DRUMS01 1/16 Sherman M4A3E8

[DRUMS01]

And the steps just keep on coming, now Steps 23 and 24. These represent adding the main gun to the turret and the creation of the loader's and commander's seats.



Since we have yet to open a bottle of paint, Jarrod and I are going to wait to attach the main gun to the turret till there is some color on them. So we are going to go straight to Step 24, the seats. While the instructions show you how to assemble them in the folded position, we decided to build them in the open seat position. To achieve that all you need to do is orient part M49 (seat bottom) to parts J45, J46 in the open position.



Steps 25 and 26 instruct the builder on how to assemble the M2 50 cal machine gun and the commander's cupola.



Both of these sub assemblies went together easily and look great when finished. The details on the 50 cal. jump out to the modeler and include separate charging handle, feed tray cover, hand grips, thumb trigger, as well as an accurate feed tray and gun cradle. We were enjoying the build so much that we decided to modify the 50 cal. by removing the solid sight hood at the front of the receiver and replacing it with a thin flat piece of cut spare plastic, and now we have a see through sight hood. As a matter of fact, we liked how the MG looked so Jarrod and I decided to add SOL resin ammunition to the ammo can and feed tray. Here again is the 50 cal photo (previously shown). We also just ordered 1/16 decals for the 50 and 30 cal ammo cans, which will be added after paint. The ammo is just sitting in the can and feed tray ready for paint:



Step 26 is the cupola and offers all of the minutia of an actual TC cupola. It is assembled in several sub assemblies in keeping with the rest of the instructions. While the instructions show how to add the TC periscope to the top of the hatch, this one is like the others and allows you to add it or not (we added the periscope). All of the handles and controls are present as you can see in the hatch portion of the cupola:





Jarrod and I debated on if we should add the clear parts before or after painting but eventually decided to add them now. Here is a photo of the assembled 50 cal. and cupola on the turret and the turret resting on the hull. If you look close you can see a bunch of after market "stuff" sitting on the front and back of the tank. Not sure if that is the final position of the "stuff" but it gives the idea of our intentions:



One thing is certain, Jarrod is eagerly awaiting the painting phase as he is going to get his first time experience with an airbrush. Thanks again for following along or leaving your motivating responses. Once again we have to go,.... till next time.

Ben and Jarrod

[Stokesy44]

More good work, its really moving along now.

Can I ask where you ordered the decals for the ammo cans from please? I need some for my Sherman but also for the 0.50 on my jeep.

Thanks, David

[digger303]

Not sure if these are the ones , but they aren't far from you. I also heard their decals are problematic, but have never used them myself.
https://www.peddinghaus-decals.de/1-16- ... anguage=en
Do not know these.
https://www.ebay.com/itm/114424433784

[DRUMS01]

Stokesy, those are similar to the ones I used on my SAS jeep (as digger has indicated). Actually, the ones I used are from Echelon One Details and they were recreated for the Vietnam era. I used them on my SAS jeep build and had no problems with them; but individual results may vary(?). When I was building the jeep I could not find any WW2 ammo can stencils, so these were the next best, and they apparently did not appear to bad on the jeep as it won 2nd place out of more than 100 models at a recent IPMS regional contest.



I did actually use the Peddinghaus brand on the Deutsche Handgranaten (German hand grenades) for the SAS jeep and they were terrible! It seemed like the only thing they stuck on were themselves or your fingers. Once they were applied they totally disappeared in the color of the paint, I mean they were so transparent in color that basically any colors shown through and over powered the decal. Thanks for bringing that vivid reality back to me digger (just kidding). I guess we will see how the WW2 50/30 cal ammo can stencils work on this kit.

Up next is Step 27. It involves attaching the upper and lower turret, the cupola, 50 cal., and gun shield. Regarding the gun shield (also know on some tanks as the mantlet), it is contingent on having the main gun already added to the upper turret. As you already know, we are going to paint the sub assemblies before attaching everything together. You also have the option to add the gun shield with or without the canvas dust cover.



Regardless of the chosen gun shield, you will end up with an authentic looking shield for the model. For nothing more than additional interest, Jarrod and I chose the option with the canvas cover. The 4 part cover has positive alignment tabs and fits together very well. We may add some texture to the canvas, but other than that it looks wonderful. Here is how it looks placed (sitting) around the gun shield:



Since we are at the point of painting, that is all we can do on step 27, now on to Step 28.



This is all about the main gun barrel and the kit gives you two options; a two part plastic barrel or a turned metal barrel. Of course Jarrod and I chose the solid metal barrel. The 4 part M2 muzzle break is a wonderful piece of modeling and even includes barrel rifling. The real muzzle break weighed 87.5 pounds and required a corresponding counterweight applied inside the turret / near the breach. You can see that the kit did strived for accuracy and provided the counterweight as seen on the recoil guard (below).



At this point, here is what the complete main gun assemblies look like:



The last step in the build is Step 29 which is assembly of the crew figure.



Considering the number of parts, the assembly is straight forward and keeps the number of seams needing attention to a minimum. The hands and feet do not have specific tabs or pins for a certain location. This can be good and bad; good that you have some flexibility of how they will be posed, and bad if you are not careful the right hand may not rest naturally on the cupola or he may not be able to stand unsupported (meaning he may be leaning on his right foot). The Commander's hand mike is made of three detailed small parts but the fit and position in the hand is very well done. It's a shame that the detail of the microphone will hardly be seen once the figure is fully assembled:





Strangely enough, the head and helmet is made up using 8 pieces. Jarrod and I think that is a lot for just the head, but once together look just fine. (base coats applied)



Jarrod and I decided to keep the figure and its head separate until the painting is done.

Earlier Jarrod and I provided a sneak peek at some of the after market stowage were going be adding on the model. Here are a couple better photos of what we will try to do (perhaps different locations too). The more we look at actual war photos the more we see sand bags or tank links on the front and not a bunch of boxes or ammo cans. In contrast most of them are at the rear of the vehicle which is common sense. After all, you would normally not want to place ammunition or flammables in the exposed front of a battle tank. So these images are more of what we will use and not there specific locations.







Well, that's it, we reached the point of painting everything, and we mean everything:





Our next update should be more colorful. Oh! we almost forgot, we also purchased a couple crew figures and a couple more that will be standing on the engine deck, talking with the Tank Commander along with some ration coxes. We hope to show them at the reveal.

So, bye for now, but we'll be back soon.

Ben and Jarrod

[digger303]

Marvellous just marvellous
I was just reading this morning a review on 3 modern 1/16 ammo cans ( after ww2 ) and a comparison was done and FCM models fared rather poorly.
AFV club and Classy Hobby came fairly well.

[Stokesy44]

Excellent work, its great to see all the parts building up and shown like that. I cant decide on the gun shield for my Sherman, I will probably do what you have done - build the canvas screen and see how cool it looks!

Stowage is looking good and will add some nice colour offset versus the olive drab (no pun intended).

Re the figure, I think he's supposed to be leaning on the tank if you dont put him in the hatch. I dont think he will stand up unless he's casually leaning against the side of the beast.

[Mpfiend]

What a superb build log, this has come together very quickly!

[DRUMS01]

Thanks digger, and we're enjoying your Mautlier truck build too (forgive if our spelling is wrong). We eagerly await for the final reveal. Cheers!

Well Stokesy, we are thinking of either using some CA cement to staple the canvas for texture or a thick paint. As for everything being OD Green, Jarrod and I were also thinking about painting it up in a Korean War monster face, but that would mean the front slope would mostly be empty. Not sure how we will proceed. Regarding the figure Jarrod and I agree with your assessment regarding his hunching to the right to lean. Still, careful alignment is needed for natural positioning and posture.

Hey Keith, we appreciate you. We decided on a detailed build log prior to opening the box. With only a few of these built we thought it would be appreciated by those who have one. We do not claim to know everything about the kit or consider ourselves "all that". We just thought kit owners and those thinking about being a kit owner would like the detail of the build. I'm sure as more of these are built, and potentially more after-market becomes available, we all will see some unbelievable builds by some master modelers.

I wonder if they will eventually come out with a Fire Fly or tank retriever version? Those could be awesome too.

[Stokesy44]

I wonder if they will eventually come out with a Fire Fly or tank retriever version? Those could be awesome too.

Andy's HHQ have got 2 new releases to be announced in the next few weeks. Both are WW2 western allied AFVs and one is British. So you never know.

On the subject of Andy's kits, I got an email from the Bovington Tank Museum Shop yesterday, the retailer I bought my Tiger from. ITS ON ITS WAY!

[Josebagasteiz]

A beautiful model!! The assembly seems to be a delight.

Keep it up.

[DRUMS01]

Sorry for not showing more on this build. Jarrod and I are well. I have been very busy working in the yard, painting rooms in the house, attending sporting events, and more. I hope to be showing some progress in the next couple weeks. Till then, stay safe and keep modeling!

Ben and Jarrod (DRUMS01)

[Stokesy44]

Sorry for not showing more on this build. Jarrod and I are well. I have been very busy working in the yard, painting rooms in the house, attending sporting events, and more. I hope to be showing some progress in the next couple weeks. Till then, stay safe and keep modeling!

Ben and Jarrod (DRUMS01)

Nothing wrong with life getting in the way. Glad you're busy and the bench isn't going anywhere

[BigWall]

Good to hear that you're both doing fine.

[DRUMS01]

Jarrod and I finally got a little time at the bench. Before we start on the exterior of the Sherman we needed to paint the internal areas, including the main gun assembly so the kit could be buttoned up. Here are some photos of the completed main gun to include the 30 cal turret machine gun.









Along the way we've also managed to purchase other items to add to the build, including additional figures.



Looking at their faces, they must all be brothers (smile). Working on that...




Next we found some rank/grade and unit markings for the figures.



During that process we lucked upon some 1/16 WW2 ration boxes too.



The colors we are looking to duplicate for the crew are found in these pictures.







For the exterior of the tank Jarrod and I decided to use a rattle can for the big parts and then airbrush the smaller assemblies. One thing we found out is that the availability of spray can hobby colors is more difficult than it used to be. Vallejo for example had numerous WW2 greens for British, French, Russian, and German colors, but we were had pressed to locate Olive Drab Green. Same for MIG or AK. Tamiya had two separate sites that only had one can each, but the cost plus shipping and tax was crazy (?). Finally, we were able to locate Model Master Enamel OD Green in two small hobby size cans. The good thing, combined they were half the cost of one can of Tamiya.

Have you ever noticed that there is more than one shade of both Olive Drab and OD Green? I guess there is some debate on which OD green is the "most" correct. But then I think about the vendors used in WW2 and the massive amount of paint used. There was undoubtedly various shades of OD and OD Green. To add on that, the wear (sun, dirt, weather, battle, etc.) also had an effect on the colors. So, with all this said, we are not overly concerned on the tint or shade of the color in the Model Master can's.

While waiting for the OD Green spray to arrive we started painting the extra "add-on" bits and crew. Next update will show them, till then...

Ben and Jarrod

[Stokesy44]

The gun looks superb. The 30 caliber looks cracking with the ammo belt too.

Can I ask where you got the 2 full length soldier figures from please? Also, the second one is the spit of Tom Hanks as Captain Miller in Saving Private Ryan.

[cor]

That gun assembly looks stellar. Fury was on tv last night, caught the end battle scene.

[Mpfiend]

Really nice progress the painting of the main gun assembly looks very convincing.

[DRUMS01]

Thanks Stokesy, the funny thing regarding the figures was I googled for them which eventually pointed me to E-Bay. They came from China and both have a kind of Saving Private Ryan vibe to them. The mold quality is wonderful and the facial detail very convincing. I thought the ammo belt would add just a little if looked at through the hatches. I touched it up a little more after the photo to better show the brass, belt link and copper FMJ bullet. I plan on doing the same for the 50 BMG on the turret.

I have to say COR that Fury is one of the best tank movies ever. I think it ranks close to Band of Brothers, Schindler's List, and Saving Private Ryan actually. Thanks for the positive comments.

Thanks Mpfiend, I looked at several actual war time photos to get the image in my mind of what a battle hardened M4 turret should look like. I sure wish they had a full interior set available for this kit, but the price would've most likely been double of the existing cost (can't afford that anyway).

As promised, here is some of the work Jarrod and I accomplished once we had time for the hobby......

Here are some of the figures, they are still a work in progress. I guess you could tell that because they are all headless

Ranger BAR Gunner, still need to pick out the details:





Ranger Captian, Pointing ( perhaps he was from West Point, that's a funny)



Looks like I need to touch up the butt of the Thompson MG. along with the sling and other stuff:



And the Tank Commander:



The boots and leggings will be finalized using Tamiya weathering pastels.

In addition, here is some of the extra stowage with just a little touch-up or correction left to call them complete:











The canvas main gun shroud (WIP too, need to lighten it up a little still with air brush and dry brush):



Jarrod and I also got a couple hours of time today to paint the OD Green base coat on the Sherman. The inside lights make the base coat look lighter than it really is.





Not a big fan of masking all the periscopes and cupola but you can't argue with the results.



We will be giving the base coat a couple days to dry then the final assembly and detailing will commence. Thanks for following along and remember, comments always welcome as I read them to Jarrod (He enjoys it).

Ben and Jarrod (DRUMS01)

[KalebB]

See the sucker all laid out in front of Jarrod really puts in perspective how big this sucker is.

Love the look of all the stowage, it'll look perfect all stowed up on the tank

[cor]

fabulous work on the figures and accessories. What a build!

[Stokesy44]

fabulous work on the figures and accessories. What a build!

My thoughts exactly. Great work on the figures and the stowage

[Mpfiend]

Really nice paint work on the figures and the stowage, these will really add interest to an already impressive build.
Looks like you have a good solid base coat to work from on the rest of the parts too.
Fury, Band of Brothers, Schindler's List, and Saving Private Ryan have to be some of my favourite viewing right there.

[digger303]

You and Jarod have done a great job painting the figures and stowage . Got the colour just right it looks believable.

[BigWall]

It's really looking great Ben and Jarrod! As said above, it really show the size of this model with it all laid out on the workbench. I really look forward to your next installment.

[DRUMS01]

Thanks everyone, and just to let you know that we are still alive a have just a couple photos of the painting process so far....

On a side note, I was commissioned to modify an old dealer promo car into a near exact replica of somebody's 1992 Corvette ZR1. So I've also been working on it along with the regular outdoor actives of spring, so the model building on the Sherman has been slow.

Last update you saw the base OD Green on the Sherman. Since then we have continued on the road wheels, bogies, sprockets, idler wheels, basically the lower half of the tank. Jarrod and I wanted to make a convincing " in use" model so the dirt and mud had to be added during the build phase. Looking over the various photos if a Sherman with the HVSS suspension in the field you can clearly see that the dirt, grass, mud, etc. is pretty much everywhere on the tracks, inside the tracks (on the suspension), and the lower hull and under the fenders, along with any where it can be flung when moving at speed.

So Jarrod and I started on the weathering in earnest as part of the assembly process as it would be difficult to reach between the bogies and idler wheels to make the hull look correct after assembly. We started with a couple washes going from darker to lightest color (MM-rubber, Vallejo signal brown, and sand). After that was a dry brush of OD then Khaki green. This was done to both sides of the HVSS suspension as well as the road wheels. Finally Jarrod and I added a bit of weathering to add some bare metal on the inside of the road wheels and on the sprocket teeth were they contact the track guides and links.



NOTE: Most detail images of the actual sprockets will show only the top of the sprocket tooth being worn to bare metal while the lowest portion between the teeth are usually quite rusty or dirty. We chose to add a small amount of diluted rust brown to the lower area between the teeth.

Next we started on the more solid stuff by using Vallejo dark wet, and medium brown mud. When adding this stage you need to be very careful not to add the weathering compounds to the attach point of the bogies or spindles for the idlers and sprockets, etc. I found that placing one of the assembled bogies less road wheels into position on the hull and tracing around the contact area with a lead pencil gave me the location points we needed to stay away from when adding the mud. Once the bogies are attached we would then finalize the mud around the attach points (minor finishing work). I should add that Jarrod really likes adding the mud. Here is a where we are at for a dirty HVSS track system (less the track).



Moving on, we've all been adding some of the main sub-assemblies so we can top coat and begin the decals and basic weathering. This photo shows the functional driver and machine gunners hatches added.



The kit provides four different decal sets for specific vehicles assigned to various units. Now that the 1/16 Sherman model has been out for some time, there are also other decals set available to purchase. We think we are going to go with the kit decals.

Next update will show the ones we selected along with perhaps some weathering beginning on the hull and turret. And lets not forget about the tracks!

Till then, thanks for following along. take care and happy modeling. Replies are always welcome (encouraged)

Ben and Jarrod

[digger303]

Nice weathering.

[Stokesy44]

More great work. The paint looks like its going down nicely and the weathering on the running gear looks good

[Mpfiend]

Nice progress, paint and weathering look good.

[DRUMS01]

Jarrod and I think it's more than time for an update. With summer sports peaking before the extreme hot weather, its been hard finding time to sit and work on the Sherman. For example, our local high school baseball team that Jarrod helped with before graduating has achieved some success this year by winning the LCL league, District, and regional playoffs. They are now going to the State championships this weekend. That in itself has occupied us a lot during the last month.

My lawn is going to be the Bain of my existence this year as we have worked very hard to fill stump holes where trees were removed last fall and planted grass then we proceeded to have over 25 days of drought. The drought then accelerated the spread of the cotton wood tree seeds which covered my lawn to look like a snow storm in the middle of May. If anyone has cotton wood trees where they live you know that the fluffy seed blows in the air and accumulates everywhere sticking to everything. Now consider that we pay a good price to have a beautiful yard (no weeds and lush green grass) and you can appreciate our delimma when it comes to removing the cottonwoods from everywhere, watering the new grass seed, cutting grass, etc.

Did I mention that two spindles on my zero turn mower have finally worn out causing us to replace two of the three. While we did that we also replace the drive and mower deck belts, installed new blades, and performed a complete tune-up including draining all fluids to replace with new, replaced all filters (oil, fuel, hydraulic, air), spark plugs, etc. Of course we had to wait for some of the parts to arrive after ordering them so I watched my yard molt into a white bed of cotton wood. Having had enough of that, I decided to push mow more then one and a half acres with hills. Being well over 60 years old and having terrible feet, ankles and knees; that lawn cutting put me down for two days.

Then there's my mid-life crisis going on concerning weather I should keep my Harley and sport bike with side car or should I sell them and get a simple sports car (like a Corvette)? We have been looking and I can tell you that it isn't as easy as it used to be getting into a low slung sports car. Add to that the fact that the new mid-engine corvette's doors are at least 8-10 inches shorter than the 2019 and older Corvettes. So where does the leave me? I fully serviced the sport bike and side car including new tires and I'm enjoying them both while I can.

In between all of that stuff I committed to build a 1990 Corvette ZR-1 in 1/24 scale to the exact look of a lady friend and her fiancee's car. It started as a very basic promo car consisting of no more than 16 parts (including light lenses). So the challenge was to add detail where there was none. What soft detail was there was very difficult to pick out. Well, the first part was painting the very soft plastic body that was a sea weed green to a black. If you never painted a high gloss black car body, it is not easy as it shows every minute imperfection. After four attempts I used what was there by polishing it out and clear coating it. Next was detailing and painting the sea weed interior various shades of gray. During the process I even got a photo of his license plate to print to scale for the car. Well, enough of this, here is the completed Corvette in its presentation case, ready to surprise him on Father's Day.









Did I mention that I was joining a church praise band to use my percussion skills for a good purpose (since I no longer do public performances). This is a group that performs current Christian pop music and praise music that the congregation sings with.
The last couple weeks I spent some time studying the set lists (music they perform and the arrangements). To me musically there is nothing worse that a musician who does not come to a practice prepared and ready to contribute. While that took hours learning all of that I can safely say I've been welcomed into the team.

So now you know why the updates have been slower than my normal;.... life happens.

Let's talk about our friend Sherman. Since last update Jarrod and I managed to get the decals on, added the pioneer tools including scratch built tie-down straps made of tooling lead sheet and spare PE. In the photos you can also see some chipping of the decals, a flat top coat, and the beginning of some weathering initially with the darker wash in specific areas, and some mud where dirty boots moved on the tank. There is still much to do, but here it is where Jarrod and I have it at this point:










Jarrod and I were also able to paint the tracks with a flat black base coat (using my M.O. of going from darker to lighter colors). We will be spending some time on them to add rust where it needs, dirt and mud and even bare metal where it contacts the ground and sprockets, etc.

Our next update will most likely be after we return from a short trip to our friends cabin for the weekend. Till then, take care of yourself where ever you are, live, laugh, and love well, and build a model!

Ben and Jarrod

[Stokesy44]

Great update - and the stuff about the kits was good too!

Sounds like you've got a lot on your plate between the two of you. Keep embracing life, it feels like you guys were never meant to sit on the sidelines.

The Corvette looks proper cool and the weathering on the Sherman is really coming on. I love the mud and the distressed decals. Great work.

[digger303]

Your busier than a beaver in mating season
Sherman's on track to being a show stopper.

[DRUMS01]

So, since our weekend get-away we returned to paint the handrails on the rear deck. I wanted to pay a painter to do it but my wife thought it would be a good bonding moment; still have touch-up to complete.



Just an FYI, Jarrod's High School baseball team lost in the semi-finals by 1 run to the eventual State Champions. While every team wants to be the State Champion, being one of the four best teams in the State is still a great accomplishment.

Finally got the zero turn mower back and cut the grass today. I'm happy to have things returning to normal. And as far as my mid-life crisis moment?, we still have not decided on the exact vehicle to replace the motorcycles, yet. For me it doesn't need to be brand spanking new, to the contrary, I would just as easy like a classic 60's-70's ride or a year old (depreciated) one.

So why am I posting? To show my band of brothers (sort of) for the Sherman and diorama forth coming. Without giving up to much, here is a sneak peak of the nearly completed figures. Jarrod and I still need to add the helmet and throat microphones (yes, I'm making them too). We did manage to create and add helmet straps on the loader (the tanker with the tan bibs on and steel pot). The goggles have been detailed on the others as well. We will show more once they are completed and added to the vehicle.



Up next is working on the tracks, then building up layers of washes, and pastels on the hull and turret before a light dry brush.

Till then....

Ben and Jarrod

[digger303]

Nice yard you have. Like to see how you made the throat mikes and the Sherman project is almost done time to start to think about the next one

[Stokesy44]

Superb work. The figures look amazing

[cor]

That hammock looks like a nice place to hang out on. Tank and crew looking awesome.

[Mpfiend]

A really nice piece of work so far.
The weathering of the decals suspension and casemate look very realistic.
The painting of the figures is very convincing. what is your method?
Looking forward to the next instalment.

[DRUMS01]

Thanks everyone for the kind and motivating words regarding the build. We are kind of outdoors people so we try to set up our yard accordingly.

Well digger303, regarding those throat microphones; considering the scale, I really wasn't going after every single piece part of the assembly, but I think they came out OK. I took some progress photos to show below.

Those figures took a lot more time than we anticipated Stokesy44. We purchased the Mig figure (flesh) painting set which contained 5 different variations, but Jarrod and I found that we ended up mixing numerous shades of our own.



I guess I can say the same for the uniforms too. The figures for the driver and MG gunner were molded only from the waist up and had nothing below the elbows (sad). We improvised to add the hips, legs, forearms, and hands. The lower half was created from rigid foam insulation that was carved to replicate the parts. The forearms and hands were surgically removed from some 1:16 toy figures and shaped to fit with CA cement and putty. Considering they will hardly be seen, we weren't overly concerned with every wrinkle or being perfectly anatomically correct. All said and done, we feel they pass muster.

COR: My wife is more of the hammock person than I am. You see, I have a hard time sitting still for a long time. It is nice to enjoy under the awning though. We finally got done painting the hand rails and spindles after we had my teen age grand daughter and her boyfriend try to paint some of it earlier. I can safely say that you should NEVER have a teenager, let alone with their boyfriend do anything for you and expect sterling results.

You ask for my figure painting "method" mpfiend? The prep is the same regardless if they are resin or plastic. They are washed in soapy dish water and then blown dry. Depending on the theater of the figures (uniform colors) first I normally paint with either flat black or a light gray etching primer to ensure the paint "bites into the figure. I found this important when trying to use multi-media paints as one will sometimes deteriorate or remove the color beneath it without the primer. As for the detail painting, Jarrod and I start with the darker shades in the lower recesses and work with progressive shades to the higher points. One tip I would share is to keep your painting strokes in a consistent direction. I do this while keeping an artificial shadow in my mind while applying the paint. For example, if your modeling a figure to appear as it's in the after noon, I would add the darker shadow to the areas under the wrinkle and not the whole depressed area. The same for the faces. One easy way to do that is to determine the direction of the sun prior to painting and then use an airbrush to spray from that angle. It will cover the areas being seen by the sun and the other areas that are not getting paint from that angle will identify where the shading should be. As for dry brushing, the same method works for me. Start with the darkest shade of paint with the most pressure (in a consistent direction). Then apply lighter shades with less pressure until the last application is only very lightly applied to certain areas (still in the same direction). The same can be done with pastels and water colors. If using oils and wet blending, then that is something all together different. While I'm not "all that" with painting, I will breakdown my steps in greater detail next time I do figures.

Moving on to the Sherman build, this update is going to show the detailing of the tanker figures helmet and mic's per digger's request.

Here is what Jarrod and I are shooting for:







If you look closely you can see two different colors of elastic straps for the throat (black or light OD). My first attempt to create the little black box for the throat mic's was completely wrong. I just created a rectangle shape in the size of the box and stuck a very thin cord of solder in one side and out the other. When looking at the actual item I notice that one end has a closed loop and the other end is for both the IN and OUT cords. The closed loop is used to hang the box around the person's neck with a thin kind of mustard colored strap. After looking at many, many tankers helmets I found that some had the speaker wire come down on the left and some on the right. Since the speakers are installed often in the field I suppose the helmet wearer can choose which side to feed the cord. It may also have something to do with where they hook up inside the turret as having cords and cables wrap around you is restraining and can limit your movement.

OK, the first step is how Jarrod and I created simple throat mic's using soft lead sheet cut narrow for the strap and some left over PE for the two round pick-ups. Here is how I assemble them. Once assembled we painted them completely black. Well actually the mic's are Testor's rubber, and the elastic strap was painted flat black.





Then Jarrod and I used the round end of a file handle to pre-curve the lead strap. We cut the strap to length to fit each figure and glued them in place on their throats with CA cement.

Step 2 shows how the control box was created out of thick sheet plastic, spare PE, and loops cut from jewelry supplies. The rectangular pieces of plastic were drilled on the opposite end of the loop to allow the two ends of cord (solder) to be attached. We used .015 dia. sterling bearing solder for its toughness and flexibility.





Once assembled they look like this:



Jarrod and I painted the Control Box using Testor's Rubber color and used a permanent black marker on the solder resulting in a convincing mix. The neck strap was made from a mustard yellow string and carefully placed to appear hanging around the necks and holding up the Control Box. The shorter solder cable was curved upwards and attached to the throat mic's and the longer solder cord was fed down the body and into the tank. Here is how they look on the figures.

NOTE: The goggles on the right figure have been corrected. As for the arms and hands, they were not modified from the toy figures as they can barely be seen once the figures are in position within the tank. The foam legs and funky arms are just enough to look the part in shadows when inside the vehicle.





And here are the figures in the vehicle (see what I mean?):



Other than that, we are moving forward on the tracks, but that is for another update.

Jarrod and I say good bye for now and remember;.... live, laugh, and love well, and model something.

Feedback encouraged

[DRUMS01]

So I guess Jarrod and I are boring everyone now due to the lack of ANY comments on the microphones (?).

We hope not, but in any case we have completed the painting of the tracks and will show the work in an update tomorrow. We ordered more of the Vallejo "European Mud" weathering and the like that will be part of the final detailing of the tracks.

Also done with the "extras" and they are ready to add after the weathering of the kit is complete. More on all that tomorrow, just wanted to let everyone know that we haven't given up on our Sherman.

Talk to you more tomorrow..........

Ben and Jarrod

[Stokesy44]

You couldn't be more wrong. Speaking for myself, I love your build posts, both from the kit perspective but also just seeing you guys at work together.

[digger303]

So I guess Jarrod and I are boring everyone now due to the lack of ANY comments on the microphones (?).

We hope not, but in any case we have completed the painting of the tracks and will show the work in an update tomorrow. We ordered more of the Vallejo "European Mud" weathering and the like that will be part of the final detailing of the tracks.

Also done with the "extras" and they are ready to add after the weathering of the kit is complete. More on all that tomorrow, just wanted to let everyone know that we haven't given up on our Sherman.

Talk to you more tomorrow..........

Ben and Jarrod

Sorry for not saying anything they aren't something I know about, but I did appreciate the explanation. They look the part you did well not only with the scratch build , but explaining it too. Definitely not boring.

[RangerNeil]

Certainly not boring!!! Its fascinating seeing how you overcome all the - seemingly but I bet they aren't - little hurdles to create something close to perfection.

What you need next is something cold war Soviet in the same scale - just for the fun of different throat mikes and clothing....

[DRUMS01]

Thanks Stokesy, I love working with Jarrod as he is my real world reality check. His total commitment and love permeates everything we do, and we do everything together... so life is good!.

Thanks digger, I'm finding that the while the builds become easier in larger the scale, so do the challenges in making the build realistic (the mic's and cords). Another example we are currently working on would be the tracks. In 1/72 to even 1/35 the tracks can be aged and scuffed up much easier than 1/16 as I'll explain my reasoning below.

Thanks RangerNeil, you got that right! As I mentioned to digger, that larger the scale the more difficult it is to make it look realistic with details. I would never call any of our builds perfection as I can see many faults in each one. Like many of us, what is research and seen in my head does not always make it through my hands onto the model the way I want it too, but that's part of the modeling learning curve, right? Wait!,...Soviet microphones? I thought they used two cans and some string(?). Just kidding my modeling friends, I know the Soviets have some pretty trick military equipment. Now you got me thinking about Cold War Soviet kits, darn you Neil!!!

As promised, back to modeling the Easy Eight Sherman, now it's track time.

I want to place a disclaimer here. Even though I served several years in combat arms in the U.S. Military, I do not claim to be any kind of expert in modeling all the subjects. The method I'm going to show worked for us on this kit. Most likely it would not work as well for other military tracked vehicles in various scales.

The first step Jarrod and I did was paint the linked tracks flat black (Testor's Enamel). After letting it dry for a couple days we turned them over and sprayed the other side. So now we have a base coat right? Not so fast.... We found that the articulating hinge portion of the tracks (between each link) did not get a full coat of black. In a smaller scale we would most likely be able to cover it with washes and dry brushing, but not so in this large of scale. So, how do we get the spray in between each link? Jarrod and I came up with the idea of using a broom handle. It was laid horizontally to allow the track to bend over it, exposing the inner hinge. While exposed we sprayed between the links flat black finally completing the base coat.

Our second step was to identify where to apply the first coating rust, and we started in the hole within the track guides along with the center pivot point between them.



The next place we chose to paint a rust wash was between each track link; yes we painted each hole in each guide and the two points between each set of track links. With our Sherman just coming out of an earthy (muddy) location, we did not add rust to the end links pivot point as they will be covered in grime.

Step three was to identify where the reoccurring metal to metal contact points were that would be painted with bare metal. For us, those would initially be where the teeth of the front drive sprocket mesh in each track link. To achieve that look we decided to use a permanent silver marker. We thought it would make a consistent mark, much like the sprocket teeth would when contacting the track.



We were not worried about the silver spillage from the marker as we would used enamel brush cleaner on a ear swab to remove it, leaving only the silver in the track sprocket holes and a light sheen on the end links.



Step four was applying a silver dry brush to the outside edges of the track guides where they consistently contact the inner road wheels thus removing the paint from the outer track guide faces.

Step five was to apply a light rust wash on the external face of the track using diluted Testor's Rust Enamel. Next we chose to dry brush Vallejo Flat Earth thoroughly over the external tracks, end links, and partially over the inner face.





This is as far as we can go until we feed the track onto the tank. Once the tracks are on the tank we will add a little more rust in the recessed areas on the external face of the tracks and dry brush the contact points that pound the road with a light silver touch. After that, Jarrod and I will continue with the European thick and splash mud from Vallejo. One of them is European mud with grass (neat!).



We will show more on that portion of track weathering when we add the final wear and weathering on the hull and turret (next update). The reason you ask? If you add the scale mud effects to the tracks and allow them to dry they will not be flexible. You then would not be able to feed the tracks through the sprocket, idlers and road wheels onto the tank.

We also mentioned we finished working on the "extras". Here is a look at the unopened (strapped) carton of Rations that will be going behind the turret on the hull.



During the build, the kit instructions would have you add the water and fuel cans on the rack on the back of the hull leaving the rest of the storage rack bare. Since we are using a more realistic after-market item, we decided to make a field modification (like many did during the war) and created can holders that were welded to the back of the hull, above the rear fenders. To create the holders we used flat sheet plastic and pre-cut brass. Next update we will show them painted and on the Sherman.



The next update will most likely be the last one before the final reveal. Both digger and Neil were inquiring what Jarrod and I might build next? All we can say is it will either be a car, aircraft, helicopter, military ground vehicle, spacecraft, motorcycle, ship, or figure.

Talk to you more in a few days. Till then please share your thoughts on the track painting process. I know there are other methods that have been posted on-line, but this method we've shown here is our way of doing it for this kit. If you would've had an easier way to paint them accurately in this large scale we are all ears to know about it. As we said earlier, we are not modeling "experts" and have even less experience on military tracked vehicles. Regardless, we hope you enjoyed this last update.

Thanks for following along, responses are encouraged.

Ben and Jarrod

[Stokesy44]

Very nice work on the tracks

[Mpfiend]

This is really coming along nicely, great work on the tracks and the accessories.

[digger303]

Nice work. I like the strapped box it looks very real.
I had the same problem with a set of 1/35 tracks and employed the same method to completely paint them. It's a pain.
One thing about the silver marker is if you lay down some masking tape there is no clean up and you get a realistic wear line where the drives run and saves time.
Looking forward to see how you tackle the realistic wear, chipping and weathering in this scale.

[DRUMS01]

Thanks Stokesy, the tracks on this particular kit required more work than the rest of the kit combined (almost). If you look at the photos below, much of what I painted is covered in model mud, but Jarrod and I know it's under there.

Mpfiend, the accessories took almost as long as it did to paint as the entire tank, so thanks a lot.

We researched the ration box and made the packing straps to show a "new" unopened box. We're tickled you caught that and liked it digger. The same can be said for many other items on the vehicle. I don't know where modelers would be today without all the resource material available to them compared to 20-30 years ago.

Well everyone, it's time to properly dirty up this thing. There are many on-line tutorials to show the methods and/or sequences of different weathering applications. Like modeling itself, it greatly depends on the scene you want to replicate. For instance, a new Sherman tank directly off the assembly line is a total different weathering process (very little) compared to a battle worn vehicle being push hard through the elements. In the past, the few armor kits Jarrod and I built were made with mild weathering, but not battle beaten and very muddy and dirty. So, you guessed it, this one is going to show battle scars, rust, wear and tear, and full muddy running gear. Just to recap some of the progress so far....

- Jarrod and I started with an OD Green base coat applied with a rattle can because of the size (easier to paint the base with the can).



- Next was to apply a convincing coat of scale modeling mud compound (European Mud) to the chassis and bogies prior to assembly. In past experience we found that waiting to apply the mud after assembly makes it less realistic as the mud cannot normally be pushed back into tight areas where it may actually be in a real vehicle. By adding the mud as we build, the layers will be visible throughout the kit, from thick dark wet mud to thin dry splashes of mud on the outer and upper surfaces.



- The third step in our weathering process was to begin the first phase of pin washes in the nooks / crannies, and weld lines to bring out the details. For this we used both enamel and acrylic earth tone paints progressively going from darker to lighter colors.



- Fourth, we wanted to begin creating the scene which included the dirty muddy boot marks that tell the story of maintenance and the climbing of the crew members on and off the hull and turret.





- After that we began the initial weathering of the tracks as explained in the previous update.



- Then came a fun part of adding some minor battle damage, in this case small and medium caliber bullit depressions in the hull and turret. Once they were added in a sensible but still random process with a heated stylus, we started the next phase of layering the rust as explained in the Vallejo paint guide provided in the paint kit.



If you look closely you can see the older bullet depressions with a very, very small rust trail from the hole showing aged scaring. We also began chipping the stars and numbers (decals) by applying decanted OD green from the same rattle can. The method and amount vary by modeler, but we wanted this one to appear "well used".







We lost count of the steps, so the next thing we did was add the tracks to the hull by feeding them through the sprockets, idlers and around through the road wheels. Immediately afterward we began the next step of mudding the tracks, bogies, sprockets, and lower hull.



Initially is started with more European Mud with a slight amount of Industrial mud mixed in.



As we progressed we made the shades progressively lighter using European Splash Mud, Brown Mud, and Brown Splash Mud. Lastly we applied some European Mud with Grass to show the tearing up of the turf by the tracks. The end result can be seen in the final photos.

As for the upper hull and turret, it's farther away from the mud and therefore has less of it. So Jarrod and I focused on applying the other wear on the horizontal surfaces such as chipping, wear, and additional shading and rust layers.



Later, Jarrod and I added both Tamiya oil based pastels and artist oil free pastels to the horizontal surfaces and streaking to the vertical ones. During this process we also wanted to create fuel stains from the blow back / overflow that drained through the drain holes that were expertly molded in the kit. The fuel would run the path of least resistance on the top of the hull and down the side which would over time either rust, stain, or gather dirt and dust as it dried.



Here is some of the streaking along with the attached scratch built mounts for the fuel can . Before we call the mount finished Jarrod and I created straps from thin tooling lead foil and spare PE hardware for buckles. You can see the final result in the photos below.



Here is a close-up of the final detail painting for the pioneer tools along with one of those "straps" made to hold them on through the tie-down points. The wood grain was created by dragging a file against the cutting edge in consistent and repetitive manner.



The final weathering was with dry pastels, which are used much like pigments for subtle dust, fading, and light wear. The pastels can be bonded to the kit with water, enamel thinner, and finally a flat clear coat. Word of caution though when sealing pastels, do not apply a wet coat of flat as it will change the make-up and even color of the pastel. Instead use only very light spray coatings allowing it to dry completely between coats. If you choose this method you will have to reapply any wet look areas after sealing the pastel.

Along the way, there were several aftermarket and scratch items added:

- Peddinghaus 1/16 US Uniform Insignia and Division Officer Badges
- Archer (90mm - 1/4) Photorealistic Human Eyeball Decals
- 1/16 Scale US Tank Accessory Set C K Ration Boxes
- Peddinghaus 1/16 .30 Cal M19A1 Ammo Can & .50 Cal M2 Ammo Box Markings WWII
- 1/16 Allied Tank Bits #3 - 16-ATB-03 - For Shermans
- MIG 7168 Flesh Tone Paint Set
- Vallejo Rust and Chipping Effects Paint set
- 1/16 Sherman Tank Crew (resin four figure set from China)
- Various shades of Vallejo Textured Mud Paints
- All straps, slings, and tie-downs made from scratch using lead foil and PE spares
- Scratch built microphone sets and helmet cords for tank crew
- Scratch built lower torso's for the driver and hull machine gunner.
- Forearms and hands added to driver and hull gunner
- Scratch built fuel and water can holders (field modifications)
- Scale rope from hemp colored and used for tie-down of spares on upper hull
- Other stuff I can't remember

Without any more blabbering, here is what Jarrod and I are going to call the final results for our 1/16 Sherman M4A3E8 "Easy Eight".















Thanks for following our build. We really appreciated the feedback, suggestions, and motivation along the way. While this was our first 1/16 tank model, it will not be our last. Actually my wife was impressed enough with the results that she suggested we get another 1/16 tank kit, perhaps the Andy's Hobby's 1/16 Whitman Tiger Tank (?). But then Neil also got me thinking about a Cold War Soviet 1/16 kit

While we know it is not perfect, we are satisfied with our results and ready to move on to our next build. After looking at the photos, let us know what you think of it. Till next time!

Ben and Jarrod

[digger303]

Lovely effort from both of you....top notch


Some suggestions for the next project...

M5 Stuart
Pzkpfw 38(t)
Marder 3
Multiple Gun Motor Carriage M16
SdKfz 7/1 - 20mm Flakvierling

Not that I have any pre dispositions

[Stokesy44]

Superb work. Inspirational stuff.

[Mpfiend]

A stunning result, very nice indeed.

Keith

[DRUMS01]

Why thank you digger. I do like the little M5 Stuart in 1/16. I looked at the price of the 1/16 M16 half track but the price is not where I want to go. You know they have a German halftrack coming in 1/16 right? Look it up and you will find the details are amazing for approximately $109.00. That is almost $100 less than the M16 gun carriage.

Perhaps one of those and a corresponding 1/16 Sd.Kfz2 Kattenkrad motorcycle with full crew would make a nice diorama. Then the only problem would be where to display something that large.