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ChrisM

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My sister surprised me at Christmas with the new M4A3E8 Sherman kit from Tamiya along with the Verlinden "Fury" accessory package. First off I'm surprised it's taken this long for a model company to produce a kit that's from this movie. I mean this may be the best tank warfare film even made and I was dreaming about how cool it would be to build a model of that Sherman before the movie was over. And I'm even more surprised it was Tamiya that did it. What are Dragon's marketing people doing? The most prolific armor company that turns out model after model(How many Tiger's?) and they just didn't do anything. Not even so much as a reissue of the Thunderbolt Sherman. I saw one go for $150 on Ebay. In fact I just checked Ebay and there's not even one available.



I would rate myself as an intermediate builder. I've done plenty of Dragon kits with Smart Tracks and just starting to get the real hang of weathering with pigments and such and am pretty decent with PE. However when the Verlinden kit was opened I was taken aback. I don't live anywhere near a decent hobby shop and do everything online. So I was unable to see what these accessory kits are all about. This kit is much more challenging than the Tamiya Sherman! BTW this my 1st US tank. Been doing WW2 German until now.



Does anyone have any tips or any kind of help they could offer? I'm just thinking of airbrushing these pieces with different shades of gray/yellow/green/brown and CA'em where they're supposed to go.


Thanks.


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While I haven't seen either kit, I do have some hints for you.

 

First you will need to prime all of the resin bits. I found the best way is to do it on the "sprues" then touch up after you have seperated the part from the "sprue". Tamiya spray primer is what I use, you can also use Mr. Surfacer as both are the same in my opinion. If you can't find those, go to Wal-Mart or K-Mart and buy some spray Krylon sandable-primer as that will work in a pinch. Ensure everything is dry before you paint the items. Consult the film on the colours the items are and anything else you might want/need to add. I feel you also buy the film on DVD or Blu-Ray and take screen shots of all 4 sides of the vehicle, that way you can place the items in their correct place. Of course you'll have to complete the Sherman kit before the Verlinden items can be attached. Remember to make sure the items are held onto the vehicle in some way, not just stuck on there, as if held on by a magnate.

 

Hopefully I have answered some of your questions. Don't worry about it, just have fun with the kit & detail set.

 

Tim

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Hello Tim,

Thanks for the feedback. I think these parts will be much more labor intensive the model itself. I do own the Fury DVD and will view it after I complete the construction.

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Resin parts are a great way to add details to armor kits. I use them all the time so here are a couple of suggestions in addition to what was mentioned above.

 

Use a razor saw to trim the parts from casting blocks that are too thick for a hobby knife.

Use files and sand paper to clean up any of the attachment points

Use a sharp knife and fine sand paper to clean up any flash or mold seam lines

There might be small bubbles (pin holes) in the parts, especially in sharp corners. Use a filler or epoxy putty to fill these in and sand smooth

Wash all the parts in warm soapy water and scrub with an old tooth brush to remove mold release. Gently is fine.

If you have a pin vice and tiny drill bits, drill small holes in areas of the parts that won't be visible. Stick these on the ends of toothpicks for easier primer/painting.

For parts that are too small or you don't have little drills, use Blue Tack/Poster Putty or double sided tape to hold the parts for painting. Or CA glue a piece of stretched sprue to a concealed area.

After basic painting is done on the model and resin accessories, attach them to the model. CA is fine. Don't be messy and scrape paint from the areas to be glued for the best bond.

Use fine silk jewelry necklace string (at Hobby Hobby/Michaels stores) to replicate the tie down ropes. Nothing looks worse than oversized, fuzzy string. Use the vehicle l loops and rings as a guide.

Weather everything together.

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Thanks Bryan. I watched Fury last night(5th time) and I never really realized how much gear is strapped to that Sherman. And talk about weathering? That vehicle is caked with so much mud... And applying that much pigment or plaster without it becoming a gooey mess is beyond my skill level. I'll purchase Tamiya's $20 Panther and cut my teeth with that. BTW that Panther comes with lots of very cool decals that's almost worth $20 by itself. If I ruin it, it's no big deal. My modeling mentor is also being very helpful. Also I really doubt I'll use every piece that's in the Verlinden box. This will be baptism by fire.


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Mud can be really tricky. Pay attention to the consistency of it in the film. It's not very gooey. The mixture should have some texture and not a runny mess. Drier than drywall patch, not gloopey like cake batter.

 

There are several of the MIG weathering shorts on YouTube to become familiar with the steps, but you're right, experimenting is the only way to improve.

 

Best of luck.

Edited by BryanKrueger
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Chris, will be watching this build as I have also thought about doing the movie tank.

 

Which Tamiya Easy Eight did you get? Tamiya released one last year that was a reboxing of the Tasca kit (a very detailed, many part kit) before they released their own version this year (the one I picked up). One thing to watch for on either of these is that the track in the kits is correct for a WWII Easy Eight but not for Fury. The movie tank used the later T-80 tracks so if you want to stay true to the movie version you need to replace the tracks. Someone here might have some extras or you can pick up an aftermarket set of individual links.

 

There is a series of youtube videos from Panzerbuilder regarding his build of the movie tank so you can see what he did if you like. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3CWs0T9dl-Y is the first one in the series which just goes through the Tamiya/Tasca kit and the tracks he is using.

 

One other thing to add to what has been stated above regarding the resin bits. Use a respirator/mask when sanding the bits as resin dust and lungs don't get along.

 

Also Google images gives lots of pictures of the actual tank both both from the film and from production and even as she is now in the museum.

 

Have fun.

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  • 2 weeks later...

I purchased the new Tamiya item # 35346. I am still working on the vehicle itself. I must admit this is the most challenging Tamiya I've built so far with the exception of the Tiger 1 which involved cutting and filing of each track link, although it's still leaps and bounds easier than any Dragon I've built. I've seen the photos of the Dragon EZ8 Thunderbolt and just putting together the wheels and boogies of that model looks very complex. The Verdinlen kit will be by far the most challenging part of this whole build. At least to do it right. Baptism by fire so to speak. Thanks for all the tips!

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  • 2 weeks later...

You can use any razor saw, the Xuron one is very good for "bulk" cutting, but the UMM-USA Universal Razor Saw it outstanding for the fine, close in cutting. I use both all of the time. If you ever get the UMM saw, make sure you get some replacement blades as well, as they break easy if mis-used, which I've done a few times.

 

Tim

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