on Flickr
I now have a nearly full set of Kaizen tracks for sale or trade, only assembled a few bits, plenty to do a Sherman with spares.

[Leon]

Nice work Russ!

[rbaer]

Thanks Leon. More today: fenders from a Tamiya M-51 and hull side stowage begun, parts from Academy and Dragon. Also mostly done is the mantlet and cover. I'm gonna need to find another Dragon M-51/50 kit, I'm using parts I had stashed for an early M-50 project that's in a box somewhere...
IMG_4172 by Russel Baer, on Flickr

[joelsmith]

Lookin good! Are you using the drawings in Lion & Lioness of the line?

[rbaer]

No, I'm copying from a build log someone else did, who did use those drawings, and a few pics. I actually don't have any of those books.

[rbaer]

So I realized that to do a post-73' tank, or Batch 3, I had the wrong engine deck and exhaust setup. Not a biggie, as I hadn't glued in the engine deck, so I swapped out for a Dragon part, and fixed the exhaust in the rear plate. Then I got a start on the other side of the hull.
IMG_4260 by Russel Baer, on Flickr
IMG_4261 by Russel Baer, on Flickr
I think I know what I'm doing now......

[dupes]

Is Frankensherman a word? If not, it should be.

[rbaer]

It is. I just made it so.
And where you been?

[rbaer]

I'm officially out of control, but there's a reason. I was constantly digging through boxes of Sherman parts in search of a particular ventilator cover, or hatch, or whatever, and running across something else I would need the the M50 I had sort of started, and doing almost nothing of hte M51. So in a fit of something, I decided to pull the M50 out and add bits to it too, as I found them. Problem: I also found a bunch of stuff that I'd either forgotten about of acquired since I started the M50, which is/was almost all Dragon parts, stuff that included another mostly complete MP Models M50, an old kit with some very good parts, like the basic hull and turret, and some poor parts, mostly the suspension and detail items. Hmmm..... so I decided that the MP kit would be a good starting point, but I'd also gathered most of what I needed to move along on the Dragon-based kit, and since it was already late at night, well, I now have two M50's in almost the same state of assembly, and good news, I was able to move along a bit more on the M51 too. It's all in the name of organization is what I'm telling myself.
IMG_4321 by Russel Baer, on Flickr
The green one is the MP kit and the gray one is Dragon, and now when I find some little cache of parts, I can at least stick something on one of the three.

[Tojo72]

Thats a nice looking lineup there

[rbaer]

My complete inability to stay focused has led to more work on the two M50 hulls. With the Dragon hull I'm building an early, early M50, based off an M4A4(T), while the MP hull will be a slightly later M50, Cummins powered. I had thought about using a 3-piece final drive housing on both, but a pic of one of those M4A4(T)'s with a later cast housing was kind of neat, so that's what I'm staying with.
IMG_4562 by Russel Baer, on Flickr
IMG_4563 by Russel Baer, on Flickr
So far I've done enough to keep me straight on what I'm building, more later as I start on the turrets.

[mustang1989]

I had to go back and re-read that one post that stated "90 minutes for two and a half links". You're right....those tracks WERE from the devil. What you're calling out of control I would say is more along the lines of "resourceful". Great work on this beast so far Russ.

[rbaer]

Thanks Joe. I got some air cleaner housings in the M4A4T, easy enough, then did the welds on the hull, tedious, and am working on turrets today.

[Tobi]

How confusing. At least I can tell they're all Shermans 

[rbaer]

I'm gonna break this up, keep the M51 on this thread and do another one for the two M50's.

[joelsmith]

Good idea, you have to be a real Shermaholic to keep IDF Shermans id'ed!

[rbaer]

I'm close. I built so many Monogram Shermans as a kid I can't remember.... And I have to constantly refer to the few references I actually have to keep the IDF stuff as straight as I can.

[rbaer]

KISS principle time. M51 progress so far:
IMG_4857 by Russel Baer, on Flickr
IMG_4856 by Russel Baer, on Flickr
Mostly small parts,getting a little slower now as I try and make sure to get the details right.

[mustang1989]

All the details are adding up and are going to look great on the finished build. Progress is looking great so far Russ.

[rbaer]

Thanks Joe. I just got off Shapeways and eBay, found some more Sherman stuff.....

[rbaer]

Tools and stuff are on, but I need to order another book. Dang the bad luck.
IMG_5320 by Russel Baer, on Flickr

[rbaer]

Not a lot going on here except maybe some of the small turret and front hull bobs, still thinking I need to do a little more research (read: buy another book) before I continue.
IMG_6140 by Russel Baer, on Flickr
I'm actually leaning towards scratching up the BIG rear stowage bin and going full-on Gimel, but I'm still working off of two pics, and neither show the rear of the hull.

[rbaer]

A couple of quick fixes and the last of the small bits and assembly is done:
IMG_6848 by Russel Baer, on Flickr
IMG_6847 by Russel Baer, on Flickr
Crew gear is next, then paint....

[Kharkov]

That Dragon upper hull went on very well indeed, good job

Matt

[rbaer]

You ever know one of those goofy little three or four year old kids that sits in the corner and takes everything apart and then tries to put it all back together, in a different way, sometimes successfully? That was me.

[rbaer]

I posted a similar pic on the wrong thread, should go here:
IMG_9259 by Russel Baer, on Flickr
Oops.

[joelsmith]

Nicely Done Russ!!!