discussion Tamiya 1/35 M4A3 Sherman

[Guest]

Another great source of wire is off cuts of cable

If you come across an old TV or computer monitor, with a picture tube instead of a modern flat-panel one, there’s tons of wire in there, and different models/makes may have different thicknesses. Just open it up at the back, take off the gubbins on the rear of the tube, and remove the wire.

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It’ll never work again if you do, but most people won’t care anyway About 15 years ago, I spent a couple of years at a place where computers were refurbished, so got the opportunity to take a few of these apart, and am still using the wire I got from it.

Another good source is broken (or unwanted) electric motors. If you have an broken electric toothbrush, there’s also usually very fine wire in the bottom where it slots into the base for recharging — but opening one of those things is a lot of effort unless it has the cap on the underside (most don’t anymore). If it does, just hold it in your hand with the metal spike, that the brush slots onto, pointing down. Then slam that spike down on a hard surface, like a brick or a paving slab or something. Presto (Though you may want to warn people nearby to wear a hard hat before you do this …)

 

[Guest]

Don't know if WW2 armour used thicker or thinner tow cables!![/I]

It depends a lot on time, place, vehicle, and probably more. For a Sherman, though, in 1:35 scale the standard tow cable works out to 0.8 mm or 1.0 mm diameter (there were two thicknesses in use) and about 17.5 cm long including the eyes. It was stowed on the left side of the hull, but Tamiya has missed almost all of the clamps and notches that kept it on the tank — they only included the one alongside the turret

 

[A_J_Rimmer]

It depends a lot on time, place, vehicle, and probably more. For a Sherman, though, in 1:35 scale the standard tow cable works out to 0.8 mm or 1.0 mm diameter (there were two thicknesses in use) and about 17.5 cm long including the eyes. It was stowed on the left side of the hull, but Tamiya has missed almost all of the clamps and notches that kept it on the tank — they only included the one alongside the turret :smiling3:

Yes I'd noticed that after looking through the book you recommended. It does look a bit odd without one.

Thanks for the tips on wire - it's been years since I've seen a tube TV!

 

[Lee Drennen]

Looks good in primer Arnold. Looks like the boys are giving you some good advice on wire resources too.

 

[A_J_Rimmer]

Looks good in primer Arnold. Looks like the boys are giving you some good advice on wire resources too.

They are indeed!

Thanks Lee! It did indeed :smiling: , but the lower hull has had it's first coat of OD now - should look good after a couple more thin coats.

 

[Guest]

It does look a bit odd without one.

The omission of a tow cable in the kit is very odd, IMHO. All they needed to do is supply two eyes for the end and a bit of string, like a lot of other Tamiya kits do. Which makes it hard for you to add one, because I suspect you won’t have any suitable cable eyes in your spares box, so it’s probably best to just leave it off completely.

it's been years since I've seen a tube TV!

Same, to the point where I would almost consider it destruction of cultural heritage to get the copper wire out

 

[A_J_Rimmer]

Slow progress on this as my foot issue means I can't sit at the bench for too long before my foot hurts.

However I have given all but the barrel three coats - detail painting to follow...

Cheers and thanks for looking in!

 

[Guest]

Looking good Arnold, nice flat, and even paint work as well.:thumb2:

 

[A_J_Rimmer]

Looking good Arnold, nice flat, and even paint work as well.:thumb2:

Thanks JR. It's not always easy brush painting such a large area a single colour - but it came out better than I expected. I'm looking forward to seeing what a wash does it it.

 

[scottie3158]

Arnold , looking good.

 

[Waspie]

Nice work Arnold. I can't use a hairy stick to save my life. Tried it on my armour and had to cover up my appalling strokes with a AB!!!

 

[Lee Drennen]

AJ looking great

 

[A_J_Rimmer]

Hi Gents,

Apologies for going rather quiet, workload combined with this blooming foot thing has killed my mojo for pretty much everything over the last few weeks. Work on the Sherman has progressed, the painting is done and I had it all decalled. Strangely though, I put a second coat of Mircosol on the decals to help them bed in a bit, and all the decals on the hull lifted and shattered... Very odd, I've not had that happen before and I've been using the same gloss and decalling techniques for a couple of years now. I've ordered a AM set from ebay for some replacement stars, and I'll give it another go - I might use some Tamiya Decal adhesive on any of the kit ones I use.

Here's where I am now...

Whilst I'm waiting for the new decals, I've been playing with what weathering materials I have to hand. I want to have a reasonably mudded wheel/track areas but a cleanish upper hull. So far I've given everything a coat of Citadels Earthshade, and then hit it with a drybrushing of Humbrol's Dark earth pigments. I was then going to go back and clean some of it off with cotton buds - do a bit of drybrushing of the base colour and some metallics, and then maybe a another drybrush of some lighter pigments.

I'm thinking I should have dry-brushed some of the base colour back on before I started pratting about with pigments, but hey-ho, this is all relatively new to me. I also have some acrylic medium which I may mix up with some dark earth paint and build up some 'mud' in the corners.

For the top sides, I was thinking of either a general grunge wash of Flory's Grime wash, or maybe a pin wash of something else. I perhaps should mention that I have an Autistic lad in the house, so I try to avoid oil and enamels paints and washes if possible.

Cheers All!

 

[PaulTRose]

opening one of those things is a lot of effort

If at first you dont succeed, get a bigger hammer lol

Im liking where this going as im doing an m4 too

 

[A_J_Rimmer]

If at first you dont succeed, get a bigger hammer lol

Im liking where this going as im doing an m4 too

Thanks Paul!

 

[PaulTRose]

Oh and another source for wire is jewelry making....try somewhere like hobbycraft.....comes in different thicknesses and colours.... great for wiring engines etc on 1/24 cars

 

[A_J_Rimmer]

Oh and another source for wire is jewelry making....try somewhere like hobbycraft.....comes in different thicknesses and colours.... also comes in colours....great for wiring engines etc on 1/24 cars

Thanks Paul! I don't think I've seen a Hobbycraft since moving to Wales, but we do have some independent shops.

 

[Tim Marlow]

Fly tying shops are great for that sort of thing as well, especially different gauge lead type wires and strips.

 

[PaulTRose]

Thanks Paul! I don't think I've seen a Hobbycraft since moving to Wales, but we do have some independent shops.

Just looked.....think closest to you would be on the wirrel!

 

[Guest]

If at first you dont succeed, get a bigger hammer lol

True If you don’t care that the insides break, because all you want is the wire, then just smash it or cut it open with a saw. But the coolest way to open an electric toothbrush that has a cap on the bottom, is the way I described