Here is the beginnings of my entry. I plan on building a USMC M4A2 with field improvised wading trucks made of 55 gallon oil drums. I have already made the intake cover.

Below is a test fitting for turret clearance using a borrowed turret from another Shermie and a borrowed 55gallon drum



It's a race against Treadhead's USMC Shermie!!

Alan
Looks great so far What kit hull is it? Also who makes the 55 gallon drums? They look really great

The hull is the Italeri USMC M4 but I cut out the M4A3 rear deck and replaced it with the optional M4A2 rear as per the instructions

The drum is just a Tamiya Jerry Can set drum I temporarily took from my DUKW cargo. I have two more oil drums that I will leave the tops off, thin out the walls and remove the pins that help you line up te drum halves.

I think I'm going to have to finish much more of the kit before I can measure and shape the 55gal drum exhaust stack

Rear exhaust being scratch built for rear 55gal drum



Almost done. Still missing the back piece


Installed back piece and used some putty to simulate welds

Alan,
I am very impressed with this build a very different one indeed. I was wondering do you have a photo of the real thing that I could see please?

Here is a link. I couldn't get the pic to work but since I'm in the office I didn't give it much of a try.

http://www.planetarmor.com/forums/index.php?showtopic=249

Here is my latest. Camouflaged the wooden panels a little. It's been a fun build.

Ciao Shermies,
I meant to post yesterday, but I forgot. I wanted to compliment you on the barrels idea. Now, are we going to see the finished product on your porch rail?

Ciao for now
Rob

Hopefully it will be on the deckrail by the end of the weekend. The scratchbuilding has been fun and took a little more time than I thought. This put me off schedule and I have some meeting and things scheduled after work this week.

Howdy Alan,

I had typed up a rather lengthy response to your great build up here with your USMC Sherman yesterday, but like the synapse-challenged butthead that I am, I typed the whole thing out in the 'Heavy Haulers' thread.....
Not knowing how to properly move it, I instead lost the whole bloody thing!
But I didn't want you to get away without some of my input on this build, especially since "Ahemm!" {clearing throat...} I'm working on the same thing...
Anyway pard', she's looking great as usual. The lumber applique armour is dandy too (nice camo). But, in looking at the bogies, I think you're missing at least 10 bolt heads, and about 1/10 of a gram of plastic shaved off the rounded 'thingamabob' on top. :-)

Good on ya Shermie's....ya beat me!

Tread.

Two more pic of a little more progess. Still haven't decide if I want to camouflage the rest of the tank

Few hours later. Decided to camouflage the tanks. I added screens over the waders because I thought the marines would not like grenades of other debris going down the stacks. Plus it hide the fact that there is no hole at the bottom of the mounts

looking real cool with the camo. Thanks for showing me a pic of the real thing. I have another question though. What did you use to construct the air intakes?

Andy007, obviously the trunks are oil drum. These particular drums come from the old Tamiya Jerry Can set. I had to shave off the pins inside the drum that is used to line the two halves and glue them by eyeballing it. I sprayed the inside black and of course used the steel screen to cover up any additional flaws inside.

The little root over the intake was cut from sheet plastic (I do not remember the thickness) into 4 strips and a square that were measured to fit directly over the M4A2 intake cover. Upon further research I discovered that there was no box over the intake. It was a piece of steel welded directly onto the intake grill with a circle cut out for the barrel.

The rear root was originally a postcard that was cut up, shaped and taped together into postion. Once the cardboard root looked like it fit, I untaped the cardboard pieces and used them as templates on sheet plastic. In some of the pics you can see pieces of the cardboard templete. Then you simply reassemble the plastic pieces into the same shape as the cardboard pieces.

I used a bead of putty from a tube to simulate welds and to hide where the cuts in the sheet plastc were not perfect. I wish I had a finer tip applicator for the putty because I think the bead is too thick.. Anyway the bead (putty) was painted silver before the OD was sprayed so that any spots that did not get hit with paint will look like a raw silver weld.

I expect this Shermie to hit the deckrail for outdoor photographs this weekend!! However, having built so many Shermies over the past year I'm running out of stowage gear. Looks like a trip to the hobby store for me... what a bummer!!

Hi Shermie ...Been following your progress on this project...You've done some really nice work on this Sherman...I was wondering if they did use this barrel system on late M4A2's or was it only on mids like the one in the picture you posted ? Another thing is the angle right on the rear barrel ? Seems like in the picture they are more parralel to one another ... Just wondering. great Job so far keep it up.

Rick

I used the late M4A2 because it was available. I was not looking for true accuracy because I was trying to tell the story of the Seabee's and Marines' ingenuity rather than a specific vehicle. As to the angle of the barrels that was my mistake. I made the rear root top parallel to the ground rather than the slope ot the rear deck. I just decided to say the heck with it. If I didn't want to fool around with cutting another angle maybe the seabees didn't want to either!!!

Plus any future builder can look at my Shermie as a guide and benefit from my mistakes for their build. Teaching others would do me just as proud as scratching the kit if I can pass on any help to my fellow builders.

Hi guys
Were the USMC M4A2's used anywhere other than the Pacific and were they used without wading trunks?
Pete

Plenty of M4A2s operated without waders. The rear root of many M4A2s were welded right on to the hull which made it harder to service the engine.

wow alan! looks good! always a cool project on your table, that's for sure!

hmmmm.......Shermie's is ignoring me. Apparently I've over-extended my humour in the wrong nook's and crannies...............wait a minute...maybe he's ticklelish?



Tread.

Tread, not ignoring you. Didn't know you were expecting a reply. You know I just live to display a project Sherman on my deckrail before you get the same project done!!!

Whatcha doing next?

Howdy Alan,

Well I wasn't exactly expecting a reply, I just thought my "at least ten bolt heads" remark might get your dander up.......

Tread.

Oh, and as to "what I'm doing next?".........{said in my most innocent voice, and gently kicking the ground with the toe of my shoe}........nothin'......

Well I'll be working on my M113 for the Bucket Bonanza Campaign next. After that will be the Ardennes Offensive Campaign, and it won't even be a Shermie! I have a feeling there will be a lot of 105mm White Washed Shermies for this Campaign!! Can you believe two campaigns for me and no Shermans for either from me???? That will give me some time to think of my next Shermie project.

And me time enough to hopefully build a Sherman project before you do!!!!.........hehehehe......

Tread.

Go ahead.......work on other things.........I don't mind a bit!........

If the weather holds out, the 55gal wader is scheduled to land on the deckrail in two days