DML Sherman M4A3 (105mm) HVSS #6354

[BUCKY]

Progress is looking good, Uncle Tony!!

[tony]

Yep workable,separate tires,aluminum barrel,PE yet to come and lots of decals too.

Thanks all for confirming that's a Sherman look-a-like.

Tony lee

[JCON]

Yer welcome Unk T!!!

[BUCKY]

I sent you a PM, Tony.

[Beekster]

It does look like a Sherman. But before you go too far, Tony, you need to rework the lift rings and the engine deck door stops. The front lift rings are on backwards; the long side should be towards the bottom of the glacis and rise vertically fron it. The rear lift rings are perpendicular to the sponson, and they should be vertical with respect to the ground (that is, sitting on the sponson at an angle to the inside. Same goes for the door stops, vertical with respect to the ground plane. Take a look at these shots of a gate guardian in Nebraska:








upload facebook picture

[dogfish7 (R.I.P.)]

Well splained Beekster.

[tony]

Thanks Beek.
I notice the front rings when I took the picture.The rear rings I didn't know if they were vertical or at an angle,the door stops I didn't even know what they were?? Can fix everything with ease.

Since you're here what is the most accurate Sherman kit by far in 1/35th plastic,no resin. I can handle the cost.

Thanks again Beekster
Tony

[tony]

Sitrep

Here's the PE supplied and after I wash my hands we'll see if we can bend this stuff into shape.



Tony lee

[Beekster]

Feb 14, 2018 10:37:01 GMT -6 tony said:

Thanks Beek.
I notice the front rings when I took the picture.The rear rings I didn't know if they were vertical or at an angle,the door stops I didn't even know what they were?? Can fix everything with ease.

Since you're here what is the most accurate Sherman kit by far in 1/35th plastic,no resin. I can handle the cost.

Thanks again Beekster
Tony

The most accurate are everything Tasca/Asuka  for WW2.  They are by far the best.  There are minor detail omissions on all of them if you get down into the weeds of factory-specific features, but all of those are easily dealt with.  One area that does require a bit of effort to fix is the taillights.  While the correct left/right lens patterns are depicted well, the mountings are crude:  Simple blades that fit into slots on the hull.  If you look at my thread on the Sherman ARV Mk.1 you will see that I have filled those slots with strip stock.  The lights can be modified by cutting away most of the blade and reshaping the remainder just a bit, and adding a new base.  It should look like this:


I have also solved this problem by cutting the blade off entirely and drilling out the back of the light housing, then bending some .020" brass wire for the standoff, leaving it long on the bottom and making a base out of styrene strip with a couple of bolt heads.  Then drill the new base for the rod, figure out where you want it, and mark the spot with a dot of paint on the bottom of the rod.  Drill the hull at the paint mark, and attach the light.  This method results in a very strong light  that won't break off.  There are resin versions that aren't terribly expensive, but they won't be as strong.

Tamiya's M51 is superb, with only one really unfortunate fault:  It represents an early configuration for 1967 and earlier with the first version of the Cummins engine deck (no louvers) and only a single stowage box per side.  The kit can be easily back-dated to the original Continental radial-engine version, which had this stowage pattern, by using a standard M4A1 rear plate and engine deck.  The taillights are wrong here too, but that's true of literally every Sherman kit on the market.  Tamiya is also the only M51 kit with a muzzle brake that is the correct shape and size.  I have measurement from three real ones, and they vary by as much as an inch and a half, so there's a little Kentucky Windage in what constitutes correct.  Tamiya fits smack in the middle of the three measurements.  Dragon is much too small; Academy is much too large and too flat as well.

[tony]

Thanks much more Beek, man you are full of Sherman.

Sitrep
The running boards are ready to mount and the front mud guards are soldered up and ready to install.





Time for a coffee break.
Later
Tony lee

[JCON]

Nice metal work Unk!!!

[JEFF]

Nice metal work, Tony. Very neat soldering, Dude.

[BUCKY]

Nice metal work! Oh....somebody already said that? Anyway...I agree!!!!

[tony]

Thanks Guys
Beekster I ordered the Asuka/Tasca M4A3E8 (Easy Eight) this morning,this better be good

Tony lee

[Beekster]

Feb 14, 2018 17:38:36 GMT -6 tony said:

Thanks Guys
Beekster I ordered the Asuka/Tasca M4A3E8 (Easy Eight) this morning,this better be good

Tony lee

Good for you!  You will find the fit and fidelity of detail to be far better than the Dragon kit.  One thing I must admit, though...I've never used Tasca's tracks.  There's nothing really wrong with them, but I prefer link tracks and always use those where possible.  The Easy Eight has the single-pin T66 tracks, if I remember correctly.  A set of Friuls would be a nice upgrade, or Dragon's plastic Magic Tracks if you have a kit with those.  They work with the Tasca sprocket; I've set aside that track set for an eventual American HVSS Firefly project.  The pioneer tools are fine; just cut off the lumps that represent the straps and replace them with straps from any suitable spare P/E set or wine bottle foil.  I've already mentioned the taillights so you are good to go on those.  The P/E light guards are a little thin, but with careful work I have been able to thin down the plastic ones to a more scale appearance.

[tony]

The last sitrep for today

"BORING"


Tomorrow is another day
Tony lee

[BUCKY]

Ahhhhhhh.......trackage!!!

[JCON]

Tracking nice and straight my brother!!! Well done Unk!!!

[JED]

Great modelling going on with equally useful information 👍

[dogfish7 (R.I.P.)]

Nice soldering and trackage Tony.