CAUTION

TMD uses mold release agents to aid

in de-molding. Mold release agents mayprevent paint from properly adhering toresin surfaces. To avoid painting problems,TMD recommends that you wash the resinpieces in this kit in warm, soapy water. Foran even better result, use an appropriateprimer before applying the finished paint.

Resin is a soft plastic, and issusceptible to warping. In most cases, it ispossible to repair warped parts by placingthem in hot water or heating them with aheat gun or hair dryer. After heating theresin enough to return to its original shape,simply set it aside and allow it to coolslowly. If it does not work, please contactTMD for a replacement part.

Resin pieces can be difficult to remove

This instruction sheet is based on the instruction sheet for our M8 HMC Full Kit 28002. That means that someof the pieces you will see in these instructions will show plastic AFV CLUB and EDUARD PE pieces. Mostnotably, we have left out the PE stowage basket on the rear of the turret and the PE map holder bracket on theunderside of the rear turret roof. We have provided you with the essential resin pieces you will need to build anM8 HMC 75 mm Howitzer Turret. These include the lifting hooks, grousers and grouser mounting brackets.In the few instances where we could not replicate a part in resin, we have simply left it out of this kit. If youwant to include these few pieces in your M8 Turret, you will have to obtain your own EDUARD PE set.Otherwise, we are confident that you can build what is the most accurate, most complete and most finelydetailed M8 Turret available in today’s market.

NOTE: We did not include the .50 cal MG assembly with this kit as most of the plastic models that you may

READ ALL OF THESE INSTRUCTIONS BEFORE YOU BEGINCONSTRUCTION!

U.S. M8 HMC Replacement Turret (ALL)

Resin pieces can be difficult to removefrom their casting gates. We recommend arazor saw or rotary tool with a circularcutting blade. CAUTION: rein dust can beharmful to your health. Always work in awell ventilated area, and wear a dust maskwhile sawing or sanding.

CUATION: lead can be very harmful toyour health. Always wash your hands afterhandling these materials.

CUATION: photo-etched parts may besharp. Care should be used to avoidcutting yourself while handling these parts.

CUATION: this product may not be meantfor children less than 10 years of age. Thisproduct may contain materials that may beharmful to your health, and small parts thatmay present a choking hazard. KEEP OUTOF REACH OF SMALL CHILDREN.

5305 Bertha Nelson Rd.Panama City, FL 32404

ph: (850) 890-2080

Copyright ® All Rights Reserved 2007

NOTE: We did not include the .50 cal MG assembly with this kit as most of the plastic models that you maywant to use this turret on will already have a .50 cal in them and we wanted to keep the cost of this replacementturret as low as possible.

2

12 11 10 9 8 7 6 5

17

18

19 20 21 22

25 24 23

29 28 27 26 26

34 33 32 31 30

38 37 36 3542434445

46 47

TURRET PARTS

1 -- turret 2 – turret ring 3– firing handle 4 – spring 5 – elevation gear6 – radio 7 – breech handle 8 – 50 cal lock 9 – cocking handle 10 – turret filet11 – left trunion lock plate 12 – right trunion lock plate 13 – traversing wheel (3 spoke) 14 – elevation wheel (4 spoke) 15 – breech16 – breechblock 17 – gun assembly 18 – carbines 19 – 50 cal ammo tray 20 – oil can21 – utility box 22 – seat base 23 – firing mechanism 24 – elevation drive 25 – lower sight26 – seat 27 – grenade box 28 – oil cans in holder 29 – oil cans 30 – traverse lock31 – traverse drive 32 – upper sight 33 – traversing gear 34 – direct sight 35 – binocular holder36– binocular case in holder 37 – canteens 38 – flashlight 39 – breech guard support 40 – left breech shield41 – right breech guard shield 42 -- stowed periscope 43 – long grouser mount 44 – short grouser mount 45 – grouser

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4 3 14 1315 1639 40 4148

.01, .015, .020, .025, .030 plastic rod.010, .015, .020, .035 lead solder

46 – lower breech guard 47 – upper breach guard 48 - .50 cal mount

1

fillet

turret ring

Glue the turret ring to the inside of the turret.Then glue the fillet to the left side of the turretas shown in the picture below.

trim

If you are going to show the turret MG ammo rack with the .50 calammo boxes in it, assemble the ammo rack as shown in the top pictureto the immediate left.

NOTE: Due to problems with scale construction, the ammo rack willnot fit correctly when it is full. We recommend that you trim downthe corner of the rear most ammo box as this will not be visible afterassembly.

NOTE: Be sure to totally remove the turret casting gate and to get atight fit between the turret ring and the turret body.

PAINTING INSTRUCTIONS

Olive Drab or Dark Green: All interior surfacesof the turret assembly to include all mountingbrackets and holders; periscope body; oil can; .50cal boxes; utility box and canteen cover.

Flat Black: Binocular case (option); periscopehead assembly; hose and handle and cap on oilcan (options); loader’s seat cushion; cap andsnaps on canteen and .45 cal clips.

Bare Metal: Oil can (optionally, oil can cap andhandle – even if can is painted green or olivedrab).

Leather: Binocular case (option)

.45 cal ammo

canteen Glue the turret .50 cal ammorack assembly in place asshown in the picture to the far

spare periscope

oil can

loader’s seat

turret ammo rack

grenade boxes

binocular holder

grenade boxes

utility box

shown in the picture to the farleft. Be sure to fit it snugglyagainst the back and left turretwalls.

Then glue the binocular holderin place (there is also anoptional empty holder if youchoose to use it).

NOTE: You may have toshave the bottom of the holdera bit to get it to fit correctly.

Now, glue the oil can in place, and then the loader’s seat. Next, the spare periscope holderand both grenade boxes.

Glue the utility box to the front of the turret ring as shown in the picture immediatelyabove. Then glue the .45 cal ammo in place on the left turret wall. Finally, glue thecanteen to the face of the turret. Be sure to keep the top of the canteen below the top ofthe turret .

NOTE: You can also glue the .45 cal ammo box at a slight backward angle (see thepictures in the reference CD).

2

gunner’s seat

carbines

oil cans

gunner’s seat

carbines

oil cans

turret lock

traverse gear

elevation drive

make handlefrom .015 rod

Glue the carbines to the turret wall as shown in the upper right picture. Then glue the traverse driveGlue the carbines to the turret wall as shown in the upper right picture. Then glue theoil cans in place as shown.

NOTE: We discovered that TAMIYA was wrong: the original M8 manual shows 2carbines in this location, not rounds.

NOTE: You might want to use the EDUARD PE piece (31) for the oil can holderand the plain cans on the resin runner.

Now assemble the gunner’s seat; traverse lock; traverse gear and elevation drive asshown in the picture directly above. Make a handle for the traverse lock from piecesof 0.015 in rod.

Next, glue the traverse drive; elevation gear; elevation hand wheel (4 spokes) andtraverse hand wheel (3 spokes) in place as shown in the upper picture to theimmediate right.

NOTE: The hand wheels are different. Be sure to consult the pictures carefully tomake sure you assemble them correctly. You may also want to drill out the locatinghole in the bottom of the traverse drive a little to assist in fitting the traverse drive tothe traverse gear.

Finally, glue the upper sight to the lower sight body, and then glue the sight assemblyto the front of the turret as shown in the lower picture to the immediate right. Andfinish by gluing the canteen in place as shown in the same picture.

NOTE: Be sure to align the upper and lower sight so the sight looks “straight andforward.” Then be sure that the sight is vertical and aligned when you glue themounting bracket to the turret face.

sight assembly

canteen

PAINTING INSTRUCTIONS

Olive Drab or Dark Green: All interiorsurface of the turret assembly to includeall mounting brackets and holders; sightassembly; canteen cover and the oil cans(option).

Flat Black: Gunner’s seat cushion; oilcans (option); carbine barrels and triggerassembly (option); carbine strap buckles(option); canteen cap and cover snaps.

Bare Metal: Traverse gear (gear only);elevation gear (gear only) and carbinestrap buckles (option).

Gunmetal: Carbine barrel and triggerassembly (option).

Wood: Carbine stocks.

Leather: Carbine straps.

traverse drive

elevation gear

3NOTE: The following assembly is the most difficult in this kit. However, it is not as difficult as it may appear. Take your time, test fit and use a good pair of tweezersand we think you will find it looks worse than it is. The good part is that this is the first and only kit to ever model the M8 breach accurately- and completely. We haveprovided pictures from the M8 manual to assist you in your assembly. (I completed this breach assembly in about 90 minutes. Again, not so bad. -- Joe)

Glue the manual firing mechanism to theupper breach guard as shown in these twopictures.

NOTE: You may need to make a deepernotch on the manual firing mechanism toget the proper alignment.

Glue the breach block and manual firingarm to the gun tube assembly as shown.Make 2 connectors from 0.02 in plasticrod and glue in place as shown in thepicture to the left.

NOTE: Open sight hole as shown above.

sight hole

front face of gun tube

breach block

manual firing arm

make from 0.02 in rod

Choose to assemble the breach open or closed. If youwill model a closed breech, remove the portion of the

closedright side open -- top

closedopen

Glue the lower guard to the bottom of the gun tubeassembly as shown in these pictures.

NOTE: Be sure to align the guard straight and square.

will model a closed breech, remove the portion of thebreech handle as shown in the blow-up. Then gluethe breech block and handle into the breech assemblyas shown in the pictures to the far left.

NOTE: When open, the breech handle has a tab thatfits into the hole on top of the breech block.closed

PAINTING INSTRUCTIONS

Olive Drag or Dark Green: The entire guntube assembly; breach; upper and lowerguards; manual firing mechanism and arm.

Natural Metal: Breech block; breachhandle and spring on manual firing arm.

Flat Black: Solenoid box on manual firingmechanism.

fill

upper guard Glue the upper guard to the gun tubeassembly as shown in the picture tothe far left.

NOTE: make sure the upper guard issquared and straight when you glueit. The guard in the picture isslightly crooked (to the right).

NOTE: Do not glue the side shieldsin place at this time.

NOTE: After the upper guard has fully set, then glue the right and then left side shields and the support arm in place. Youwill need to shave the inside of the right shield and fill the gap after assembly. The left shield needs to be trimmed to fitwithout distorting the upper and lower guards. Study all the pictures provided to make sure you are assembling the guardsand shields correctly.

Glue a 1 in piece of 0.015 rod to the manual firing spring andone of the resin forks as shown above and let the joint curecompletely.

NOTE: The picture to the far left above shows the proper assembly of the left shield.The center picture shows the right shield and the right picture shows the correctposition of the support arm.

NOTE: If you have some 0.010 rod or wire, you may want touse that instead of the 0.015 rod provided in this kit. Thinnerwire will be more accurate and will make for a better finish.

right shield

Glue the rod and u-joint to the top of the manual firing arm assemblyon the gun tube and the box on the manual firing mechanism as shownin the picture to the far left. Cut the plastic rod to fit.

Next, glue the cocking handle to the manual firing mechanism asshown and make two handles from 0.020 in plastic rod as shown to thefar left.

Then glue the spring mechanism to the top of the manual firingmechanism and cut the plastic rod to fit to the bottom of the cockingarm.

Finally, glue the direct sight in place as shown in the picture to theimmediate left.

NOTE: Take care to align the direct sight so it will point to the sighthole in the gun mantle.

NOTE: You may want to use the EDUARD chain (16) on the breechassembly.

NOTE: We intentionally omitted some details from our master, like the wiring on themanual firing mechanism and the linkage to the panoramic sight. This was donepartly due to the difficulty of casting some of these pieces that could be more easilymade by you, and to reduce the over all cost of the kit. However, we have providedyou with some reference materials that will assist you with adding the finer details weleft out. These two pictures have been included in our instructions to aid in the generalunderstanding of the components shown, as well as to aid in even more super-detailingof your model. If you would like even more reference on the M8, we stronglyrecommend you visit the Army Heritage Collection on line (see reference section onpage 2 for link). You might also want to check out other picture CD’s fromwww.toadmanstankpictures.com

.

PAINTING INSTRUCTIONSOlive Drab or Dark Green: All assemblies, parts and components not otherwise mentionedin these painting suggestions.

Flat Black: Details on panoramic sight.

Flat Black, Medium Gray or Gray-White: The direct sight head pad was made of asynthetic material that could come in several different colors. Paint this pieces as you choose.

Bare Metal: Breech spring and chain to breech block (if used)

Brass: Direct sight mounting collar

4 Cut 2 pieces of 0.035in rod 15 mm long.Glue them to thebottom of the turretroof as shown. Thenglue two flashlights tothe rod nearest thecenter of the roof.Next, glue the travellock to the front of the.50 cal ring makingsure the hole faces upafter assembly (seeblow-up). Finally, useEDUARD piece 39 tomake the map holderunder the turret roof.

Glue the turret roof in place as shown. Make sure to alignthe turret roof supports (plastic rod) with the locating holeson the turret ring. Then glue the .50 cal ring into the turretroof and the .50 cal mount to the .50 cal ring as shown.

raised plate

trunion retaining plates

Carefully fit the gun assembly to the turret as shown above. Trim the gunassembly and turret trunions as needed to insure a smooth, easy fit of the gunassembly.

NOTE: If you use care when you glue the trunion retaining plates to the gunassembly, the gun assembly can be made to elevate and depress. However, werecommend you glue your gun in place.

Glue thegun mantleto the gunassembly asshown inthe picture

recommend you glue your gun in place.the pictureto the left.

PAINTING INSTRUCTIONS

Olive Drab or Dark Green: All assemblies, parts andcomponents not otherwise mentioned in these paintingsuggestions, to include all mounting brackets and holders;flash light bodies;

Flat Black, Medium Gray or Gray-White: The .50 caltraversing pads were made of a synthetic material that couldcome in several different colors. Paint these pieces as youchoose, but paint them both the same color.

Flat Black: Flash light switches.

Dark Gloss Red: Flash light lenses.

REMINDER

The EDUARD PE and AFV CLUBplastic parts seen in these pictureshave either been deleted or replacedwith resin parts.

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C24

If you choose to use model the grousersattached to the side of your turret, assemblethem from the resin grousers and grousermounting brackets provided in your TMDkit.

Glue the resin lifting hooks to the side ofyour turret as shown in the picture to the farright.

You can choose to use the resin grouserbrackets. These pictures and the should helpyou with the general arrangement of thesepieces.

NOTE: We recommend use a resin grouseras a spacer between the brackets. Be sure toglue the brackets in sets facing inward toeach other. The grouser, when properlyattached, would fit to the outside of eachbracket.

REMINDER

The EDUARD PE and AFV CLUBplastic parts seen in these pictureshave either been deleted or replacedwith resin parts.

OPTION: Later M8’s had a wire basket attached to the rear of the turret. Ifyou choose, you can use the EDUARD PE to model this basket, BUT YOUWILL NEED YOUR OWN EDUARD PE SET!!!. (Please see the EDUARDinstructions for more detail and part numbers.)

PAINTING INSTRUCTIONS

Bare Metal: grousers

Rust: unless they are factory fresh orhave recently been in active use, themetal track components of U.S. armoredvehicles rust fairly quickly. You maywant to heavily rust the grousers on yourvehicle.