Having just read the thread from Guntruck on his latest Sherman build, I have to admit I am in a certain state of confusion... Let me explain why. I have in the stash, around 6 Sherman kits - various types, various manufacturers. I have a number of bits and pieces - various resin bits and pieces - a large stash of spare running gear. I also have a large stack of reference material covering a large number of variants...

Herein lies my problem. I have built a number of Shermans over the years - virtually all OOB a few conversions but nothing earth-shattering. I want to get back into building Shermans but I feel as if I have a kind of creative block... Any suggestions?....Jim

A couple suggestions:

First, poke around those references. Try to take a fresh look at the photos -- look for stuff you may not have noticed the first few times you thumbed through them. Sooner or later, you'll spot something that catches your fancy -- then build it! Another thing I've done is drag out all my kits and bits and put them all out where I can see everything. Then I kind of do an inventory and see how many variants I can build from what I have. This has led to some interesting projects, including my kit-bashed M4 Composite (like Tread is building now).

Alternatively, build something completely different. Maybe a spaceship or a fantasy figure. This is what I do when I'm feeling a little burnt out on Shermans. I always end up going back after a little time away.

Thanks Bob! It's not i've got 'blockage' in other areas - just Shermans!...Jim

most people build germans in the european theater, maybe build one in the pacific theater (marine sherman OOH RAH!) or build one in the african theatre. but what you dont hear of a lot, there is a Russian Sherman kit, the shermans were given to russia by USA. know what else is fun, building captured armor, build a sherman captured by the germans and use german markings, that would be pretty neat

Sometimes when I don't feel like building a new kit I go back over some of my older built kits and look for things that I might improve. Mostly that just entails new stowage items, lengths of chain or something simple. Once it entailed repainting an older Sherman with a camouflage scheme instead of solid OD. Recently I replaced some rubber block track with 3 bar cleat.

I find it gives new life to an older kit from 10 years ago when my skills were not as sharp. Rejuvenating an older kit may inspire you or trigger something in your mind that will give you a fresh idea.

How about a British one in Burma? You don't see too many of those built. A Soviet M4A2 would be good as well.

Personally, I've been leaning towards post-WW II variants, especially 75mm turrets upgunned with 76mm gun(M4A1E4 or M4A3E4). Many of them were exported as military assistance to quite a few countries during the 50's and 60's.

Chris "toadman" Hughes

Build one of the Korean War era Shermans or an IDF one. Dragon makes two different Korean War ones and the IDF Shermans are all over the place. Definitely different.

You could do some variations. There are millions of Sherman convertion. Try making the Calliope versions. There are more than 1 ver of the Calliope.

For something different, try making what ifs?
- A Sherman outfitted with 88mm gun of the Tiger
- An "Ersatz" Panther - A Sherman with "fake" armor that will make it look like a Panther

There's a lot of Sherman convertion around. That's why I never ceased to love the tank.

How about an M4A2E8 in Russian service? Don't think they used them in Europe but just against the Japanese

Or maybe an early M50 IDF Sherman based on the M4 composite or M4A1 large hatch hull with the v.v.s.s.

For some unusual varients used by smaller countries check out the Sherman Register and look in the Sherman encyclepedia..

The Sherman Register

Examples

Mexico has the M32 Chenca outfitted with recovery tools and a 81 mm mortar

The Yugoslav Army used M4A3-E4 76MM Shermans, remanufactured and retrofitted with 76 mm guns in the M34A1 gun mount.

Egyptian Shermans were based on a Sherman M4A4 hull, which was re-engined with the GM 6-71 twin-diesel engine from the Sherman M4A2. The turret was removed and replaced by the FL-10 turret as fitted to the French AMX-13 light tank.

these are just a few example from the site and they all have pictures of the tanks some in color and most are fairly decent.

Just a brief word of thanks to all of you who took the time to answer...Jim

Jim, heres a page with about 15 variant for ya...

http://www.davidpride.com/Israeli_Armor/Armor_index.htm

May I suggest the kits and accessories that you have so we can get an idea of what we are dealing with. Maybe some of the "Sherman experts" can craft up a combination.

Jeff

The problem isn't what he can build from what he has in stock....it's what to build?

Which variant?

Perhaps, (dare I say it?) something new.

Something not easily available to the regular market, but could be "crafted" from one of the many Sherman kits he has in his stash of kits that keep asking him to "build me"
.
The problem, as I see it, is that James is suffering from what writers refer to as "writers block". But since he is not a "writer", in so far as the general intent of the question posed in the thread, because we all know he write wonderful reviews about kits and conversion parts ...etc. etc. I guess he would be suffering from "building block". Not to be confused with the LEGO brand building blocks that come in about five basic colors and at least three sizes that I know of and seem to ibe n every nook and cranie in my house because I have four young kids running about.....no....this is more of a mental thingy he has developed either from having stretched his mental cortex to it's outer-most limits, perhaps because some members (not me mind you, I really like the guy,,,,I do really) (and NOT that way O'Malley) believe he over does it writting reviews about the latest release of some really obscure resin part to convert a plain blob of plastic (from some foreign manufacturer because they did'nt take the time add it to the original kit released in plastic which would have cost pennies to add and would have made the vehicle even better) into something that even your friends would look at in awe instead of that blank stare we all get from people when we answer the question "so, what do you do for fun in your spare time"?

Or maybe he just ran out of ideas on his own. It happens.

Heck, he's in Spain where it rains on the plains. Otherwise a lovely country but probably not good for a transplanted armor builder who's only ties to the "outside world" is a modem and TV antenna....but then there's the "spanish ladies". Remenber that song in JAWS?..."Farewell and addue to yee fair spanish ladies...." that was one of my all time favorite movies...Personally, I have not gone into water deeper than my chest since it came out., and I would'nt advise it during feeding hours of dawn and dusk.

So, here is where we come into play, we can either offer suggestionsas to what his next project should be, or we can sit by the roadside and watch James drive fast and miss the warning signs about the slippery road ahead and careem off the cliff into the void of mental unstability.

Hmmmm.....Juicy Fruit...I Love Juicy Fruit

hehe

Well Kev, an unusual answer in the extreme - thank you!

To go back to the topic in question, I'm more or less decided on the Firefly (Vc) the DML kit and the Formations Update set...

I have decided that at the moment that their are quite a number of possibilities between British and Polish Shermans - the latter being particularly attractive!

I think the 'block' has come in due to the difference in classification between the Commonwealth Shermans and the U.S. Variants - if the Brits had kept the same nomenclature as the Americans - life would be so much simpler. On that subject, does anyone know of a good source of information on that subject - I more or less know how to classify a Sherman I but the rest are really confusing!

It's not that I'm short of reference material.. I have ALL the Osprey Sherman books, Ampersand's Modelling book on the Sherman, All the Osprey Sherman/British Armor books etc., etc, etc...

What we do need (me probably more than anyone else) is to start doing a serious piece of work on our own Sherman 'Resource' here on Armorama - kits, conversions, AM parts etc... It was suggested by a previous contributor, perhaps now is the time to begin...Jim

jim,

british sherman designations;

1-M4
11-M4A1
111-M4A2
1V-M4A3(only delivered in small numbers training only)
V-M4A4(most common in british service)

add to this;

C for a firefly, i.e Vc-M4A4 based firefly
Y for a 76mm armed tank

the sherman register site is probably the best for this sort of info

regards

joe