1/35 Tamiya M51 Super Sherman

[plasmahal]

1/35 Tamiya M51 Super Sherman


OK, here is Tamiya's 2011 release of the Israeli Defence Forces M51 Sherman.

Background on the Sherman:

The M51 Sherman

By 1961 the Israeli Government ordered the new and more powerful French 105 mm Modèle F1 gun. However due to their length, these were modified for the use in Shermans: The barrel was reduced from 56 caliber to 44 and equipped with a muzzle brake, while ammunition was altered to use a smaller cartridge. Due to the nature of the conversions (based on Cummins M4A1s) the hulls were married with modified M4(76) turrets. By 1965 the new tanks named officially M51 Sherman but also "Super Sherman" or "Isherman" (or Israeli Sherman). The M51 was revealed to the public in a Independence Day ceremony in 1965. 180 Shermans were so converted. By this time M50/51 constituted the bulk of the Israeli tank force, prior to obtain the British Centurion. Non-converted Shermans were used for other duties.


Source:

http://www.tanks-encyclopedia.com/coldw ... herman.php

I plan to do my M51 at the end of it's busy service life with the IDF. It will be in a maintenance bay ready to be decommissioned from service. For this I will make a diorama base of a suitable building.

[plasmahal]

Assembly - Step One

Lower hull sides were cleaned up. A few ejection pin marks were removed the rest will be hidden behind the wheels. The rear side plates were glued into place.








Assembly - Step Two


Real bulkhead is made up of several pieces. The exhaust needs some clean-up on a seam line. The exhaust was not glued in placed as I plan to paint/weather this separately and add it later.








Assembly - Step Three


Lower hull comes together with the lower hull base, sides, rear bulkhead and that distinctive Sherman front end.








Assembly - Step Four


Now the drive sprockets are assembled with a polycap in the middle and only gluing the 2 halves together leaving the centre flanges to be free to rotate. Four return rollers are made up too.





Assembly - Step Five


Has the lower have a bulkhead fitted. Small idler wheels were cleaned up but all wheels will be painted and fitted later on.





Assembly - Step six


Took a while but 6 suspension assemblies were made up, a load of road wheels and the rear idlers.

[mincemeat]

Lookin' spanky man! Can't wait to see more! I just wish Tamiya armor didn't come with the rubber band tracks. It makes me sad.

[plasmahal]

Assembly - Step Eight


Work started on the upper hull by drilling 1mm holes as per the instructions.









Assembly - Step Nine


The two front hatches are assembled along with the rear engine cover and hatches.









Assembly - Steps Ten and Eleven

Now lots of tools, brackets, lights etc get fitted. The tools and some bits are getting painted seperatly and attached later.









Assembly - Step Twelve


The front horn cover is assembled along witht the rear cargo desk. The exhaust and cover are getting painted seperatly and attached later.





Assembly - Step Thirteen


More assorted bits adorn the upper hull and again some bits are getting painted seperatly and attached later.








Assembly - Step Fourteen


Several jerry cans are assembled and left for painting and attaching later.





Assembly - Step Fifteen


Upper and lower hulls go together now with no issues at all. So more stowage boxes are fittted but spare wheels will be attached later.








Assembly - Step Sixteen


Main gun barrel, Muzzle brake and gun mount are assembled. The gun mount has poly caps and swivle brackets attached so the gun can elevated.





Assembly - Steps Seventeen, Eighteen and Nineteen


Time for the turret to be aseembled. Again, goes together well and seams look like welds etc. Lots of bits to add to the turret.








Just need to finish off a few bits but nearly there. That's a mahoosive gun...

[plasmahal]

Okay, some finishing off done. Turret and mantle sorted. I have added a few scrap bits. The engine intakes have has some PE mesh fitted as anti-grenade covers. The cable is fitted with some plasticard brackets to look more authentic. The turret side grenade launchers have had some wire added as lanyards for the tube covers.

[plasmahal]

Painting - Part One

So the painting begins with all parts being primed with grey stynylrez.

Then the main hull, turret/gun and some other parts got a base coat of Tamiya XF-69, Nato Black.

This will serve as an all over pre-shade where the top coat will be darkened by the base coat.

[razzie43]

Very nice clean build,not one piece of glue!
Excellent building,now the painting job.
Good luck with your Tamiya kit.

http://www.puttyandpaint.com/images/upl ... _sized.jpg

I like this one on weathering,what colours you gonna use ??

[plasmahal]

Painting - Part Two

I mixed up Tamiya XF-20 medium grey and XF-57 Buff in around approx 50/50 then thinned with about 60% of X-20A thinners.

Main hull and gun/turret were given a light coat. Then I went in closer to block in larger areas to bring out the shading effect.

Then a load of wheel and other bits were painted.

[plasmahal]

Painting - Part Three

Wheels and suspensions parts have all been fitted now.

Some of the bits and bobs like fuel/water jerry cans, spare track links etc have been fitted.

Just need to finish of the tools.

[Stokesy44]

Looking very nice, and that is one massive gun, fellah!!

[Coen]

Looking very nice, and that is one massive gun, fellah!!

You say that to all the guys


Super build so far bud, nothing builds as easy or as fast as a tamiya kit.
Nice fixes too.

[plasmahal]

Thanks guys.

It is proving to be a thoroughly enjoyable build.

[Navcom]

Really liking the build! Looking forward to seeing How you finish it.

[plasmahal]

Painting/Decal - Part Four

Over the weekend I got the M51 gloss coated with Pledge (low pressure with 0.4 needle works for me).

Then the kit decals were applied with Micro set and sol.

Once the decals were dry, I used some enamels thinners and cotton buds to remove the carrier film and then a stiff paint brush to chip the decals away for the worn look.

Decals were then sealed with another coat of pledge.









Weathering - Part One

I decided to start the weathering off with a pin wash of Raw Umber oil paint thinned with low odour thinners.

[plasmahal]

Diorama - Part One

I haven't decided yet on where to go with the weathering on the M51. So in the meantime I made a start on the diorama I had in the back of my mind. The setting is just a basic workshop. I used foam board to make the base and sidewalls after measuring up again a picture frame that will make the base. Then a raid on the bits box for some 1/35 bits and some other random parts.

[plasmahal]

Tracks- Part One

I'm sticking with the kits rubber tracks as there's no discernible sag with the HVSS suspension. I primed using XF-20 50/50 with mr color thinner. Then base coated with XF-84, dark iron 50/50 with mr color thinner. This was then dry brushed with Mr color iron metalizer. Then all sealed with alclad aqua gloss.

[arkbuilder2012]

Super clean build. Think you really nailed the IDF color.

[plasmahal]

Diorama - Part Two

Diorama was primed with halfords grey primer from a rattle can. I then picked out the metal parts with AK's rust primer and sponged on some maskol.
I used XF-22 RLM grey as the base colour for a concrete look. Then I liberally (I mean too much) sponged on more maskol. Then an all over
colour of XF-20 medium grey. Then a lower colour of XF-60 dark yellow and a top band of XF-57 buff. Then the maskol was rubbed off. I had the
right effect but over done and not random enough. So I went back with the top coiurs to fill in and also make it look the workshop has had a
rough paint job. I will then weather the paint further.

[plasmahal]

Weathering - Part Two and finishing off

The diorama was finished off with a matt coat then a clay wash of grime. A bit of clean up and I have a dirty workshop. Was going to weather some more but the wash was more intense than I expected so I left it alone.

As for the M51, the lower half was dusted with a dark sand pigment and heavy coating on the tracks was fixed with IPA. Then an all over dusting of light sand with some areas having a clean up. I was happy
with the look so stopped there. Everything then a had a coat of dullcote.

I used IPA and some rust pigments to give colour and texture to main exhaust then used a tamiya weathering set to add some soot deposits.




I finished off with some stretched sprue to make a whip aeriel dry brushed and the anchored with some ezline.

I think that's pretty much it.

Thanks for watching.

[Stokesy44]

Superb. Subtle and brilliant.