M3 Halftrack US figures and German POWs (Tamiya 1/35 scale model)

[@neilbedford5082]

I have built this one and liked the kit very much. Your idea of including German PoW's is very inventive.

[@ModelNerd]

Thanks - I'm glad you liked it. I'm trying to use up extra figures I have in the spare parts box :)

[@stuartmiller8053]

Very nice result from an old kit that has held its age well.

[@ModelNerd]

Thanks Stuart 👍

[@texaspatriot4215]

I remember building this kit back in the early 80s, loved it.

[@ModelNerd]

This was one of my favourite builds of 2024.

[@brianfoley4328]

I've never seen this kit...looks great. I'm not an "armor guy", I build sailing ships, so it's rare that I get a Tamiya kit on the bench, but the few I have built, really go together well. You "armor guys" are really creative with weathering and detailing...I mean they look real, as if it were a photograph. Very impressive.

[@ModelNerd]

Thank you! These kits certainly provide a nice "blank canvas"

[@johncasey1314]

Proves a kit doesn’t have to be new for it to look good. Really nice job

[@ModelNerd]

Thanks. Yes, these Tamiya classics are golden :)

[@alcarlson3458]

Outstanding work. I have recently completed this kit also. I was happy to see Tamiya re-released the kit. The other U.S. Halftrack kits out there are a bit expensive.

[@ModelNerd]

Thank you. Yes, it's a good balance between price and detail I think. I don't want to pay 60 GBP+ for a halftrack kit, personally.

[@lesthiele4921]

The M3 build as a whole looks absolutely fantastic, it looks brilliant with the crew onboard, thanks for sharing, best regards from a Kiwi living in Australia, Les

[@ModelNerd]

Thank you Les!

[@scottmccloud9029]

Great job on the halftrack. Figures look really sharp too. Impressed with the skills you have.

[@ModelNerd]

Thank you very much!

[@tomtruesdale6901]

Very well done. Really like how you incorporated the German POWs into the build.

[@ModelNerd]

Thank you, I appreciate your comments!

[@donaldkroth2579]

It's nice to see dioramas that involve other things going on. That don't involve combat scenes. You did such a nice job and the inclusion of the German prisoners added a different mindset to the situation. I remember a magazine called Military Modeler. It had a captured unversal carrier with a German anti-tank gun on it. The scene was in the North African desert. I hope you'll consider this idea in a future build? By far, this was really great to watch and I'll be looking into your recent programs now. Thanks and keep up the great work!

[@ModelNerd]

Thank you. That's a great idea - I do like the smaller non-combat vehicles like the gun tractors, universal carriers, etc - and in the African theatre they seemed to re-use enemy equipment like this quite a lot. Definitely food for thought - thank you!

[@foreverplastickits138]

*An excellent choice for the camouflage and the theater of operations, the war over the Mediterranean see is forgotten but very intense, and the good old Tamiya is always ... good!*

[@ModelNerd]

Thank you!

[@MikeUSA67]

Fantastic build, Stu - top notch! And the POWs is a nice touch. Thank you for the inspiration for my restoration 🙂

[@ModelNerd]

Thank you for watching and supporting the channel! :) Good luck with your restoration!

[@fotomakr]

That came out nicely and your figures look good here. I like the weathering and appreciate you sharing how yo git the dust effects on it.

[@ModelNerd]

Thank you, I'm glad you liked it

[@outlawflyer7868]

I hope one day to be a master model builder like yourself.

[@ModelNerd]

Thank you - although I wouldn't consider myself a master by a long shot!

[@scaleffect]

Another incredible model, and your figure painting skills are coming along way better than you give yourself credit for I think. Everything looks spot on!

[@ModelNerd]

Thank you mate - I appreciate your comments!

[@c123bthunderpig]

Stu, as always an incredible build. I can see why modelers like armour for the extra detailing available. I enjoy your videos from start to finish observing how you chose colors and mix and match. Figures are indeed a challenge, , I go crazy trying to detail 1/72 pilots. Thanks for sharing the creativity and inspiration, Your work on the bench looks interesting as well. I'm thinking of boxing up my aircraft and try a little variety. Its like the story of Goldylox and the three bears some models are too big some too small and others just right. My JU52 is coming along but definitely too big at the moment. CHEERS BOB.

[@ModelNerd]

Cheers Bob. Variety is the spice of life!

[@jeffsquires6620]

I built this one decades ago. Thanks for the memories.

[@ModelNerd]

Thank you for watching!

[@TDog-ic7do]

You’ve done a magnificent job! Very well done.

[@ModelNerd]

Thank you mate

[@markabraham8529]

Great Dio with the German Pow,s From this Tamiya Classic I built some 40 odd years ago.Still working on a dio for mine just had to Buy it again when it was re-released

[@ModelNerd]

Thank you. Good luck with your build!

[@rutgaurxi7314]

This is a fantastic looking model and diorama, nicely done.

[@ModelNerd]

Thank you mate

[@markfergerson2145]

Your figures are indeed coming along. Like many modelers figures were always my bane. I was usually happy when I could get them to look like mannequins. Love me some halftracks. I think you got the edges on that camo pattern just right.

[@rutgaurxi7314]

I know what you mean, although I have handled infantry models all my life, I tend to get hung up on the details all too often, which is my bane. But I am trying new techniques when I can.

[@ModelNerd]

Thanks - I can definitely see progress and I'll keep trying! :)

[@JohnSmith-sl1my]

Nice work 👍. Will be painting my weapons in the way u do from now on . Thanks for that tip .

[@ModelNerd]

Thanks - I find it works really well

[@stevennewton8709]

Excellent work , I’ve forgotten how long a process theses kits take to do , I’m 52 this November and I’m going to treat myself to one , I used to paint napoleonic 28mm figures so this will be something different since my childhood

[@ModelNerd]

Thank you Steven. Enjoy your new kit!

[@ljscalemodels526]

Hi Stu - looks fantastic and I like your scheme to paint the figures 😂 - it’s a nightmare for me, cheers Liam

[@ModelNerd]

Thank you. I picked up a lot of tips from Night Shift's videos :)

[@ronaldbyrne3320]

Must try your glazing technique on my figures. I love the result you get from that. Thank you. 😊

[@ModelNerd]

Thank you. I got a lot of tips from Night Shift's videos and found they work really well.

[@richardjordan5036]

Absolutely beautiful,good job. Those old Tamiya kits are still good and cheap compared to the more modern kits...😊

[@ModelNerd]

Thank you!

[@robertgraham1511]

That looks fantastic.

[@ModelNerd]

Thank you!

[@BrushQuill]

Love this! Awesome build and concept buddy

[@ModelNerd]

Thank you mate!

[@KGmodels]

That small base for the halftrack looks amazing,and now that Goodwood is coming up,maybe you could to the red arrows when they fly over goodwood,as that would look pretty cool,and for your track,it is looking Like it is.coming together well,and can’t wait for the rest too!

[@ModelNerd]

That would look awesome! I need to go to Goodwood one day!

[@KGmodels]

I went I think in 2017,I also need to go one day!

[@SuperCryptical]

Brilliant job on that.

[@ModelNerd]

Thank you - it's one of my favourite recent builds

[@ImJeff1965]

Great job! One thing i did with mine is put different jerry cans on the side. The ones that come with the kit aren't that great...

[@ModelNerd]

@@ImJeff1965 Yes, that's a good call. The slots for them are very narrow too.

[@TripleS-Oz]

outstanding as always!

[@ModelNerd]

Thank you! Cheers!

[@JackaWilko]

Desperate to get my hands on this kit, love the .50 cupola on this M3A2 Model, is it likely Tamiya will re-release it?

[@ModelNerd]

This purchase was from their recent re-release (a couple of weeks before I made this video), so it should still be available.

[@hansdijkstra5814]

Nice one again. 👍 At 8.38 in the video there are 2 of you talking at the same time 😉

[@ModelNerd]

Oh no. Is it really bad? I can't listen at the moment because I'm on a really bad connection.

[@hansdijkstra5814]

@@ModelNerd its only a few seconds. just wanted you to know 😁

[@bushranger900]

Lovely stuff !

[@ModelNerd]

Thank you

[@lyleslaton3086]

The Japanese never ask any questions. They assume they are correct. They went to Aberdeen to measure the T34. Aberdeen staff said " it's right there " Tamiya staff measured tank, produced tank kit. Including the US tow shackles welded on the front of the T34. The T34 was a runner, and was used to move tanks around. The Aberdeen staff put the US tow shackles on so they could use US tow cables. Break out the putty when building an old T34 kit .

[@ModelNerd]

I never noticed that about their T-34 kit!

[@francisjames2684]

Superbe maquette j' adore

[@ModelNerd]

Thanks!

[@scalewise]

Very nice build! And yes, the M3A2 was never a real variant. You may already know this or someone may have said in the comments, but switching the superstructure sides and rear panel with the flat sides and rear panel from the M21 makes this one a standard M3A1 (if I remember correct). And I may be wrong but any M2 series halftrack had the shorter superstructure as per the Dragon M2 haltrack offering. So the Tamiya kit with its longer superstructure can not be an M2, so it is still an M3.

[@ModelNerd]

Thanks. Yes, you're right about the M2 being shorter. I said "M2" several times in the video by mistake when I meant to say "M3".

[@alessandrodegiuli16]

In another video of yours could you show how many Cingoli, please? It's always been a big problem of mine in modeling. Thank you

[@ModelNerd]

In this case it was a "rubber band" track, so none to count :)

[@mikazuki230]

☆マークがキャプテンアメリカのシールドのマークに観える!!

[@ModelNerd]

Haha!

[@mikazuki230]

@ModelNerd アメコミは日本のアニメより観ていても飽きないよ!!

[@billsoo306]

Overall, looks really good. Is there no way to make the track more taut or at least stop rising? I ask because I have one of these in my stash.

[@ModelNerd]

Thanks. Unfortunately the tracks are a complete paint - I tried several different glues to hold them down and together but nothing stuck. That's when I went with tying / stapling them together in the end (I can't remember if I mentioned that in the video).

[@calumclark1719]

Looks great

[@ModelNerd]

Thank you mate

[@きも-f1i]

古いキットなのにカッコいいです。

[@ModelNerd]

It sure is! Thanks for watching :)

[@garyeastell3458]

Well done.

[@ModelNerd]

Thank you

[@Mullhead_III]

Spectacular

[@ModelNerd]

Thanks!

[@fqwarrior]

Great video and work on the kit. Love your base also. Can I ask the color you have done the street? Is it supposed to be a paved street torn up or track? 👍

[@ModelNerd]

Thank you. It was supposed to be a paved street (although I didn't carve the paving!), covered in layers of dirt and mud from vehicles. The colour I used was XF-52, lightened in places with XF-19.

[@fqwarrior]

@@ModelNerd ok thanks so much for answering. It looks like a dirt track and looks great. I like the look of the bricks which you expect to see on a paved road or whatever but here on what looks like a dirty track 👍

[@yobowargames]

Hope you can share a secret! How do you set up your camera for filming your model making? It looks like its right in front of you but that would obscure your view of the model. I am not having much success in filming in the way you do. Any tips would be great! Thanks

[@ModelNerd]

No worries - I have my camera (a Canon DSLR) on a low tripod mounted to my left. The camera is looking down at the desk, and across it at almost 90 degrees to me. But it doesn't usually look like that because the shot are relatively close up. I tend to use a 24-105mm lens and my 100mm macro lens. One of these days I'll do a video on my model room setup (once I've got the place cleared up a little bit!). I hope this helps!

[@yobowargames]

@@ModelNerd Thanks so much!

[@mageckman]

The mistake with the labeling M2A2 versus M3A2 isn't the first one that I know of. The old panzer 2 F/G kit is actually just an F. The G had a completely different type of suspension than the F and what is in the kit.

[@ModelNerd]

Yes, and the Sd.Kfz 7/1 running gear is essentially made up - completely the wrong dimensions

[@ArmorModelsbyGlennBartolotti]

nice 👍

[@ModelNerd]

Thanks

[@johnhickling2059]

You mentioned spare parts where would I get them

[@ModelNerd]

Do you mean the spare parts like the stowage items? If so, I generally just end up collecting them from other kits when I haven't used the parts. Or I 3D print them based on designs I download.

[@megandarling2215]

What color did you use for the German buttons?

[@ModelNerd]

I'm sorry, I can't remember now. It was probably one of my Vallejo Model Color paints.

[@megandarling2215]

@@ModelNerd the color is amazing i would like it unfortunately you don’t remember which is ok it’s just an amazing color that I have what been looking for. Do you have any idea?

[@ModelNerd]

@@megandarling2215 It might have been Vallejo Metal Color steel

[@megandarling2215]

@@ModelNerd oh thank you so much!

[@marksimkiw-gd3ed]

Built this one about 3 yrs ago.

[@ModelNerd]

Great little kit, isn't it?

[@rodrigobarbosafrancisco5098]

🔝🔝🔝👏👏👏

[@ModelNerd]

Thanks