Moving on with the Tamiya M4 Sherman (Early Production)

[Dwight A. Ta-ala]

To take advantage of my free time this weekend, I decided to build another tank. I selected this M4 Sherman (Early Production) kit from Tamiya because I know that it would be a relatively simple and hassle free build. I know that this kit also has some shortcomings as far as details are concerned and I may replace some parts with those from the parts box. I do have the more detailed Dragon version of this kit but I may go that in my next builds.




So, moving on the the work in progress...

I started with the lower hull and added the sponson floors using styrene.



The underside of the lower hull was pretty much bare so I added some details to make it look busier. The bolts might be out of scale but again, it still looks much better than before.  I also shaved off the mounting plates for the suspension as I will be using the AFV Club suspension with horizontal arms for the return rollers which is more correct for the early version. I also replaced with molded handle of the engine doors with a spare.



For the upper hull, I have started by raising the weld beds using stretched sprue.



I have assembled the suspension from AFV Club which is also more detailed than the kit supplied ones. However I have to replace the road wheels as even the ones from AFV Club are hollow at the back. I used the spare ones from a Dragon kit. I also added some additional mounting details from the parts box. I will continue cleaning the assembly once the glue is cured.



Well, there it is folks. A little bit of a weekend progress. I am looking forward to the next weekend to continue working on this kit.

[dogfish7 (R.I.P.)]

Looks like you're off to a great start! I'll be here enjoying every part of your build.

[JCON]

Nice project and fantastic additions Dwight!!! Good to have you back in the grove!!!

[Beekster]

That's a kit that needs a lot of help, and you are certainly providing it. The AFV Club wheels aren't just hollow; they're also oversized. I'm not a big fan of Dragon Sherman kits, but their suspension parts are generally pretty good, depending on the kit. They've revised the molds more than once over the years. Are you going to replace the antenna pot on the glacis? Tamiya got that badly wrong; it's a style used on the M4A4 and not any of the M4 producers.

[RLFoster]

Off to another great start, Dwight! Well done!

[Dwight A. Ta-ala]

Bruce/Joe: I hope that I can sustain it. Thanks.

Beekster: Yes, I will be replacing it probably with a scratchbuilt part as I am sure I don't have any spare part for it. I have actually started cutting around it.

Robert: Thanks.

[Beekster]

Dwight, Do you have the Son of Sherman reference book? It's perfect for dialing in details like the antenna pot. I do have it, so if you do not and want to nail down features from a particular factory let me know. I would be happy to troll through it and scan a page or two. Since you are keeping the kit upper hull, only one factory is ruled out and that's Baldwin. Every tank they built had a vertical rear plate, not sloped.

[rustybaer]

This is the kind of build that makes me happy!

[Dwight A. Ta-ala]

Apr 19, 2021 7:11:03 GMT -6 Beekster said:

Dwight, Do you have the Son of Sherman reference book? It's perfect for dialing in details like the antenna pot. I do have it, so if you do not and want to nail down features from a particular factory let me know. I would be happy to troll through it and scan a page or two. Since you are keeping the kit upper hull, only one factory is ruled out and that's Baldwin. Every tank they built had a vertical rear plate, not sloped.

Beekster,

Unfortunately, I do not have that book. I only have the book by R. P. Hunnicut and CDs with walk around pictures that I have yet to scan through.

I will appreciate it very much if you can post some reference pics here.

Thanks.

[Dwight A. Ta-ala]

Apr 19, 2021 14:41:12 GMT -6 rustybaer said:

This is the kind of build that makes me happy!

Ah yes. The hobby should always make us happy. 

[Beekster]

These references should help you, Dwight. Tamiya pretty much copied the M4A4 glacis, which means the antenna pot and weld seam pattern are all wrong. The shape of the driver's hoods could use some refinement to soften the contours, too, but that's straightforward sanding work. Here are the antenna pot variations:


This is the general plan with features labeled for the typical dry-stowage M4:


This shows the glacis plate variations:


Note that the weld seam patterns run right next to the driver's hoods, along with other variations to how the plates and castings were welded depending on which factory made them.

Here is a list of some other notable features and when certain factories introduced them:



Basic M4s like this were build by Baldwin (out unless you want to do rear plate surgery), Alco (American Locomotive Company) PSC (Pressed Steel Car), and PSCC (Pullman Standard Car Company). There are other variations, such as the style of lift rings. For those too, certain suppliers were tied to specific assembly plants, and so some variations to the shape of the lift rings (like with weld pads or without) are also factory-specific.

Having just dumped this on you, you should also think about what else you want to do with the model, such as stowage. It's entirely possible that some of what you could choose to model for a particular factory could be totally obscured by stuff like spare wheels, sandbags, etc.

[Dwight A. Ta-ala]

Thank you very much, Beekster.

Those are very detailed information about the M4 and will surely be very helpful in my build. 

I really appreciate your effort. I can't wait till weekend to continue working on the kit. 

[BUCKY]

Off to a good start, Dwight! Let the fun commence!

[dogfish7 (R.I.P.)]

Who knew, right??!!

[JCON]

Apr 20, 2021 6:01:57 GMT -6 dogfish7 (R.I.P.) said:

Who knew, right??!!

Beekster did!!!

[Beekster]

Apr 20, 2021 10:40:04 GMT -6 JCON said:

Apr 20, 2021 6:01:57 GMT -6 dogfish7 (R.I.P.) said:

Who knew, right??!!

Beekster did!!!

Not just me.  The information is out there, though it is a shame that the best reference work to date is now out of print and selling for stupendous sums on the secondary market.  But for all the complexity, there is method to the madness.  When the War Production Board set up the production lines, they did so in a way that simplified logistics as much as possible with suppliers of various components usually shipping to the nearest final assembly plants.  The parts drawings specified the critical dimensions that had to be met, but precisely how that was done was up to the supplier and the War Department only got cranky when production schedules slipped badly.  For modelers, images are invaluable in modifying kit parts to represent components specific to certain manufacturers.

Things like the applique plates on the sides of welded-hull dry-stowage tanks were standard parts, too, and their official placement was quite specific and measured from the turret centerline.  Also standard were the plates for the front driver's hoods.  The cast hull and composite hulls had more variation as a result of having to match the curvature of the hull.  Factory-applied applique tended to be more regular than that applied at depot level.

[JED]

Grea work Dwight and help Beekster

[rustybaer]

That's a wonderful book, my only problem is trying to keep all the info straight, especially mid-build. Sometimes it's actually too much, but hey, wadd'ya want? The line drawings are worth their weight in.... well, maybe gold.

[ARMORGUY]

Beekster to the rescue and a great build so far.

[JED]

Not to pinch a thread but Zvezda have recently on Instagram shown some CAD images of their planned release of an updated Sherman M4A3, corrections have been made by viewers in the know and they are happy to receive further corrections by those in the know before they release it