Hello Forum,

Here are some early shots of my newest project, the mighty Pershing. The model will be built mostly OOB with some refinements here and there.

The build will be featured in a future issue of SCALE MILITARY MODELLER INTERNATIONAL.

www.sampublications.com

OK let's get started...1st up, a nice head on shot.


Visible are the new snap clasps(?) I added to the bow MG...the kit had them molded on but, I wanted them a little larger and more defined.

Next one, another overall shot....note: the turret from barrel tip to back is nearly the entire length of a Sherman hull!



Last one, upper Turret....replacemant handles where made with a "grab Handeler" tool, further the Spot light was capped off and the Hatch hinge was replaced with plastic rod.



Thanks
Ryan

Hello All,

The turret is 95% finished, with some simple joint filling here and there left to do (aside from the texturing). I wanted to shoot a few before I textured the turret and covered up all of my extra work.

The MG pedestal was replaced with one included in the Academy US MG set, it was simply better detailed than the one in the box. The real chore of the entire build has been the part clean up.... ahh if we could just slap them together with out cleaning mold seam lines.

On to the pics...

*Edit* Better Shots!





Thanks Ryan

I decided to model the missing dust cover assembly on the mantlet and the tiny clasps that hold it down...there was billion of those clasps to add, well not really, only 52!

The clasps where punched out of palstic sheet with a Reheat Punch, and the strip assembly was built from Evergreen strip. The radius strip was made by winding it around a paintbrush handle then secured little by little with Tenex. The clasps where dipped in a puddle of Testors liquid glue then dropped in place using a sharp Xacto blade.

Tamiya primer was brushed into all joints and gaps, then sanded smooth to blend into the surface of the model.

The spare tracks on the side of the turret had deep ejector pin marks that I filled with a styrene disk I punched with the reheat set followed up with a small amount of Tamiya putty.

*edit* Better shots...







Thanks
Ryan

Welds were added to the joints seen in the pic below with Tamiya putty shaped with a flat tooth pick, then a rough cast texture was added to the exhaust created with Tamiya primer applied with a old brush.

The Kit came with out the tow cable, bit with the brackets moled in as raised rectangles.

Before I clipped them off, I drilled into the blocks to help me remember the location. I'll scratch some new brackets as well as the tow cable.



Ryan

Ryan I just posted up a number of ref pics of the M26 at Bovington on KC amps, they may be of use to you.

Thanks Darren,

I'll check em' out, I love that site...mucho inspiration!

Ryan

Ryan- outstanding work! Keep it up.
DJ

Hello Ryan

The Pershing is looking great!!!!
I plan to watch your build as it progresses.

Michael

Thanks DJ, and welcome aboard Mike!

Thanks for looking.
Ryan

I like all the small details. Great work.

Very nice work!! I too will follow this closely as I have just recently purchased this kit too.

Damn! your additional detail to the turret really looks good. Guess you dont need the square stock from me now?

Cant wait to see this in the flesh.
Andy

Thanks guys,

Thomas good luck, it has some rough edges but will hammer out into a good looking kit.

No Andy, I broke down and bought a couple of packs of strip to detail it out....I'll bring it to the meeting Tuesday.

Ryan

Update time, more progress tonite.

Earlier I clipped of the the ends of the shackle pins, I've replaced the end of each with a punched styrene disk. I'll replicate the handle at the end of the pin later after I texture the Hull.

The periscope guards were cleaned up and attached, but they need further clean up once they are dry. Way easier to clean them up mounted to the model than trying to hold them in your hand to clean them up.

Also shown is a nice close up of the styrene strip I notched into the nose to fill the gap present. Tamiya tape and putty replicated the metal lip in this area as shown.





The rear of the Hull is coming along, as with the front I replaced the shackle pin ends and went ahead and added the handles since I'm not going to texture the rear as much as the front. Nice close ups of the added welds also.

The travel lock was added as well as the hitch, the later shown in the stowed postion to the left of the lock. I left the travel lock loose as I have seen pics of it free swinging over terrain, when locked it would be tight to the rear plate.





Thanks
Ryan

Nice update tonite, I finished the turret and hull texturing. I used the mind numbing combo of my dwindling supply of Tamiya putty and Testors cement mixed into a stucco like paste.
Applied with a old brush it sure looks the part. I'll lightly sand it tomorrow to knock down some of the high spots. The front shackle retainer was also added this evening after the texture was applied.







And the turret...







Ryan

The rear transmission covers were textured and I scratchbuilt the missing oil filler ports on the bottom inboard side of these units. A white punched disk finishes off the modification.



The multi piece Academy MG set is being used instead of the kits 50' cal, as seen in the pics, it has great detail missing from the kit item. The ammo box even includes it's retainer to hold it tight to the tray that the box rests in.



Some headway is being made on the indivdual track links...these ain't no Majic Track set! Each link must be clipped and cleaned, Iv'e about got (1) side finished.

(Note: The Korean War version option in the kit has the single length, flexible DS track NOT the individual ones, they are only used for the WWII version which I'm building)

Plenty of ugly ejector pins marks will need filling as well.



The last item for tonight is the sheet of Archer casting numbers I'm going to use to add a few missing details to the model, first time using these so it will be fun to see how they work out.



Ryan

Nice work so far Ryan. I am looking forward to seeing your finished product. Don't forget if there are any pictures you need I may be able to help.

Thanks Darren,

I did check out your pics....that display vehical seems to be the real thing (T26) not some Korean War M26 repop.

Ryan

It is my belief it was most likely a vehicle on trials with us Brits.

Damn ryan, that texture is Serria Hotel. Nice work, cant wait to see it in person!

Andy,

Not sure what "Serria Hotel" means, but I guess you like it.

Hopefully by the time you see it in person I'll have paint on it....you know deadlines!!

Ryan

Pheonetic Alphebet for "S" "H", or "S**t Hot"

Update city tonight!

This evening I fitted the Archer casting numbers, wow what a product, you can really go to town with these sets. I applied representations of the actual numbers...one could research the specific numbers If so inclined. The set I have was researched for Sherman casting numbers so I cut these up here and there for variety.





The sand shields are about 90% done, I had trouble getting a smooth fit and ended up sanding of some of the molded on bolt heads. A miniture punch was used to replace the missing bolt heads and while I was at that I just sliced off the rest and replaced them too.



The fit at the rear skirt was a little long, I'll have to trim these up before attaching them to the hull.



Ryan

Hold up, not done yet!

The most time consuming exercise of today was at the rear hull. I as reported earlier in the post, Dragon chose to mold the tow cable brackets as simple blocks on the back of the hull....and not even represent the cable itself! One wonders why some things are chosen to be excluded on production kits, when thay are (in this case) really part of the characture of the Pershing.

OK off the 1/35th scale soap box, and back to the build. The brackets are simple "L" shaped units, I figured I could scratch them out of .005 brass sheet. Once the dimensions were transfered to the brass they were cut out wth shears. I used the Etchmate to true up the sides and fold them into shape.





The new brackets were secured with liquid cement first then spot glued with super glue. Texture was added to the rear plate to tie everything together.



The nylon cable and white metal tow ends were supplied by "Skyhawk", thanks Andy! Using reference photos I wound the cable around my brackets just like the prototype.



Super glue soaked, blue painters tape and a punched disk represent the collar attaching the cable end to the hull. Also visible are some more black casting numbers.

It was a lot of work but I'm glad the cable and brackets are now on the model!



Ryan

Wow Ryan. This model looks like it weighs as much as the real thing. It looks huge. Very impressive job do far.

Matt

man dude, that is looking awesome! Ill be really curious to see how those numbers come out looking under some paint. I just might have to get some.
Andy

Ryan,

Some great work you've done to that Pershing. I'll have to bookmark it for my entry for the Tank Overhaul Campaign (I'm rebuilding my old T26 into the Super Pershing). So what's in the orange box, just the old T26 kit plus some figures and new tracks?

Keep up the great work! Cheerio!
Stef

Stef,

I have not seen older issue of this Kit, it looks like the figs have been added as well as parts to make the Korean war version.

The WWII version has the indi links while the KW version comes with a nice set of DS tracks.

Ryan

Hello all, still with me?

As stated before the tank I'm modeling requires the indi link track included in the kit. I developed a system of using a link and length process to assemble the runs. My idea is to assemble top and bottom units on each side to make painting easier, plus the lower run is "finished" well above the lower edge of the sand shields so any mismatch or misalignment above will be completly hidden. I hate sand shields on a AFV, but in this case they may hide a multitude of sins!

The links where rough and it took a fair amount of time to carefully clip them fron the sprue then clean them up using small files, sand paper and sanding sticks. Every link rewards you with (2) ejector pin marks and I tried to use the ones that were least visible marks on the very visible lower run. I used Tamiya Surface Primer to fill the marks.

After the needed links were added up and positioned against a straight edge, I sparingly used Tamiya Thin cement to bond them together. The curved runs were allowed to set up a few minutes before wrapping them around the sprocket or road wheel to end up wit the desired curvature.

On to the pics...





This chore should be over soon, then I can shoot the first licks of paint on the running gear so the fenders can be attached.

Ryan