Tamiya's M4A3 (105mm) - COMPLETED BUILD (01.04.14):

[Deleted]

looking good, hope you recover soon

[rbaer]

There's a bluegrass song about an out-of-control bicycle my buddy used to play on the radio for me when he was a DJ, brings up too many memories....
Ben, looking good. I like the fender mounts, nice touch. One thing: the "surround" for the turret shell ejection port, or pistol port, is cast as part of the turret. Tamiya and Academy do the whole assembly as a separate part, I suppose because of tooling limitations, but take a look at a couple of Sherman pics to see what I'm referring to. Looking, looking...... found it! This is a pic of a Tamiya pistol port on an old MP M-50 turret, but it shows what I'm talking about better than I can describe it.

Take care of the knee!

[Hinksy]

Thankss Rbaer,

I got the weld seams sorted yesterday - they make a big difference.

Thanks for the heads-up on the pistol port . I've got the final few bits of detailing to do over this week (I can't sit for more than an hour without my knee killing me for a further hour )

I'm going to add some effect using Mr Surfacer 500 later so I'll make sure the port is tied in.

I'll post an update later.

Ben

[rbaer]

Looking forward to updates!
I wonder how come sometimes knees are so fragile. Of course, I haven't been very good about taking care of mine......
You'd be surprised at how many "magazine" builds miss the pistol port detail. It's pretty noticeable, and can be the fly in the ointment on an otherwise spotless build.

Edit: So I'm sitting here eating what passes for lunch today, and surfing the "other" armor forum when, lo and behold, I chance upon a very nice Sherman, MoM contestant, by a known "name" modeler, with the very item discussed above showing a well done pin wash in the area that should be blended. It really is a common mistake.

[Hinksy]

Hi guys,

A quick update as promised:

Weld bead effect added by gluing measured lengths of the smallest diameter round stock plastic I could find onto the existing kit weld detail which isn't great. More cement brushed on to soften the plastic rod and then worked with a scalpel to get the bead effect. This was repeated over and over until desired effect reached - NOT a five minute job! I've got a few more short lengths to do but I ran out of thin lengths so I need to stretch about 6" of sprue to finish up. I've ordered a 'mixed bag' of square and round stock in various diameters for my stores.

I pinched two periscope guards from my El-Alamein M4A1 kit as they are unused parts - these have been fitted onto the co and driver hatches. I'm not going to mess around fitting a periscope to the hatches up front - obviously this means it can't be posed in any sort of driving position so I'm PROBABLY going to make a small base for her with stowage scattered about and with the barrel at maximum elevation as if it were in a static fire-support position.

There'll be the commander figure in the turret with the binoculars - the main hatch is in place but isn't fixed. I just hope I can paint a good figure!

The two RB .50cal upgrades arrived today but I'm going to save them - the one I have now looks fine Oh - why won't RB put instructions in with their upgrade sets out of interest? The 105mm Aber barrel is due any day now.

Here's the .50cal upgrade - looks cool (and fiddly):

www.perthmilitarymodelling.com/reviews/vehicles/rb_model/rb35b13.html

I've now found the correct .50cal assembly instructions: www.armorscale.com/products/barrels35/B35-072/B35-072_manual1.jpg

I've brushed Mr.Surfacer onto the turret making care to enhance the cast texture but looking at the photos posted below I think I need to go back and do some finer 'blending' work around the hatch that my friend rbaer pointed out

Finally I put two small strips on the insides of the front mud guards to allow the plank of wood to be fitted (see box art) In the photo I've fitted the plank - it's a wooden coffee stirrer from Maccy D's! I 'borrowed' a few last time I was in there - perfect for 1/35 work! It just needs a brown oil wash.

So, next up finish the weld effects, prime, paint and decal. Then sort the stowage out and weather as one piece. I'll be using the washable white from Ammo to apply a faded winter cammo finish.

Here ya go chaps - photos!













I hope you like her so far guys - please give me any pointers etc. You've all really helped me with this build

Paint related question:

i) When you Sherman guys paint your builds do you have a particular recipe? I'm covered as I have the AK OD Green modulation set but seeing as this build is getting a white wash I might save the AK kit for use on future models. I've had a look at my Tamiya colours and plain XF-62 looks like it would be VERY dark on it's own. I was thinking that adding XF-60 Dark Yellow, XF-21 Sky or XF-49 Khaki may help lighten the shade. I also have Mr Hobby Olive Drab (1) which is a nice looking shade and is VERY different in colour to Tamiya's Olive Drab! It's got a lot more of a lighter brown hue to it.

I reckon the Tamiya XF-62 Olive Drab would mix well with Tamiya Sky and Dark Yellow. Any ideas or 'proven' recipes, guys?

The Knee is much better thanks everyone. It's still swollen but the pain is fading and mobility is increasing.

Update later this week,

Ben

[wbill76]

Nice to hear your knee's on the mend Ben and you're getting back to the bench. Some good progress on your Shermie!

[desertrat]

DITTO, like the weld seams, never used Mr Surfacer looks interesting...

[Hinksy]

Mar 18, 2014 15:19:31 GMT -5 desertrat said:

DITTO, like the weld seams, never used Mr Surfacer looks interesting...

Thanks guys,

Desertrat - Mr. Surfacer is absolutely kickass stuff. Great for adding texture, gap filling and increasing surface detail etc.

The stuff used here is Mr.Surfacer 500 - you brush apply it in a pot as it's very thick and gloopy.

I also have Mr Surfacer 1200 in the rattlecan which dries to a superhard and supersmooth surface - ideal as a primer. Some guys, including muself, find it too smooth and use Mr.Surface Primer 1000 which is the best primer I've used - alongside Tamiya Rattlecan Grey.

A pot of Mr. Surfacer 500 is essential stuff for a modellers toolbox imo!

I buy mine direct from the Mr Hobby UK importers (MDC or Model Design Construction). Not sure where you'd be best to go outside the UK?

www.modeldesignconstruction.co.uk/mall/tplsearchstore.cfm (just type 'mr surfacer' into the search box).

Hope this helps,

Ben

[bullardino]

Nice progress, Ben. Glad to hear the knee's getting better, I know what it means...

[bbd468]

Brother Ben, i give you soul permission to put your steel toe boots right tween my ears as hard as ya want! I dont know how i could miss out on your build this long. IM SO ASHAMED!!!

Im bookmarked now and it looks nice so far, but ill have to go back to pg1. and run thru what i missed. You can forgive a good ole colonial brother cant ya Ben....just this one time?

[Hinksy]

Mar 18, 2014 20:57:32 GMT -5 bbd468 said:

Brother Ben, i give you soul permission to put your steel toe boots right tween my ears as hard as ya want! I dont know how i could miss out on your build this long. IM SO ASHAMED!!!

Im bookmarked now and it looks nice so far, but ill have to go back to pg1. and run thru what i missed. You can forgive a good ole colonial brother cant ya Ben....just this one time?

Well It's been a troubling time for me! I kept asking myself "has Gary fallen out with me? Why won't he post on my blog? These thoughts just kept bouncing around in my head".

I'm not angry - I'm just dissapointed

LOL! No worries brother - I know you've had distractions of your own lately. Nice to have you on board now matey - I want to get the colour right so have a look at one of my posts on page 3 asking about Tamiya colours and making a good OD mix as opposed to opening my AK modulation set.

Take care buddy - any information that you can help me with will be great. The lads have seen me good so far!

Ben

[george]

Hi, Ben.
I use for US Army OD such mix: 60% of the Tamiya XF-62 Olive Drab with 40% Tamiya Dark Yellow. After the washing and fading and other weathering manipulations you gonna have nice US Olive Drab.
Steven Zaloga suggests mix 50-50 of them.

[remarc777]

Hi there Ben,

Your Sherman looks nice, it's a clean build so far !

As to helping out, I have two things to say. First, about the color:

When I picked up again this great hobby some seven years ago, one of the first things I posted on the internet was a US Sherman. A man (who I nowadays consider a a great modelling buddy and even greater Sherman expert) replied and told me the tone of Olive Drab I had used was not the correct one for that era. I was in shock, ready to throw the kit into the wastebin....

Now, seven years later, I know there is no correct tone of Olive Drab. The color and its perceptions is influenced (in real life) by manufacturer, shortage of ingrediënts/pigments, "monday morning productions" etc. In modelling goes the same: there's difference in tone by manufacturer, but also in what we want to show. Is it a model of a factorynew Shermie or is it (heavillly) battledamaged? What about sun-, rain- and mud discolorations? How about washes, filters and drybrushes? How about personal taste? How about monitor setting, yours ánd mine? How about....

What I mean: show me 100 Sherman models, I'll show you 100 different tones of Olive Drab....

DO WHAT FEELS GOOD, GO ON YOUR INTUÏTION AND CREATE A BEAUTYFUL SHERMAN!!

One thing left: if I where you I would sand down the casting structure a little bit. I think the pictures show the "smearing pattern" of the brush.

Keep us posted so we can keep enjoying this great build.

greetings, Richard.

[bullardino]

I defo agree on the paint tones. I suggest this easy experiment to all the "colour purists":

- get something white and big enough;

- place it in a position where it can stay a couple of days and receive sunlight;

- take a pic of it early in the morning, at midday and late afternoon for a couple of days, without moving it;

- now take a look at the "white" and have a laugh

[deafpanzer]

Missed your last update and I saw your post on FB! Holy smokes Ben is almost done already and I better look for it here. LOL Excellent work on the weld seams!

Can't wait to see it painted. Of course I am not the best person to answer you questions about OD paint. Others have answered your question.

[Deleted]

looking good mate

[desertrat]

cheers Ben, i will have to try some,

[Hinksy]

Thanks everyone!

Nice tip for a rough recipe for me to play around with - that'll do nicely!

The Mr. Surfacer I have is a bit old and I had a PITA of a time applying it as it had gone very thick. Can it be thinned down or is it just time to go and buy some more. I've hardly used any but I'll find myself using a bit more I think.

I know I need to go back with another brush to tie the pistol port in properly and give a better, more even coverage so I'll get on that.

It would be handy if it could be thinned - I think if I try this again as it is it will still give the horrid brush marks so I'd appreciate any tips on that.

Cheers fellas,

Ben

[deafpanzer]

Try MIG Ammo primer... its my favorite now. Used it for the first time on my bust last night. Smooth as a baby butt! Straight out of the bottle! I like Mr Surfacer but sometimes its pain in arse trying to get right mix or it would be spraying spider webs and it is more pain in arse cleaning the AB afterward.

[Tojo72]

Nice job on the texture Ben,I use that stuff on the exhaust pipes also to rust them up

[george]

You know, Ben, I used Mr. Surfacer as a primer for a long time. You can dessolve it with a laquer thinner for airbrushing.

[bbd468]

Brother Ben, Ive been thru your whole thread and i gotta say, these guys got ya covered especially Russ & George...they know their business! The only suggestion i have for you up to now would be to knock back/sand your texture on the turret some...doesnt look quite right to my eye. Outside that, your doin a smashing job bro!

On the Mr. Surfacer, i thin mine with Mr.Thinner...it will bring it back to thin nicely, just mix a bit at a time or you'll wind up with Mr. Surfacer 1200 instead of 500!

Cheers,
Gary

[Hinksy]

Thanks guys!

I've just given the turret a bit of a rub-down with some mega fine sandpaper. I'm going to go back with the Mr 500 and do it a lot neater and I want to blend that ejection port into the turret.

Gary - I have the Mr. Hobby 'Mr. Colour Thinner', usually meant for use with the Mr.Hobby paints? Is that what you meant when you mentioned 'Mr.Thinner'.

I've been unable to get much done this week due to my knee BUT my parents are away for ALL of next week so I'm going to get the lino (Linoleum) table cover set up in the kitchen with the air brush all rigged up and my required paints,pigments, other weathering products and washes etc so I'll have my own proper 'bench' all next week!

That will be great - can't wait!

Tbh, I'm hoping to get the basecoat done tomorrow or over the weekend IF the knees up to it so maybe I won't have to worry about getting the airbrush into the house.

Update asap!

Ben

[Hinksy]

Hi guys,

I'm going to be sorting out the Mr. Surfacer on the turret this evening and then priming and basecoating this weekend.

I think I've nearly gone as far as I want to with the essential added detailing BUT I think I still have some further handles to fit?

i) At present the driver and co-driver hatches do not have handles on the outside - just a small block which I'm sure are supposed to be handles? Should I shave these blocks off and fit scratchbuilt wire handles in their place?

ii) The same goes for the turret. There's one of them moulded blocks in the centre of the exterior of the main cupola hatch - should a handle be on there AND also on the smaller turret hatch with the two springs on?

I've had a quick look at googled images and it's all very 'hit and miss'. Nothing solid or all the photos are from the wrong angle

Cheers guys,

Ben

[ceresvesta.]

Good progress so far Ben! I would go full handle on the thing. My two cents.

[Hinksy]

Mar 21, 2014 12:51:35 GMT -5 ceresvesta. said:

Good progress so far Ben! I would go full handle on the thing. My two cents.

Thanks CV,

I've found an image that does the job and answers my question so I'm adding the other handles now and doing a proper job with the Surfacer 500 (thinned down a bit now) so I'll prime in the morning and basecoat asap.

Sorry about the slow progress on this one guys but the whole kneecap business has screwed this week up totally

I've got a mini workbench set up in my bedroom so I can do the remaining work tonight in relevant comfort!

Fingers crossed the paint job goes well - update later!

Ben

[Hinksy]

Hi guys,

A quick update as promised

Don't you just love it when you get your current build primed - it feels like turning a corner onto the homeward straight into weathering land

Handles fitted onto Driver and Co-Driver hatches. Also, handles put on both turret hatches and I tried to sort that Mr- Surfacer out too.

I'm really happy with it except the Mr.Surfacer at the moment. I should have thinned it down the first time round as with a bit of mr colour thinner added it was much easier to apply this time - thinking about it that little pot is about 4 years old!

I will definately rub it down in the morning with a sanding stick to take the rough edges of it and it should be good to go for painting. It should smooth to a nice surface to take paint and decals

Sorry about a couple of the 'orangey' photos - these were just quick photos taken in the kitchen under some bad light!




This is the kit barrel - I have got an Aber one on backorder and it's due yesterday so I'm not sure what to do yet. This barrel is just seated on a speck of Blu-Tack at present! The Cupola hatch is also unfixed as I'm going to at least try and paint a decent figure worthy of the model!













Thanks for looking guys,

I'll get some green on her tomorrow and post another update

Ben

[desertrat]

so far so good, kit barrel looks ok to me,are you putting any crew with this build?

[Leon]

Primer looks good Ben.I really like the look of the textured turret.

[Hinksy]

Thanks guys - you are just in time to see the first basecoated photos

I definately overdid the Surface texturing on the turret imo - I'm glad you like it but it's too much. After I took these photos of the priming last night I rubbed down the whole turret with various grades of sanding sticks. It's MUCH better now, not perfect BUT with the turret decals and whitewash applied I'm sure she'll be fine.

Lesson learned - don't use 4 year old Mr. Surfacer 500 with a broken lid that it a bit gungy!

I've used Tamiya paints this time. It's been a while as I've been doing all my recent AFV basecoat work with Vallejo Model Air. I'm phasing out a lot of my Tamiya basecoat colours in favour of Model Air right now but I don't have many OD shades in my Vallejo selection yet and loads in the Tamiya. I do have an AK modulation set for Allied OD but I'll save that for future OD builds as this going to have the box art style whitewash applied so it would be daft busting open my colour modulation set to lay down an OD that's going to be hidden. There's the lightest two shades in the set that might work well when it comes to detail painting and picking out highlighted raised areas with a brush.

In the end a pretty 'hit-and-miss' mixture of Tamiya OD, Sky, DY and Khaki made up the final tones.

I must get my light box set up asap now as my photos aren't coming out as well as they should. Problem is I'm limited with space and can't leave it set up anywhere as it's huge and takes ages to pack away I'm going to start using it for the 'completion' photos from now on though

DESERT RAT - You asked about figures? The Cupola hatch isn't fixed yet as I really want to use the half torso Commander figure with binoculars supplied with the kit. My previous attempts at figures have really sucked but I've found some great SBS videos on youtube and I've now got a decent range of Model Colour fleshtone paints so I'm feeling confident re using a figure.

Here's the basecoat photos - I'll get a gloss coat on her later to allow for decals to be applied tomorrow and then it's onto detail painting.















Thanks for looking fellas - I hope you like her so far

Question - when it comes to Allied Military vehicles like ones I've seen at shows it always seems that the exterior mounted vehicle tools have wooden handles painted to match the basecolour (or very similar)? Definately on Willys Jeeps!

Is this something I should be doing or should I just paint them as tools with standard coloured wood etc?


Update later guys,


Ben