1/35 Dragon 6083 : M4A1 76mm/W Lafayette pool Sherman build log

[@alwoodsmodellingmayhem]

I had this on whilst modelling. I will have to watch it over and over as it was just great sat at the bench with you 'chatting away! :-) Keep em coming mate as your vids are inspirational, interesting and fun. Al

[@longlance67]

thanks Al haha its what I do....gift of the gab lol It is a fun kit all told, I am very much looking forward to painting it up !

[@bpmodels]

Fantastic video Shane! I’m currently building this kit at the moment and have found your video extremely helpful. Especially when you explain about the little parts on the back that we have to drill holes for and not get told which parts to put there , and the hollow bow mg etc. My instructions also tell me to add the muzzle break to the gun, but none of the marking options have it installed. Thankfully my kit came with a metal barrel in it so was able to fix it without too much issues. I got tracks on sprues in mine too and was able to make them workable which I’m really happy about. I don’t know about you,,, but I’m finding it to be more of a kit-bash than a regular build what with all the mismatch sprues and ill fitting parts . Not one of Dragons finest hours,, but nothing a bit of time and effort can’t fix. Your stowage looks great too . I guess I’d best go watch part 2 and learn how to finish it nicely. Cheers Shane 👍😎

[@longlance67]

nice work mate, and super glad that my video could be of help in your build. Unfortunately many Dragon kits seem to have this unpleasant tendency make you have preform conversion work on the mess of sprues they give us. Though with new Sherman kits from Meng, Asuka/Tasca and RFM we far nicer and easier to build kits to enjoy now.

[@RichardFeeney]

Great build Shane

[@longlance67]

thanks Richard !

[@russellgosselin3325]

Shane, you are becoming quite the Sherman guy :) Great build video and commentary.

[@longlance67]

hahaa thanks Russ ! that's the plan I really like the Sherman so I want to become the Sherman guy in good time, a lot to learn first of course :)

[@32MikeTrentadue]

Enjoyed video Shane.

[@longlance67]

thanks mate !

[@claytonmcclain182]

cool build Shane, I really had fun with that kit. look forward to the paint.

[@longlance67]

it is a nice kit all told looking forward to painting her up and weathering !

[@CoensScaleModelling]

That is some fine crafting buddy. Freaking well done dude.

[@longlance67]

thanks Mike, hope you are well it has been a long time !

[@jerryvolpini7987]

Your build videos are really well done! I like that you give a brief review, touch on some of the problem areas and give lots of tips. Good work!

[@longlance67]

cheers !

[@ScaleModelAlberta]

Nice job Shane.

[@longlance67]

thanks mate !

[@gerobinson812]

Excellent build video Shane, very informative.

[@longlance67]

thanks Gary !

[@13bravo72]

Shane; I have a few of the Dragon Sherman kits, and am currently working on the IC Firefly welded hull. (someday I'll finish it) (very busy with real life). But I digress, on the lower hull, when I was inserting the parts for the bogie assemblies, I glued some Evergreen plastic strip inside so those parts would remain flush. Dragon kits are nice but they do have some small inaccuracies, and you certainly have to pay close attention to those instructions! Looking forward to your final result! Cheers!

[@longlance67]

thanks mate, that's a good idea with the evergreen for bracing the bogie mounts ! Dragon Shermans are good kits in all, and with a little work they can really shine though the instructions can be a real downer. thanks mate, looking forward to get this bad boy painted and weathered up !

[@norman-king]

Excellent build log and commentary.

[@longlance67]

glad you enjoyed it !

[@norman-king]

Shane Smyth I really mean it. I only found your channel a few days ago and I'm steadily working through your videos. Your painting techniques align perfectly with my own aspirations and your nicely paced videos combined with your excellent narration are superb. You have a new fan 👍

[@longlance67]

thank you for such high praise Norman ! I am so very humbled this community never ceases to amaze me, and its all done to deadly people like yee ! thanks again and I hope you enjoy the next video and hopefully it too will prove useful to you my friend !

[@HamilkarBarkasScaleModelling]

very nicely presented log here :) the cast texture on the turret looks badass! sweet job on the stowage in particular, i like all the little helmets.

[@longlance67]

thanks Mike getting all those chinstraps in place almost drove me mad though lol

[@HamilkarBarkasScaleModelling]

Today is the day when this video is becoming highly valuable to me! I had no clue how those idler wheel axles are meant to go on, the instructions show it actually the other way round. I compared it with your build and looked at photos too, so it is correct. Stupid Dragon instructions! Now i wonder, what else awaits me there :D

[@itzzdustyspartan3241]

14:46. I can only agree with you there, chum. Got myself a Dragon Red Army M4A2 and Isralei M50 Super Sherman recently. Hated fitting the transmission. I had to cut off parts of the hull to get them to fit. And another problem rose from the Red Army M4A2, a hole remained on the join between the upper and lower hull, so I had to fill that and I am now looking for ways to hide the filling. I'm looking at stowage to be my best bet.

[@longlance67]

the transmission fit of dragon M4's is nothing short of horrific. Stowage and weathering is often your best bet for hiding issues

[@itzzdustyspartan3241]

@@longlance67 Yeah. I had to fill a gap between the upper hull and the Transmission for the Red Army M4A2. Annoyingly it meant I covered the bolts on the cover for the Transmission,so I'll be hiding that with stowage I'll be scavenging from a Tamiya Sherman, and I'm looking at buying some Soviet stowage (I.e Fuel cans and crates) to place on the front.

[@liberator2408]

Nice one mate.

[@longlance67]

thanks mate !

[@squizzy6143]

awesome video... thanks for sharing

[@longlance67]

no worries mate, your welcome :)

[@Tiger1AuasfE]

Nice video.

[@longlance67]

cheers mate !

[@non-prolific135thscalemode7]

Very nice build, Shane. Dragon do strange things. They often seem to lose the overview on which parts there are in the kit, hehehe. That's what happens when they throw all kinds of sprues into one box instead of tooling matching sprues for the kit they want to release. Nice, if you need some spare parts, but a waste if you don't. :)

[@longlance67]

its just money saving on Dragons part, and tends to hurt the overall product in my opinion. But I like Shermans for the spares will come in handy lol

[@non-prolific135thscalemode7]

Shane Smyth There was a time when I almost didn't build anything but Shermans or AFVs on a Sherman base - without being an expert - and back then I would have loved to have all these spare parts, hehehe. Now I build all kinds of WW II vehicles and I wouldn't have the space to store all these parts. :)

[@longlance67]

hahaha they are a fun subject can do a lot with them, though I don't think many of are experts nor need to be to enjoy the subject,though you are right I am running out of space to put everything

[@non-prolific135thscalemode7]

Shane Smyth LOL!!! I thought so!

[@Widthatnut]

Always brilliant videos ! The only doubt about this assembly is that you drilled fuel draining holes on the side of the hull. Cast hull M4A1 didn't feature these holes, as overfill could freely flow on the hull (no dirt or dead leaves clogging on these hulls, as opposite to welded hulls). Anyway watching this video and the following ones has really been informative and sure has been of a great help for a couple of Cyber Hobby Orange Boxes of the exact same kit.

[@longlance67]

thanks mate, I was still and still very much am learning about the finer details of the M4A1 family especially when I was working on this build. I have plenty more Sherman builds on the channel if you want to check them out

[@Widthatnut]

@@longlance67 I've seen them, and many others too. That's why I said "Always brilliant videos". ;-) I never subscribed, though...

[@richardtallent8175]

Thank you for a great video! Currently watching all 3 of your videos on this kit, & also working on the kit. My kit is a older boxing. No ds tracks, but individual links,& end connectors, a bit intimidating, but may have to use them, unless i can find aftermarket T-48 tracks. The instructions, as noted have there issues. Thanks for the tip on cutting away forward lower hull parts, to accommodate upper hull. Lastly, I noticed in your video, no mention of gun,& gun mantlet assembly? ,( my kit has a metal barrel, plus 2 in plastic). Otherwise a great set of videos. Thanks. Regular subscriber here.

[@longlance67]

cheers mate, the only real tricky thing with link and link tracks with Sherman is getting the tension to be tight enough as there should be little to no sag on the tracks, but least with magic tracks there is little clean up so once you get into the grove of building them they should go together fast! As the barrel/mantlet I must have forgot to film that section

[@richardtallent8175]

@@longlance67 thank you. 👍😊

[@neilmackay7475]

1 of my favorite tank,s to make just put a final Reval on my channel very cool video again my friend

[@longlance67]

Thanks Neil will check out yours too mate :)

[@NapFloridian]

Hi Shane, quick question that Revell glue that you have there, what kind of glue? I normally use the Tamiya liquid glue for my models and or superglue for those big jobs. Also thanks for sharing your builts, as always amazing looking model

[@longlance67]

the Revell glue I am using is called Contacta which like extra thin but much thicker and slower setting, use for jobs where I am too worried about being clean with the glue, for everything else I use the same glues as you :)

[@ArmourEmpire]

sweet kit by the looks of it Shane. kutgw

[@longlance67]

thank you Mark !

[@northfox2803]

Nice sherman.

[@longlance67]

thanks mate !

[@northfox2803]

When a video about painting this sherman?

[@longlance67]

hopefully next week it will be up, I am currently painting and filming it now, just laid the camo pattern down, and a, about to start detail painting and them its on to weathering !

[@flashchannel1525]

I dont understand your english

[@bpmodels]

It’s Irish ☘️

[@marcelwildeboer]

Why don’t like this....

[@Pool1919]

it said my name in tittle soo i watch the video