Pershing No 35

[Steve McEvoy]

Picked up my Pershing kit from Kian today, can't wait to get started.

[Keith Morgan]

I'm awaiting the delivery of the remainder of my kit No 31 probably within the next few days and I was wondering if you are planning on doing a photo report of your kit as the build progresses?

I'm finding the photos of builds on these forum pages incredibly informative (particularly Ray, Tom and Brian) and the Pershing build on the 'Tony's Workshop' YouTube channel was inspirational to me in purchasing my kit. So far I've loosely assembled the whole of the lower hull to assess the fit of the front casting to the side panels, and I'm expecting to completely dismantle it again and begin the build properly in the next couple of weeks as a winter project. I'm not sure I can wield a camera successfully in a confined space, but do you think there would be any interest in another build blog?

Good Luck with your build.

[Steve McEvoy]

Hi Keith, dry build done and all the panel seams are perfect. You will probably have a bit of grinding/filing to do on the cast parts but that is to be expected. Had to clean up the end of the torsion bars to get them to fit nice but again no big deal. Would recommend you re tap all the threaded holes as some were a bit tight. Just in the process of taking it down to get some paint on the smaller parts, basicically painting the parts as l take them off. Might see if l can post some pics when it starts going together, going to be stalled soon as l need the option packs so l can fit the rear plate. Must say it's a cracking kit.
Steve

[Keith Morgan]

Thanks Steve - I'm facing up to getting the painting done as I begin the proper assembly, and to that end I've had a couple of litres of matt Olive Drab paint mixed by the local car paint supplier. I now belatedly realise that's probably way too much paint, but the last thing I sprayed was a car so I had no real idea how much paint I'd need. I read comments in the forum that people were using huge numbers of 400ml rattle cans so I cut to the chase, but then I read in the Knowledgebase that 15mls was enough paint in an airbrush to give a complete coat! Time will tell, I guess...

[Steve McEvoy]

Hi Keith, Yeah 2 ltrs is a bit much unless you intend getting more, l got a ltr and that's going to be way more than enough. When l did the Churchill l used about 1/2 ltr. Hope you enjoy the build.

[Aaron Taylor]

I used 4 bottles of tamiya to airbrush flat olive for the hull and suspension parts and 1 can of red primer for all parts so far.

[Ray Massa]

..... do you think there would be any interest in another build blog?

Keith,

I would love to see another build log on the Pershing. I was hoping more people would post how they were coming on the build, or mods, etc. My tank is now about finished except for some light weathering I am in the process of doing. But still would be nice to see how others have progressed. The Pershing is my first Armortek model and Tony and Brian's videos were part of what convinced me to get one.

-Ray

[Keith Morgan]

Thanks Ray - you've set a high bar with your build, and if my model ends up looking half as good as yours I won't be disappointed.

My Pershing (No 31) is my first Armortek model and my first model in 1/6 scale too. I hadn't appreciated how much extra detail can be supported in this scale, and I've been very impressed by the details which suddenly (for me if not for you!) appeared on your build. I hadn't thought such details could be included in a model to such good effect, and initially I wasn't planning on anything like that so food for thought. Extras such as the headlight protectors, periscope trims and the canvas mantlet cover which are there, of course, in old photos like this one:
"The crew of an M26 Pershing, nicknamed Eagle 7, of the 3rd Armored Division pose for a photo after their famous victorious tank duel in Cologne, Germany, March 1945"

My missing screws and fixings etc are scheduled for delivery this week by UPS once they clear customs, and thanks to Monique for prioritising them. Once I have all the correct screws I'll dismantle my temporary assembly and start again afresh, and I'll plan on taking some photos along the way.
Keith

[Ray Massa]

Thanks Ray - you've set a high bar with your build, and if my model ends up looking half as good as yours I won't be disappointed.

My Pershing (No 31) is my first Armortek model and my first model in 1/6 scale too. I hadn't appreciated how much extra detail can be supported in this scale, and I've been very impressed by the details which suddenly (for me if not for you!) appeared on your build. I hadn't thought such details could be included in a model to such good effect, and initially I wasn't planning on anything like that so food for thought. Extras such as the headlight protectors, periscope trims and the canvas mantlet cover which are there, of course, in old photos like this one:
"The crew of an M26 Pershing, nicknamed Eagle 7, of the 3rd Armored Division pose for a photo after their famous victorious tank duel in Cologne, Germany, March 1945"

My missing screws and fixings etc are scheduled for delivery this week by UPS once they clear customs, and thanks to Monique for prioritising them. Once I have all the correct screws I'll dismantle my temporary assembly and start again afresh, and I'll plan on taking some photos along the way.
Keith

Thanks Keith for the nice words, but my build is nothing compared to what I have seen from seasoned tank builders can do with their metal workmanship. I am a complete novice, and this is my first metal kit of any kind let alone 1/6 scale. But I am learning.

One thing I did early on was buy an assortment of all types and sizes of metric screws and nuts, in hex, cap head, button head, flat head, etc. in case I was missing something from Armortek. They really do provide a lot of extra nuts and bolts I found out after finishing the build and realizing how much stuff was left over. But a lot came in handy on mods that I made. I have never had a kit with so much extra hardware given. Thanks Armortek!

I read a lot of messages on the all the forums and got a lot of ideas from the pros. The one word of advice I would give anybody wanting to modify something is don't be too afraid to try. Most things can be fixed, patched or undone. I started simple, being very cautious, then got more brave as I went on drilling and tapping holes wherever I needed them, grinding off metal for a better fit, etc. Good luck Keith.

-Ray