Beyond The Sprues
Current and Finished Projects => Physical Models => Land => Topic started by: Steve Blazo on November 25, 2019, 11:54:11 PM
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SLB Heavy Industries - M2 medium tank
Started this weekend
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Hooray! Another SLB Heavy Industries construct on its way! Woo-hoo! ;D 8)
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Ohh.. I know where the kit parts come from.
That is always a great game with master scratch builds such as this is bound to be
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Watch the orientation of those gas caps and the shape of the plate they sit on, they don't match the drawings you have there. There probably also would not be the bullet splash strip near the caps, either.
I built this exact scratchbuild as a pattern for Commander's Series Models back in the early 90s. ;D
You're starting better than I did as I used the Tamiya M3 Lee hull to start from and it's too wide. I had to fudge a bunch of angles to get it to work out. Also watch out for the fact that the tracks and road wheels on the M2 were narrower than those on the M3/M4 families. Mind, there's bugger all you can do about that without a huge amount of work. I said sod it and used Sherman track and updated the Lee suspension units.
Paul
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Quite impressive so far! :smiley:
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Cool! Is SLB-HIs M2 medium tank going to be entered into the U.S. Enters WWII Early (1940) GB?
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Watch the orientation of those gas caps and the shape of the plate they sit on, they don't match the drawings you have there. There probably also would not be the bullet splash strip near the caps, either.
I built this exact scratchbuild as a pattern for Commander's Series Models back in the early 90s. ;D
You're starting better than I did as I used the Tamiya M3 Lee hull to start from and it's too wide. I had to fudge a bunch of angles to get it to work out. Also watch out for the fact that the tracks and road wheels on the M2 were narrower than those on the M3/M4 families. Mind, there's bugger all you can do about that without a huge amount of work. I said sod it and used Sherman track and updated the Lee suspension units.
Paul
Thanks for the advice Paul
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Cool! Is SLB-HIs M2 medium tank going to be entered into the U.S. Enters WWII Early (1940) GB?
That is the plan, if I can get it done in time.
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Would the Stuart track and road wheels be accurate?
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Would the Stuart track and road wheels be accurate?
I think they will be close enough, only other option I have is scratch building them. Not a task I want to try.
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Update –
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Would the Stuart track and road wheels be accurate?
I think they will be close enough, only other option I have is scratch building them. Not a task I want to try.
Stuart track and road wheels will be far too narrow for an M2. Noting that the M2 had narrower tracks than the M3/M4, they were only an inch or so narrower and looked almost identical, it's far closer to use a set of Sherman T41 track for and M2 than using Stuart T16 track. The Stuart road wheels look quite different than the M2 wheels which are very close in everything but width to the Sherman standard wheels.
I'd suggest using a set of Takom or Miniart M3 Lee suspension bogies, wheels and tracks. The bogie trucks will still need a little modification to add fine details like the gussets and reinforcing ribs, but they are 95% of the way there out of the box. Plus, you get all the suspension units you need in one kit instead of needing two kits to get the right number of wheels and still need Lee bogie trucks as the Stuart units are totally wrong for an M2.
Paul
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Would the Stuart track and road wheels be accurate?
I think they will be close enough, only other option I have is scratch building them. Not a task I want to try.
Stuart track and road wheels will be far too narrow for an M2. Noting that the M2 had narrower tracks than the M3/M4, they were only an inch or so narrower and looked almost identical, it's far closer to use a set of Sherman T41 track for and M2 than using Stuart T16 track. The Stuart road wheels look quite different than the M2 wheels which are very close in everything but width to the Sherman standard wheels.
I'd suggest using a set of Takom or Miniart M3 Lee suspension bogies, wheels and tracks. The bogie trucks will still need a little modification to add fine details like the gussets and reinforcing ribs, but they are 95% of the way there out of the box. Plus, you get all the suspension units you need in one kit instead of needing two kits to get the right number of wheels and still need Lee bogie trucks as the Stuart units are totally wrong for an M2.
Paul
Thanks Paul, after looking closer I have ordered an M3 for running gear. Thanks again for the advice and info.
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Thanks Paul, after looking closer I have ordered an M3 for running gear. Thanks again for the advice and info.
BTW, please don't take my comments as criticism. If you want to build your model a certain way, I'm not trying to tell you what to do (even though it certainly may read like it :D )
I'm a bit of a rivet counter and strive for accuracy in my models, even WHIFs. I have scratch built a lot of armour over the years so I'm just trying to offer advice on making it more accurate. If that conflicts with your vision, budget or fun level, please don't hesitate to tell me to shut up. I promise I won't take offence. ;)
If you want more advise or references, though, I have a lot of both.
Paul
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Thanks Paul, after looking closer I have ordered an M3 for running gear. Thanks again for the advice and info.
BTW, please don't take my comments as criticism. If you want to build your model a certain way, I'm not trying to tell you what to do (even though it certainly may read like it :D )
I'm a bit of a rivet counter and strive for accuracy in my models, even WHIFs. I have scratch built a lot of armour over the years so I'm just trying to offer advice on making it more accurate. If that conflicts with your vision, budget or fun level, please don't hesitate to tell me to shut up. I promise I won't take offence. ;)
If you want more advise or references, though, I have a lot of both.
Paul
No problem, I did not take it wrong at all. Any help I can get, I will take. You are right about the running gear, I just had not looked at it that close. That's the great thing about posting here, other eyes to help see what you missed. All comments make me a better modeler. Please keep watching the build and please offer advice.
Steve
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Update 2
After some good advice from Tankmodeler, I found a cheap M3 kit at a local hobby store. It has much more accurate running gear.
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That's coming along well and I especially like the grill work in the back.
Brian da Basher
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Very, very neat build
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Very, very neat build
Ditto on that for sure. :smiley:
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Nice work! :smiley:
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After some good advice from Tankmodeler, I found a cheap M3 kit at a local hobby store. It has much more accurate running gear.
HOWEVER, please don't use the track or road wheels. The road wheels have 6 spokes instead of the correct 5 and the track has the end connectors in the middle of the pads instead of joining two pads together. Dip into the spares box for proper spoked early Lee/Sherman road wheels for this.
The rear idler mounts are complete rubbish as well and the kit doesn't have the proper "pepperpot" exhausts or rear engine plate of the M2.
If (and only if) you are up to spending a bit more, I would suggest either buying the Academy M3 Lee or the new Takom or Minicraft early Lees. The Academy kit is pretty reasonably priced now that the much better Takom and Minicraft kits are available and has better detailed bogies, good idler mounts, the proper spoked wheels and quite reasonable track. The other two kits are much better again, but are much more expensive if all you're doing is using the running gear.
Minicraft also has a new kit of the earlt R-975 with the pepperpot exhausts as a separate kit that you could use down in the hull (as it's a clear view down into the engine bay in these tanks).
The 37mm M5 gun and mount are going to need to be scratchbuilt, but you may be able to get Commanders Series models to sell you just those parts as they have an M2A4 Light Tank kit and I think that's the only other kit and vehicle that has that gun mount.
I'm sure that more unsolicited advice was just what you were looking for at this point, right? ;D
Paul
Paul
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Thanks Paul, keep the advice coming, it sure helps. Due to time constraints for the group build and semi-limited budget, the items I can not scratch build will have to be as close as I can find. Hopefully it will look the part for the group build and be good enough for a show.
Thanks again for all the advice and help.
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I love scratchbuilt armor projects, especially of the 1920s-30s. This is looking good!
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Awesome work and great skills with the plastic card!
I have always fancied scratching a M2 or perhaps some AH alternative but never found the time.
Your model is first class and thanks for sharing the construction pics. :smiley:
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Tidy build there Steve
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Update 3
Its starting to look a lot like …. A tank !
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More impressive fabrication with each picture set. :smiley:
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Update 4
Details and details
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Looking good.
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Excellent attention to detail Steve.
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Looking great! :smiley:
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Very, very tidy
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Such a combo of kit, scratch, and quality. :smiley:
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Update 5
Thank you all for the good words.
In the last 3 photos the treads are loose, still need to find a way to remove one link and fasten them together.
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Coming along brilliantly, Steve! 8)
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In the last 3 photos the treads are loose, still need to find a way to remove one link and fasten them together.
Unfortunately there's no easy way to shorten those tracks. The brute force way I've seen done is to take out the link, drill a few small holes through the two track pads on each side of the new join and literally sew them together with black thread. You'll be able to see it if you look, but, if the join is under a road wheel, it will be mostly hidden.
The alternative is to buy one of the available aftermarked T41 track sets and then assemble them leaving out a link or two to get the right length. This will provide a much better looking track (the end connectors will be properly located, i.e. joining each two pads and not in the middle of each pad as they are on youur old Tamiya kit) but the cost will be about 15-25 bucks depending on which maker's tracks you get. Panda makes great tracks and are the least hassle to assemble and install. Bronco and others make somewhat nicer track that depicts the way the tracks work a little more accurately at the cost of being a lot more involved to assemble.
Fruil makes individual link metal tracks that would try the patience of Job to assemble and still leave you with far too great a track sag to be accurate for American "live" track, so avoid these.
Paul
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Thanks Paul, good advice. I looked for T41 indy-links. The only ones I could find were the Miniart, not to bad a price, would for sure look better the the rubber band tracks. Tedious to put together, but again, not to bad. Will have to think about them for sure.
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This is looking good! I love seeing the naked styrene in scratchbuilds.
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That gun looks every bit the business, Steve!
Brian da Basher
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looking good
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At this point passes as real kit of real tank. Commendable scratch building. Can see doing duty alongside M3 Lee.
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In the last 3 photos the treads are loose, still need to find a way to remove one link and fasten them together.
Unfortunately there's no easy way to shorten those tracks. The brute force way I've seen done is to take out the link, drill a few small holes through the two track pads on each side of the new join and literally sew them together with black thread. You'll be able to see it if you look, but, if the join is under a road wheel, it will be mostly hidden.
The alternative is to buy one of the available aftermarked T41 track sets and then assemble them leaving out a link or two to get the right length. This will provide a much better looking track (the end connectors will be properly located, i.e. joining each two pads and not in the middle of each pad as they are on youur old Tamiya kit) but the cost will be about 15-25 bucks depending on which maker's tracks you get. Panda makes great tracks and are the least hassle to assemble and install. Bronco and others make somewhat nicer track that depicts the way the tracks work a little more accurately at the cost of being a lot more involved to assemble.
Fruil makes individual link metal tracks that would try the patience of Job to assemble and still leave you with far too great a track sag to be accurate for American "live" track, so avoid these.
Paul
I found and ordered a set of the Miniart ind-link tracks. I will probley be done with the model before they get to me. They will for sure look better tho.
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Inspiring! It is good to see the in progress shots.
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Inspiring! It is good to see the in progress shots.
It is indeed. Interested to see how the individual track links match up :smiley:
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Update 6
After a week with Type A Influenza, a little progress. I have received the ind-link tracks by Miniart, they sure do look better than the rubber band tracks, have not had a chance to play with them yet.
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Really coming along nicely, Steve! Really am impressed by this build. :smiley: 8)
After a week with Type A Influenza.
Hope it wasn't too bad! :icon_cc:
I have received the ind-link tracks by Miniart, they sure do look better than the rubber band tracks, have not had a chance to play with them yet.
Be prepared to go slightly crazy(er) putting them together. :-\
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Some inspiration to get you to the finish line:
(https://ww2aircraft.net/forum/attachments/photom2tanknightfire-jpg.290664/)
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Thanks needing that !! The ind-link tracks have dampened the effort. Very cool picture, the only one I have seen in color. This will help with the paint and weathering.
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Have some more inspiration.
(https://i.imgur.com/44XklL0.jpg?1)
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Update – Tracks done
After making a jig the correct size, the first one was to narrow, the tracks went together much easier. Still a pain in the a$$, but they look so much better. They will get a tad tighter when the last end connectors are added.
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Under paint, will look like a kit. Well done so far
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VICTORY! ;D
Well done on the win with the tracks, Steve! :smiley:
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Looking good.
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The tracks - and the rest of the tank - look great!
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99% Done with the build, just need the machine guns in the front glacis plate. Need to do a little clean up and then the next photos will be with paint.
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Almost a shame to cover all that beautiful work with paint😊
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:smiley:
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Very impressed with this build! :icon_alabanza:
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Most Excellent
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Pre-shading and highlights
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First coat and a little base coat with white to fade
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:smiley:
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Double-plus :smiley:!
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Decals added, details and tracks painted and on.
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Wash done, all that needs to be done is the flat coat. Could not do it this weekend Because the humidity was over 70%, Tamiya flat coat frosts on high humidity days. Add headlights and its done.
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Thank you all for the comments and motivation.
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Even without its flat coat, your M2 is looking seriously good :) :)
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Completely awesome scratchbuilt from start to finish!
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This has been a treat. First class job
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That, sir, is brilliant execution & has been a treat to watch come together! :icon_alabanza: :icon_alabanza: :icon_alabanza:
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Love subject choice combined with scratch work and finish. :-* Excellent :smiley:
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Beauty!
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:smiley: