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It's been several months since I posted on this project. I did manage to get the skins on, using thinned white glue, and it went pretty well. I just realized that I don't have an overall picture of it, though.
After the April 1 papermodelers event in Carlisle PA, I was charged up to build, but had developed an aversion to "the big project." I switched to quick-completion models and have completed several animals and Bruno planes since then, but this is the armor forum. At the end of Army Heritage Days, also in Carlisle, Kevin Stephens reminded me ever so gently that I really should get back to work on my Sherman. His Sherman was one of the stars of the show, being carried proudly on the in-progress trailer of the Dragon Wagon. My response was that he was correct, but I had a cat and an airplane to finish first. Well, cat and airplane have been completed (first picture), so I have no more excuses.
Today I spent the afternoon trying to figure out where I left off. This was more of a challenge than I expected. I knew that I had built the skeleton and skinned it, but it took some head-scratching to figure out the part numbers of the skins. It turned out that they were parts 3 (hull), 4 (upper), 5 left, and 5 right (sides).
I also knew that I had cut out and shaped, but not yet put on, parts 1, 2 left, and 2 right, which form the lower glacis plate (I think that's what they should be called -- I'm fuzzy on Sherman nomenclature). I had developed an irrational terror of these parts because they promised to be tricky to fit. And part 1 was challenging, but I'm telling myself the flaws are minimally visible. This may be a delusion. I had spent some time shaping the curves in 2 L&R, and I think they actually came out fairly well. I got glue smears all over the place, but they wipe off with a dampened paper towel without damaging the printed finish too badly. The second picture shows part 1 with its proud white star, and the third picture shows the under side with curved parts 2 L&R.
Next, logically, should be parts 6. I think they are part of the suspension, but I haven't thoroughly examined everything yet. Kevin tells me that the suspension is difficult to figure out, and has given me a cheat sheet for the tricky part, so I have some study to do. I'm glad to be making progress on this long-term project again, but won't promise to work on it exclusively. For sanity's sake, I'll probably do a quick model now and then.
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