H John and Bob,

Thanks for looking guys and your comments. Glad the blog has been of some use.

It's not the easiest kit to build, and there are some fit and accuracy errors, but it is quite challenging and fun.

I wasn't really sure about the camo scheme when I started but I'll go with it now it's underway.

Cheers

Al

Hi Folks,

Well I have to say that from this point on I sort of working in the dark. I've only ever tried one other camo job the M4A1.

Here's todays progress:







I did sort some stowage for the rear deck



or if you would prefer a different shade









These are 2 of the pieces of stowage I plan to use, both from the Resicast Tank Accessories Set



Al

Keep em coming!!! Just noticed the spillage around the fuel caps , really nice job on the stains Bob

Hi Bob,

Thanks for looking in again. With the basic camo scheme on, I've opened up the side doors. Will post a few pics when they are toned in a bit.

Cheers

Al

Hi Guys,

stowage is soaking so here are a couple of pics with the side doors open.

The detail inside is quite good, and I only thinned and opened up the small vision ports, added a little visor and nut/rivet that was missing. On the hull I've added the door catches from from left over PE.

The 2 figs are from the 'Wee Friends' range, sculpted by Pete Morton. Pity I can't paint them as well as Pete sculpts them.

Doors need a bit more work, exposed steel etc, but you'll get the idea. Anyway here you go:













The crew maybe joined by these 2 chaps if I can work them into the scene.



Al

a couple of slightly better pics of the doors.





Al

Hi onlookers,

Well continued to work on the finish, added the tools which about brings the kit build to an end and started to sort and add some stowage: Not sure if I can make an effective tarp for the gun housing but may give it a try, Still quite a lot to do and small bits to be added. Installed the cleaning rods by the RHS doorway and just leaves a couple of fire extinguishers to add to the inside, forgot those when I was building the interior lol,lol.

Some progress pics from today efforts:













Some possible stowage items I'm working on:



Al

Hey Al,
That's really a good job you've done there !!
I'm looking forward to building this kit when I get mine, planning to use the spare bogies from the Academy Priest on mine.
Cheers

jjumbo

Hi John,

It's a challenge that's for sure lol, lol. Pity they got the gun rotor wrong and proper boggies would have saved a lot of hassel. Thanks for looking and your support on this one. Almost done, so hopefully I will get it finished by next weekend.

Busy week ahead though.

Al

Hey Al,
Hopefully it's not going to be too challenging when I get around to building mine.
I was chatting this morning with the local rep who imports Academy [I'm clearing out some of my stash and he's buying my castoffs] and he was saying that some of the LHS were not too keen on the new Academy kits due to all the poor press they've been getting of late.
He's actually going to throw in a couple of freebies for me to build, the Priest and Grant, so I can give him a honest appraisal of the kits.
Nice having friends in high places, eh......
Keep up the good work, looking forward to the finished product.
Cheers

jjumbo

Hi John,

2 for free you can't be bad to that. Similar thing happend with the Trumpeter LCM 3 , the Italeri kit came with a set of figs and the Trumpeter kit didn't. Retailers couldn't shift them and I got mine for a tenner for that reason. Perfectly good kit but it didn't catch on.

Have fun

Al

Edit BTW does anyone know if the Grants carried spare track and a jerry can on the rear fenders as the early Mk II Shermans sis?

Alan-- I would love to replicate your camo job. How did you apply the blue over desert? Is it airbrushed or hand painted?
thanks
DJ

GREAT JOB!

Hi DJ,

It's just hand painted.

Al

Alan-- thanks, marvelous work.
DJ

Hi DJ,

Have fun.

Al

Greetings on lookers.

There only seem to be a few contributing to the post, so guys it's time for a bit of feedback from you.

I've removed the side doors whilst I add the side stowage. So far I've added the long canvas rolll commonly seen on the early Grants, and some helmets to the RHS, a spare wheel on the read and one shorter rolled canvas to the fron LHS with some bundles on the LHS fender. I've also fashioned a basket for the RHS fender which can hold 3 small POW cans. Some of the tiems still need painted or finished off.

Question does anyone know the correct colour for the water/petrol and oil cans seen in the desert, or will a mix do? I always think of the flimseys being silver for some reason.

On the last pic on the LHS at the rear I've blue tec'ed an additional roll, - what say you add or leave off.

There will be some loose cans/stores on the top as I plan to have a couple of chaps loading up extra water, so these are just set around at the moment.

OK time for some pics:











without extra roll



with



Thanks

Al

Al-- magnificent workmanship. May I respectfully recommend that you cut back on some of the stowage. You should have it of a height so that the 37mm can fire depressed over the back deck. I'd carry the water cans and dump one of the tarps.
My two cents, but I could never come close to your work!
Great job
DJ

Hi DJ,

Thanks for your thoughts, good observations. The idea of some crew loading stores is a recent one based on the two Wee Friends new desert tankers. As both were designed with the Sherman in mind they may not work in with this setting, although looking at the chap with trousers on he could equally be used sitting on top of the turret reading a map.

The central stowage between the bins is all one block so it's loose all or none but the boxes and cans are just items placed to see what they look like as is the tarp on the taller bin so those can go no problem.

On the LSH sand shield do you think one tarp or two - last 2 pics?

Good thinking and thanks for taking the time to reply.

Al

Hi DJ,

I've moved the items sitting on top of the stowage and the tarp on the LHS bin. As you can see there is enough clearance for the gun to swivel and depress so I think the block stowage will be ok. I could simply strap a couple of cans onto the rear fender and a box or something onto the other. The fig actually sits better on top of the turret, and although dsigned to hold a shell could easily be looking at a map, so he may have found his home.

The other chap without the shirt could be pushing or pulling something like a stretcher off the back. This in fact might work much better than the original idea and be more in keeping with the remainder of the scene.

Thanks again for the thoughts, much appreciated.

some pics





Cheers

Al

Hi Guys,

Well the build is about done. so this pic brings to a close the Grant Build. Only remaining item to add will be the cover for the 75mm when it arrives. Thanks to all who commented and gave advice it was very much appreciated. To the on lookers I hope you enjoyed the build.

M3 General Grant Mk I
The Royal Wiltshire Yeomanry - North Africa 1942







Cheers

Al

Hi Guys,

One final bit of info. It had been pointed out to me that the side doors interiors would most likely have been OD or Yellow. I got a post from Arun over on Track Link who said he had seen photographic evidence of some early Lees with white interior doors, so it seems quite possible that some of the early Grants had those too. I will leave well alone and stick with the white.

Al

Hi Alan,

this was an extremely stunning build! One last question: How did you make the sponson ammo bin for the 75 mm ammo? I see that - contrary your previous intentions :-))) - you made it according the drawings. That part is completely different from the Lee one (btw.: I have pics about the Lee interior in Allied-Axis, and the ammo bin is correct for the Lee, so I withdraw my criticism) and unfortunatly the Griffon Lee PE set doesn't help on it either.

Hi Laszlo,

Thanks, comments much appreciated, glad you enjoyed it. It was your comment on the bin that brought it to my attention and made the change, and yes I saw a pic for the Lee so the kit part is correct for it.

Ah, how did I do the bin lol, lol, let me think. I used the kit part but turned it around the other way and build a new side out of plastic card. I cut the dummy shells from the kit part and added them individually to the new area and used 4 x 75mm shells on top to finish it off. Then I added some plastic card seperators in between the individual shell and to raise the height a bit. Not perfect, but looked a bit more like the real thing.

Hope that maked sense and helps a bit.

Cheers

Al

Hi Alan, yes it made me a bit more optimistic - I was affraid that you made the shells too. Where those 75 mm shells came from?

Hi Laszlo,

WIth the shells I was lucky. Pete Morton had send me some left over parts from Jakrie Miniture figure project and with the arms and bits came some spare 75mm shells, so I used those - thanks Pete.

There are some AM products that might help, but if you did the divides on top you could get a way with one and leave the other racks empty. I tried drilling 'empty' slots on my first attempt and they looked good but I can't drill in a straight line so gave that one a miss . It did look good though with spaces here and there, so that might help solve the shell problem?

Cheers

AL