Carl
Your build is fantastic I not trying to kill the kit, I can't wait to see the finished tank, I just can't believe the condition of the kit. one thing you could look at is the address and logos on the box and compare to a 1/35 kit I am just curious. I hope the make more of this size, Panther, Tiger Russian . I think this was a test for the market, and the 50 Cal will be cool
I watch every post. Keep up the good work
Jim

I built the .50, so I will have it to measure the width to make the mount for the TC's cupola. Sadly the 50 has a more modern ammo box, So I will forego "loading" it, though I will have to make the ammo box holder.
I am sanding and shaping my bullet deflector in front of the cupola, and it is looking good.It is an easier redetail job, than I thought it was going to be.

Carl
Could you shoot some pictures of your progress so far kind of a over all? I am still on the fence for this kit of the Merit 1/200 Hornet.Thanks
Jim

okay,Jim, here ya go Overall front, top is not glues to lower



General top of turret,thats part of the 50 on TC hatch


Upper view of rear, with exhaust air deflector


3/4 rt front, gun isn't secured in turret.I am going to put more paint on it, after fixing seam.

[URL=http://smg.photobucket.com/user/TankCarl/media/OA2.jpg.html][/URL

If you can wait until I am done, before deciding, you can determine if the chance of having badly formed parts / missing loose parts,is enough to stop you.I think any of the redetailing I did, is easy to do, if you have basic tools, and supplies.

WOW

just thinking,
If I jump through all the hoops with Dragon Care,and get an unsatisfactory result, I will build it as a "Shame on Dragon" display for Armoreast..

Detailing the spare track holders



Now, in THIS scale, I would suspect it is easy to make wingnuts,and 2 piece track holders.The part with the wingnut, is supoposed to swing down,when the nut is removed.

I with you Jim... I vote for a Panther! But I will still get this kit later on this year.



~ Jeff

M 103.
Or, an M60A2

Chopped some thin slices of round stock, for rim rivets.Also made some grease fittings on the roadwheels. 24 /wheel, 12 wheels =288 slices!

Stowage rack improvements:
The parts,


The result.

Your Sherman is looking great Carl, you are making great progress. I am just starting on mine. What size rod did you use for the rivets on the road wheels?
Mark

Hi Mark,I will message you the size when I get home.
If you havene't made a mold yet, you can save a TON of time, adding the rivets to the master, and save having to chop 288 bits.

That's the plan. Thanks Carl

Good news. The additional end connectors arrived today. So I can safely say I had a good experiance with Dragon Care.

That's good to hear.

You're doing great. But I've got to echo others, I am VERY disappointed with this and the other large-scale Dragon offerings. The details you're adding are the sorts of thing's we're used to adding on a 1/35 scale tank. I would expect most of these things to be done already for such a large scale kit. They could molt footman loops, bolts, drain holes, weld marks, etc. It would be simple at that scale it seems to me. Again, you're doing great. I just can't believe Dragon gets a way with this garbage. I mean, road wheels with no rear detail. Are you kidding! Might as well be the old Tamyia kit! Absurd, IMO!

I hear ya, Tony.F'instance,the ventilators could be a round ring,and a separate dome cover. The wheel backs could be detailed inserts.The rivets around the edge would be problematic,blobs of glue work in 1/35th, but possibly separate nubs,would be the only way in this scale.There are limits to molding tech. My worst facepalm, is the crude Tamiay-esque lumps on the tools, representing tie down strap.
To make many of these simple fixes in the design, would increse the parts count, but would result in better detail.
On with the build

Fixing the sprockets:
.100 dia hex rod instead of blobs!

Now detail like that on the sprocket wouldn't have increased the parts count. They just got lazy there.

Nice work Carl!



Jeff

Yeah how long would it take to edm that detail in the mold?

Duckbills.I had 2 out of 160 end connectors with no holes for the track block pin to fit through.No biggie, I can drill them, if I need them.

Even in this scale, some bolt heads STILL need to be added.

Home stretch,grinding down the OD of the castings,to fit into the kit wheels:

More suspension work. As I get into it, I see more details to add.