Building the Tamiya 1/35 Sherman M4 (Early Production)

By  Jack Bruno, IPMS# 25313

Kit #35090, MSRP: $41.00 Web Site: www.tamiya.com Throughout its history, the Sherman tank was one of the most versatile pieces of armor wherever it fought. It hosted an array of functions from flamethrower to recovery vehicle to SPG artillery to rocket launcher and fought in every theater of operations for any country that had an Army. Over 50,000 Shermans have been built and it is still not an oddity to find a few in active service today. This Tamiya kit came out in 1995 and it was a very welcome addition to modelers. With all of the current updates and conversions you can still build and enjoy these kits despite the numerous additions from Dragon. I like my models very close in accuracy and simple to build without the hundreds of parts and time consuming steps to complete one model, but that's just me. Off to the races.......... The Build A modeling friend of mine threw this my way a couple of years ago after being frustrated with AMS and some creativity block. I've always liked Tamiya's Shermans and it's one of those top ten kits that I would love to have if I was on a Desert Island. Typical armor builders usually assemble the projects using three separate stages- turret, hull and chassis. I'm no different and it really gives you the flexibility you need to put everything you know into the project. It's like three models in one. Following the instructions was a no brainer and to beginners the chassis and bogie wheels are some of the easiest to build anywhere. The instructions are very simple. Sanding to remove the mold lines is really the only thing you have to do but I even escaped that route by putting on a Rams Game and letting my ten-year old son, Michael, armed with a coarse strip Flex E File sand off the lines on all the road wheels while I completed the turret. After the first two quarters, Mike was done and the Rams where getting crushed. The turret was almost complete except for a little Squadron putty added to the sides to give it a minor textured look. Where I live, we are blessed with several Shermans located in public parks around the vicinity. I often looked at them so it's second nature to add the nuances. I kept the six bogie units off while I mated the chassis to the hull. I've built so many off these that I had in my box of tricks some pre-cut sponson fillers made from plastic stock. Often, sponsons are a curse for some people but if you think ahead and you'll never find yourself sweating the easy stuff. (I even have T-34 sponson strips in there) A very nice addition that Tamiya includes is some appliqué side and turret cheek armor. These additions were added in the field when tanks were serviced or reconditioned. They aided in protecting the vitals of the tank, mainly the men. I added these to the hull and put a little putty around them and simulated some weld beads. This build is so easy it's a sin. I decided to add a little extra because you can build 50 Shermans and you can make every one unique. I pulled out a Verlinden set that I bought at one of the several Shows that I go too....this one was purchased at the Kalamazoo Show the previous September (Great contest and swap not to mention the Museum). This set includes a great little ditty in the form of a one piece sandbag armor set that you just simply sand the back of until you get the right fit. Always thinking ahead. I love this set because it allows me to stash the extra light guards and fittings for other future projects. Waste not, want not. Throughout the entire build I did not run into one problem except that the two-minute warning went off and my beloveds were just reduced as practice for a Professional Football Team. Although I assembled the Machine Gun and stowage, I left it off until the painting was completed. Don't forget to take a new #11 blade or pin drill to drill out those Machine Guns!! Painting As usual, I broke out my trusty Paasche H-1 and completely sprayed the entire vehicle sans turret, which was done separately, Tamiya flat black. Then the real fun started. When I had my little Internet business, Ugly Mike's Models, I carried Aeromaster paint. I still have a box of OD 41 faded and I love this shade. I sprayed the corners and high points and then sprayed regular Tamiya OD into the centers to really start to make things look special. The one-piece sandbag armor fitting was sprayed Tamiya African Yellow and giving a shot, in the center of each sandbag, of Tamiya Buff. While this was drying I also sprayed the additional rear stowage that I would be adding and then started the base. When the tank was dry a coat of Future was sprayed over it to form as a barrier for the turpentine/oil wash it would get as well as the groundwork for the decals. The Future was dried and the Tamiya decals were used without any trouble. A little decal solution was used to make the decals melt into the turret and hull. Around 24 hours later I resprayed some Future over the decals to seal them and get ready for the wash. I like dirty things and I applied the Windsor-Newton Van Dyke Brown in heavy areas. After the turpentine evaporated I took cotton panties (again you laugh) and Q-Tips to wipe off and create the final vision. Everything again came off very easy and I started to play around with stowage placement. I glued those pieces in place and took some thin rope line and tied down the crates and such on the engine deck. I took a very small brush and added some wash to the rope to blend it all in. At this time I added the Machine Gun and antenna, made from brass stock. The tracks were added after I gave them a Future once over with a Dark Brown wash and dry brushing of yellow to blend in with the groundwork I was working on. The kit was then given a shot of Clear Flat and allowed to dry for a few days so I could ready the base and add some pastels. The Base I got my own little thing going on with the ladies at the local Goodwill Store. They are now trained to put off to the side any little items I can use for various modeling projects. Young Ann promptly spied four wooden salad bowls that when turned over made a nice round elevated base. After our lunch at Applebee's, I took the bowls home and laid a little wet Celluclay and white glue over the top to the edge. As it started to dry, I used some playground sand over it and pressed very lightly. I then prepped a few more Verlinden items that I had handy including a resin barrel and pressed them gently into the drying groundwork. Around a day later it was all dry and I gave the Bowl a brown oil wash just because I could. After all was mounted and dry, I used a little pastel here and there and a drop of yellow or sand dry brushing at key points and it was done. I worked on this perhaps 12 hours total even with Mike helping out. Happily, it's done well at a few of the local shows. So, if you're looking for something just to break up your in-between projects, that's not very hard at all, that you can have fun with, I highly recommend a Tamiya Sherman. Putting a white wash on this or even a brown over tan camouflage scheme can give you a variety of options to do. I think you'll really be happy with the outcome. And most importantly, PLEASE show your work by getting a few pictures and sending them along to the IPMS Gallery. I'd love to see your stuff and we are here to learn from each other. As always, get in touch if you would like to ask any questions!