Greeting all,

Well I'm back from my adventures, it's Sunday afternoon and the kits are out. I'm starting work on my 2nd MK V and I was going to use the M4A1 turret from the dragon kit with the early gun for a bit of difference and for ease of build as the turret rings match.

Now some questions I notice that it has 3 nodules on the top. What were these for and do they need removed?

Are there any other odd things about this turret I should look out for? I can see the outline of a second hatch which is an easy fix and I've removed the 2nd MG mount from the turrret ring and will replace it with the sight.

I'm starting to lean back towards the Tamiya turret as it has the vision and perescope fittings although it's a bit more work matching the rings.

Any thoughts?

Cheers

Al

Hi all,

Here's a picture because it's one of those days!!! :-) :-)

Edit; Photo removed for gallery space

Any thoughts on the nodules?

Cheers

Al

Morning Al
I've asked this before, and although not swamped with responses (I think most have been stumped like my good self) I concluded that you can remove the tall thin one, keep the hockey puck one as the searchlight base and the smallest can be kept as the removed cap attached with a small chain from the other...
Not sure how applicable the searchlight is on the Brit versions though...
Hope this helps some
Cheers
Brad

Hi Brad,

Thanks for that. I might just play safe and remove them all!!! It will be interesting to see what comes up as I always wondered what the nodules were for LOL, LOL.

Cheers

Al

Hey Al, don't do it yet!
I think that the tallest is the searchlight base, it's drilled to acomodate attachment screw of some sort?, the two shorter one looks to be just welded on the turret, dunno what for though, but theyre there on the real Sherms

Cheers!
Grzegorz

EDIT:

The middle one seems to be much too big, on the real thing it seems to be about the same diameter as the other two...

That DML 75mm turret can use some fixes:

http://www.usarmymodels.com/MANUFACTURERS/DML/dml6048.html
(the notes on the turret are applicable to your kit as DML 6048 shares the same turret)

Also, here's Mike Canaday's very useful M4A4 FAQ including detailed turret corrections:
http://mmcalc.tripod.com/Shermans/Model_FAQ/Modeling_the_M4A4-Firefly.html

Greetings folks,

Thanks for those replies and Roy for the links. The nodules have gone, got you message too late Pedro, not sure if they were on British Shermans, possibly (next time) LOL, LOL.

Back to work then :-) :-) :-)

Might try some weld seems on this one if I can get the right materials and maybe even the bolt holes on the boggies but that might be going too far!!!.

Thanks again folks.

Cheers

Al

Hi Alan:
The easy way I've found to beef up the hull weld seams is to get some half round sytrene rod, about 1mm in width. Glue on, let set a bit, apply more liquid cement and stipple with the end of thin brass tube, cut off to a half moon.

Also when you remove the 2nd MG mount on the cupola, the other item you put up isn't a sight, it's a clamp to hold the .50cal MG.

Keep up the great work! (as you can tell, I love Shermans!)

Hi Al

I think I've already mentioned that I'm not really a fan of the Dragon turret - apart from the strange shape under the rear bustle and the mantlet not being in quite the right place on the turret front, the transition between the curve at the top of the sides and the roof of the Dragon turret seems too abrupt. As a wild speculation I wonder if the master came out slightly too high and the turret roof was flattened off, putting the mantlet out. Just a guess.

Putting the bolt holes in the front of the bogies is a must and how about the three bolts along the bottom?

All the best

David

Hi Ray,

Sorry re the sight, you lost me there??????

I have some .040 styrene rod I was going to use for the welds and had though of getting a bottel of plastic weld to do the job with. Have to find some sort of tool to do the job with.

Hi David,

re the turret I know what you mean the Tamiya one would have been the better option. Not too late to change though LOL, LOL. Have relocated the pistol port as it sat a bit too high and changed the central lifting ring to a thicker version. As there will be stowage either side on the turret that will probably hide a lot!!! :-) :-) :-) :-) I like the early gun mantel though.

Not too sure about the MG. There is a small mantel that came with the kit that has the end of an MG on it but having seen other Mk Vs the barrel of the MG just seems to come straight out if you know what I mean.

Re the bolt holes in the boggies, I will have to source a picture on that one, so a visit to Chris's site will be required.

I was going to drill a small hole in the petrol spillage thingi on either side of the hull??? Came up in Dave's Sherman build feature.

Thanks for the feedback folks, almost getting time to get a bit more done!!! As I used the tracks of the M4A1on my M7 and am going to have to use the hull on my M32 I though I might as well use up the turret!!!!! I'll think on it though, ho, ho, ho.

Thanks again for the feedback.

Cheers

Al :-) :-) :-)

Hi David: The four holes at the face of the VVS unit is a "must' with us Sherman modellers but I suspect in reality, those holes were quickly obscured with mud. While they're visible in wartime photos, they're equally obscured in other photos, too.

I don't think I'd knock a modeller who left them off. (But I always drill mine! )

Hi Roy,

This might one of those cases of 'knowing thery are there' :-) :-) :-) , a bit like the breech of the gun and somthing inside, we often cannot see them but somehow just knowing they are there makes us feel better. :-) :-) :-)

The one thing I don't like about the Dragon kits is the missing breech, drives me mad.

Most of my stuff is muddy so they probably won't be seen but I might give it a try for the experience.

As always thanks for you valued input, with Shermans there is always something else!!! , but I do love them

Cheers

Al

PS has anyone any tips on making the six little brackets that were on both the sides of the turret for attaching stowage??? I'm not sure how to approach this without making a complete pigs ear of it.

Al, I've seen the nodules in the photos of Fireflys in museums, I guess you cant have more british Sherman than a Firefly :-)

Cheers
Grzegorz

Hi Pedro,

Nodules are still on the Firefly, it was the Mk V turret I was wondering about, they don't appear on any of the low bustle resin stuff I've seen although with Shermans there is always an exception :-) :-) :-) :-)

Thanks anyway for the input.

Cheers

Al

Hi Alan: You're speaking about the tie downs on the turret side. Some PE sets (ABER) have a bunch of them. As you can imagine, they're quite fiddly. However, they aren't difficult to just make out of thin copper wire (thinnest guage) yourself. Bend, cut and super glue. I add tie downs all the time like that.

For some additional Sherman modelling tweaks, have a look here:

http://www.usarmymodels.com/ARTICLES/articles.html

Hi Roy,

Do you think these would pass muster???

edit: Picture removed to make gallery space - see below for update.

Not sure if they should be slightly further forward.

Cheers

Al

Is that a stowage box on the back of the turret? If it is, it looks like you have it mounted horizontally to the turret rather than vertically. The strip of bolts should form a "U" around the vertical sides of the box with the top or open part of the "U" facing the turret. It looks like the latches to the box's lid are on the top horizontal surface when they should be towards the top on the rear vertical face of the box.
Just thought I'd ask, since the box just doesn't quite look right to my sermi-trained eyes.

Gday Al
Careful! In your trouser leg! It's a Sherman bug! Don't let it bite y... Darn...
Hang about, I will post a pic of the bolt holes and some drainholes on the splash-rings...
Can also steer you in the direction of a tweaks list for the DML M4A1 early... Has some handy stuff...

http://www.enjoy-models.com/Specials/M4A1-tips/M4A1-tips.htm
Here you go... Of course it isn't hotlinked, as I'm as useful as a Harley's ashtray...

:EDIT:






Thought I'd include this, to show just what lunkers the kit supplied locking pins are compared to the real thing...


And don't forget to stamp the rubber tyres...

heehee...

Hi Al

You can make the weld-beads quite sloppy, they're more like melted candle wax than the serrated look they're sometimes given:

welds

Photo from Tanxheaven, with an added bonus of the fire extinguisher mount

I have so far chickened out on drilling the drain holes, but am moving towards having a bash, as drilling and sanding is more entertaining than painting.

Adding a breech can be a pain if you're thinking of having a commander figure as the Tamiya turret ring is smaller than the real Sherman, which moves the commander a little too far into the turret. So he can clash with the breech, as I discovered with the M4A3. But it's nice to have (as is a radio in the bustle )

The added shield round the co-ax seems to be relatively uncommon on British tanks (at least the ones I've seen in photographs)

All the best

David

EDIT: forgot the photo of the loops on the turret side

loops

Greetings all,

Ed, thanks for pointing that out :-) :-) :-) Ha ha, now I'm worried I'll go back and check on my others!!!!!! - One word 'Bugger', they are the same don't know how that didn't get picked up before. Oh well we live and learn!!!

Roy, thanks for the reference pictures but I'll leave the tyre marking off :-) :-) :-) , but give the others a go.

David, Thanks for the photo's - the bottom row of loops is much lower than I though it would be and I see there is a small one at the front also.

Plastic weld is on it's way so I'll see how that works out :-) :-) :-)

Thanks for all the info guys,

cheers

Al

There's a loop in the equivalent place at the other end, hidden round the curve of the turret, making six in all.

My ADV resin turret had them cast on

All the best

David

Hi David,

Thanks for that, a slight change needed then.

Ed,

Well spotted Sir - Have corrected the stowage boxes. Funny how you repeat the same thing, I'd built the Mk I like that and it had just followed on from there. Thank goodness it was an easy fix though!!! :-) :-) :-) :-)

I'll redistribute the hooks and post another picture later.

Cheer guys.

Al

Edit: as I'm in a hook mood and I have the other turrets out to alter them!!! - done now, I'll add a few missing ones where appropriate LOL, LOL.

Greetings all,

Here's some updated photos with what I hope are suitable amendments made??

I used .020 styrene rod as me and metal don't get on that well :-) :-) :-)

edit: photo removed for gallery space.

Constructive comments welcome.

Cheers

Al

PS note the holes in the petrol spillage thingi LOL, LOL, LOL

I don't know who's giving advice here, who can't count, and who can't look at photos, but this one is driving me mad. Got in on this discussion late, so I'll see if I can help now.

1. Glad you fixed the rear turret stowage box.
2. Those tie downs on the turret ARE ONLY ON THE LEFT SIDE (the side w/the pistol port), and there are EIGHT, not SIX like some clown said. Three on top, three on bottom, one on each side. Look at the Formations website at their firefly turret and you can see exactly where they go.

Visit track-link or Missing Lynx and look in their galleries. You obviously have internet access and need to take advantage of this. It'll make your life a lot easier.

Rob

Hi Robert,

Thanks for the feedback. On the picture David provided I can only see six, maybe I'm just blind but might there have been differences?? With Shermans that wouldn't surprise me.

Re the ties on the right hand side, don't sweat it I can easily remove them. However, question - how did they attach kit to the right hand side, I've see photo's with stowage on the right.?? more things to ponder :-) :-)

The bin is so obvious I don't know why I didn't spot it myself - bad habits!!!

Again many thanks.

Al