Hi guys! It's me. Been a long time since I've done some scale modeling. A lot of things had me busy lately. Just these few days I tried to finish this one. This is DML's M4A2 Sherman in Tarawa.



I've added some stowages and covered them with net made from gauze. I've also added some grass on the tracks (which turned yellow due to the supposedly sand-grass glue mixture).

For more pictures, please visit this link click me!

Comments and criticism welcome! Just be a bit light on them. It's been a LONG time.

Great looking sherman!

Hi Ralph. It looks great. I think the sand/grass looks good on the running gear ... but maybe needs some matching groundwork to make it work fully?

I built this kit a few years ago, and the weakest point on the kit is the single length tracks. Detail-wise .... it looks great, but if you add it after painting it wont sit properly. I had this problem, and I see you have it over both idlers as well. You should maybe try to glue this down to the idler so its not floating.
I made a consious decision after building this kit to never use single length tracks again.

Crap! I forgot about the MG and the floating tracks

Nice Sherman. Regarding the DS tracks: they're very easy to shorten, just cut the links exactly in the middle of the track block and glue with regular styrene cement. Tenax works great. On VVSS Shermans, I normally take two or three links out for a good fit.
Here's one with two links out:

Three would have been better, but it's better than the original fit.

Hi Russel.
Your tracks look OK ... but they still are floating somewhat at both the idler and the drive sprocket. They way they sit here doesn´t really suggest they are heavy or imply any weight. There is just too much "spring" in the DS tracks. To use them they really need to be glued in place IMO.
As the idler can be positioned, the quantity of tracks that can/need to be removed is a mute point. If the idler is in its furthest back position, you can use the full track length, and get pretty much the same results as you have.

Great job on the Sherman, Ralph! It feels good to get back, doesn't it?!?

JB

Frank, agreed. Once the base is selected, I will glue the tracks to the return skids to get a "heavy" look to them. Three links out is a better solution in most every case, I've found.These came out a little better......

Not intending a hi-jack, sorry.

Nice work, Ralph!