1/16 Sherman M4A3E8 - FINAL -

[DRUMS01]

This is a re-post to the correct forum location.

MODEL: Sherman M4A3E8 "Easy Eight"
SCALE: 1/16
MANUFACTURER: Andy's Hobby Headquarters (TACOM)
PAINTS: Tamiya, Testors, Vallejo, MIG, pastels, water color pencils.

Completed by my special needs son and I over a 7 month period. Kit replicates the tank "Attila" of the 18th Tank Battalion, 8th Armored Division, Harz Mountains, Germany, April 1945. The detailed build log can be found within this forum's armor section.

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 checking in on our work.

[digger303]

Excellent result. Not sure if it's intended or not, but I like the wet effect perhaps from a misty foggy morning. Certainly goes with the wet mud on the tracks and I thought the tools were exceptionally well done.

[cor]

They dont get much better than that. Excellent skills you guys. Excellent.
The figures give it real sense aliveness

[Stokesy44]

Superb finish to a great build and thread

[chops1sc]

Awesome! Those 1/16 kits just might make their way into my stash, LOL!

[Tomcat64]

That's fantastic work & great photography to show it off to its best.

Awesome job guys

[DRUMS01]

Thanks digger, for, stokes, chops1sc, and Tomcat (Neil). When it was all said and done we really enjoyed building this kit. I even ended up with additional "stuff" for further builds including the two Saving Private Ryan figures that were going to part of a display with the Sherman. Now I have to figure out what to do with those figures (go figure).

While some 1/35 armor kits have a similar level of detail, these 1/16 kits make it much easier for the eye to pic those details out with paint and with the eye when done.

I'm getting excited for the Das Work German Half Track because its detail was far better than this one. Can a modeler ever have too much detail?

Thanks once again everyone.

Ben and Jarrod

[Garion77]

Great work ! love the figures and the tarp. Everything looks real so that means great work from you guys !

[WordenB]

Absolutely beautiful, the last photo with the tools looks just real to me.

[aur0ra145]

Really nice job, this kit looks amazing!

[BigWall]

Another exceptional build you two!

[DRUMS01]

Thanks Francis, Joe, Worden, and Aur0ra; overall it was a very, very nice kit and fun to build. Now I have my eyes on the Das Werks German halftrack in 1/16 that's sitting in my stash.