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Armor/AFV: Allied - WWII
Armor and ground forces of the Allied forces during World War II.
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M3 Stuart Honey WIP
jimz66
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Posted: Thursday, February 08, 2007 - 06:47 AM UTC
My next project that I started today is my M3 Honey in 1/35 scale and I have some questions. First how did anyone survive in such small tank? Second and more importantly how can I do the suspension and tracks with the side skirts already mounted? Has anyone tried this, and how well does it work? Any suggestions will be greatly appreciated. I finaly found the cable to my DC so I can upload the images to my Mac and then bring them to the library to upload them here on this site. So this one will be my first entry on the Armorama site. Man I think this scheme looks cool.

I should have the first batch of photos by Monday or Tuesday if not by Saturday.
wbill76
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Posted: Thursday, February 08, 2007 - 07:16 AM UTC
Jim,

If used in its designed role, it actually functioned quite well, but it wasn't designed as a tank-on-tank destroyer. Assume you're doing the Academy kit? If so, definitely go with the option of the one-piece tracks and you can fit the tracks easily even with the side skirts mounted.
trahe
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Posted: Thursday, February 08, 2007 - 04:50 PM UTC
I have this kit in my stash. Looking forward to seeing how yours turns out.
jimz66
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Posted: Friday, February 09, 2007 - 02:08 AM UTC
Well I made the first attempt ad uploading the files at the library and the files seamed to be in the wrong format. I will try again tomorrow and go from there. I have started on the turret, inside and out, lower hull/interior and the upper hull. I have the whole interior assemled except a few of the shell pieces and the top shelf support for them. I have not started on the road wheels or suspension yet. I plan to make the the tracks with the individual links provided in the kit. I don't like the rubber band type tracks they look too artificial.

Thanks Bill and Thomas for chiming in. I think that posting my photos will give the encouragement for me to finaly begin finishing my kits. I have several dozen or so in progress. I start them and never finish. Now it's just a matter of me figuring out the posting process.

Thanks again guys. Cheers.
AJLaFleche
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Posted: Friday, February 09, 2007 - 02:45 AM UTC
Your photo files should be in jpg format. Your editing software should be able to convert them. Open the image up in the editor, click on [i[File[/i] in the upper left hand corner, then Save as. A drop down menu should give upi a list of file extensio options. You may have to scroll up or down to find jpg or [ii] jpeg[/i]. Click on that option and rename the file.
jimz66
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Posted: Friday, February 09, 2007 - 09:09 PM UTC
Ok guys here are my photos. I can't quite figure out how to get them from Kit Maker to Armorama. If anyone can help. I would appreciate it.


http://photos.kitmaker.net/showgallery.php/cat/500/ppuser/22849

I apoligize as I have never done this before. So it will take some adjusting to get it done right. When I read the following link page I was, well even more confused.

https://armorama.kitmaker.net/modules.php?op=modload&name=FAQ&file=index&myfaq=yes&id_cat=9&categories=How+do+I+add+images+to+the+forums%3F&parent_id=1


Sorry the photos are duplicated I will rectify that later. The images are the same just repeated. Ok I also don' t know how to make these as links. Sorry guys I am not that web savvy yet. I will get there though so bear with me.

Thanks Jim.
BM2
#151
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Posted: Friday, February 09, 2007 - 09:12 PM UTC
http://photos.kitmaker.net/showgallery.php/cat/500/ppuser/22849
Does anybody make a 1/35 Humphrey Bogart?
jimz66
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Posted: Friday, February 09, 2007 - 09:19 PM UTC
Thanks John. How do I set up the photos here though? And what did you do to create that link?
AJLaFleche
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Posted: Friday, February 09, 2007 - 09:23 PM UTC
Jim's made this too easy :-)
Click on your thumbnail to get teh full size image. Click on the "Copy to Clipboard" button next to the "UBBC code" box. Come back to your post , right click and choose paste. For multiple pics,you can paste into word and go Edit/Select all/Copy then come back to your post and paste.
jimz66
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Posted: Friday, February 09, 2007 - 09:27 PM UTC
Your not playing fair Al. I havent done this before. Thanks I will try again. I will be at the library another thirty minutes or so.
Removed by original poster on 02/10/07 - 23:34:05 (GMT).
Removed by original poster on 02/10/07 - 23:37:04 (GMT).
jimz66
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Posted: Friday, February 09, 2007 - 09:37 PM UTC


Here is the inside of the turret. Next step here is to assemble and install the gun.





Here is the upper hull section. Not much going on here just yet.



Here is the interior. All except the shells and upper shelves are in place. I will put those in after painting and weatheing.





Two images of the upper and lower hulls dry fitted together along with the upper turret.


Thanks John and Al. Sorry for the remark Al. Nice photos of your work Al I looked at them this morning . More photos next week now that I know what I am doing.
BM2
#151
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Virginia, United States
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Posted: Friday, February 09, 2007 - 09:55 PM UTC
By George,-I think he's Got it! Nice work on the tank BTW
jjumbo
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Posted: Saturday, February 10, 2007 - 02:24 PM UTC

Quoted Text

Jim,

If used in its designed role, it actually functioned quite well, but it wasn't designed as a tank-on-tank destroyer. Assume you're doing the Academy kit?



Hey James.
Bill's correct when he says that theStuart wasn't designed to go toe to toe with with tanks like the Pz.Kpfw. III's and IV's.
It was designed as a light tank but with rivetted armour, a high profile from the air cooled aircraft engine and a 37mm pop gun that wasn't quite as powerful as the 2 pounder, it wasn't going to be safe place to be in a tank on tank battle.
But the British tankers called it the "Honey" because it was faster, more reliable and much easier to maintain than some of the brutes the Brits were saddled with like the A9, A10 and early Cruiser tanks like the A13 and Covenator.
I'd go with the one piece tracks to avoid any hassles with painting and fitting them with the side skirts.
And do your reasearch on your markings if you're doing a Western Desert version, the Academy markings have some problems with accuracy and some glaring errors.
Cheers

jjumbo
jimz66
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Posted: Monday, February 12, 2007 - 06:12 AM UTC
Did not get to far this weekend, but made a few parts of progress. I did my first section of srcatchbuilding. I also made a jig for the tracks that I hope will come out right. Like I said I do not like the rubber tracks. Aside from that I broke a pin off of one of them today trying to see what it would look like with tracks on it. Thanks for the help, John, John and Al.




Here are two shots of the chassies. I have partly assembled the boagies, and dry fitted them for now. I will remove them after painting for easier assembly of the tracks and the weathering process.




Here are two shots of the upper hull. I have added a piece of .020 sheet stryene for the hole in bottom of the back end. My first attempt at ever scratchbuilding anything. Also added are the rear fenders and side bars.


Here I have partly assembled the gun and installed the front plate on the upper turret portion.




Here are two views of the dry fitted hull together with my current progress.
jjumbo
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Posted: Monday, February 12, 2007 - 07:06 AM UTC
Hey James,

It's kind of late in your build to mention this but if ever decide to build another "Western Desert" Campaign M3 "Honey", you could thin down the sand skirts and their "hangers" a bit.

The proper name for the "hangers" escapes me but they were used to mount a wood and canvas camouflage likeness of a truck over the tank.
The Brits would sometimes pull a trailer behind these tanks to fool German/Italian recon planes into thinking they "Lorrys".
They did the reverse to make cars and small trucks look like tanks.

Anyway, I've built 2 of these kits and the skirts look to be a scale 25 to 75mm thick (1" to 3" for our non-metric brethren) when they were probably around 5mm (or less) thick.
Verlinden had (has?) a conversion for the ancient Tamiya M3 that came with PE sand skirts and hangers along with all the bits required to build a "Honey" or early welded turret U.S. Stuart.
You might want to try making thinner skirts out of thin sheet styrene or if you like, thin sheet copper or brass.

Either way, it will improve the appearance of the finished product.
I'll be interested to see out it looks when complete.
Cheers

jjumbo
jimz66
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Posted: Friday, February 23, 2007 - 10:16 PM UTC
Guys I will have an update for you by Tuesday or Thursday. Sorry for the delay. Things have been chaotic in the last two weeks. You will here from me soon. I promise.
tankmodeler
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Posted: Saturday, February 24, 2007 - 11:45 PM UTC
Without trying to crap on a build that seems to be going well, and acknowledging that you may not care, did you know that the kit interior provided by Academy is completely incorrect? It's the interior for an M3A1 and not the M3 you are building. The interior differences are quite siginificant.

Again, you may not care and if you don't, then igonore me and continue on with your build. :-)

Paul
Halaci
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Posted: Sunday, February 25, 2007 - 02:29 AM UTC
Yes, unfortunately the interior is far from the real thing. If nothing else, omit the turret basket, because it was not in this version. First I wanted to make mine with open hatches, but than I decided no because so many things should have been modified.
GeraldOwens
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Posted: Sunday, February 25, 2007 - 06:24 AM UTC

Quoted Text

Guys I will have an update for you by Tuesday or Thursday. Sorry for the delay. Things have been chaotic in the last two weeks. You will here from me soon. I promise.


Another issue with the kit is that the gun tube is too long. The early M3 tanks had the gun (originally from the 37mm antitank gun) shortened by six inches so it would not extend past the leading edge of the hull. Prewar designers were inordinately worried about drivers spiking the gun tube into buildings and things--once firepower became an issue, this was soon forgotten. Later production M3 and M3A1 tanks used the full-length gun tube.
There are a host of things that need fixing with this kit (look up online reviews for a list), but just choose those that seem significant to you--otherwise it will become a lifetime project!
GaryKato
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Posted: Sunday, February 25, 2007 - 08:08 AM UTC
You might want to read , strike that, you MUST read "Brazen Chariots" by Major Robert Crisp.
jimz66
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Posted: Friday, March 09, 2007 - 12:12 AM UTC




Here are three updated photos of the Stuart WIP. Sorry not much to report on this one as I have had a rough couple of weeks as well as woring on other things. Hope all is well. Look for my next posting on my Matilida as these two kits will be painted at the same time in the same scheme. Thanks for looking. As well as the support.
markvs
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Posted: Saturday, June 02, 2007 - 02:04 PM UTC
having been in a late m3 type, I seem to remember that there was quite a lot of room inside, more than I thought there would be. However, there was no turret basket in this type, and twin turret top hatches. I was given the commanders posn. for a ride, and felt quite roomy, but I am not so sure about the other [places, especially the driver/bow gunner. These vehicles have a good turn of speed to. In the late m3, the crew had to climb over everything inside as they turned the turret, (manually) and the ammo boxes were different to that in the kit, Hope this helps, ?
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