M3 Lee Late - MinArt

[Bryan Krueger]

The M3 Lee is one of my favorite tank designs. I'm not sure why but the funky asymmetry and ridiculously high profile sure make it unique. I started a Tamiya Lee build back in the late 80s but it ended in a withering hail of pellet gun fire and fire crackers.

This is the MiniArt M3 Lee Late - no interior kit. It's build pretty much straight from the box with the excepting of adding a few welds and additional casting marks. All PE is included in the kit. I added copper wires for the lights.

The road wheel bogies are a fussy assembly so I glued them together on a flat surface. The tracks are super tedious 79 links per side, my sanity and neck could only manage around 25 at a time so it took many days to get both done but they do remain workable. The fit around the drive sprocket is very tight and can only imagine it is going to get worse with paint. The rear tension wheel is kept loose to tighten the tracks later.

[Philipp Gross]

Looks really good Bryan

The M3 is real life Dieselpunk, no other way to describe it

Will you paint it as a Soviet tank?

Philipp

[Mark Aldrich]

Very nice! Your transmission housing looks great!

[Adam Durrant]

Nice work Bryan, I like how you have kept the cast texturing away from the casting numbers and screw heads. Somehow I always end up obliterating them, either in the application or sanding

[Adam Durrant]

Whoops...forgot to ask, how are you going to deal with the tight fit round the drive sprocket? Have some dedicated track links that are sanded a bit thinner, or thin down the drive sprocket teeth a touch?

[Bryan Krueger]

Thanks all!

Phil - Yes, there is a color profile for a Soviet tank with white wash.
Mark - Thanks! There is a small seam towards the top edge that needs to be dealt with, but otherwise I didn't do too much
Adam - Most of that casting texture is molded in. I just added a fine layer of Mr Surfacer. And good question on the sprocket. The kit comes with a second set so I may paint those individually and trap the tracks that way.

[Vincent Power]

Looks great Bryan.

Vincent

[Bryan Krueger]

Thanks!

[Shawn Ramsey]

Bryan

The details on this kit looks really stunning. ts amazing how far model kits have come. I can not see any reason to add any after market parts to this kit. How were the tracks to assembly?

Shawn

[Justin Wooding]

The M3 Lee is one of my favorite tank designs.

Hi Bryan,

It really does hold a fascination with a lot of armour enthusiasts and modelers. The Lee and Grant do hold a certain charm.

Your build looks terrific. With your masterclass painting this will be an eye catcher i am sure!

Miniart have blessed us with great models of this iconic vehicle. I have them all under the work table............