M4A3 Sherman w/ 105 mm Howitzer & 75 mm Long Gun tanks by Jack12477 - 1:35 scale - Tamiya - FINISHED

[Canute]

Nice winter camouflage, Jack. Nice GI job.😁

[Jack12477]

1 hour ago, CDW said:

It was HOT today here.

It's 44 F at 8:30 PM here right now.  High was 55 F.

[Jack12477]

Ok, Lou, you want to throw a couple boat anchors over the side so we can slow down a little

 

Decals in place - just have to seal them once they completely dry and set.  Attached a fraction of the extra goodies.  See all those ammo cans on the rear deck - well there is at least 10 more like them plus two more of the smaller K ration boxes, plus more ruck sacks. Guess they might have to go in the stash box..... 

 

Anyway, it is not finished completely - the track area needs some camo treatment and is too pristine for a combat tank. So more work there.  I still have the 3 infantrymen shown on the box art to finish plus decide what to do with all the weaponry on the weapons sprue - grenades, etc.  The we take on the display question - how to display?  I know ! I know  Diorama, please !  Patience grasshoppers. Patience.

 

[popeye the sailor]

looks cool Jack!  but.....you gonna tie that sh__ down back there??  don't drive on da hyway ya know       the EQ looks ya just bought 'em at the local Wal Mart!  don't spare the mud   

 

but really..........shermie looks great!  

[Baker]

Nice winter camo.

Question :  Will the .50 on the turret remain in the brown color?

[Jack12477]

3 hours ago, Backer said:

Question :  Will the .50 on the turret remain in the brown color

That's the color called out in the instructions, but I don't like it. Too reddish.  May change it. What are your thoughts on it ? 

[Edwardkenway]

Do you think a flat black highlighted with gunmetal  would work? 

The extra equipment looks good!

[Jack12477]

I have a gunmetal gray color, was thinking of using that on the metal parts, I might try the black tho. Thanks  

 

Gotta find some of Chuck's rope and use it to tie down the extra gear. 

Edited April 16, 2020 by Jack12477

[Baker]

2 hours ago, Jack12477 said:

That's the color called out in the instructions, but I don't like it. Too reddish.  May change it. What are your thoughts on it ? 

I normally use gun metal. With here and there some pencil  to get more detail.

Matte black and then going over with pencil is also pretty good.

Best is to practice first on some leftovers.

 

There is an easy method to drill out the barrel. With a sharply pointed x acto knife.

But pictures will tell more than my google english (is for later)

 

Look in my signature at the ADGZ funkwagen. 

 

[Jack12477]

Patrick, thanks for the tip. And thanks for the link to your model. Don't know how I missed your build. But it's a great looking model.

[Canute]

Testors/ModelMaster used to have a Gunmetal that was more of a blue-black. Don't know if it still exists in anybody's paint lines. The Tamiya Gunmetal is too silvery. Black with navy blue drybrushing may work. Just sayin'.

[Baker]

15 minutes ago, Canute said:

The Tamiya Gunmetal is too silvery

Yep,

Forgetting to tell. I always add about 25% matte black at their gunmetal

[Jack12477]

Well, woke up this morning and found snow on every roof, not on grass or roads, just roofs - garden sheds, houses, garages.  This is spring, right !?!?! 

 

Finished up the three figures, added some camo to the track area, put a 2nd coat of cherry wood stain on the display base. Needs to dry 24 hrs then a coat or two of satin poly.  Need to touch up the 50 cal as Ken and Patrick  suggested.  Also seal all the decals with flat varnish.

 

I will post updated photos later today    

[Jack12477]

Okay, last update for todayy.  Further updates will be a little slow since I have to obtain some supplies and construction the display.  But I will respond to posts.

 

 I am finished fiddling with the tank. the 3 figures are finished (don't photograph too well close up)

 

Gear lashed to deck using Chuck's Syren rope.

 

 

Edited April 16, 2020 by Jack12477

[Edwardkenway]

Nice work there Jack,  looking forward to seeing how you are displaying it

Edited April 16, 2020 by Edwardkenway

[Baker]

As promised

 

Drilling out a gun barrel

Twist with the x acto knife

Drilling done

Matt black paint

Pencil 

Ps,

This is my first post on MSW done on my smartphone and no google translate.

A mile stone for me 

 

 

 

[lmagna]

I like the new .50 color much better than before Jack. This tank is rapidly filling out and becoming more interesting every day. You have not only captured the look but matched the production speed that made the M4 such a useful design. Like the Liberty, and even the later Victory ships, and even Corvettes were not the best of their types, they could be built in a hurry and got the job done. 

 

Not too sure I would personally like having a drum filled with probably something flammable sitting on the nose of my tank. I think I would have as much spare track I could find up there instead. All that steel track has to be kind of useful as an extra layer of armor if nothing else.

Edited April 16, 2020 by lmagna

[Jack12477]

Thanks, Lou

 

Thanks Patrick for the demo.  

[Canute]

Ma Deuce and the tie downs are looking good, Jack.

 

Nice tutorial, Patrick.

[Old Collingwood]

Looking very nice Jack  really looks the part now with all the bits and bobs.

 

OC.

[CapnMac82]

On 4/14/2020 at 4:00 PM, Jack12477 said:

Mark is this enough extra goodies to add to the tank ? These all came on sprues with the tank.   I have additional Jerry cans in my stash if needed. Probably ammo cans too.  There's 2 size of ammo cans here 8 of each, 2 oil drums, 2 crates, 4 boxes, extra helmets, backpacks,, ammo packs.   

 

This batch of stuff Tamiya includes is a tiny bit controversial.  Partially for only offering two fuel cans, and no water cans at all (the filler cap is the give-away).
There's an on-going argument over just what the rectangular pouches (near th ecenter of your photo) are supposed to be..
The shape of the pocket flap on the top very much resembles the Pouch, Ammunition Carrying, Universal, except it's about 75% too wide, and 25% not thick enough (and the Universal pouch had an attached shoulder strap until August of '45).  So, the other argument is that it's the Case, Carrying, MG Cleaning Tools.  Except, then, it's 2x too thick, and the flap is closed with a snap fastener not a strap.  (Rivet counting goes all sorts of places o_O)

The Packs are gems--the Pack, Musette, M-1936, very much a desired pack by all in ETO.  Originally produced in a khaki color, later in a more OD color, and even a "transitional" (collector term, was Substitute Standard or Alternate Standard per War Department QMC catalog) which had OD edging around a khaki body.  IRL, the tabs on top each had a round ring of brass or painted steel; the carrying strap had snap hooks to engage those.  Buckles will be black or brass with traces of blackening.

Those ammo cans are real gems, too.  Typically, those cans were painted a darker color than the vehicles as a result of being painted at the factory.  That color is hard to pin down, other than you know it when you see it.  Best I've managed is a almost 50/50 of OD and black-green.

[CapnMac82]

On 4/15/2020 at 3:25 PM, Jack12477 said:

Didn't want it to look too professionally done.

Appropriate since the tank crew was usually the applicators.  And had of only satisfy the TC.

[CapnMac82]

15 hours ago, Jack12477 said:

That's the color called out in the instructions, but I don't like it. Too reddish.  May change it. What are your thoughts on it ? 

The M2 receiver has a unique look.  MM Steel or Tamiya Gunmetal are not bad, but you want a deep black oil wash over that to get the look right.  The part at the front, with the holes ought to be a clean "steel" color.  The barrels (which get changed middling regular) are Parkerized dark  grey.  NATO Black lightened with a few drops of steel will capture the look.  Barrels that were left packed in Cosmoline and wrapped in brown kraft paper picked up a greenish hue.  This is another one that's hard to pin down.  Equal parts of "interior green" and "gunmetal" gets close.  The color of the barrel ought "show" through the holes in the shroud.

The handle on the barrel will have a "steel" sort of color, the handle will be a dark color, like 80% cacao chocolate--NATO black will suit.  This is also true of the spade grips on the rear, too.  The cradle for the ammo box is a dark metallic color.  or the color of the pintle.

Hmm, ust remembered, WWII cal..50 ammo cans open the long way, and not the short way, like post-war cans do.  The lid was pulled off so the can could be strapped to the pintle.

 

Even with the headspace hassles, the Ma Deuce is still one of my favorite MGs.  Were it not for "cheap" ammo running $1.50 a round, I would have kept my semi-auto version.

 

 

[mtaylor]

Funny about the .50's... we had to remove the cosmoline and all our air cooling shrouds black as were the guns.  Aerial .50's we had, but the ones I saw the ground pounders use on their vehicles with the shorter shrouds were all black also.  If the barrels burned off the black, they had to be replaced as it obviously got too hot and thus distorted.  I did that one time on guard duty (all night) and the barrel was glowing when I changed it out.

[Jack12477]

1 hour ago, CapnMac82 said:

This batch of stuff Tamiya includes is a tiny bit controversial.  Partially for only offering two fuel cans, and no water cans at all (the filler cap is the give-away).
There's an on-going argument over just what the rectangular pouches (near th ecenter of your photo) are supposed to be..
The shape of the pocket flap on the top very much resembles the Pouch, Ammunition Carrying, Universal, except it's about 75% too wide, and 25% not thick enough (and the Universal pouch had an attached shoulder strap until August of '45).  So, the other argument is that it's the Case, Carrying, MG Cleaning Tools.  Except, then, it's 2x too thick, and the flap is closed with a snap fastener not a strap.  (Rivet counting goes all sorts of places o_O)

The Packs are gems--the Pack, Musette, M-1936, very much a desired pack by all in ETO.  Originally produced in a khaki color, later in a more OD color, and even a "transitional" (collector term, was Substitute Standard or Alternate Standard per War Department QMC catalog) which had OD edging around a khaki body.  IRL, the tabs on top each had a round ring of brass or painted steel; the carrying strap had snap hooks to engage those.  Buckles will be black or brass with traces of blackening.

Those ammo cans are real gems, too.  Typically, those cans were painted a darker color than the vehicles as a result of being painted at the factory.  That color is hard to pin down, other than you know it when you see it.  Best I've managed is a almost 50/50 of OD and black-green.

 

Since I am building these models for my own pleasure and not for an IPMS modeling contest, who cares !  99.9999999 % of the people viewing them in my home would never know the difference nor would they care.  

 

And may I ask where your models are, I haven't seen any examples of yours  on this site.

[Egilman]

Well I can show mine....

 

I still hadn't touched up the barrel in this photo....

Post Korean war vintage.... that's MM gunmetal with steel lowlights and MM rubber grips everything else (pedestal mount and cradle) is standard OD green.... (there no PE on that gun btw)

[Egilman]

50 minutes ago, mtaylor said:

If the barrels burned off the black, they had to be replaced as it obviously got too hot and thus distorted.  I did that one time on guard duty (all night) and the barrel was glowing when I changed it out.

When Browning first designed the ma duce, (based upon the very successful M-1918 .30 cal) the army ordered it tested in continuous fire until destruction.... any one care to guess how many rounds went down range before it finally decided to quit firing? ..........

 

32,687 before the action finally broke......  (the barrel of course was destroyed long before the action quit)

 

It is considered the most reliable gas operated heavy machine gun ever manufactured.....

[mtaylor]

It really is a reliable gun.  When the barrel hit a point (and this was at night) the gun went into runaway from the rounds cooking off.  We twisted the belt, stopped the firing and ejected the barrel.    It wasn't in the best shape the next morning.

[lmagna]

2 hours ago, mtaylor said:

We twisted the belt, stopped the firing and ejected the barrel. 

I kind of did the same thing to a M-60 barrel once. I didn't wreck it but fired WAY to many rounds through it in too short of a time. We always carried a spare barrel but almost never needed to change them.

[Baker]

Nice stories about hot barrels. 

 

My only experience with a "hot" barrel
Fired 40 rounds 8 x 57 in a short time with my K98. 

The barrel became hot, so that through the warm air above the barrel my target (paper card) seemed to "float"
Warm oil dripped out of the wood 

And my shoulder was stiff the next day...🤕