M3 Work in Progress

[greatplanes27]

I have not been very active on the board lately. I thought I would show everyone what I have been spending my 1/6 time on. Unfortunately, my real life keeps slowing progress on this down. We will see if I can get images to post. It has been awhile since I tried this.

It has some problems (especially with the front glacis plate angle) but overall it is slowing coming together. I figure at this rate, I might be done in another two years. Comments (good or bad) are always welcomed. Thanks

Kim

 

[kendalljamie]

Wow that's nice!

I need one (or two or three) of those painted up like it's in N. Africa with the 7th Armoured.

Jamie

 

[pzrwest]

Love to see some pics of the build you did on this M3, I'm going to be doing a conversion in the near future maybe 2, plus building a few horseshoe turrets. Excellent job so far looks real good

 

[Jim Fowler]

Yes, I think its an outstanding build! The M3 is a great tank.

Jim

 

[jfunk]

Looks fantastic so far! Good to see you posting again.

 

[Reef12]

Looks good to me also.

Keep at it.

Jeff

 

[Rolling Thunder Tech]

Looks great and fills a very empty niche in the M3 / M5 lineage. If possible, I'd like to see some more photos leading up to this stage.

Leonard
RTT

 

[Jim Fowler]

Looks great and fills a very empty niche in the M3 / M5 lineage. If possible, I'd like to see some more photos leading up to this stage.

I agree, The M3A1 was a great little tank; and, I am drawn to as well. I would love to see more of this build, as Kim cares to share with us.

I have a 21C M5A1 that I am in the process of back daying to a early M5 - with some help from PzrWest(big thanks!); but, I am pondering an additional back-dating-path to a M3A1 lately.

I am also in the midst of collecting parts for a build of a Plastic Panzers M3 Medium Tank as well.

An M3 Light and Medium would make a nice pair of tanks!

Keep up the great work!

Jim

 

[greatplanes27]

Thanks everyone for the nice words. I will try to dig out what pictures of the build that I have. My wife has been telling me that I need to take more pictures. For anyone that is interested, the chassis is a highly modified 21st Century M5. Most of the body is composed of 1/8" PVC sheet. Since I live in a rural area, a lot of the parts are made using plumbing fixtures. I do have the TurboCad drawings that I made for the M3 (pictured here) and the M3A1 (my next project if I ever finish). They are not 100% accurate but were scaled to work with the M5. One word of caution to anyone wanting to build one of these, I have used over 400 rivets (nails), over 100 oval head screws and countless other screws and fasteners. I never realized until I started building how many rivets and screws it contained.

Thanks again

Kim

 

[rjsonofhss]

Great job! I know how much work this is because I have one about 80 per cent done. I have both the early (slab sided, welded) turret and the horseshoe turret done and can't seem to decide whether I want to do the US Tunisia verison or the British Desert Rat version. Keep sending pics. BTW if anyone has close ups of the British version I need details on the smoke dischargers.
Thanks,
Bob

 

[metaltankman]

wow! that is way so cool ! that is one of my most favorite tanks. i'm working on a metal one right now.......and i used 21 st. century's running gear too. i really love the detail you put into this project. will it have any interior detail?. if you need any parts out of metal, i might be able to help.
i have a complete sheet-metal shop. it's about time someone is doing something different with 21st's running gear. you're doing a great job and i can't wait to see it done.

 

[greatplanes27]

Thanks for the encouragement. I am going to have to buy a small brake to bend some of the brackets. After taking the pictures, I realized that the right hand side air cleaner was out of place. Evidently, the cats had knocked it loose and broke the mounting bracket. I don't understand, but the cats think that the tank is the best place to lay in the house. Anyway, I will be remaking the brackets in metal. Thanks

Kim

 

[keithholmestx]

That look outstanding. Please give more details of the build. I have a spare Hull and turret that I have always wanted to convert to a M3 or M3a1. My thoughts where to cut the front third and the back third of the hull off leaving the turret ring in place and then building out the front and back. Let me know if that is what you did. Also did you need to cut down the front lower hull or did that interfere with the motors in the front.
thanks
Keith

 

[greatplanes27]

Thanks, Keith.
The upper part of the body is all made out of 1/8" PVC. I have the drawings for the parts that make up the upper body. The chassis has a lot of mods. I will try to post pictures of the chassis tomorrow and give you the angles and distances. BTW, I would definitely do an M3A1 as the sides were welded not riveted.

Kim

 

[pzrwest]

Look forward to your post and drawings with details. I can see a lot of M3's being made

 

[Jim Fowler]

Look forward to your post and drawings with details. I can see a lot of M3's being made

Actually, the M3 is a perfect counter to the DML Panzer II.....

Yep, I can see a Panzer II ausf F and a M3 Honey squared off agaainst each other in a rodcky desert back drop........

Its definitely struck a cord in me.

Jim

 

[greatplanes27]

I finally got a little time today to upload some files. I have uploaded the cutting plans for the upper hull. I hope that these will help any one who wants to make an M3. The plans are not perfect and I have not given cutting angles for those pieces that are angled. All of the rivets and armored screw locations are marked. I have not designated which is rivets or screws. Also, there was at least two different sizes of rivets used and at least three (maybe four) sizes of screws. Also, all the lines on the plates represent individual plates on the original. The top plates are too big to fit a normal size printer so the top was divided into four pieces. The top pieces join together without scribed lines between them. I used a plastic scribe to outline all of the plates. One other word of caution, the plans show the two rear pieces as being inside the tail pieces. Actually, on the M3 the upper tail pieces overlapped the tails. I will try to take some photos later tonight to show this. Anyway, on to the drawings

Please ask any questions before you try to use these drawings. The reason for two Glacis plate designs is that when I printed it out, it was narrower than the 21st Century Hull. Remember, though they work for me, you are using these at your own risk. Make sure that you check the size and fit before making the final part.

 

[greatplanes27]

I hope that some one finds these images interesting. I am posting some images of the chassis to give everyone an idea about the mods that are necessary. Here goes

Please ignore the poor pictures and the unfinished state of the interior of the hull. I still have a lot of cleanup and cutting of the nails. Thanks for looking

Kim

 

[Sixth Vanguard]

Thanks for all the info, very generous! I hope I get to convert one of mine.

 

[pzrwest]

Excellent couldn't ask for better info and the drawings will help alot. It is greatly appreciated your shareing this info.... THANK YOU!!!!!!!.... Harold