Sherman 18
Master at Arms
I'm in with this DML M4A4 and Legends conversion for an ARV
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M4A4 ARV
- Thread starter Sherman 18
- Start date
Come on in Jeff 
Sherman 18
Master at Arms
Progress from yesterday
I was a little surprised with this Dragon kit. They had corrected some of what was wrong before. The turret is very nice (won't be using it) and the upper hull seemed crisper than the older version. I should have picked up a couple more when they were on sale.
I marked the molded bolt heads and then drilled them out.
I used stretched sprue ends to plug the holes on the upper hull (it kinda looked like a sprue tree farm)
the finished plugs, worked out pretty easy
trans housing has casting numbers but they are really hard to see. I'm not sure if I will replace them as the conversion has a bunch of stuff that should cover it up.
redoing the casting texture on the front of the hull
added some casting texture to ventilators and turret ring
added drain holes to the inside of the turret ring, outside is blocked by the factory added splash guard
added texture to the side of the hull
I was a little surprised with this Dragon kit. They had corrected some of what was wrong before. The turret is very nice (won't be using it) and the upper hull seemed crisper than the older version. I should have picked up a couple more when they were on sale.
I marked the molded bolt heads and then drilled them out.
I used stretched sprue ends to plug the holes on the upper hull (it kinda looked like a sprue tree farm)
the finished plugs, worked out pretty easy
trans housing has casting numbers but they are really hard to see. I'm not sure if I will replace them as the conversion has a bunch of stuff that should cover it up.
redoing the casting texture on the front of the hull
added some casting texture to ventilators and turret ring
added drain holes to the inside of the turret ring, outside is blocked by the factory added splash guard
added texture to the side of the hull
Sherman 18
Master at Arms
Thanks guys
Started to add welds to the upper hull
Started to add welds to the upper hull
Sherman 18
Master at Arms
Thanks Bob and Terry, not to sure how much bench time I will get this weekend as it is my last weekend and last day light off for the next couple of months. I plan on getting something done, 
Sherman 18
Master at Arms
Just about done with the welds in the upper hull
Sherman 18
Master at Arms
After a small break :huh: I did work on a little of it today, not pictured is cutting the resin parts loose.
The kit does not have the side or bottom bolts for the transmission housing, so I added the side ones (as of writing I was going to skip the bottom but just changed my mind)
I added a weld to the rear to the side of the lower hull
and I forgot to take pictures of the bolts
The kit does not have the side or bottom bolts for the transmission housing, so I added the side ones (as of writing I was going to skip the bottom but just changed my mind)
I added a weld to the rear to the side of the lower hull
and I forgot to take pictures of the bolts
Adding some nice details Jeff
Sherman 18
Master at Arms
Thanks guys.
With the great invention of digital cameras, I have some more progress photos
I added granite line bolts #127, 8 to each side
A piece of strip for the lower transmission mounting (missing from the kit) I still need to add bolts here
I added some styrene sheet to the back of the kit supplied storage box as it is open and should be closed
I think I'm just about done adding the upper hull welds, still need to fill a couple little gaps here and there
With the great invention of digital cameras, I have some more progress photos
I added granite line bolts #127, 8 to each side
A piece of strip for the lower transmission mounting (missing from the kit) I still need to add bolts here
I added some styrene sheet to the back of the kit supplied storage box as it is open and should be closed
I think I'm just about done adding the upper hull welds, still need to fill a couple little gaps here and there
If I'm not mistaken, the Tasca kit has all this, maybe not to this depth. Would that be correct?
Sherman 18
Master at Arms
Every year or so someone at the local club asks how I make my "welds" and I do a little demo at the next meeting. This last time I took the camera and wonderful little assistant took the following photos. Since I did the last demo with this ARV project I'll add it to the progress.
I find this the easiest for me right now. Before I would mix up some A+B putty, roll it out and work it in with a knife, trim work it in and so on. A couple issues I had doing that way was drying time, most of the welds looked big and heavy, that more than half the putty would start to harden before I could use it all up, and most frustrating was that at times the dried putty would break loose and fall off the model. As of now I'm using strip/rod styrene and stretched sprue.
1) You need 3 things, a kit, some strip/rod styrene and/or stretched sprue, last a bottle of liquid cement. I prefer Testors for this as I feel it does not evaporate as fast.
2) Dip the end of the styrene choice into the glue and I hold it in there for approximately 30 seconds. Just enough to get the styrene good and soft. This will very the thickness of the styrene you are using.
3) Then place the softened styrene on to where you want the weld, I can't work fast enough to do more than approximately a half inch at a time.
4) Work the softened styrene with the end of a tool, I use a number 11 knife, I just press down making little indentations on the styrene rod/strip until I feel that it looks like a weld
5) Trim off the rod and then start the process over
Somethings I have found out that I really like about this is, if you do not like the weld it files/sands off easy and they stay put.
I find this the easiest for me right now. Before I would mix up some A+B putty, roll it out and work it in with a knife, trim work it in and so on. A couple issues I had doing that way was drying time, most of the welds looked big and heavy, that more than half the putty would start to harden before I could use it all up, and most frustrating was that at times the dried putty would break loose and fall off the model. As of now I'm using strip/rod styrene and stretched sprue.
1) You need 3 things, a kit, some strip/rod styrene and/or stretched sprue, last a bottle of liquid cement. I prefer Testors for this as I feel it does not evaporate as fast.
2) Dip the end of the styrene choice into the glue and I hold it in there for approximately 30 seconds. Just enough to get the styrene good and soft. This will very the thickness of the styrene you are using.
3) Then place the softened styrene on to where you want the weld, I can't work fast enough to do more than approximately a half inch at a time.
4) Work the softened styrene with the end of a tool, I use a number 11 knife, I just press down making little indentations on the styrene rod/strip until I feel that it looks like a weld
5) Trim off the rod and then start the process over
Somethings I have found out that I really like about this is, if you do not like the weld it files/sands off easy and they stay put.
