Not too long ago i was competeing against a very well made M4A3E8 with all the bells and whistles. As I examined my competition I noticed that the extra bogie wheels were magically attached to the tanks hull. The modeler had taken the time to drill out the bolt holes, but then did not add some sort of attachment lug, bolt, strap to hold the wheel in place.

Sometimes the difference between a good model and a great model is in the details. When adding stowage think about how its going to hold on. Jerry cans should be in racks or tied down. Tarps, bags, boxes need to be secured. Extra wheels, pieces of track also need to be attached - welded bolt through a lug hole, welded strap across the track.

I know its not an earth shattering subject, but I just won a best of show against this and other modelers primarily because my stowage was realistically attached and not hanging in mid-armor...

Excellent job gspatton Hope you win many more and could you post some pics of it up here
Thanks Branden

I was wondering about the same thing just today. I want to have a spare roadwheel on the front glacis of my Sherman, but am not sure how it should be attached. If strapped on, where does the strap attach to, for example?

Nic

I agree. I just saw a really wonderful Shermen in winter camouflage that a gentleman at the IPMS meeting had done to represent a lend-lease vehicle of the Russians. It was very well done and I had to applaude it, but the longer I looked at it, the more tiny little things I saw. He had used a glossy black tape to represent the vision ports on the cupola, but had not trimmed one or two very well. There are spots where the whitewash rubbed off, and they looked absolutely perfect , but were not in high wear areas. I have to say that it's the little things that are going to kill me. I am building Dragon Wagons, and they are huge, but that just means there is so much more litle things to worry about. I am such a perfectionist when it comes to modelling that I think I will never actually finish a model. There will always be some little thing that I am not satisfied with. I honestly think that God is in the details, but I also think the details are killing it for me.

Rob

The details are generally where a good kit goes bad.Alot of manufacturers could also learn this lesson.Spare road wheels "magneticly"stuck to a stowage bin.Bolts or retaining straps are always missing.Tamiya loves to supply extra stowage,direct the modeler where to glue it,and miss the fact that there is no logic to its hanging.Thier M3A2 halftrack is chock full of these inaccuracies.The tarp for the drivers side fender is straight,yrt it is glued to a curved fender.That is why we,as modelers,have come up with so many innovations.Soaked tissue paper,lead foil straps,after market bolts and etc. all came about due to the fact that someone,somewhere said "This won't do".I didn't know anything about the "magic"hanging of stowage 13 years ago,but have grown into strapping and bolting everything down(I think I bolted down a figure once.LOL).We grow,we evolve,we rejoice,we build again.

The spare bogie wheels from the Tamiya Sherman and the M5 have a square pad and a nut in the middle. I always assumed the crews welded a piece of all-thread to the hull and bolted them on. Am I wrong?

Can't agree more - sweat the details, that's what sets a complete kit from a good kit.
That's kinda where my "How'd he get there" post came from. Think through everything you do in a 1/1 scale first, then scale down from there.
As far as extra stowage on tanks - field welders were popular! Add a piece of streched sprew or a bit of wire. Something to give the representation of a holder and to eliminate the magical levitating jerry can or pack.