Work In Progress

This is how the front cover looks like on the kit... 

...and this is how it should actually look like. 

1 mm styrene strips glued on the front cover to add the armor thickness 

After some sanding 

After some more putty and a lot more sanding, plus armor texturing using (again) Tamiya putty and Humbrol glue. Thanks to Uncle Night Shift for his tutorial on the matter! It's the first time I did this, some points didn't come out as expected but I'm happy for the outcome, being a first. 

Third’s a charm! This time the texture is very good. Maybe still a little too much but effective. 

The huge gap over the tracks has been closed. Might be silly, but that would’ve given me plastic toy vibes, no matter the overall realism of the details and the weathering added. 

Original kit’s front mud covers are cut off and scratch-built ones will be replacing them. 

Tow slugs and footsteps detail added using plastics of different gauges. 

Horizontal sponsons are being scratch built 

Adding the rear engine support and engine radiator 

Detailing the radiator grid 

Detailing the radiator grid 

Adding the rear engine support and engine radiator 

Adding the rear engine support and engine radiator 

Adding the rear engine support and engine radiator 

Footsteps remade as the old ones were too damaged with regard to photo reference, that always shows them in pretty good conditions. 

Weld beads added, results are a little *meh* especially on the front, where I started even though they get better at the rear. I guess it’s just a matter of practice then! 

 

Engine deck handles are being replaced with 0,5 mm copper wire. 

The original rear stowage rack was too basic and is being replaced by a scratch-built new one. 

Stowage rack done. I just kept the upper hinges as they were correct in size and with a nice detail. 

Stowage rack done. I just kept the upper hinges as they were correct in size and with a nice detail. 

Exhaust deflector built from scratch. The original one had too thick borders and its shape was too simplified. 

Exhaust deflector built from scratch. The original one had too thick borders and its shape was too simplified. 

Dry-fitting of the new exhaust deflector. Some adjustment is needed as the fit is too tight and this is causing stress on the piece. 

Dry-fitting of the new exhaust deflector. Some adjustment is needed as the fit is too tight and this is causing stress on the piece. 

Tool clamps (one with tools themselves) were sanded down and the clamps scratch built with 0.2 mm styrene. Belts are made from masking tape and loops from 0.3 mm wire. Some tools broke in the process so I had to rebuild them too 

Closeup on the rearmost engine panel that I had to modify as it was in one piece as of early Shermans. Jumbos had it in two pieces with rearranged tools position. 

 

 

Original kit tail light. The pin is wrong both in shape and position and it would also give the wrong angle to the light. 

Original kit tail light. The pin is wrong both in shape and position and it would also give the wrong angle to the light. 

Original squared pin removed and a new one is put in place. Little detail on the blackout light is added to better resemble its original squared shape 

Original squared pin removed and a new one is put in place. Little detail on the blackout light is added to better resemble its original squared shape 

The pin rods have been trimmed to the right length and bolt plates have been added. Tail lights have been glued in their positions. 

The pin rods have been trimmed to the right length and bolt plates have been added. Tail lights have been glued in their positions. 

Driver’s hatch detailed on the inside and the outside. I haven’t actually decided yet whether it will be closed or opened, I’m adding the details just in case. 

Driver’s hatch detailed on the inside and the outside. I haven’t actually decided yet whether it will be closed or opened, I’m adding the details just in case. 

Driver’s hatch detailed on the inside and the outside. I haven’t actually decided yet whether it will be closed or opened, I’m adding the details just in case. 

Since the driver’s periscope protection was too fragile, I decided to learn soldering. The structure is taped to a ceramic tile and flux is applied on the joints 

A slice of solder was put on every joint 

Final resul 

The cover for the crew ventilation intake is molded as a full piece. 

A new cover is scratch built using a used PE frame cut and soldered. 

A new cover is scratch built using a used PE frame cut and soldered. 

The original detail has been machined down and bolts have been replaced with slices of stretched sprue. This is the final result on this fraction of work. 

This is the original gun rest  

Compared with the original one, the kit appears to be shorter. Considering I have to remove the whole thing in order to install the camouflage net later, I decided to cut it and adjust the height and shape of the two poles. 

Cutting  

The poles are made out of styrene rod shaped with files and cutter 

I think this new gun rest (only dry fitting here!) is way better. The broken locking mechanism will be fixed at a later stage. 

Panzer Art wheels were a little disappointing because of this poor printing quality. 

I cut off the original kit’s as they were in the wrong shape. 

A little detailing on the suspensions has been made 

A little detailing on the suspensions has been made 

Again with soldering, this time for the front fenders. 0.2 mm brass sheet cut by hand following the original kit piece, styrene rod for the diagonal reinforcement.  

Front fenders glued in place. 

Extended sand shield connectors made with paper. Some other details glued, some others just dry fitting but the hull is almost completed 

Extended sand shield connectors made with paper. Some other details glued, some others just dry fitting but the hull is almost completed 

Extended sand shield connectors made with paper. Some other details glued, some others just dry fitting but the hull is almost completed 

Extended sand shield connectors made with paper. Some other details glued, some others just dry fitting but the hull is almost completed 

Stage one in creating the master for a correct Sherman Jumbo turret. 3 layers of 9 mm foam stacked with white glue then carved using a knife and sanding sticks. 

Stage one in creating the master for a correct Sherman Jumbo turret. 3 layers of 9 mm foam stacked with white glue then carved using a knife and sanding sticks. 

Stage one in creating the master for a correct Sherman Jumbo turret. 3 layers of 9 mm foam stacked with white glue then carved using a knife and sanding sticks. 

Stage one in creating the master for a correct Sherman Jumbo turret. 3 layers of 9 mm foam stacked with white glue then carved using a knife and sanding sticks. 

Stage one in creating the master for a correct Sherman Jumbo turret. 3 layers of 9 mm foam stacked with white glue then carved using a knife and sanding sticks. 

Stage one in creating the master for a correct Sherman Jumbo turret. 3 layers of 9 mm foam stacked with white glue then carved using a knife and sanding sticks. 

Stage one in creating the master for a correct Sherman Jumbo turret. 3 layers of 9 mm foam stacked with white glue then carved using a knife and sanding sticks. 

Time to bake!  

Here is the frame where I'll pour the silicon based moulding 

This is the final product just out of the mould. It'll need a LOT of work as I used the Green Stuff acrylic resin. Yes, it's easy to use but result is ...meh 

A first batch of detailing work done on the turret. Green pieces are taken from the original kit, to which I've added some scratch-built details using different kind of materials (styrene, brass, aluminium, copper) 

A first batch of detailing work done on the turret. Green pieces are taken from the original kit, to which I've added some scratch-built details using different kind of materials (styrene, brass, aluminium, copper) 

A first batch of detailing work done on the turret. Green pieces are taken from the original kit, to which I've added some scratch-built details using different kind of materials (styrene, brass, aluminium, copper) 

A first batch of detailing work done on the turret. Green pieces are taken from the original kit, to which I've added some scratch-built details using different kind of materials (styrene, brass, aluminium, copper) 

A first batch of detailing work done on the turret. Green pieces are taken from the original kit, to which I've added some scratch-built details using different kind of materials (styrene, brass, aluminium, copper). In this picture are shown the parts I'm most proud of: springs and loops on the loader's hatch and the gun rest mount. 

The rear part of turret has been completely rebuilt from scratch, apart from the core body of the vent that I cut from the original kit. 

The rear part of turret has been completely rebuilt from scratch, apart from the core body of the vent that I cut from the original kit. 

Some minor modifications on the turret’s M2 HB machine gun  

Building is done, now on to colouring! 

A closeup view on the details. I like the "fiddly" view, it's not a perfect work but I'm very satisfied with the result so far!