Yeah it’s an art this airbrushing at close quarters, cut back on the thinners and it did spray better. It’s a Chinese Iwata knock off and when looking at the nozzle and needle under strong magnification the machining is a bit rough. When funds allow I will buy a proper one. But it has taught me a lot.
Double action.
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From the looks of it I would say that it isn’t the airbrush causing the problems.
Do some experimenting on some scrap plastic (food containers, broken CD-cases …).
If you were trying to do precision work then the airbrush quality would be important.
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Great final finish and a very cool base setting for it…really nice build throughout… excellent 
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Awesome results! Excellent model!
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That’s a great job Paul! I don’t think I have one of these in my stash but will have to get one. Great job on the camouflage paint and weathering too. Extra gear looks fine as well as does the ground work. Overall great job!
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Thanks for comments.
It is a great model to build but has an enormous parts count requiring a lot of clean up and is definitely not one for a wet afternoon, anyway I’m moving over to the automotive side for a Toyota Supra from Tamiya now, but am sure I’ll be drawn back to heavy metal again soon.
Cheers Paul
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Very nice,great finish up.
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Very nice work. Really enjoyed seeing your finished product. Keep up the good work.
I have 1 question though, you made up a jig for the tracks… how did you do this? Is there a template to build one? I would love to know as it will help me with my kits.
Best Wishes,
Walter
Lost in Ohio
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Hi Walter, thanks for your comment.
I am no expert with individual link tracks but I have done a few models with them. They can be tedious to build but look good in the end. My “jig” for this one was made from a piece of plastic electrical conduit which I padded out with thin plastic strip till it fitted the profile of the track link and would then hold the links straight as I built the lengths in this case about ten at a time. That’s just my method.
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Watched more from the Autralian Armor Museum restoration of one of their M3 Grant tank; all it needs now it’s OD paint, markings and a spot in the museum.
Yes I’ve seen some of that, from what I have read, when the Sherman became available a lot of Grants were put out to pasture in Oz for training. It’s certainly not a pretty tank compared to to the sleek German cats but it did a job when there wasn’t much else.
Cheers
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They weren’t put out to pasture, they were front line in Australia for some years after the end of WW2 for home defence and received some upgrades such as Sherman suspension units and additional frontal armour. Some were converted into Yeramba SPGs in 1950. They weren’t deployed outside Australia as even more ancient Matilda IIs were better suited to the conditions where Australian forces were fighting.
Basically, what happened was as British/Commonwealth armour became obsolete in the Med or Europe it migrated eastwards where it would still be superior anything the Japanese could field.
Regards,
M
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All the Aussie M3 were new stock delivered direct from the US, none of the UK stock was transferred to Australia although the same cannot be said for the Matildas we bought with quite a few Second Hand masquerading as new Factory vehicles were supplied at the end of the contracts
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True, but I was given to understand they were from orders originally placed and paid for by the U.K. prior to Lend-Lease arrangements being established. This was why they were not required to be returned to the U.S. after the cessation of hostilities as were other Lend-Lease items not expended/lost in “combat”, this being why the majority of surviving Sherman Fireflies are in Argentina… It has been pointed out to me that the replacement Sherman suspensions retro-fitted to Australian Grants were purchased by Australia, but not originally for that purpose.
Regards,
M
Again thanks for reply’s,
Perhaps “put out to pasture” could be taken as pejorative, it was not meant to be, anyway thanks for the clarification.
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Did M3 Grant/Lee’s see any combat post WW2?
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I don’t think they did. They were mostly relegated to reserve status in Australia since there was an abundance of M4 Sherman variants from WW2. Some were converted to M31 TRVs, while other were converted into SPGs; the rest were sold into the civilian market.
M31 TRV, with Dummy Guns.
One was converted into a BARV, or Beach Armored Recovery Vehicle.
14 were converted to a “Yeramba” SPG, armed with a 25-pounder gun.
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All Australian M3 Medium and Lt were purchased outright and not LL. The Orders were placed before LL came into being but about half the production received (Lees) were supplied in Lieu of Grants. You are correct regarding the M4 Supension sets, From memory they were procured for the cancelled Later Sentinels but enroute already
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I believe I said as much. That’s why some Australian Grants can be seen, on arrival, still sporting their (factory applied?) British Army registration numbers, despite having come direct from the U.S.
Regards,
M
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