Rubicon Crusader WIP 3

Here are a couple of side views.

The front of the tarpaulin defies gravity a bit.

Really not happy with this tarpaulin.

 I grey coated it to see how it looked, and it still looks like rubbish.

 So I removed it, and will replace it.

Rubicon Crusader WIP 2

So, I have had some time today to continue with the Crusader model.

Not paying attention I placed the tarpaulin on the right side lower than the photographs show.  I also added the jerry can rack. I also added two Bolt Action British helmets, one hanging from the left rear turret lift ring, the other hanging forward of the aerial.

 The tarpaulin on the box on the rear of the left hand side fouled the turret when I tested it, which then took a long time to clear. This meant that I did not manage to get it sculpted before it began to set.

 I added a sand bag on the right side of the driver's position. Unfortunately I also managed to work on both sides of the vehicle which meant that I had to wait for the green stuff to set properly so I did not leave finger prints on it.

 Returning to the model this evening, I added the first tarpaulin behind the tank rack. I will need to be careful to ensure the gun barrel does not foul when I add the rest.

 I also added two sand bags on the right hand side of the driver's position.

Slight excursion, I assembled the other tank turret as a Close Support 95mm howitzer. The only missing bit is the turret box, so I used some 6.3mm cross section rod to make a box and will cover it with Green Stuff as an alternative turret.

Rubican Crusader WIP

So, thanks to some research by me and other members of the Rubicon Forum, I have some pictures showing stowage on the Crusader cruiser tank.

I do have some concerns that the stowage may have differed between the Mk II and the Mk III, especially as the drawing in the George Bradford book shows the rail attached to the side skirts on the Mk II and not the Mk III.

On page 85 of the Osprey Publications book Campaign 220: Operation Crusader, there is a rear view of a Crusader tank with stowage on the rear deck, including a jerry can rack (useful as I used the wrong radiator grill, the one without the fuel tank fixings...).

So first up is the jerry can rack:

This uses four jerry cans from the Rubicon Models German Stowage 1 set (British forces made use of captured jerry cans plus British made copies (see earlier position including a War Department example).

For ease of removal, this is being built on a glass plate, PTFE plates would also work.

The rack is built up from 0.030" square cross section Slaters micro strip. There are spacers of the same material between the rails at the centre of each of the jerry cans.

End pieces were then added between the protruding rails to hold the cans in place. Each can is then strapped in place using 0.030" x 0.010" micro strip, first adding the strap through the handle and under the two bars (which mostly hides the spacers). This is trimmed to length when dry then the long strip is added. The picture above is the rack before trimming. The rack long side is then added, again from 0.030" square section micro strip.

Once dry, the rack will be removed from the glass plated trimmed. End pieces will be added and buckles added to the straps.

On the tank front, here is some work in progress shots.

The photographs I have seen with stowage show a long rail of rectangular cross section suspended from the side skirts. So first the rivets (sorry Rubicon) were removed along the line of the rail. Small square spacer sof 0.030" by 0.010" micro strip was then added. The white posts in the background are the mounting points for the stowage.

The rail itself is made from 0.040" square section Slaters micro strip, I did sand it down, first to remove raised parts where it is cut and second to make a more rectangular cross section.

Checking it all fits together.

Only just, as you can see the long six pounder almost touches the centre post. This will need to be cut down and form the boundary point on the stowage.

The rear view picture in the Osprey book it shows a tarpaulin on the left rear stowage box (the two white posts showing its location), an assortment of tarpaulins wrapped round what looks like tent poles (the three posts on the rear deck will provide mounting points) and a wrapped box attached to the right rear mud guard (it has a white post as well).

Other photographs show stowage hanging from the rail, a sack of some kind will hang between the first and second front left road wheel. On the other side there are mounting points for another tarpaulin and I may add another couple of sacks.

All soft stowage will be sculpted in-situ with boxes and cans added.

Children of December - part 1

Children of December is a Malifaux Starter set.

There are six figures in the set, four of which are December's Fist (or Ice Golem) and three Ice Gamin.

The Ice Golem is a large figure, on a 50mm base.

 I undercoated the figures with Citadel Corax White (I also undercoated Rasputin at the same time).
Next I spray painted the Ice Golem and the Ice Gamin with Army Painter Ultramarine Blue.
The figures were then dry brushed first with Citadel Ice Blue followed by Ceramite White.
The figures were washed with Citadel Asurmen Blue.

The Ice Gamin were painted the same way.

Here are the four figures together.

Rubicon Panzer III M - Finished(?)

Here are some views of the Africa Korps Panzer III.

The model was undercoated black, followed by PSC German Tank Yellow.

Soft stowage was painted various shades of field grey and dark green camouflage. The helmet was also painted dark green. The boxes were painted dark green and black grey. The bucket was painted a mixture of Luftwaffe Grey and black grey. The crates were painted Vallejo old wood and shaded with Agrax Earthshade. The two sand bags were painted Citadel Karak Stone and shaded with Agrax Earthshade.

The track links were undercoated black and dry brushed a mixture of black and hull red. The final dry brush was Citadel Ryza Rust. A shade wash of Earthshade finished the track.

The edges of the armour were dry brushed with Army Painter Skeleton Bone, as was the stowage.

This is my attempt at the view on page 5 of the Osprey book on the Panzer III.

Rubicon Panzer III M - the continuing saga.

Well after a rather long Christmas break, I have returned to the Panzer III.

I made some modifications to the rear deck, removing one of the ventilation structures.

 I used the depression on the underside of the errant ventilator and drilled a series of holes, joined them using a scalpel and then filed it all square.

 I then glued a cover piece on the inside.

And then filled the cut out with some more plastic card.

 I used milliput to smooth out the surface (a Crooked Dice Corporal shares the workspace).

 It has now been undercoated with PSC German Panzer spray paint.

Grizzling... The M4A1 Grizzly

Previously I mentioned the T34 in "Dress up" at the IWM Duxford, there was another two vehicles there that were not as they seemed.

Canada started licensed production of Sherman tanks (as the M4A1 Grizzly), based on the M4A1 pattern (cast hull and Continental Radial Engine), however from their experience with the Ram, there were some minor modifications: the armour was thicker (some examples) and sloped more and the track used was lighter and simpler and did not use scarce rubber. The track required a different 17 tooth drive sprocket (the M4 used a 13 tooth sprocket).

They built 188. As US production of the M4 series was thought to be sufficient, production was then turned over to the Sexton Mk 2.

After the Second World War a number of Grizzly tanks were sold to Portugal. They remained in service until the 'eighties. It is this late survival which has led to their appearance in museums, as the other marks of Sherman were either lost or scrapped.

So, if you see an M4A1 Sherman, it might be a Canadian in disguise.

So, going back to IWM Duxford, here are some pictures of the example that was there in November 2015.

 This is a doubly dodgy paint job, Akilla was a welded hull tank (see surviving photographs) .

 General Steel logo on the glacis

The IWM Duxford Land Warfare hall is not convenient for photography as the exhibits are close together and poorly lit.

 Probably not an original style box.

The D-Day museum at Southsea (near Portsmouth) has an M4A1 outside.

References:
Wikipedia
Sherman Minutia page