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Value Gear have been busy with a host of new releases. This time around they have a new crate set, 6 choses of Sherman engine decks, 2 lots of Sci-Fi supplies, a new tents and tarps offering, 2 US packs and bags offerings, and finally a new string to their bow 2 fountains.

The new crate sets and tents and tarps sets will I am sure please some as it further increases your options, however I expect the 6 engine deck loads aimed at the Sherman tank will have Allied fans cheering very loudly. The new string to the bow the resin fountains by Carlos Elias (Bloch Haus) are another nice addition to their range.

I have tried to make these Sherman sets as versatile as possible, all of these sets were built on the Tamiya M4A3 75 mm Kit #35250. The Tamiya kits are good quality and some of the most common and most affordable Shermans on the market. The sets will fit the Tamiya 75mm like a glove as well as those listed here which have the exact same upper hull. I shaved a couple pins off the hull to make it smooth and easier to work with.

M4A3 75 mm Kit #35250 - 105 mm Kit #35251 - Jumbo Kit #35139

My Friend Dave (Dublin’s resident Sherman nut) brought a column of Shermans to a club meeting one night, including several variants from Tasca, Dragon/DML, Italeri , Academy and a couple of Kit Bashed Franken-Shermans made from all kinds of kits and spare parts. The sets fit pretty well with very little effort. Shaving a couple pins off the hull, drilling a couple holes in the bottom of the resin bits, a little sanding or scraping, the usual light work that us modellers always do and are not afraid of.

Turret Stowage: The Turret Stowage pieces are flat and the reason for this is to keep the set cheap and easy to cast as well as give the modeller the choice of putting it on the rounded side of a turret or onto a flat spot of the hull or a halftrack or truck. Most of these turret stowage bits have field modifications (welded on bars of all shapes and sizes) incorporated into the tarp rolls and if you toss them in a coffee cup and pour in a little boiling water, fish out the piece with tweezers after 20-30 seconds it will be flexible and you can just form it to the turret. Hold it in place until it is cool and it will retain that curve/shape. Then you can paint it and glue it back on later. It might take a couple tries to get it just right on your turret, but the hot water does not hurt the resin so soak it as many times as you need to make it fit perfectly.

Adding Stowage Tie down Ropes: Once you have the engine deck piece in just the right spot you can put your tie down ropes in place and make a couple marks on the resin to show where the ropes will be. Using a small triangle file you can make some slight indentions where the ropes will cross the stowage and give it a realistic tied down look.

Wooden Crates Set #5 - €9 (Approx $11.50-12.00)
Tents & Tarps Set #10 - €9 (Approx $11.50-12.00)
USA Packs & Bags Set #1 - €9 (Approx $11.50-12.00)
USA Packs & Bags Set #2 - €9 (Approx $11.50-12.00)
Sherman Engine Deck Set #1 - €12 (Approx $15)
Sherman Engine Deck Set #2 - €12 (Approx $15)
Sherman Engine Deck Set #3 - €12 (Approx $15)
Sherman Engine Deck Set #4 - €12 (Approx $15)
Sherman Engine Deck Set #5 - €12 (Approx $15)
Sherman Engine Deck Set #6 - €12 (Approx $15)
Fountain Set #1 - €15 (Approx $19.25)
Fountain Set #2 - €15 (Approx $19.25)
Sci Fi Supplies Set #1 – €9 (Approx $11.50-12.00)
Sci Fi Supplies Set #2 - €9 (Approx $11.50-12.00)