Tamiya M4A3E8 Sherman On The Bench

Well I could not resist starting this kit so here you are, the start of what I expect to be a very easy and enjoyable build. So far everything has gone together extremely well, and quickly too! The suspension is only made up of four parts plus the wheels so that all helps to speed things up. Also the upper and lower hull parts fit like you would expect from Tamiya.

On Track Show Folkestone 27th February

The first show of the year for Stonehenge modellers and a great way to start the year it was too! As usual we set off on Friday and after a very easy drive down to folkestone were all set up in the hall by 4pm. Friday evening followed the usual format of finding the seediest bar in town and setting up camp! It did help that they had Doom bar on tap too. 

Saturday morning saw us up bright and early for a good feed and off to the venue for a quick look about before the show opened to the public. We also had an added bonus of the Modelworxs table manned by Dick Francis next to us so that ensured plenty of banter both serious and hilarious throughout the day.

The show itself was busy from the start and we had plenty interest in our models and were kept busy chatting for most of the day. It did slack off somewhat after lunch but this could have been due to the rugby? I only managed a few quick tours of the halls but saw some excellent models on display and also some interesting items for sale by the various traders present. 

Again the show was a great way to start the year and it was fun meeting up with friends both old and new and sharing ideas and having a generally great time.

My very restrained stash addition!

Secret Projects And Other News

Everything has conspired to keep me away from the bench since returning from holiday, be it training courses or life in general. However I have had some bench time building the Takom Chieftain Mk5 in Iranian guise which when completed will appear in a future issue of Tamiya model magazine international. Unfortunately I can't show you any pictures yet until it's published but I will say the kit builds up really well and is light years ahead of the old Tamiya Chieftain. 

One secret project I can now share has just been published in the March issue of Tamiya model magazine. It's the new re-boxing from Tamiya of the Italeri M24 Chaffee. The remit for this was a straight out of the box build and I must say it was really fun to build it this way. Painting it was also a blast and the inclusion of stowage and a figure in the box was an added bonus.  

The article features a detailed account of the build and I'm very pleased to have it published. So normal service is almost resumed at the bench!

Next Saturday is also Stonehenge Modellers first show of the year down at Folkestone for the 2016 On Track show. So if you are going be sure to say hello to myself or Brian.