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Forums - Site / Build Logs

Messages in this Build Logs forum are automatically posted when new Build Logs or Chapters are added. Other modellers can then comment on them. Refer to the Build Logs section for more information.
Topics  78
Messages  2864
 Subject:  [Chapter] The hull from the frontList thread.  
  
 Date:  Jul 16, 2007
 From:  James Wechsler 
The hull from the front

Since I’m writing this blog just as I’m completing a blog on building a Sherman V DV my intention is to keep the number of chapters on construction and painting to a minimum. That will allow this blog to move to the diorama aspects quickly.

Building up the hull is a pretty straight forward process. The new Dragon kit is pretty well done and little additional work is needed.

One item I did modify a bit was the transmission cover. Dragon has done a first rate job on this part but I added a small modification that gives a little more detail. The cover is actually a three piece affair that is bolted together. The flanges holding the bolts have a small separation line in them where the two meet. Usually this is pretty small and one could argue that it’s not visible in 1/35 scale but personally I feel it is visible and worth replicating. Adding this to the Dragon parts is best done by simply carving a small groove along the center line of the bolt flanges once they are installed. It takes patience but the result is worth it.

Another little detail is the line of bolt heads that are along the lower hull where the transmission cover attaches to it. These are visible even after the suspension and tracks are mounted so it’s worth adding. I have a punch and die set so I just knocked them out of 0.015 inch sheet plastic.

A major area of rework is the driver’s hatch. I think Dragon over engineered this part. The hatch has the rotating plate for the periscope as a separate part as is the periscope. The problem is that the parts are a bit chunky, especially from the inside so if you’re going to leave the hatch open, it just doesn’t look right. I cut all of this away and used some left over photoetch over the rotating plates on the hatch inside. Then I used a Formations periscope for detail.

Also missing is the hatch pad. This is actually correct for early Shermans but the problem is that there’s a nasty ejector pin mark right in the curved area of the hatch. I had a left over one from the Tamiya Sherman kit that fit in after a little trimming. I also added the small photoetched pull ring from the Tasca kit. Fortunately there’s no co-driver so I only had to do this for one hatch.

In addition to these changes, I used a few parts from the various Formations sets. One really nice item is that the Formations Firefly turret set also includes the armored plate for the bow machine gun (as well as some other Firefly specific items covered in the next chapter). Great idea! There’s nothing more frustrating than missing the one or two items needed to make a conversion.

To round out the front part of the hull, I also added the tow cable clamp, headlights and siren from Formations since these parts are much better detailed.

Finally, I added the stowage box, also a Formations item. While commonly seen mounted on the back of Firefly VCs, the starter crank hole on the back of Sherman Is was in the way so this box is often seen on the hull front. It is supported by a wood plank fixed between the two front fenders. I made the plank out of a strip of 0.040 inch plastic. The wood grain is made by dragging a razor saw sideways across it to get the wavy and uneven grain pattern.

Up next: The hull from the rear
 
Thread Listing 
  [BLOG] Firefly IC Diorama - James Wechsler - Jul 15, 2007
. . . [Chapter] The M4 Conversion - James Wechsler - Jul 15, 2007
. . . . . . Re: [Chapter] The M4 Conversion - Martin Dogger - Jul 15, 2007
. . . . . . . . . Re: [Chapter] The M4 Conversion - James Wechsler - Jul 19, 2007
. . . . . . Re: [Chapter] The M4 Conversion - Michael Bedard - Jul 15, 2007
. . . . . . . . . Re: [Chapter] The M4 Conversion [IMG] - James Wechsler - Jul 19, 2007
. . . . . . . . . . . . Re: [Chapter] The M4 Conversion-James [IMG] - Michael Bedard - Jul 22, 2007
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Re: [Chapter] The M4 Conversion-James - Jim Wechsler - Jul 27, 2007
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Tasca Firefly - Michael Bedard - Jul 28, 2007
. . . [Chapter] The hull from the front - James Wechsler - Jul 16, 2007
. . . . . . Re: [Chapter] The hull from the front - Rob Stout - Jul 18, 2007
. . . . . . . . . Both - James Wechsler - Jul 19, 2007
. . . [Chapter] The hull from the rear - James Wechsler - Jul 18, 2007
. . . [Chapter] The Turret - James Wechsler - Jul 20, 2007
. . . [Chapter] Painting - James Wechsler - Jul 22, 2007
. . . [Chapter] Markings and Detail Painting - James Wechsler - Jul 27, 2007
. . . [Chapter] Weathering - James Wechsler - Jul 27, 2007
. . . . . . Re: [Chapter] Weathering - Martin Dogger - Jul 28, 2007
. . . [Chapter] Figures - James Wechsler - Jul 27, 2007
. . . . . . Re: [Chapter] Figures - Andrew Herbert - Jul 28, 2007
. . . [Chapter] Putting the Firefly together - James Wechsler - Jul 28, 2007
. . . . . . Re: [Chapter] Putting the Firefly together - Ronald J. Lopes - Jul 31, 2007
. . . [Chapter] Starting the Diorama - James Wechsler - Aug 3, 2007
. . . [Chapter] The Base – Initial Construction - James Wechsler - Aug 3, 2007
. . . [Chapter] The Treadway Bridge - James Wechsler - Aug 4, 2007
. . . [Chapter] The Panzer I Command Tank - James Wechsler - Aug 16, 2007
. . . [Chapter] Shaping the Base - James Wechsler - Aug 17, 2007
. . . [Chapter] Boxing in the Base - James Wechsler - Aug 19, 2007
. . . [Chapter] Groundwork - James Wechsler - Aug 20, 2007
. . . . . . Re: [Chapter] Groundwork - spencer - Aug 23, 2007
. . . . . . Re: [Chapter] Groundwork - Glenn Bartolotti - Aug 28, 2007
. . . [Chapter] Preparing for the Water - James Wechsler - Sep 2, 2007
. . . [Chapter] Pouring the water – part way - James Wechsler - Sep 2, 2007
. . . [Chapter] Pouring the water – completed - James Wechsler - Sep 2, 2007
. . . [Chapter] The Surface - James Wechsler - Sep 2, 2007
. . . [Chapter] Attaching the Bridge - James Wechsler - Sep 2, 2007
. . . [Chapter] The Final Steps - James Wechsler - Sep 2, 2007
. . . . . . Fantastic as always, and yes I am inspired - Hans Haase - Sep 2, 2007
. . . . . . Re: [Chapter] The Final Steps - Christopher C. Tew - Sep 3, 2007
. . . . . . Re: [Chapter] The Final Steps - Glenn Bartolotti - Sep 3, 2007
. . . . . . Re: [Chapter] The Final Steps - John Geigle - Sep 3, 2007
. . . . . . . . . Re: [Chapter] The Final Steps - James Wechsler - Sep 4, 2007
. . . . . . . . . . . . Re: [Chapter] The Final Steps - Christopher C. Tew - Sep 4, 2007
. . . . . . . . . . . . Re: [Chapter] The Final Steps - John Geigle - Sep 4, 2007
. . . . . . Re: [Chapter] The Final Steps - Andrew Herbert - Sep 3, 2007
. . . . . . . . . Re: [Chapter] The Final Steps - James Wechsler - Sep 4, 2007
. . . . . . Re: [Chapter] The Final Steps - Trenor Scott - Sep 10, 2007
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