Total time building 460 hours* (of which 36.0 hours was spent crawling around looking for parts that dropped onto the floor).

Begin date November 11, 2022; end date October 28, 2023.

Vendors:

Tamiya

Kit #35190 – M4 Early Production Sherman

CMK

CMK turret set #3027 and inner hull detail set #3026

Tiger Model Direct (TMD)

Set #1236 – M4/M4A1/M4A3 PE Engine Deck Set

Set #1289 – M6 Detailed Periscope and Mount Set

Set #1317 – U.S. Footman Loops Type 3 (Small w/Feet)

Set #1171 – Sherman Return Roller Arm – Straight

Set #1237 – Sherman Ventilators

Set #1086 – M4A2 Rear Armor with Adjustable Idlers (I bought this set just for the adjustable idlers)

Set #1258 – M4 Sherman Grouser Compartment Vent Covers; Factory, Asymmetrical

Set #1176 – VVSS B197681 Intermediate Production Track Return Skid

Set #1251 – Sherman “Slatted V” Siren Set

Set #1232 – Small Hatches (for DML but they can obviously work with a Tamiya hull with some fitting

MiniArt

Set #35321 – Continental R975 Engine

Panda Plastics

Set #Worn T48 Rubber Chevron

Archer Transfers

Set #AR35273 – Pin-Ups

Set #AR35209B – Gauges and Interior Stencils (unfortunately dry-transfers are no longer available from any vendor…the last company that produced the chemicals to manufacture dry-transfers has closed and this handy modeler’s resource is as gone as my hairline is)

M&Models

Set #RB082 – .30 Caliber Barrels, turned brass

Tamiya

Turned brass 75mm ammo set (sorry, I lost the packaging and don’t have the item number)

Squadron

Set # SQAA35002 – Resin .30 caliber ammo cans

Resicast

Set #35.226 – Super detailed cupola for Sherman tank

Asuka Model

Set #35-L9 – Browning M2 Machine Gun Set B with cradle

Lots of solder, wire, lead foil, paint (five different manufacturers), and sprue

My opinion

I used Tamiya’s kit because most of the kit would not be used. It’s a basic kit, no sponsons, fins instead of grab handles, recessed welding beads (I’ve found that the best thing that Vallejo’s 100% Acrylic Resin Plastic Putty, item #70.401, is good for is replacing or making welding beads…the tip is fine and with minimal practice allows for the rippled effect of a bead of weld), all the things Tamiya was known for 30-40 years ago. Research showed me that the tank that Tamiya used as their source was an ALCO-produced Sherman. The ALCO tanks had a unique casting where the bow machine gun mounted; it came to more of a peak than the constant-radius mounts used by other manufacturers, so I tried to do all detailing in that style. I did use the kit’s bogies (accurized and modified using skull-sweat and TMD parts), road and sprocket wheels, and idler wheels which I detailed a bit. I didn’t have to cut the engine covers off because they were molded separately. I stuffed that hole with some kitbashed parts from MiniArt’s M3 Lee using their bottom and sides of the engine bay. Since the front engine bulkhead wouldn’t really be seen very clearly, I used TWS’s bulkhead from their R975 resin set. It took some (frequent) judicial trimming to get the engine to fit and the end result was rather accurate. It just fit.

One thing about the CMK interior set was that the directions regarding the location of the interior sponson boxes is not accurate. If those parts are installed as directed, you will encounter fit problems when you try to stuff the turret basket (preferably attached to the turret) into what you thought was the space for it. It’s almost the space for it. Getting the basket to fit (thereby allowing the turret to settle down correctly) is a bitch if everything has been installed, painted, and the upper hull on. It can be done but you won’t enjoy the process!

Once again, Panda Plastics did not disappoint. Their worn T48 track shoes fit perfectly around the kit’s drive sprocket once the upper, inner, edges of the shoes are slightly radiused (rounded off for you non-engineers).

This was my first time using Asuka’s .50 cal set and I really, really, liked it. Enough parts are supplied to build an early or late mount and more than enough scale ammo belts. If you want to do a diorama of the M2 machine gun being serviced, this is a good starting point. You’ll just need to scratch out the inner details of the bolt area. I’ll be using this set again!

The TMD PE set was decent, particularly for the diamond-patterned sponson vent screens. But if you want to use the light guards, don’t. They’re FAR too thin. Instead, use them as templates to scribe .010″ (.254mm) parts instead…you’ll be much happier with the outcome and with the .010″ (.254mm) thickness they’re a MUCH easier to work with and substantially less fragile.

*And now for about the only part of this build that was disappointing and not worth the time and effort to do. Clear panels.

I knew at the outset that putting clear sections to this model was a gimmick. I was hoping it would be a good gimmick but my hopes were left unrealized. Anybody who’s had to deal with clear styrene, and wants to keep it clear, knows how delicate their surfaces are…and that was for the “easy” part, the flat surface of the upper hull’s side. The clear section for the turret was a small section of a clear resin casting. The reason it was a section wedded to the opaque styrene turret was because NO tape I had would stick to the resin snugly and well enough to just mask a section off. The resin was also much thicker than the turret wall it was being inserted into so I had to file it to thickness. Not being completely insane, I did all thickness adjusting from the outside and I am very glad I did. LOTS of filing, sanding, polishing, and many visits back to that tedious well! Once I had both the inner and outer surfaces smooth enough to be clear, I discovered how optical lenses are made! The curvature of the inside of the clear resin plug was not at all parallel to the outer curvature which resulted in a lens and less (as in, not at all) like a window to view the interior bits. As a result, not a great deal can be seen through it and had The Coin come up tails, I would just have painted over it and left it opaque. Being simply flat, the side clear panel didn’t have that problem. With the efficacy of hindsight, I should have realized that the INside of a tank is full of stuff. All that stuff doesn’t really allow much of what’s in there to be seen.

Lesson learned and I highly doubt I’ll revisit this gimmick again.

As ever when adding a plethora of parts to a model that wasn’t intended to have that plethora, there was much fitting, refitting, and colorful invective. Had I not added the gimmick of clear panels I could have probably knocked 60-80 hours off the total time spent. My intent was to model a tank of the 3rd Armor Division, 32 Armored Battalion, which landed after D-Day on June 9 while it was getting kitted up for Operation Cobra, the breakout from the beachhead.

I’m pleased with how it turned out, clear panels excepted.