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Dragon 1/35th M4A3E8"Easy 8" Sherman


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This will be General Creighton W. Abrams, Tank "Thunderbolt VII" when he was a COL during WWII

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Creighton_Abrams

Read a few reviews seams like this should be a pretty straight forward build.

Pretty cool, was not expecting this one, got it for Xmas from my older daughter.

Going to be nice to have this on the shelf along with My M1 Abrams.

Will take pictures later, letting the pieces soak for now.

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Edited by Wayne S
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Wow very nice looking kit! Those Dragon kits always seem to be pretty nice. Not had much trouble w/ any of the ones Ive worked on, but only had a chance to do a couple.

Yeah, this is the first Tank kit I have built in a few/well lots of years, maybe since 2000 or so.

Definitely more kit then I expected on opening the box.

My only gripe and in ways it is a big one. Is the sprue/ parts tree method with fragile parts. There does not seam to be any give in the parts tree "like if the parts tree has tension on it" so when you clip a fragile part loose, even just the thickness of the pliers/ nippers cutting end put to much force on the tree and can break a part.

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Yea, ive fun into that in the past. The best method Ive found for dealing w/ that is clipping the part tree down a little ways from the part, if you have the clearance to do that. The other option is to cut the tree w/ a razor saw. Once the tree is loose, then you can cut the tree off the part.

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Yea, ive fun into that in the past. The best method Ive found for dealing w/ that is clipping the part tree down a little ways from the part, if you have the clearance to do that. The other option is to cut the tree w/ a razor saw. Once the tree is loose, then you can cut the tree off the part.

Yeah thats about all one can do. There was a few small parts in the middle of the tree, so I made a few pie just in the tree to give flex.

Getting some progress done so will have more pics later, Hopfully majority of the upper and lower hull should be done in a wile"glued", other then wheels/suspension and tracks.

Edited by Wayne S
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7:19 HRs Into the build now. Have the Fenders/side armor, Suspension, Wheels and track still to buildup.

After cleanup I "Might" get some color on her tomorrow.

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This where I am, with it now, "200 parts in the suspension/ wheels" :wacko:

10:34Hrs into the build. Track is just sitting there to get a measurement from.

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Edited by Wayne S
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Looks good, the .50 cal looks great are the tracks magic link?.

Andy.

Yes they are magic track. The fenders that I did not put on yet, are also photo etch "can be seen in the opened box picture above."

Seams they didn't hold back any punches with this kit. There is even springs inside the suspension cylinders to give them some movement.

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For most part of the day, we took down all the Xmas stuff. Then My 30gal compressor has a leak around the drain fitting so, could not get much more done.

Did spend 30 minutes mixing up a base color and spraying around the suspension. I made Model Master Pale green into a thinner, then used that, to thin/mix Model Master Olive Drab. So now I can go either way in a tone.

Have to go through my brain and think how mud spray would happen with the tank. I want to make her a bit dirty and time line seams to be around March. So the ground should of been soft, that time a year, with ground thawing etc.

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Here's a Sherman belonging to a friend of mine. Shown on a very muddy field, and also on a dusty one, showing where the tracks are throwing the dust.

In the thick mud.

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The day before, slightly less muddy

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Showing where the dust has gathered on the front armour. The tracks throw a surprising amount of dirt forwards, which then blows back at the crew as the tank drives forwards.

sherman3.jpg

The tracks chucking up the muck at the back

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and here's a Commander view of a ride I took last year -

Edited by Army_Air_Force
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Thank you.

I have been watching this video a few times.

Also the Video that you show, with them on the road. It would seam with a convey, the overall color would be pretty much tan-ish brown.

My observation is, depending on how long they've been dirty would depend on the color. Like still wet mud, would be darker brown. Dried mud or dust would be a real light color tan.

Undecided on how dirty or muddy she will be yet, will see when I start putting color on the tracks.

I am more or less shooting for a road going dusty weathering job, Unsure how the tracks will come out. They should be pretty must brown/tan, yet not look painted, Which will be the key.

----------------

Your a Lucky dog, being over there and messing with these things. At least in my area, there is not much of it.

England was always fun for this kind of stuff.

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that looks good Wayne. Amazing amount of parts in the wheels/suspension alone

Thank you bud. The Easy 8 definitely is a monster in that department. This has me wanting to do an earlier version to put on the shelf along side it, so one can see the difference between them.

I need a few Shermans now. They can be addicting LOL.

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It was great fun up in the turret, but hard work taking video and stills, and hanging on! It was on D-Day last year, on Debach Airfield, an old US 8th Air Force base, home to the 493rd Bomb Group. Enjoying the build, keep up the great work.

Since your over there and I am not :wub: . Could use your opinion on the tools. What are your thoughts on them. I am thinking they should be painted green, with wear/abuse showing wood and metal.

Seams like people paint the wooden handles "wood" and the metal parts as metal. Some reason I cannot see that being the case. I would think overall color should be green and wear-n-tear would rub off the green paint on the tools.

What is your thoughts?

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Last update until at least Saturday since I just put clear on her. Also just noticed The Muzzle on the gun is is crooked so have to take care of that. I was looking at the tank before I went to bed and knocked it off. Should of waited till I could actually see and think right before gluing it back on :thumbsup:

Pictures kinda suck, sun was glaring through the window, since the tank is glossed that was a pain.

So far 18:54 hours on her.

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Edited by Wayne S
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  • 3 weeks later...
Any more progress?

Some, not sure If I like it to much. It came out more weathered then I would like it to be.

Still have the track to put on and guns.

With the timing now. I might just leave the track/wheels etc clean "like the pictures above", so down the line I can do a diorama/ display base like I want.

Wanted to mud up the wheels and track, but if I do that, the Base could look off in color. Definitely no time to do the base now, plus want a few guys standing around it.

She will be considered finished soon, Right now I have been working on getting the Mustangs done, since they have gloss paint jobs that need to dry.

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