Sherman Crab (again!)

[grumpa]

Will be checking in on this one for sure Jakko.

That chain work really is something special alright!

Jim.

 

[Steve Brodie]

wow

 

[Jakko]

Thanks, guys

I’m finally in sight of the finishing line with this one … I made a replacement chain and sprayed it black too, I’ve repainted the parts of the tank that I had to do additional work on, and started weathering the suspension. Now I need to complete the markings, weather the rest of the model, attach the chains and finish painting them too. Easy

 

[Jakko]

Today I applied the remaining markings from a variety of sources, including a 30+-year-old decal from an Italeri M32 tank recovery vehicle kit and some hand-painted bits, to arrive at a good representation of this tank’s real markings:



After that, I put an overall wash of thinned Tamiya flat earth over the tank as an initial bit of weathering, followed by adding some dark stains with Games Workshop Devlan mud, which is really a pre-mixed dark brown-grey wash. It needs a good deal more work, though.

 

[Jim R]

Hi Jakko
Brilliant work on the chains. A heart stopping moment when you saw the newspaper on the floor. Great that you were able to update details. Shows how your modelling has become more precise since this was started. Looking good. Nice to see the photos of the actual tank returned to its place.
Jim

 

[adt70hk]

Just had a catch-up Jakko. That is outstanding work. Very well done indeed.

ATB.

Andrew

 

[rtfoe]

I like the amount of dust you've added to the tank Jakko. This would be evident due to the amount of debris and dust kicked up by the rotating chain.
The little dots of darker paint also breaks up the overall green of the base paint...nice touch too. Careful with the freehand graffiti as realism and amatuer paint work can be a fine line that can ruin a good finish.

Cheers,
Richard

 

[Tim Marlow]

Looks fine and dusty Jakko. As it is a vehicle that has been stood immobile for quite a few months would there be rain streaking as well?

 

[Jakko]

Brilliant work on the chains. A heart stopping moment when you saw the newspaper on the floor.

Thanks. More like a moment of very strong words, though

Great that you were able to update details. Shows how your modelling has become more precise since this was started.

TBH, I would’ve added those details two years ago too, had I known of them. But it wasn’t until new pictures of this tank surfaced, that pretty much nobody had ever seen before, that I realised they were even there.

Looking good. Nice to see the photos of the actual tank returned to its place.

Definitely. It’s been a while (10 months) but the area now looks like it should again

Just had a catch-up Jakko. That is outstanding work. Very well done indeed.

Thanks

I like the amount of dust you've added to the tank Jakko. This would be evident due to the amount of debris and dust kicked up by the rotating chain.

I’m not sure this tank did any flailing in this particular operation. The only evidence I’ve found of any Crab using its flail is in the memoires of one Frank Himsworth, who commanded Crab Red Tod (WD-number unknown) at Westkapelle, who said his tank cleared a path off the beach. On this model, the dust and dirt represents it standing outside in all weather for about two and a half years.

The little dots of darker paint also breaks up the overall green of the base paint...nice touch too.

It needs more of that, but I’ll need to study pictures of the tank some more to see where and which shapes

Careful with the freehand graffiti as realism and amatuer paint work can be a fine line that can ruin a good finish.

It’s not just any graffiti These are the markings the tank carried in the landings: CHERRY is the code-name of the assault team the tank belonged to, while 6 is the code-number of the landing craft it was to embark in (which was LCT 650). The 148 over 656 on the bow is probably because the tank was repaired not long before, so I’m guessing its WD census number was painted on the nose because tanks would have been parked side by side close together at the workshop where this happened.

Looks fine and dusty Jakko. As it is a vehicle that has been stood immobile for quite a few months would there be rain streaking as well?

There doesn’t seem to be much rain streaking in evidence in this picture:

My model represents the tank around the time this photo was taken, so this is the look I’m trying to copy. As you can see, though, it needs more stains and I think the star on the rear deck also needs toning down/scuffing a bit.

 

[Jakko]

I had forgotten the War Department census number on the inside of the stowage bin on the right-hand side. This was most likely the original location of the number, before the tank was converted to a Crab, and was visible inside the bin after the war. I made it from Archer dry transfers, applied first to a piece of transparent tape that I then stuck inside the bin:



And rubbed onto the tank:



Here’s some overall views of the model as it is now, with additional weathering:



This was mainly done by painting and stippling various shades of olive drab and green onto the model, as well as some work with a Tamiya weathering stick (a kind of marking pen with a mud-coloured paste inside) that I dabbed on and smeared out with my finger, plus adding a second, lighter-coloured wash over the lower hull, suspension and tracks.

I think it still needs some more, though

 

[Jakko]

Almost there …



(and I’m staying on target )

 

[Jim R]

Looks great Jakko. Those chains are worth all the effort.
Jim

 

[rtfoe]

Chain chain chains...now what song was that. Those chains look wicked Jakko.

Cheers,
Richard

 

[minitnkr]

"Chain of Fools" by the queen of soul, Richard. Amazing details Jakko.

 

[Jakko]

Looks great Jakko. Those chains are worth all the effort.

Thanks, and yes, I think you’re right. The model looked OK without the chains, but with it, it looks much better.

Chain chain chains...now what song was that.

That hadn’t occurred to me yet, but yeah With thanks to Paul:

Those chains look wicked

Amazing details

Thanks, both BTW, painting them to look this convincing was very simple: sprayed with matt black primer (car paint from an aerosol can), then drybrushed with gun metal and finally, a wash of earth-coloured paint. That last one was the trickiest to apply, but mostly because it was a fair amount of effort rather than being actually difficult to do.

 

[scottie3158]

Jakko,
That looks very nice indeed the work on the chains and the details on the hull has really paid off.

 

[Steven000]

Very nice progress Jakko, love those chains
Steven

 

[Mark1]

Very nice

 

[JR]

Wow, just had a read through, those chains , glad you kept on with them they really look the part .

 

[adt70hk]

Jakko

As others have said the chains look great.

Very well done.

Andrew