Hi,
Last week I begun to convert a Takom MKIV Male to a Supply Tank. I like this special version so I cannot wait for starting it after I built the Tamiya MK IV Landship.
In my opinion is easier to convert Takom sponson parts instead of Tamiya single part sponson.
As well known the main differences between a Supply Tank and a normal gun tank were:
1) closed side sponson,
2) different rear doors without bottom flaps for ejecting empty shell
3) a MKV's shape escape hatch on the top of the driver cab.
I will add the Top Towing Arrangment also if I am not sure Supplies had never it.
I would like also to scratch a sledge.
This will be a mid-term project because I'm now spending lot of time painting a Landship grandnephew Challenger 2 and then the Tamiya MKIV I finished some weeks ago ( https://armorama.kitmaker.net/forums/225523&page=1)

First of all many thanks to Thorsten for his suggestions how to improve Takom hull I will apply on my model.

http://landships.activeboard.com/t58478273/mark-iv-female-135-takom/

I will not modify the top hatch because I will change it with a resin copy from Tamiya (see my MKIV wip thread)

I started modifing sponson front and side armour.

- erase all rivets as shown on pictures bellow. You need to to this because Supply Tanks had fewer rivets in different position then gun tanks.
Note theat later I erase also all rivets on the upper area of the front armour.
Be sure to put them aside because you will need them later.
Cut also bolts and outer ring on the MG hole.
In the following picture you can see the left side without rivets and the right one still with them.



-make the same also on parts G1 and G6. Erase also the pistol port since Supply didn't have it.
After done fill and sand to have a smooth surface (not yet done on my parts)



- cut 0.5 mm plastic sheet to fill parts G5, G4, G10 and G11. Use CA glue to attach them to model parts because you need a quick and a very strong fitting.
Fill free to download the following ZIP file where you will find a DXF and a PDF file with sheet shape and marks to cut the vision slots.
Cut paper, glue it to plastic sheet with office stick glue, cut part, makes holes, remove paper with tap water, glue part in place.
Note that the file is provided "as is" so use it at your own risk. I suggest a dry fitting before gluing.
Use a plain sheet metal to have a flat surface. This is very, very important sinche Supply had a single plain armor on sponson front and side.
Remenber also to fill the gap between the two parts of the side armour (I suggest to use a small piece of plastic rod)



http://www.ferreamole.it/images/modelli/mkiv_supply/sponson.zip

- I fill all gaps with Mr Surfacer 1000 liquid putty and then I carefully sand it.



- repeat the some process on right side. Here I cut the vision slot before gluing and not after as on the left side.
Ok, new vision slot are not so perfect as I wanted but I think they may works.



And here we go. Note left parts are still waiting for putty.



Next you will find some pictures of the real tank I found on the net. As usual all pictures are only for discussion purpose and copyright is still of their owner.

Rear doors

As you can see in these picture sponson doors lack of the bottom flap (in the gun tanks they were intended for ejecting empty shell case) and of the pistol port.





Lookig at these pictures I noted I cut wrong front armour vision slot because I started from these on the right side but I didn't note in the gun Tanks it was in a different position then Supply.
On Supply Tanks they are at the same height on the side ones so I fill them and cut new ones (see pictures at the end of message)

I draw the door profile on CAD, cut the bottom flap and then reported side edge lenght on CAD. Doing this I could cut the bottom profile to fit exactly the cutting line.



Then I glued them to doors, cut the pistol port, filled with Mr Surfacer 1000, and sanded smooth.



As usual I can download files I made

http://www.ferreamole.it/images/modelli/mkiv_supply/rear_doors.zip

To fill the side MG holes I follow the metod suggested by Paul Budzik in this video

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZaXWFM6zbLc#t=242

Since I had no dental resin I use standard resin for modeller

First attach a piece of sell tape on the outside of the armour



then mix resin componets and pour it inside of the hole. Wait for hardning.



Peel off sell tape



Fill with some MS1000 and carefully sand smooth.

I made some resin copy of pistol port cover from part E6 and E7 (I need mirrored cover) and I glued on the front armour. Put them at the some heigth of those on the side and refear to pictures for the orizontal position (look at the rivets to fix the correct position).
Make a paper rouler to fix revets you saved before, glue them on one armour (side or front) and use this as a rouler for the other armour (rivets were at the some height).





Now start assesembly sponson. Fit is not so good so check several time before gluing. I had to modify some parts on the internal side to have a better fit.
The first sponson finished. Note front vision slot on their new position and the older filled









Again fit to side hull is not so good so I think I will glue sponson before starting aseembly it,



but the next stage will be to modify the drive cab with its new upper hatch.

Please feel free to make your commets and give suggestions.
Regards,
Pierantonio

Your step by step is fantastic!

Thank you so much,

Cheers,

Christophe

Great start on a neat project!

Some modellers on the net complained about general fitting but I found many problem are caused only because a wrong shape and dimension of some joint. Cutting and sanding some plastic frome edge improved fitting a lot and it became near perfect.
In the following pictures you can see where and how I improved some areas.

The drive cab









Sponsons







I cut also part G17's edge to improve parts G10 and G11 fitting. I used parts G16 and G17 as a base for parts G1 and G6



Gas tank



Tamiya tracks fit Takom sproket and idler wheels near perfectly.





At step 20 and 30 the stated upper returner roller is wrong because it was a type A and not a type B.

I finished also the right sponson





Then I made tyhe upper hatch on the drive cabin roof.
I had only these two picture (only for discussion) and I am not even sure these were supply tank because usually the three digit number was for training tanks in England.





It looks like those on the MKV tanks so I cut it referring to some picture of this tank (a rectangular 0.25 mm sheet of 20x16.5 mm) adding a pistol port and some bolts



Then I glued the resin copy of the Tamiya rear hatch. I had to move hinges but otherwise it works well needing only some filling with thinned Ms Siurfacer 1000. Refear to the Tamiya MKIV thread to see how I opbtained the resin copy. I glued also the pistol port Takom forgot on the roof.






Regards,
Pierantonio

To have a better alignment of wheels (assemblies A and B) I glued assembly A as per instruction and then I built assembly B gluing one wheel A2 to axel A1 and then the second A2 turning it 180 degrees. Since parts A2 are not symmetrical, doing this increases space between wheels to allow a better fitting of flanged wheels A4.
On hull parts many rivets interferes toghether or with wheels so I cut some of them from part C31 and erased all details in bottom part of parts F1, F2, F3 and F4







General hull fitting is not so good. Luckly this area is hidden by tracks. Try dry fitting many times before gluing and use side hull part (F3 and F4) as a template for cabin parts and then glue the last hull sponson.
I didn't use all parts which became invisible after assembling hull sponson.
Muffler PE parts are too long.



I added a Hotchiss MG from a Meng FT17 on the front plate



Note that Suppply Tanks retained the pistol port on the floor of driven cab



Use a home made template to align upper rails.







Front hatches are resin copies of Tamiya model.



The beam with only some work to show wood grain.



A first try for decals. They will be printed by a professional server.



And now she is ready for paint.





Regards,
Pierantonio

This is fascinating work and has peaked my interest.

A supply version of the Mark IV... never seen one before and really, never thought they actually made them so I would have thought supplies went forward by way of horse and cart.

I cannot wait to see more!





Jeff