M4A3 (76) HVSS just off the boat
- Thread starter Jakko
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Finally got the markings done. Somebody sent me another (partly used) set of the yellow shipping markings that refused to work for me, and guess what … they didn’t want to come off the sheet either 
A second person then came to the rescue with the white versions of these same markings, and those finally did work! Hurrah!
You can also see the registration number towards the rear of the hull side, which I took from another set of Archer dry transfers.
Well, I say “took” … this actually required me to build up the number (U.S.A. 30115980) from five other markings, and that lead to the problem of how to get them in place and lined up correctly on the model, given that the largest of these was about 1.5 mm by 5 mm “big”. The solution turned out to be sticky tape:
This is all the separate pieces assembled on the tape, which I then just needed to trim to fit the model and stick in place:
Next, I had to carefully but firmly rub it all with a variety of implements, occasionally peeling back the tape carefully as well to check if the markings had come off yet. And then replace it equally carefully when it was obvious that no, not all of them had yet. All that work (times two, for the other side) eventually resulted in:
To perform this miracle, I used the following tools:
From left, that’s pointed tweezers, a hobby knife, the dry transfer rubbing tool I mentioned before that came with a set of Smurfs transfers 35 or more years ago, a sculpting/dentist’s tool and a 2B pencil.
A second person then came to the rescue with the white versions of these same markings, and those finally did work! Hurrah!You can also see the registration number towards the rear of the hull side, which I took from another set of Archer dry transfers.
Well, I say “took” … this actually required me to build up the number (U.S.A. 30115980) from five other markings, and that lead to the problem of how to get them in place and lined up correctly on the model, given that the largest of these was about 1.5 mm by 5 mm “big”. The solution turned out to be sticky tape:
This is all the separate pieces assembled on the tape, which I then just needed to trim to fit the model and stick in place:
Next, I had to carefully but firmly rub it all with a variety of implements, occasionally peeling back the tape carefully as well to check if the markings had come off yet. And then replace it equally carefully when it was obvious that no, not all of them had yet. All that work (times two, for the other side) eventually resulted in:
To perform this miracle, I used the following tools:
From left, that’s pointed tweezers, a hobby knife, the dry transfer rubbing tool I mentioned before that came with a set of Smurfs transfers 35 or more years ago, a sculpting/dentist’s tool and a 2B pencil.
Jim R
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Hi Jakko
Well done with those numbers. It may have taken a lot of effort but worth it. Results looks neat. Glad you finally sorted the shipping markings.
Jim
Well done with those numbers. It may have taken a lot of effort but worth it. Results looks neat. Glad you finally sorted the shipping markings.
Jim
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Thanks, and yes, it does look like it was worth it in the end. When I was fiddling with those registration numbers I was hoping that nothing went wrong, as that would have meant even more effort trying to put together two more sets of numbers, because I couldn’t make the same number again from the sheet without an even greater amount of work than this already took. Luckily, nothing did go wrong — the registration number sheet was at least a lot better than the one with shipping stencils.
Just seen this,
Very nicely done Jakko,and an interesting idea too
,
The figure,as the guys have said,is looking good,
Andy
Very nicely done Jakko,and an interesting idea too
,The figure,as the guys have said,is looking good,
Andy
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Thanks 
I also sprayed the tank with the black crap after applying the markings, so here are the photos to prove it:
For this, I used Revell satin black acrylic, deliberately mixed not quite thin enough so it would spatter a bit. Unfortunately, this meant it eventually clogged up my airbrush nozzle so badly it wouldn’t spray at all anymore — not even plain water. After swapping the nozzle for a different one, I finished the spraying before that also clogged up beyond usability.
I also sprayed the tank with the black crap after applying the markings, so here are the photos to prove it:For this, I used Revell satin black acrylic, deliberately mixed not quite thin enough so it would spatter a bit. Unfortunately, this meant it eventually clogged up my airbrush nozzle so badly it wouldn’t spray at all anymore — not even plain water. After swapping the nozzle for a different one, I finished the spraying before that also clogged up beyond usability.
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It took a while to get suitable tracks for this model. I’m not a fan of metal tracks, but there are very few alternatives for the T-66 track this tank would have been equipped with — the only ones I could find were AFV Club soft plastic single-piece; Trumpeter hard plastic separate links; and Accurate Armour resin lengths. I opted for the middle of those three, but then had great trouble tracking them down. I eventually found them listed as “in stock” on the site of a Dutch model shop, but after I ordered them, I was informed they had put them on order with their distributor … which meant that what I expected would be a couple of days’ wait for them, turned into more than a month.
Anyway, I did get them yesterday:
This is what you get in the box:
One bag of links, two to a sprue, and one bag of hinge pins, 24 to a sprue, plus a jig to assemble them on (the rectangular plate in the pins bag).
Putting them together goes well enough, once you get a routine going: clean up the links, put them onto the jig, insert pins on both sides and cut off the pins’ handles:
Here is a comparison between the Tamiya one-piece track, the Tamiya spare track links and the Trumpeter separate-link track:
The single-piece track is too flat, which is the main reason I wanted to replace it — the profile just isn’t deep enough and it shows when the track is on the model. Oddly, the spare links are much better, which makes me wonder why Tamiya didn’t manage to put the same depth into the single-piece tracks.
One thing you can’t tell here is that the Tamiya spare links have hollow guide horns, which the other two lack. They just have dimples on the front and rear faces of the guide horns, rather than holes all the way through. However, this requires the horns to be glued on to the spare links. Trumpeter could have moulded hollow guide horns, but with a much more complex mould, which probably would have driven up the price. Since most of this is hidden by the wheels, I don’t see it as a major issue.
Now all I need to do is put together another 154 links …
Anyway, I did get them yesterday:
This is what you get in the box:
One bag of links, two to a sprue, and one bag of hinge pins, 24 to a sprue, plus a jig to assemble them on (the rectangular plate in the pins bag).
Putting them together goes well enough, once you get a routine going: clean up the links, put them onto the jig, insert pins on both sides and cut off the pins’ handles:
Here is a comparison between the Tamiya one-piece track, the Tamiya spare track links and the Trumpeter separate-link track:
The single-piece track is too flat, which is the main reason I wanted to replace it — the profile just isn’t deep enough and it shows when the track is on the model. Oddly, the spare links are much better, which makes me wonder why Tamiya didn’t manage to put the same depth into the single-piece tracks.
One thing you can’t tell here is that the Tamiya spare links have hollow guide horns, which the other two lack. They just have dimples on the front and rear faces of the guide horns, rather than holes all the way through. However, this requires the horns to be glued on to the spare links. Trumpeter could have moulded hollow guide horns, but with a much more complex mould, which probably would have driven up the price. Since most of this is hidden by the wheels, I don’t see it as a major issue.
Now all I need to do is put together another 154 links …
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I have a set of those same tracks, I think, from another kit I built 20 years ago and never finished — in part because I didn’t feel like cleaning up the tracks at the time I’ve been thinking of completing that model as part of this series of Shermans … maybe I’ll tackle those tracks in the near future
I’ve been thinking of completing that model as part of this series of Shermans … maybe I’ll tackle those tracks in the near future 
scottie3158
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Jakko,
All looking mighty fine have fun with the tracks.
All looking mighty fine have fun with the tracks.
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The flash of inspiration came when I remembered that sets of self-adhesive letters often come with a sheet of waxed paper onto which the letters just stick, so you can put them together the right way before putting some sticky tape over them and transfer them to wherever you actually want the letters. For these dry transfers it was slightly more difficult, of course, but the same method, essentially.
Glad to have been able to supply material for that
Thanks, both
Not sure of fun as such with the tracks, I’ve already learned that you need to be careful cutting off the outer two bits, so you don’t damage the hole for the pin — if you do, the pin may come out and the track falls apart. I had to superglue them in on one link (so far) because of this, since my normal plastic cement doesn’t seem to want to dissolve this particular plastic. I thought it was ABS but the side of the box says PS, but if true, it’s a harder polystyrene than normal for model kits.
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Jim R
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Hi Jakko
Glad the track arrived. A frustrating wait but worth it. Maybe there was a delay somewhere along the line due to Covid? Tracks are never fun but you seem to have got into a system.
The black crap looks good but airbrushes hate thick paint
Jim
Glad the track arrived. A frustrating wait but worth it. Maybe there was a delay somewhere along the line due to Covid? Tracks are never fun but you seem to have got into a system.
The black crap looks good but airbrushes hate thick paint
Jim
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That and the holidays, I suspect. I ordered them on
/me checks e-mails 6 December, from a shop that had them listed as in stock on their web site — if they hadn’t, I would have looked elsewhere. But then they apparently had to order them from their distributor, so why say on the site that they’re in stock?Maybe I should have thinned it a bit more still, in retrospect. But you (well, I) only figure that out by the time the airbrush stops working altogetherThe black crap looks good but airbrushes hate thick paint
To get you to place your order!
Pete
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Well, yes, of course
It was more a rhetorical question.
