Well, it's been a while since my last update but sadly, I've gotten a lot less done then I would have liked. However, I feel like the Sherman build itself is pretty close to complete with only a few small items left to add. A couple of those I still have to order and of course the stowage and sandbags still need building. Here's what I've been able to accomplish to date:

After installing the Formations tools, I had to build the Eduard PE stowage rack and spare track link racks for the rear armor plate. Unlike some other PE kits, the stowage rack doesn't fold which I was glad of since even building this static one was a bit of a PITA. :



i had a moment of brilliance (or idiocy, you decide!) and added some flocking to the end of the barrel cleaning brush to represent the bristle texture. We'll see how that turns out once it's painted.


Once that was done, I attached the upper hull to the lower hull. Tamiya Shermans are famous (or is that infamous?) for having open sponsons so I was glad that this kit had the sponsons filled. However, I was bit disappointed to find such a large gap all around the edges of the sponson fillers which required putty all the way around. This was a bit of a pain to fill and sand with the bogeys already mounted but I think I managed OK. There's going to be quite a bit of mud up there anyway so I'm not too worried about it. Still, it was time spent that I would have liked to have been working on something else.

When filling and sanding the sponsons was done, I mounted the exhaust diffuser and added some .10 styrene pieces along each side of the diffuser to represent the remains of the cut-off sand shields. The fit of the diffuser to the hull was really not very good and I needed something to hide the join in this area. I'm not sure the shape is right on the sand shields, but again, enough mud here should hopefully hide any egregious errors. I then mounted the stowage and track link racks.


Front fenders went on next...


followed by the sand shield bolt-on strips all around.


Finally, I've begun the arduous task of putting together the Panda Plastics individual links for the T-54E1 tracks. To make them "workable" I'm gluing them with Aileenes Tacky Glue rather than with plastic cement. I suppose just about any white glue would work but Aileenes is particularly flexible once dry and my test pieces so far are staying together well and are indeed workable. I'll probably have to add the duckbills with plastic cement so we'll see how workable the tracks remain since I anticipate some plastic cement will get into areas I don't want. I'm planning to paint the tracks off the model and attach them along with the drive sprockets and idlers once all the painting (and muddin' !) is done, so they should remain flexible at least, if not workable to allow an easy attachment.


So, the plan is to continue with the track links and duckbills for the now. Once that's done, I'll start on the sandbags for the front glacis along with some minimal stowage for the back. Then I've got to model the rest of the crew and get ready for paint once the garage warms up!

As usual, all comments and suggestions welcome!

Cheers!

Superb work Don
I like following a build with such attention to detail. The flock for example is a beaut idea and so simple yet I have never seen it done. I have no doubts it will turn out realistic. The figure detailing is great as is the .50cal.
I hear you on that Aber stowage rack. Forget about being ready to leave when you can snatch a pebble from Master Kan's hand; it should be about building this infernal thing!
Those sandbags in the archive photo appear to be wedged in really tight. Would you say the lighter colour on them, the spare wheel and the glacis plate is dried mud? Would look good painted up similarly...
Keep up the beaut work
Brad

Brad, thanks for your comments. Yes, I agree...PE shouldn't necessarily be a spiritual awakening.

As for the mud, I have a slightly different take. The darker places around the sandbags actually look like they are quite wet. In the photos below of the same tank, you can see plenty of wet mud and standing water on the ground which leads me to believe those tanks got pretty soaked moving through that terrain.





So yes, it would be dried mud on top, but I'm hoping to make the undersides appear quite wet, but haven't figured out how to do that yet.

Any tips?

Well it's been a while since my last update so here's a few things I've done during that time. I must confess, I've been bitten by the details bug...much more so than I planned on at the beginning of this project. I haven't gone crazy scratchbuilding an interior or anything like that (yet...) but a few things cropped up that I wanted to address.

First thing was I went back and added the 8 bolts that hold the differential cover onto the hull on each side. I used 0.8mm hex rod and just sliced off about 30 "bolt" heads so I could pick and choose the best 16 pieces to get as close to uniform thickness as possible. It was harder to get them mounted in a nice straight row than I thought so next time I do this (yeah right), I'll make sure to add them before the bogies are in place.



I also drilled out the drain holes around the splash guards for the turret ring and fuel caps.



Then I decided to go ahead and add the smoke grenade launcher to the turret. The smallest diameter styrene tube i could find was 3/32" (2.4mm) and in the store it looked plenty small enough. But once I started drilling out the hole in the turret to mount it, I realized it was just slightly bigger than it should be so it's overscale. This was even more obvious when I drilled out the tube itself. However, once it's painted and black on the inside, it shouldn't be quite so noticeable (I hope).


At my last local club meeting, a friend of mine who has actually spent some time doing WWII reenacting in Shermans pointed out that the towing hitch on the back was actually installed upside down. I double checked the kit instructions when I got home and that's the way Dragon tells you to mount it (part A41). I couldn't find any actual reference photos so I've deferred to my friend's experience, cut it off, drilled out the end ring and remounted it right-way up.


I also added the weld bead to the sides of the glacis plate. Depending on the photos you see, the bead can be really subtle or very prominent. I used a tiny styrene rod softened with Tenax and added bead texture with a chisel blade. I tried to match the texture of the weld beads molded into the kit hull so it will be noticeable but not too obvious once painted.



Finally, I spent quite a bit of time trying to replicate the "packed down" look of the sandbags on the front glacis of the 761st tanks in my reference photos. I used A+B Putty for the sandbags, extruded it through a hole in some plasticard to get a uniform thickness and sliced them at about 10 -12 mm lengths. I then mashed them into place with my finger wrapped in a scrap of linen cloth to add texture. I ended up doing a lot more actual sculpting on these than I wanted in order to get the right shapes. I had to do this over the course of three sessions since I couldn't work on too many at a time without deforming the ones underneath. I stuck in a Formations spare idler wheel like in the reference photo. I still have to sand off the cap and replace it with a mounting plate.




Next, I've got to figure out some stowage for the rear deck and oh, yeah, finish assembling those Panda LTL tracks. Also, the split loader's hatch I've been waiting on is still not out but should be available soon I think. That will pretty much wrap up the assembly and I'll be ready tackle the rest of the crew and then get to paint.

As usual, your feedback is welcome.

Cheers!

Hey Don
I missed your second to last post!
I meant the dried mud on top as you mentioned, and yes, agree that the lower sections would be plenty sloppy and wet and clearly darker in colour. This done well would make her turn out really good. As for how to achieve it, I have had success in matching a paint to the dark colour representing the wetness. Some clear gloss seemed to work fine, and have used clear resin applied with an old brush where there is a sheen needed. The caked dry sandbags could well be recreated with a dusting of pigments or ground pastels.

Your update is fantastic mate. The sandbags are starting to take shape. A weird spot for the spare idler? The securing bolt would render the guntube travel lock unusable, but probably speaks volumes for its' importance in the field...
There was one thing that slipped my mind and may be too late to remedy. On the [i]inside[i/] horizontal support for the headlight guards there was an upright tube welded near the centre of the support on the outside. This was the storage mount for the cap that fitted into the headlight mount-hole (when the headlights were removed and stowed) and had a small chain which looped down and fastened to the bottom of this tube so as it wouldn't be lost. You could fit one to the left side if no sandbags are there yet, but the right has that sandbag pressed right up against it...
I'll try for a photo!
Oh, and that towing clevis could swivel, so everyone is right! I often attach it at an off-centre angle just for kicks; you know, mix it up a bit
Brad

Brad, thanks for the feedback! You are right on both counts with respect to the headlight guards and spare idler. For the guards, I had intended to leave off the tube knowing that the area would be covered in sandbags and they would be obscured. However, when doing the sandbags, I forgot about this detail and neglected to place them in such a way that the tubes wouldn't be seen. I suppose it could be remedied with the right size drillbit, patience and some resculpting of the sandbags to camouflage the work done.

As for the idler, yeah, it looks funny but based on my reference photos, that's where it was placed on this particular tank.


I suppose with the sandbags already in place, maybe the crew didn't feel the need to have access to the travel lock? Or maybe the idler is attached in such a way that doesn't preclude the use of the lock? In any case, I appreciate you pointing it out as I thought it a bit odd as well.

Hey Don
Yep, I tend to agree the travel lock use was the last thing on their minds as ballistic protection and stowage should have been deemed more important.
Another thing that has shown up on your last archive photo here, is the small mount hole for rear vision mirrors. This you can clearly see on the outside the lifting eye on the edge of the glacis plate line in front of the driver. A vertical drill hole and some protruding small brass tube would work I reckon.
Good stuff mate
Brad

Nice one Brad. Man, you don't miss much! But I'll do you one better. Here's a shot from the same photo series but of a different tank:


The mirror can clearly be seen right below the driver's hatch. You can see it in other photos too but this shot is the best. Great stuff indeed. I've been thinking about adding this detail for a while but wasn't sure how fiddly it would be to construct. Sure would add a unique element...can't say I've seen that modeled very often!

Great job on the sand bags Don. I like your idea of extruding them to maintain consistency. How thick was the card and what size/shape hole did you make?

I actually thought they were resin after market pieces until I saw how tightly they were fit to the hull -- then I knew they were custom. Of course, had I read the accompanying text first I would have avoided this, but . . .

Great job!

Don

Looks great to date, and the detailed build is very useful. There's just one thing that bothers me, which I know is nit picking, but after all the work you've done is I think worth noting, and that's the thickness of the track skids. I think you will find that brass ones will look much closer to the real thing - I've used them myself in the past but can't recall who makes them.

Keep up the good work.

Regards

Rob

As always, thanks for the feedback guys. It's truly making this build more interesting and thorough!

Brian--I just used a piece of scrap .040 sheet styrene and punched a single hole with a regular old paper hole punch. It may not be accurate for actual scale diameter but it's probably close and at least they are consistent. I could have just as easily rolled the putty into snakes on the desk, but the A+B putty is pretty sticky stuff so I had more luck extruding it. I got the tip from Steve Zaloga's book on building the 76mm Sherman.

Rob--I don't think you are nit-picking. You have a keen eye and your recommendation is sound. I too was a bit disappointed with the thickness of the Formations track skids when they arrived. I believe what you are recommending are the brass ones from LionMarc and I considered those when I was researching after market bits. However, I had other items I wanted to order from Formations so I just picked up their track skids at the same time. They have better bolt detail than the LionMarc skids but it turns out that they aren't any thinner than the stock kit parts. Having invested the money in them, I thought I'd just go ahead and use them and try the brass ones next time. I suppose I could have attempted to thin them out a bit but as this was one of the first things I did on the build, I had a hard enough time just figuring out how to get them off the carriers without breaking them, so I didn't want to press my luck. I'm taking solace in the fact that they'll probably be mostly obscured by the tracks anyway so I'll just have to take my lumps on these and move on.

Thanks again for the feedback.

Hello Don, I have been watching with great interest, Excellent build!!!! I too have wanted to build a 761st Sherman and also a 333rd Artillery gun. thanks for all the info and for showing your build.
Jim

Sorry, but your friend is mistaken. There is no right or wrong way. The trailer hitch is mounted on a post so that it can turn 360 degrees.







These are all M4A1 76MM but it is the same mount. Here is a M4A3 76MM.

Hey, great images Tony. Thanks very much for sharing. But where were you with these when i was mounting it the first time?

I suppose it's possible my friend hadn't ever seen it in any other position. I don't know. He's a well respected modeler but I guess you can't always be right.

Again, thanks for these photos.

Nice build so far. I wish I could work PE as cleanly as you do. That tip on using white glue for PP tracks really works. Shame that the guide teeth are such a b!@tch to remove and clean nicely.

Don,
Somehow I haven't been notified of your postings here, and I have just caught up. Great job and I love the sandbags and idler on the front slope! You have really nailed "the sit" of the sandbags!
Dan

Thanks guys for the nice comments. Unfortunately my progress has been slow due to work related issues and "Armorama-itis" (too much surfing the site...not enough time modeling). I'll be traveling for work in the next couple of weeks and following that I'll be starting a figure project to enter in our club show taking place in May. I'm almost positive I can't finish the Sherman before then, even if I were to rush it and then I wouldn't be happy with the results.

So I've decided to do a 761st figure project in the meantime so that I'll have something to enter in the show. I'll get back the Sherman after that and wrap it up in time to finish the Sherman campaign.

Will keep you all posted on the bits and pieces I get done in the meantime and will post a link here to the figure project over in the Figures forum once that has been started.

Again, thanks for all the positive feedback!

Don,

Keep us posted on the new figure project. I would like to follow that one.

I hear ya about spending to much time surfing Armorama instead of building. I could have a lot done if I would stay away from this site, LOL. But I get home from work and am just to plain tired to think about building anything.

This build is an inspiration and lots of nice work going into it.

Don,

Just wanted to stop by and say that I’m really enjoying your 761st Sherman. I’m looking forward to seeing more updates as you progress. BTW really like your texturing on your turret. Also Thanks for your words of encouragement on my E8 build log and I like your sandbags better then mine.

Keep up the outstanding work!!

Inspirational. looking forward to some paint.

Thanks Paul and everyone for following this blog. As i mentioned, I've got to put this project on hiatus for a while due to some other commitments and limited time. In the meantime, I'll be working on a smaller project, starting on that in a couple of weeks. You can follow that blog here .

I'll pick up the Sherman again here when that one is finished.

See ya!

I can only agree with all the comments so far, as for the 'technical' comments, I'll leave them for far more learned guys than me. You definitely have an eye for detail, so much so that it has given me a standard to work towards, I'm saying this as I'm getting 'back' into model building after some time away.

Excellent post, and I will be checking it out regularly for updates (and ideas ).

Well, it's been a couple of months away from the Shermie while I worked on my 761st figure project. That is now complete and it's time to pick up where I left off and hopefully wrap up this build. It doesn't appear that there is a whole lot of construction left to do, so hopefully I'll be able to knock out these last bits in the next week or so and move on to painting.

Unfortunately, after a really positive outcome on my figure project, I am still solidly in "figure mode" and am eager to get cracking on another idea I had for a figure vignette, but I'm going to make myself wait. In the meantime, I've persuaded myself to get back into "Sherman mode" by working out which crew figures to use and mocking them up. This will also help determine a few build details so that the crew will fit.

The driver and co-driver from DML were the first two crew that I put together. I had also painted the driver as a "test" model to work out the skin tones and uniform colors before trying my hand at the Alpine figures for my other project. This is how he turned out:


A while back I purchased a set of crew from Nemrod so I thought I would start by seeing if I could successfully incorporate them with the two DML crew I had already assembled. Upon close examination, there is a bit of a size difference between the DML and Nemrod models...not a scale issue but a slight size/proportion problem. The Nemrod figs are noticeably narrower and slighter, especially through the shoulders. They make the DML guys look a bit like power lifters. However, the Hornet heads still look OK when attached so I think by grouping just the Nemrod figs together in the turret and having the DML guys in the hull, they'll work together. I originally planned to use one more DML fig in the turret but after playing around with arm swaps on the Nemrod commander, I think I will use him instead. This is what I've come up with during my mock-up:





Unfortunately, the placement of the gunner in the loader's hatch leaves a big, gaping black hole with nothing to be seen down inside the turret...


I'm already sweating a bit thinking about having to scratch some bits and pieces to give the illusion of a packed turret. I've got pretty good reference materials and can probably come up with something decent but I don't want to spend much time on this diversion and would rather devote my efforts to wrapping this up. I'll ponder this a bit and play around with some shapes to see what, if anything needs to be done in there.

So, that's it for now. Will try for another update later this week.

Hey Don
I have not seen this Nemrod set in bare resin; there looks to be some sharp detailing there! A couple of things I noticed is that the TC's right hand could benefit from having the hand drop more vertically from the wrist? The seated crewman on the turret rear looks to have some mega hand/finger action going on; some finger trimming may be needed? I assume it is the putty holding the arms on the TC that gives him that wide shouldered look huh!
I feel your pain re the remaining gap for the loader. (a later oval hatch would be perfect )
Looking really good mate
Brad