Harold: You’ve got the right idea there. Assemble as much as you can before you paint. I at least find it easier that way. If there are any issues with the suspension you can fudge it a little by adding some ‘mud’ to the running gear.
She’s coming along great so far, keep up the good work! [Y]
I completed step 13, attaching suspension to lower hull and there are just a few more items to install on the upper hull in steps 14 through 16. The suspension and tracks went together without a problem. Next it’s time for the turret and machine gun, I should be ready for primer by Sunday if all goes well.
Harold
I completed steps 14 through 16 which includes sand shield mounting, a stowage rack, spare tracks and jerry cans. Next step is the main gun, turret and cupola assembly.
I was planning to be done with assembly work by tonight but had a few problems. I dripped a small amount of Tamiya Extra Thin Cement on back of the upper hull and didn’t see it soon enough. The cement melted a dent in the plastic that I filled with putty. Another problem was I removed part E3 and E5 which are optional. After I attached them with cement, I decided they did not look right, so I had more repair work to do.
I have tried Tamiya White Putty and found it difficult to work with, so I started using Deluxe Perfect Plastic Putty on this project. My only concern is that it seems very soft and can be remove from plastic with water after it’s dry. I hope the Vallejo water-based primer and paint will not make it fail.
Harold
Everything looks good to me!
I’ve been using Perfect Plastic Putty for a few years now and haven’t had any issues with it. Once it’s dry I’m not sure being water soluable is an issue. I’ve washed models off and set them aside to dry before painting and it didn’t seem to bother the P3.
Gamera, I’m pleased to hear you had good results with Perfect Plastic Putty. I used it on the barrel this morning and it filled the seam imperfections beautifully.
The seam between the upper and lower half of the turret is a known problem with this model. The plan is to use a sharp blade to remove the high spots along the seam and then apply a small amount of Mr. Surfacer 500 with a stippling brush to match the casting marks on the rest of the turret. It has been done before, but this will be my first time using this method.
Harold
The turret is ready for resurfacing with Mr. Surfacer 500. I was not making good progress by scraping plastic along the seam, so I used a combination of sanding with a Proxxon electric sander and 600 grit wet/dry sandpaper. I also filled several small places along the seam with Perfect Plastic Putty.
I practiced applying Mr. Surfacer 500 on a piece of primer coated plastic using a Tamiya Modeling Brush HF No.2 item #87047 and let the Mr. Surfacer dry for a few hours. Then I used a piece of 600 grit wet/dry sandpaper to remove only the top 5 to 10% of the surfacer material. This looks to me like it matches the casting pattern in this plastic model. The results will be determined after I apply Mr. Surafcer to the turret and add a coat of primer.
Applied Mr. Surfacer 500 with a semi-dry brush using stippling method to cover just the area that was filled and sanded. I will let the surfacer material dry for several hours and then give it a very light sanding trying to avoid additional sanding on the original casting pattern.
If all goes well, I will finish assembly of the turret parts later today and give the model a coat of Vallejo Grey Surface Primer 74.601 tomorrow morning. The primer coat should tell me if there is any issues with the resurfaced area.
Harold
She’s coming along great! The Mr. Surfacer on the turret is the same way I do the cast texture Not sure if that’s good or bad but it works for me!
I changed my method of resurfacing the casting marks on the side of the turret. After looking at several pictures of actual Sherman turrets I believe a more accurate method is to rough the surface of the plastic in a vertical direction. I used a 3M Metal Finishing Pad which is made of non-metallic material, but designed to remove light rust from metal.
If I don’t like the results of this method, I can always add Mr. Surfacer 500 over the primer after it dries.
Harold
That’s interesting. I’m going to keep it in mind for the next time I build a Sherman.
Great job so far, keep up the good work! [Y]
Thank you Gamera, I keep telling myself this model is only for practice and not to get excited; however, so far it has turned out to be a keeper.
I completed resurfacing sides of the turret with a 3M Metal Finishing Pad. Also completed assembly work on the turret with exception of periscope guard. The guard will be added before the primer coat is applied. I used the clear cupola option so I can mask off the vision blocks while painting. There is a clear periscope option too, but the glass portion of the periscopes is so small I don’t think it will be seen. None of the hatches have been cemented so I can finish painting the tank crew later and place them where I want them.
As stated, before the model had a known problem with the seam between the upper and lower halves of the turret. I sanded the seam smooth, filled several small voids with putty and resurfaced the vertical sides of the turret to give it a casting appearance. I should be ready for a coat of primer in the morning.
Harold
Practice hell! She looks pretty damn good!!!
The easy way to mask the view-ports on the turret hatch is to take a little white glue like Elmers on a toothpick and plop it down on the clear area and drag it around to cover it.
Thank you Gamera, I appreciate your encouragement and advice. This morning I destroyed two of the three periscope guards. They are so fragile that I broke the legs off trying to bend them to shape.
However, I have a new plan… Last year I was trying to decide how to make a stowage rack for the Jeep I was working on. I finally decided that one day I would learn how to solder copper jewelry wire so I could make things like a stowage rack or periscope guards. So I have ordered a butane micro torch, paste solder and .30 mm copper jewelry wire. I will teach myself how to make metal wire objects for models.
On this model I made three hatch handle out of .30 mm hard piano wire, but semi-hard copper jewelry wire would have worked much better.
Harold
Good luck! I hate those friggin’ periscope guards. I haven’t tried solder stuff like this before, I hope it goes well.
I mastered the technique for soldering 28-gauge (.30 mm) copper wire without overheating it, but the periscope guard is just too fragile in my opinion. I am waiting on 26-gauge copper wire to arrive, so I can try it before I glue the guards to my model. I tried 24-gauge (.54 mm) copper wire, but it looks too heavy compared with the picture of an actual periscope guard.
Harold
Good luck!
You’re a better man than I if you can solder that!
The periscope guard below is made with 26-gauge copper wire and by my calculations 26-gauge wire would be 1/2" diameter in 1/35 scale. I used low temperature lead free solder paste and created a form with wire that does not require me to touch the wire while soldering. The heat source is a miniature butane torch.
I experimented to get the right combination that did not overheat the solder or wire. After soldering I cleaned the part with Sparex No. 2 jewelers acid (pickle) to remove any flux and oxidation. Then I trimmed the part and formed the legs to sit just above the open periscope.
Harold
Finally, ready for primer. I am very impressed with the engineering and quality of this model with exception of the turret seam. The detail is excellent, and the instructions are good. I would put this model on par with the AFV Club models I have waiting under my work bench.
Harold
She looks great. Love how the periscope guards came out- perfect!
Thank you Gamera, I still have much to learn but I am very encouraged by your comments. Below are some pictures of my first coat of Vallejo primer applied with the Iwata RG-3L3 spray gun I got for Christmas.
It’s difficult to see in a photograph, but the primer is smooth and has no runs or over spray. I had to learn to let up on the trigger of the spray gun at the end of a pass, then press the trigger before I start the next pass. This way I don’t get to much paint in one spot.
I also changed compressors to a Bostitch ‘pancake’ style air compressor that has a 6-gallon tank. The optimal air pressure at the spray gun is 36 PSI, so I’m delivering paint to the model at a distance of 8 inches somewhere between 20 and 25 PSI. At this pressure and volume of paint with a 1.0 mm nozzle I need to keep moving at a constant speed.
As you can see by the pictures, my first coat of primer was light and left of few places thin, but the Vallego primer preformed perfect without thinning. I will give this coat about 12 hours to dry and add a second coat. I should be ready for a finish coat of Vallejo 71.043 U.S. Olive Drab by Monday night.
Also, I added Vallejo 70.523 Liquid Mask to the vision blocks of the commander’s cupola before I started the primer coat.
Harold
