1:16 Sherman convert to "Oddball's" tank

[sparks]

Alan I have had my Sherman since 1974 when they first came out, and still have the tracks and never lost a figure of eight link end, simple just soldered them on, big hot iron, plenty of flux (cleaned straight away), and yes they will take a lot of punishment and last......although I do,not use them now because I have replaced them with the V V S S type , which is of course correct for my firefly...... catch you soon ........
Fleshy...................................

Hi Fleshy, they just don't make them like they used to
Seriously though, these ends just don't look like they're gonna come off without doing anything to them, where as the newer ones I got many of them are loose.
Just a thought, if you solder them, doesn't it stop them moving on the pins as the tracks go round

[sparks]

Hi guys,
Sorry for lull in procedings (again) I've just been very busy workwise.
Also there seems to be a global shortage of spare track links.
I havn't been totally idle on the model front, I've been sorting out some sacking material for making kit bags etc.
Hope to update soon
BFN

[fleshpedler]

Hi Alan sorry only just caught up with this post, to answer the question , no , not a problem it sure does not stop the links from moving ./.........maybe it,s as you said ,,, they don,t make them like they used too.........
catch you soon, will you make the Swindon event this year?.........
Fleshy.....................................

[sparks]

I saw a build thread on a 1/35th version of this tank. When it came to mounting the speaker, they referenced that on the real tank in the movie, they attached it to the spare track links on the side of the turret. (Or, maybe to the mounting brackets for the links). Until they said that and I looked up some photos; I didn't even realize that the Shermans in the movie had spare track links on both sides of the turrets! They also said that the speaker always appears on the left turret side except for the "in camp" scene where Oddball introduces Kelley to the tanks.
I'm really enjoying you build! -Mike

Hi Mike,
Thanks for that bit of info, I already knew about the speaker being on the right for the "intro" scenes only.
But I grabbed some still shots from the movie last night for refference on the spare links and speaker, and you are right. Looks like the speaker is attached to the mounting brackets in some way, only one track link on left side, and three on the right.
Cheers
sparks

[sparks]

Hi all,
More specific stowage to be made, started by looking at the front of the tank.

There is the scraggy looking sack hanging on the right side over the transmission cover, the german helmets on the light guards, and down the back left side you can make out at least one US kit bag hanging over the side.
I have had some metal german helmets for a while now, knowing I was going to need them, but have now located some helmet insignia decals to add a bit mor accuracy. So I sprayed them up and after studying the film again (there's not a lot showing the helmets up close), it looks like they are Wehmacht helmets, so thats what I have gone with.

I knew I would not be able to buy the sack or kit bags, so decided to make them myself, at least the sewing machine I bought the wife 25 years ago would at last see the light of day
Got some hessien/ sacking material and set to work ( this sewing lark is a breeze, don't know why she never took to it ) Coloured with dye and filled with rolled up thin styrene type material (you get it in packaging, quite spongy to feel) Added some decals to the kit bags for effect, think the lettering should be black but that wouldn'd show up well enough at this scale.

Here's a few pics, again the bits are just put in place temporarily.





BFN

[[ICE]monkey]

love it , its realy taking shape now
ice

[sparks]

love it , its realy taking shape now
ice

Thanks ice

[sparks]

Spare track links.



On the actual tank, hey would have been a bit smaller due to the narrower VVS tracks, but I had to have the same links as my track.
On the left side of the turret, where the speaker will be mounted, just one link and the attaching brackets.



BFN

[sparks]

Decals.

Added some decals, the larger stars on the hull sides are streight off the Sherman sheet, they are the smaller of the two stars supplied in the kit.

The numbering had to be made up from two decals.

The smaller star on the transmision cover and even smaller one on the rear fender had to be cut to size, the numbering on the opposite fender, again made up from two decals.


Finally, I scanned a still shot from the movie and made my own decal of the posters on the hull side, a bit fuzzy close up, but from a general view point, not too bad.

BFN

[[ICE]monkey]

great job, nice touch with the posters