This is Italeri’s M24 Chaffee in progress.

The is a nice little kit. Part fit is adequate for the most part and there are some clean up issues, but all in all, a nifty little build.

This one has some Eduard pe added for the grills, hanging points, fender braces, rear end storage rack, and stowage belts on the rear deck. The rear end has some kit parts carved off in an effort to more closely match a simpler rear end I’ve seen in actual pics.

A field applied rack and sandbags are added to the hull front, (although I’ve never seen actual WW2 pics of a Chaffee with sandbags. Now that they are on, I believe the bags appear to be a tad oversize.

Still to do, decal, paint/weather install kit tracks, add various stowage items and gear around the vehicle and turret, and a simple base.

Any comments are appreciated. Thanks.

Steve

Man, that is looking great. Those sandbags are awesome. Good work.

Blown away mate, Fantastic weathering.I do agree with you on the size of the sand bags, but overall excellent.

What steps did you take to get weather effect?

Rick

Looking great Steve. How do you fade so convincingly?? do you blend the dry brushing afterwards with a damp brush? It looks so natural. I would be interested in how you do it and with what!
Overall this looks great. nice solid build and paint job. The sandbags will look better when running gear and all are added, and the whole tank is lifted up a bit. I personally think they look great ... but if you think they are a probelem ... just add one or two more that are to your liking and place on top. As they are all the one colour, maybe a wash on a few, with a different colours will help also.
The PE looks great and adds to the finish. Maybe a black wash in the grill areas would be a good idea.
Good luck Steve. Looking forward to seeing it finished!

The sandbags look ok to me, the weathering is fine so just let us see it finished ok.

Steve I really like the way you finish your models ..good job buddy! Now two things you should think about doing ...one change that terrible italeri .50 there are alot better ones out there...and two...that antennae near the commanders hatch could use replacing..kinda thick if you ask me.... Oh one last little thing but it is probably just because it isn't glued down yet ...the commanders hatch hinges are not lined up straight..... You build em so darn fast ...I'm just starting my next project and here you are finished another one ...

Gotta love that OD paint
Rick

That is one cool little tank there , looks a lot like a M-41 . The sand bags are well done , might want to " settle " them down a bit more , since the driver and co-driver would be stepping on them getting in and out of the tank . Is it me or is the vane sight in front of the TCs hatch bent a little bit ? Keep up the good work Steve , Toad out

Very nice detail. I'm pretty much starting out so my models don't look half as good. Great work!

Just something I notice,from rebuilding one in '78.
The exhausts are thse 2 round dohickeys on top in the corner of the grate on top of the engine deck.Those can be painted RUSt and around them a sooty color.
I noticed the TC hatch too.Oh,and are the headlights stowed,or not visible from the sandbag shadow?
(++) (++) (++) (++) (++) (++) (++) (++) Piggies

Steve,
Again another awesome looking model. The sandbags look fine to me but hey what do i know?


You bet ya bottom dollar we do!!!

Can you tell us on how to work on that beautiful OD shading? Fantastic!

SteveWWH,

Oh my buddy...you have another piece of master class model kit on the post! I have always been admiring your technique. Once again you won't let us down! Did you make the sand bag yourself?
Did you have any fitting problems about this kit?

Wow that looks incredible! I can't believe how realistic it looks! that drybrushing is spot on! WOW! How did you lighten the OD for the drybrushing? with white and yellow? I can't wait to see it with mud and tracks. I am envious of those sandbags too. keep it up!

How about the real stuff???

http://tankfreak.tripod.com/restorin-a-sherman-firefly/id7.html (could have pop-ups).

It's nearly completly finished, ready for display's

Kris

Steve,
it looks great!!! I've got only one doubt: antennas thickness and lenght. My knowledge is limited to M24 in service with the Italian Army that were using 100% radio equipment coming from the States. On these vehicles antennas were much longer and thin...
Ciao

steve looks really nice.
the dry brushing came out awsome.
and the sand bags look great.
it looks so real.
thats a a cool liltte tank

steve, your usual.. great. you're just spittin' em out aren't you? looks great though. i love the sandbags

Nicely done. I see a seam in the top of the 50.
I agree, some of the bags are a bit big. The one on the tanks left (IMHO) should be slouched a bit more in the middle.

Nice looking M24 Chaffee, Steve. I really like your dry-brushing technique, and how you get that worn, grungy OD look. You got that same effect on your M26 Pershing too.

Very well done !!!

Cheers !

Alpen

Very nice as usual, WWH but I think that your skill level has advanced to a point where you should use some PE to enhance some of the detail.

Again, nice work,


Andrew

Lord Steve,good luck with those horible kit tracks I went to put mine on today and they snapped my AM sprocket off I am using the Friulmodel sprockets and idlers on mine because they have the lightning holes Guess I will have to use the Friulmodels indy links now

Thanks to all who have commented on this Chaffee. I have tried to incorporate suggestions as best I can. Fabio, I replaced the plump antennea by the commanders hatch with thinner wire, thanks. The exhaust ports on the rear deck have been rusted up (per Carl), and Rick, unfortunately the commanders hatch is firmly attached slightly askew and can't be fixed--good eyes on that one as I completely missed it. Scott, I can't locate a seam on the 50 cal. Many thanks to all that posted comments--it is appreciated.

The attached pics show some addtional progress. The turret is decaled, and some addtional stowage and gear has been applied to the fender and rear deck areas. The pics are not the best --so my aplogies.

Still to do, the tracks, and after reading the Zodster's post, sounds like that might be a bit of a stinker job.

Steve

Keeps getting better and better Steve....I have got one question....How the heck are you going to add the tracks to this one with the fender guards added???? Inquiring minds want to know...

Rick

I believe that the tracks will be un fixed and as a line will be slipped in there and then rejoined in the point of " no see" on the ground .
I have to say that is a very nice build, nice weathering and attention to the right points . About sandbags i dont think they re oversizedbut the finished stuff (probably due to the pictures) seems a lil shiny to my eyes.
one more tric that maybe is up to my crumpy old eyes is that the turret star from some angle seems to have a volume . i mean stickin out of the turret surface,maybe due to a thick decal , but not sure if it is likethat or my eyes play tricks ..
Very nice job there

Excellent build, you should be really pleased with it. I used the kit tracks on my Chaffee with no problems at all. I just hope that you can feed them in behind those track guards though as there isn't much room above the sprocket.