Medium Tank M3 from MiniArt — not a Sherman for once!

[Guest]

Making progress:

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I built some of the bits that go inside and painted the inaccessible areas white (though I found since that a few more need that before I can go on).

[Jim R]

Hi Jakko

At this point, I decided I know better than MiniArt how to assemble their kit …

Just shows how important it is to read ahead in the instructions. As you say manufacturers don't always know the best way.
Good progress with the fiddly interior bits.

I should replace my knife blade, as I think it’s getting dull

Trouble is the dullness creeps up on you and until you put in a new blade you don't realise how blunt the old one had become.
Jim

[Guest]

Just shows how important it is to read ahead in the instructions. As you say manufacturers don't always know the best way.
Good progress with the fiddly interior bits.

I definitely recommend deviating from the sequence with this kit (or its relatives, I suppose). I’ve already noticed a good number of items that MiniArt would have you fit before others, and which are either fragile or get in the way.

Trouble is the dullness creeps up on you and until you put in a new blade you don't realise how blunt the old one had become.

I did swap the blade, and at a point where the difference was marked. I was cleaning up one of the two steering levers and really noticed the amount of effort it cost me to do that neatly, so I wouldn’t break the fragile lever. I put in a new blade, and cleaning up the second lever took about half the time and effort.

[Guest]

Most of the parts for the driver’s compartment are now in place:

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This feels a bit like how I imagine it must be to build a ship in a bottle … I can see why MiniArt would have you fit the sides after all this stuff, but I can’t really see how you would get the transmission lined up well without the side walls in place. Maybe the best way would be to tape the sides in place, put the drive shaft and transmission in and when the glue is dry, remove the sides again so you can install the pedals, actuating levers, seat and all that other stuff in there.

The back wall also has most of its bits:

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I replaced the supplied jerrycan by one from Italeri, because I didn’t find the cross embossed in the MiniArt one convincing enough. I modified the Italeri can to represent a water can rather than a fuel can (the difference is the cap and the embossing in the body) because I doubt there would have been a fuel can strapped to the firewall The handle is broken, but not a problem because it will be entirely out of sight (which is why I used this handle in the first place: it was broken on the sprue).

Here is the ammunition rack that goes in the middle of the hull, just in front of the filled escape hatch:

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I still need to do more painting on it before I can glue it into the hull, and I’ll mask off the shells before I do so they won’t get sprayed white late on

[Jim R]

Hi Jakko
Looking good. Fiddly but good.
Jim

[Guest]

It is very fiddly at times, especially the clean-up and trying not to break all those thin levers and actuators However, the parts are well-moulded and fit well (after a little work sometimes, but nothing an average modeller shouldn’t be able to do), so if you want an M3-series medium tank, I would so far certainly recommend this one. There are also variants without the interior, for those who don’t want that whole job added to the dreariness of the tracks (which I have yet to start on — still working on the M4 HVSS tracks first …).

[Guest]

I skipped ahead to the engine. If you think the levers and things in the driver’s compartment are fiddly to clean up and add, you had better do those first, as practice for the engine.

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The pushrods are moulded as a single piece with the ring in the middle, and there is a sprue attachment point on the side of each of the 18 rods, plus one on the ring and four inside it. Then there’s the valve covers, of which there are two on top of each cylinder — one with some kind of rod or pipe to connect it to the other one, and one without. You can see how big all this is in the photo: the bits just above the ruler are the covers with the pipe, the bits above those are the ones without. This means you get to put 18 of these on the engine, but it’s nowhere near as bad as it seems. Just take care when you remove them from the sprue and clean up the attachment points.

Here’s the engine with all those bits on:

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I haven’t cleaned up all the seams yet, because it’s usually a lot easier to do that with a sharp knife once the part is securely in place.

[Guest]

Ammo rack now painted:

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After using a brass colour on the shell cases, I painted the clips that hold them in place with white and then put a wash of black over all of it. Then I put the part into the model, which took a bit of work because the fit is tight with the side plates and sponson bottoms fitted:

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Note the piece of tape over the brass etc. so they won’t be sprayed white later. You can just see I also put straps onto the jerry can and added the radio operator’s seat (and the shelf below it) at the centre left.

[Tim Marlow]

Coming on well Jakko, lots of interest in this Interior.

[Si Benson]

You look to be progressing nicely, engine looks great :thumb2:

[Guest]

Thanks, though the engine isn’t even half done And look at all the fun cabling and stuff I’ll still have to add once the plastic bits are together …

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(source)

[Jim R]

Hi Jakko
Engine is looking good. Good luck with the cables etc.
Jim

[Si Benson]

blimey....your going to be busy adding all that lot!
You could just leave as it is and model it under a tarp :smiling5:

[Guest]

The good thing is that a fair number of those cables are actually supplied in the kit, as hard plastic parts of the right shape. All the thin cables, though, I’ll probably add from copper wire or something. Eventually

I’ve meanwhile added the hull sides and yet more interior bits — mainly the auxiliary generator in the rear left sponson, though I also built other fittings like ammo racks and the radio, but not installed them yet.

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And here is what it looks like with the front and roof plates in place as well, without glue still:

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This mainly to ensure the plates line up correctly, else I’ll have a problem later

[adt70hk]

Looking very nice Jakko. True thought of a full interior scares me stupid at the moment, do hats off to you.

ATB.

Andrew