M3A1 BY ILOVE KITS IN 1/35 SCALE LEND LEASE DIORAMA

[JR]

A positive result then John. Tweezers and Jacko, you need nothing more when putting tracks together!!

Your right there Doug.:smiling2:

It’s not a bad set as far as workable tracks go, but like most, it would be nice if they would give you a handful more than are actually required. Still, not as bad as AFV Club’s Sherman sets, which are not long enough for a long-hull tank (M4A4) despite giving you more links per side than the real tank had …

As for painting, I would suggest not installing the tracks at all yet. Fitting them now, with the upper hull loose, will not be much easier than with the upper hull in place, so IMHO, you might as well first build the rest of the tank, paint all of it in one go, and only then fit the tracks. This will save masking, at any rate.

Alternatively, since the lower hull and whole suspension of these tanks typically got an all-over covering of mud quite quickly in wet conditions, you could fit the track before painting, build the rest of the model, spray the upper hull olive drab and then the whole lower hull, suspension, tracks, etc. in a mud colour that matches the groundwork in the diorama.

Can see your point, but as the track guards would not be on yet wouldn't that be a better to paint the tracks then while they are drying do the lower hull , then assemble?

[Guest]

The tracks should just slide under the track guards (assuming you mean the mudguards by that, not sand shields that completely cover the upper run: there should not be sand shields on a Soviet M3 medium, AFAIK) if you start at the back and push them forward over the return rollers. Your method should work just as well, of course — though, as you said, it means you would need to mask the lower hull when painting the upper hull.

[Scratchbuilder]

Getting to grips with the tracks now, I have a couple of sets if you want to get your teeth into some more :smiling5:
Those tweezers look like they belong in a medievil tool box, not been down the museum of late have you, liberating items to save returning them to the country we nicked them from...
Missing end connectors, just put them on the inside of the track, the wheels will hide them...
Looking forward to more of the build.

[JR]

The tracks should just slide under the track guards (assuming you mean the mudguards by that, not sand shields that completely cover the upper run: there should not be sand shields on a Soviet M3 medium, AFAIK) if you start at the back and push them forward over the return rollers. Your method should work just as well, of course — though, as you said, it means you would need to mask the lower hull when painting the upper hull.

Can you enlighten me which part to remove please .

[JR]

Getting to grips with the tracks now, I have a couple of sets if you want to get your teeth into some more :smiling5:
Those tweezers look like they belong in a medievil tool box, not been down the museum of late have you, liberating items to save returning them to the country we nicked them from...
Missing end connectors, just put them on the inside of the track, the wheels will hide them...
Looking forward to more of the build.

Er, no thanks Wibble, but very kind of you to offer.
Going to keep those tweezers in a carton so I don't use them near CA !
Wobble

[Scratchbuilder]

Er, no thanks Wibble, but very kind of you to offer.
Going to keep those tweezers in a carton so I don't use them near CA !
Wobble

Damn!!! thought I'd roped in an innocent....

[Guest]

Can you enlighten me which part to remove please .

Sorry, I’m not sure what you mean. My normal method of installing tracks on a tank like this is to just slide it in from the back, wrap it around the sprocket and idler, and then connect them at the bottom. Something like this:

[ATTACH]502382[/ATTACH]

This is a MiniArt kit with the exact same track you have on your M3A1. To install it, I left the ends of the track not joined, but with a block at each end — without end connectors in. I then cut the tabs off two of the end connectors, leaving on the pins, so they could be inserted into the holes in the two end blocks to connect them.

[JR]

Sorry, I’m not sure what you mean. My normal method of installing tracks on a tank like this is to just slide it in from the back, wrap it around the sprocket and idler, and then connect them at the bottom. Something like this:

[ATTACH]502382[/ATTACH]

This is a MiniArt kit with the exact same track you have on your M3A1. To install it, I left the ends of the track not joined, but with a block at each end — without end connectors in. I then cut the tabs off two of the end connectors, leaving on the pins, so they could be inserted into the holes in the two end blocks to connect them.

Ok on the fitting, what was part of the track guard needs removing for the Russian version you mentioned. ".there should not be sand shields on a Soviet M3 medium"

[Guest]

Ah, sorry, I see now where the confusion comes from Sand shields refers to the vertical shields added in North Africa, intended to keep the dust clouds down a bit. This is a standard Lee without sand shields:



These two (a Lee on the right and a Grant on the left) do have sand shields:



Those sand shields were a British addition (fitted both in-theatre in North Africa as well as at the factory for tanks paid for by the British) and should not be on M3 mediums in American service. Since the Soviet Union got their tanks from American stocks, they did not have those sand shields.

For modelling, those shields are a nuisance, if you ask me I mentioned them because I’m not sure your kit includes them or not, but if it does, you shouldn’t fit them.

[JR]

Ah, sorry, I see now where the confusion comes from :smiling3: Sand shields refers to the vertical shields added in North Africa, intended to keep the dust clouds down a bit. This is a standard Lee without sand shields:



These two (a Lee on the right and a Grant on the left) do have sand shields:



Those sand shields were a British addition (fitted both in-theatre in North Africa as well as at the factory for tanks paid for by the British) and should not be on M3 mediums in American service. Since the Soviet Union got their tanks from American stocks, they did not have those sand shields.

For modelling, those shields are a nuisance, if you ask me :smiling3: I mentioned them because I’m not sure your kit includes them or not, but if it does, you shouldn’t fit them.

Top man , thanks, I shall remove if required

[Guest]

I just checked the instructions for your kit on Scalemates, and it doesn’t include them at all, so no worries there. Forget I ever mentioned them

[JR]

Much fun is being had doing the figures sorting through the spares box to find some more so I can have a better choice.

The Commander in the turret is from one box, a change of right arm and torso was required to get him into the turret. I had to cut the rear of the machine gun off !



This was the box art, used this guy.


Had to use the torso of another figure from the set to get him into the turret.

Wired the arm in and due to the position of the arm had to fill.

Mean while I've built up the rider figures, from the kit, think one of them is completely unsuitable . With that in mind I've made up some form the spares box.


In between all this I sprayed the lower hull. Just a base coat from this box of AK 3rd Gen






On ward, l will be looking for a couple of Russian torsos. There's going to be a very crowded tank !

Thanks for looking in .

John.

[JR]

I just checked the instructions for your kit on Scalemates, and it doesn’t include them at all, so no worries there. Forget I ever mentioned them :smiling3:

Thanks for looking :thumb2::thumb2::thumb2:

[Waspie]

For a moment I thought I'd stumbled upon a surgical operating theatre!!! Have you changed your activities to include surgery JR???

[Guest]

a change of right arm and torso was required to get him into the turret. I had to cut the rear of the machine gun off !

That’s partly because that little turret was very cramped, and partly because you have the whole rotating bit at the front upside down, so the gun is on the wrong side and taking up even more space than usual Easy fix: cut off the barrel too, then it will hardly be noticeable that it’s the wrong way around unless you really know your M3 mediums — and crews were likely to remove the gun anyway because it got in the way of getting in and out.