After some time I had also laid my hands on the El Alamein Sherman that is sitting on my desk in the final phases of the construction.

One of the last  major steps that were in front of me was addition of tools. For this I planned to use Formation set of Sherman tools which I got from my friend Dave Brown loooong time ago. This set contains all the tools that can be found on Sherman tank. It is very finely cast in beige resin. Removal of the tools is rather straightforward – razor saw and then some trimming with X-acto knife. The look of the tools is great, it might not be as perfect as when using the photoetch tie-downs and straps, but given that I had all the tools attached on the model in something over one hour, the benefit is clear.

The resin tie-down straps were little too long, so I had to cut some of those mounted on the right side of the Sherman, as there are four tools and space is at premium.

Given the changes Formations brand has gone through recently I don’t know how easy (or difficult) it is to get this set, but if you have chance, take it. It’s worth its price.