Hey SHERM!!!!!!!!!

Modeling Subjects Armor
1

I just picked up Italeris M4A1 kit #225 and apon opening I noticed the hull has no texture it is smooth as a babes bum. Seeing it is the rounded cast hull I found it strange. Is this correct? And are you familar with this kit and if so is there any thing I should look for as fitting and inacurracies.

THANKS

2

I don’t know how long you’ve been subsribed to FSM (or if you even do), but a long time ago, there was a Sherman special that took two issues. During it, it showed how he (the auther) used super glue to texture the surface of his kit. I don’t remember who it was, the kit he had, or the glue he used, or even how he did it (that’s how long ago it was), but the kit looked really good afterward. You should look into it.

3

I found a great way to texture. just spray some hair spray and them lightly sprinkle some baking soda on, then just paint over once dry. (give 20 minutes or so)

4

Very familiar with this golden oldie. One of the first Shermans I ever built and still a decent kit by today’s standards.

Yes the hull is “smooth”. The actual cast hull does have a texture to it, stippling liquid glue is a great way to achieve texture. But be careful, 1/35 scale texturing is very subtle and I have seen this terribly overdone.

Biggest thing to watch with this kit is the tracks, they are terribly stiff and if you’re not careful you will break the idlers off time and again. also the main gun has a “step” in the barrel that shouldn’t be there.

5

The usarmymodels.com website has a brief article on the Italeri sherman, that outlines it’s problems and suggests solutions.
http://usarmymodels.com/MANUFACTURERS/Italeri/italeri225.html

M.

6

Thanks Rob I thought this wasnt right but gotta check with the Shermanator hehehe, Looks like its Mr.surfacer 500 time And those tracks do need to be replace something fierce. I thought the tracks for the academy A2 red army were stiff…wrong! Have to look at that barrel.

Wow thanks Marian that helped out tons

Thanks to Chris and Dean as well !!!

Have I said how great it is to be among you guys.[bow][bow]

7

Hey all!

Exams are corrected, grades entered, life is GOOD. Just had to put my [2c] in on this one.

The castings tended to be a bit more rough on the side ‘flats’ of the upper hull, due to the sand casting. On some of the curved contours, corrections were made by grinding (common around the driver’s hatches), which caused a somewhat ‘scalloped’ look, which I simulate by scraping a hobby knife blade over the surface… this is sometimes true of turrets (where for some reason, the edges tended to be rougher than the verticals)… anyhoo, take a look at some reference photos and use both the rough and scalloped look, it works very nicely.

[:D]Ron

8

Already? Lucky you. I’ve got two more weeks to go.