M4 (105 mm) HVSS on Okinawa

[Jakko]

Almost done, only one real job left, which I've been putting off for a year or so:

Making the cover over the machine gun. Sometime last year I made a first attempt with Green Stuff, but that didn't work out at all. I don't get why people are so enthusiastic about that green chewing gum, as it didn't work well for me at all — I find it very hard to sculpt with. I had made the part that goes over the barrel and put the bit I had left over on the spade grips, but later cut the bit over the barrel off again because it looked like crap. Using Magic Sculp now, it went much better — still not exactly world-class, but certainly better than the first attempt. The day before yesterday, I put the sleeve around the barrel, yesterday did the rest of the gun, and then added a bit of plastic strip on top to represent the zip that closes the cover.

Today, I painted it and stuck it to the model:

The two bits of white strip are the (still unpainted) supports for the ring that goes around the gun's cooling mantle.

In the mean time, I was also painting the crew, but I didn't take any pictures of that.

 

[Jakko]

Then all that remained as to bring everything together!

 

[kevin]

Well done, that looks great.
It must be satisfying to complete this project after all this time. Thanks for taking us along for the ride

 

[Jakko]

You're right, I'm glad it's finally done I deliberately didn't put it in its box … hang on, I couldn't put it back in its box because this is such a Frankenstein model that it has no box it came from … Anyway, what I mean is: had I put it somewhere out of sight it probably would never get finished, but over the past year I looked at it too many times thinking, "I should really continue work on that — and I want to, except …" And so I'm not just happy it's now finished, but also that people appear to like the journey to that point.

 

[Edbert]

Well done!

What's up with the weird helmet the commander has? Maybe it is the photography that makes it look distorted?

 

[Edbert]

Totally unrelated to your 105 or your M6 heavy, but this kind oof detail made me think you of you @Jakko & @BarleyBop ...

My hat is off!

 

[Jakko]

What's up with the weird helmet the commander has?

It's (the outer shell of) an M1 steel helmet over a tank helmet. Tank crews did this sometimes, and though it's not in the photo of the real tanks I thought I'd have the commander wear this combo anyway.

this kind oof detail made me think you of you

A set like that is not for me I don't mind photoetched parts but I'm not a fan of them, and I certainly wouldn't want to be folding all the fiddly bits like the stays for the mudguards