M4A3 (76) HVSS just off the boat

[Wookie2486]

I like the pose of your figure there Jakko.
Marty

 

[Jim R]

Hi Jakko
What a great idea for a figure and well done putting him together.
Jim

 

[Jakko]

Thanks I’m kind of wondering what colours to paint him in. I guess this requires some research into 1940s clothing colours.

 

[phraktal]

Hi,

@Jakko Would you by any chance have instructions for this model ? I've started mine last year, and we've got flooded and they were lost. I would like to finish it, but it's a bit hard without the instructions. If you could scan yours, or at least take pics of each page, it would be very helpful.

Thanks in advance.

Tomasz

 

[Steven000]

...Would you by any chance have instructions for this model ? I've started mine last year, and we've got flooded and they were lost. I would like to finish it, but it's a bit hard without the instructions. If you could scan yours, or at least take pics of each page, it would be very helpful...

Hi, You can find a lot of instructions on scale mates, see this page, scroll a bit down

M4A3E8 Sherman "Easy Eight", Tamiya 35346 (2015)

 

[Jakko]

@Jakko Would you by any chance have instructions for this model ? I've started mine last year, and we've got flooded and they were lost. I would like to finish it, but it's a bit hard without the instructions. If you could scan yours, or at least take pics of each page, it would be very helpful.

I’d be happy to, though Steven has already linked to a page where the instructions can be found, so I suppose you have what you need already Looking forward to seeing what you make of this kit!

 

[Peter Gillson]

Gets better and better, nice figure.
Peter

 

[Jakko]

Thanks I made a few tweaks to the figure since, mainly bulking up his coat a little under his arms and turning his waistcoat into a sleeveless sweater by scraping off the details. A waistcoat seemed out of place for a dock worker.

 

[Jakko]

After spraying the model Tamiya XF-62 OD and adding higlighted areas on the larger panels (by mixing in some lighter colours), I put an overall wash of Humbrol 33 matt black enamel over it, which darkened the overall appearance notably. Too much for my liking, really, so when it was still drying, I removed as much as I could again with a soft brush from the centres of panels etc. Once it was fully dry, I drybrushed the whole model with Revell 42 yellowish olive and then more lightly with 45 light olive (both acrylics) to highlight everything. That resulted in:—



After that, I began applying markings from Archer dry transfer sets:



I began with stars in the positions they usually appear on these tanks: hull sides, turret sides, hull front and on the right rear sand shield. I then also added a shipping marking, actually one for a T26E3 Pershing, but I wanted the HAIL prefix that indicates the destination as the port of Antwerp.

After that, things went wrong I’ve also got a set of shipping stencils with dimensions, but the only suitable ones for this tank refuse to come off the sheet …



In fact, my rubbing them has taken some of the paint off the model, rather than applying the markings to the tank A few tiny specks of yellow stuck to the model (just visible in the second photo above) but that’s it — no matter how hard I rub, or the tool I use, they stay on the sheet and won’t go onto the model.

I’m out of ideas for this, as those dimensional markings really need to be on the model, but I don’t have any alternatives for the ones in the photo. Thoughts on how to do this anyway would be appreciated.

 

[Tim Marlow]

Coming on nicely Jakko. Pity about the transfers.
I have read this somewhere, but many years ago, so please only practice on spare transfers off the model....I have never tried it.

You can use life expired rub down transfers as if they are Methfix transfers. To do this, moisten the surface of the model with a 50% water/methylated spirits mix and press the transfer into place. Soak the transfer backing paper with the meths mix and let it dry. Once it’s dry soak the backing paper with water (only) and remove it when it works loose.

Good luck, it may be total rubbish

 

[Jakko]

I have never heard of methfix transfers … doing a quick bit of searching, I think I get the idea, though. Luckily I have plenty of spares from this sheet that I could try it with, though I must say I’m a bit wary of using any alcohol on a model painted in acrylics, so I’ll have to experiment with that too before actually trying it on this model.

 

[Tim Marlow]

Did you find this?

Pressfix or Methfix?

HMRS

hmrs.org.uk

 

[Jakko]

I googled it and found its summary of that page Elsewhere, where I asked much the same question, someone recommended putting the transfer into lukewarm water for a bit. I’ll try one or the other method first on some spares, and if it doesn’t work, go for the other one I suppose …

 

[Jakko]

In the mean time, I began painting the dock worker. After giving him a grey primer base coat, I painted his face and hands:



Unfortunately, my skills in this area have deteriorated a bit over the past decade or so due to insufficient practice and somewhat shakier hands than before I painted him with Tamiya flesh plus some white, to down down the orange and make it appear a bit more like he’s in the cold, then added shadows with the same mix plus some Army Painter red “quick shade” (ink) followed by highlights from the same flesh plus more white than the base colour.

 

[Jim R]

Hi Jakko
I reckon the figure is fine and will look the part when in place. I don't like those rub down transfers - I have a lot of failures. I hope you find a method to use the shipping stencils.
Have a good Christmas.
Jim

 

[Steven000]

Yes I think the head looks nice too, no worries.
would be great if you could add a cable/hook in it's final display-location, but might not be possible. Nice progress
Steven

 

[Jakko]

Thanks, guys

I don't like those rub down transfers - I have a lot of failures. I hope you find a method to use the shipping stencils.

I find them to work okay but not as great as I had hoped. These seem to stick to the sheets far better than the old Verlinden ones I used to use fairly frequently 25–30 years ago, and that makes them much harder to use. The main trick, as far as I can tell, is to make sure you hold half the sheet firmly to the model while you rub the other half with a suitable tool¹ — vigorously but not so much that you move the sheet.You can carefully lift up the free side of the sheet to check the decal comes loose. Once done, ensuring you keep the sheet where it is, press the “finished” half down and rub the other half.

¹ I use a special dry-transfer rubbing tool that I got with a set of Smurfs transfers in the 1980s As an alternative, when I need to be more precise in where to apply pressure, a 2B or softer pencil also works well.

would be great if you could add a cable/hook in it's final display-location, but might not be possible.

That would require a base and some kind of crane on it, which is rather more effort than I intend to go to … this will simply be a stand-alone model without a base. I hope the figure’s pose conveys he’s beckoning something above the tank to come closer

 

[Jakko]

Here’s the dock worker, finished or nearly so:



He looks better IRL than in these photos, and to get him looking half-decent in those, I had to photograph him against a “natural” background. When I tried it in my photo booth, he looked like I hadn’t shaded and highlighted him at all.

 

[Tim Marlow]

He looks good Jakko.

 

[Neil Merryweather]

Great job with the figure. Very original