Brews Posted April 27, 2014 Author Share Posted April 27, 2014 I just noticed that the tank in the landing craft lacks the turnbuckles on the fenders that I would have had to add front and rear (can't see the rear, but I'm assuming that since they're not on the front, they're not on the rear). Bonus (which is Latin for "good"). I took Latin in High School, by the way, but we were never given the opportunity to learn Ancient Greek. I think my dad learnt Greek and Latin in High School. Of course, nowadays, they teach remedial English at University. Maybe the next generation will be speaking txt ... But I digress ... 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brews Posted April 27, 2014 Author Share Posted April 27, 2014 Watching tv last night, I started applying some Tamiya Nato Black to the tyres of the wheels, after I'd cleaned them up (most of the road wheels - comprising 2 wheels each - had 3 sprue attachment points). I got 8 done out of the 28 road wheels, and I haven't started on the return rollers (20 of these in total - 5 per side, two wheels each). I might have gotten more done, but the cat was sitting on me, the brush dried out a bit, and I got SMWBO to clean it for me under the bathroom tap, whereupon she asked me if it was really water-washable. I told her not to worry about it. I'll give it a soak in IPA or lacquer thinner later. While painting one of the 8, I noticed that one sprue attachment point hadn't been cleaned up as neatly as I'd like. There will be touch-ups. The idler wheels are identical to the road wheels, unless I'm mistaken. That's why I haven't referred to them. I cleaned up the drive sprockets, though, and dry-fitted these (which actually comprise 5 parts each, including polycap. I don't know what the purpose of the polycap is, really. It's not like this is motorized - it doesn't even have vinyl tracks or working links so it just begs the question ... why? I would have thought that movement of the drive sprocket is undesirable on a static model. It can only lead to aggravation in alignment later on. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brews Posted April 28, 2014 Author Share Posted April 28, 2014 (edited) Here is one of the offending drive sprockets, fully assembled: That's the view that you won't see when it's assembled, anyway. Here are the road wheels and return rollers that I've not yet painted. 14 road wheels have been painted. I thought I took photos of them for you. I guess I'm saving you the tedium from which I can't spare myself: I've been reading an account of the company with which this tank operated, from 15 September, 1950. They got hammered. In better "news", one Marine with a Super Bazooka (3.5" vs 2.36 of WWII vintage) got a reputation for killing T-34s, and won a Congressional Medal of Honour (posthumously). Edited April 28, 2014 by Brews Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brews Posted April 28, 2014 Author Share Posted April 28, 2014 Well, I dodged a bullet. In the pic of the drive sprocket, above, you can see that I placed the two flanges in the centre adjacent to each other. They should be adjacent to each sprocket. A liberal dose of MEK and some leverage with an old scalpel, and the offending flange is in its proper place. Also, i'm so pleased to report that the tyres on all of the road wheels and idlers has been completed. Just the 20 return rollers to go. In some ways, these are more troublesome because of their petiteness, and also because only 10 of them have an orifice through which to poke a cocktail stick. The other 10 are going to be held by alligator clips. Anyway, I'm taking a break from that tedium at the moment. I cut off the LH front fender, so that the tank appears even more similar to the one in the landing craft pic. All I need to do when I finish this is to make some scattered stowage, another 1:48 Pershing, a couple of Jeeps, and a 1:48 LST and I've got the diorama done. Not. Going. To. Happen. I cut off the median post in the blower vent. The slit is between 6.3 and 6.7mm long. I don't have a drawing to show how long it should be. 75% of 6.5mm would be about 4.9mm. Does that sound about right for 1:48? Maybe I should look for photos of an early M26. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brews Posted April 28, 2014 Author Share Posted April 28, 2014 I posted a link to a pdf in the reference section, showing pics of all surviving Pershings. The one at Bovington shows the style of blower housing I'm aiming for. I just need to fill in the forward 1.5mm or so of each slit and that will do me. Interestingly, there is a pic showing the rounded style of housing with the double slits, about half-way down that page. Maybe not typical, but as I understand it, there were two factories building Pershings, and they both made both types of blowers. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brews Posted April 28, 2014 Author Share Posted April 28, 2014 Added 10thou card to front suspension arm: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brews Posted April 29, 2014 Author Share Posted April 29, 2014 (edited) This page shows this diagram of a detail of the Pershing's forward suspension. It features the part pictured above, which should be linked by a conrod to the arm to the rear. The kit does not provide this link, and it is mostly (but not totally) hidden by the first road wheel. I will drill a hole and add the conrod. Edited April 29, 2014 by Brews Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
darson Posted April 29, 2014 Share Posted April 29, 2014 Hey Brews, I just wanted to say I'm following your build closely and really enjoying your updates. Just as an FYI the purpose of the poly caps is to allow a snug and consistent fit for all of the wheels on the vehicle. It also makes removing them if you need to a breeze. Hopefully tonight I'll get some bench time for my Mustang. Cheers Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brews Posted April 29, 2014 Author Share Posted April 29, 2014 the purpose of the poly caps is to allow a snug and consistent fit for all of the wheels on the vehicle. It also makes removing them if you need to a breeze. Thanks for your input. The problem I have with that is that polycaps are only provided for the drive sprockets, so that rules out consistency and ease-of-removal FWIW, though, the fit is very snug, and I suspect that the purpose may be to allow small rotations, if necessary, to fit the tracks. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brews Posted April 29, 2014 Author Share Posted April 29, 2014 "... and yea, there was much rejoicing, for all of the fricking return roller tyres were painted..." 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brews Posted April 30, 2014 Author Share Posted April 30, 2014 Here is a beautiful pic of a Marine Pershing in Naktong, prior to the Inchon landings. Zoom in, look at the stuff all over the vehicle, and the open shell loading port. The tracks are relatively clean, too. This vehicle was involved in an action against 4 T-34s. The North Korean tanks were plastered with 90mm, RCLs, bazooka fire, and Corsairs. The North Krean retreat from Pusan after the Inchon landings was compared to the Falaise Pocket. 75% of all Communist tank losses were due to aerial attack.. 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
snapper_city Posted April 30, 2014 Share Posted April 30, 2014 Your doing a great job on this so far.. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brews Posted April 30, 2014 Author Share Posted April 30, 2014 Thanks for your vote of confidence. I attached a few bits and pieces to the hull last night. I almost lost a towing shackle to the carpet monster, but dodged that bullet. I'll give it a dose of green tonight, touch up the wheels, weather the lower hull wearher the wheels, attach wheels and sprockets, spray and weather the track .... If I have time. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brews Posted April 30, 2014 Author Share Posted April 30, 2014 Thanks for your vote of confidence. I attached a few bits and pieces to the hull last night. I almost lost a towing shackle to the carpet monster, but dodged that bullet. I'll give it a dose of green tonight, touch up the wheels, weather the lower hull wearher the wheels, attach wheels and sprockets, spray and weather the track .... If I have time. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brews Posted May 1, 2014 Author Share Posted May 1, 2014 I gave the whole hull and turret a filter of Tamiya XF-58. This is a bit on the greener side of OD. I painted the tracks first in Testors Metallizer "Burnt Metal" which is a non-buffing metallic (which combines brick red and gunmetal, as best I can tell), and then with mists of buffable Titanium. sprayed on at an angle, to catch the raised bits of track. It all looks a bit dark at the moment, so I might dry brush some light brown and stainless steel on it later. Incandescant lighting - never the best. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brews Posted May 1, 2014 Author Share Posted May 1, 2014 Filtered Daylight. Note the cut-down skirt. I've seen pics of Pershings in Korea wearing no skirts, but the early ones at least had track dresses ranging from full mudguards and skirts to "missing both mudguards, and with some missing bits of skirts, and some bent/damaged/small arms-holed bits of others". The wheels are just dry-fitted to show them off. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brews Posted May 1, 2014 Author Share Posted May 1, 2014 I dropped the "back" half of one of the return rollers, and despite it being a relatively large part, the carpet monster has claimed it. It's also possible, and perhaps more likely, that one of the dogs claimed it - either deliberately or inadvertently. I'll have to scratch a new one. Meanwhile, the left track has been installed. As forewarned, it was a tight fit, but no massive gaps. Yay. I did not try to reduce gaps anywhere until fitting the last link, as I'd planned to hide the join in the upper track run, near the drive sprocket. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SleeperService Posted May 1, 2014 Share Posted May 1, 2014 This page shows this diagram of a detail of the Pershing's forward suspension. It features the part pictured above, which should be linked by a conrod to the arm to the rear. The kit does not provide this link, and it is mostly (but not totally) hidden by the first road wheel. I will drill a hole and add the conrod. Mocking up that 'conrod' using a strip is what I've done. On the next one I'll be beefing up the arm as you have done also. Looking good so far Brews. I'd agree about the blower slot opening as well. I did mine by eye and it's about the size you worked out. I lost a return roller rear as well. Must be the Carpet Monster's favourite!!! 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brews Posted May 20, 2014 Author Share Posted May 20, 2014 I had some spare milliput from another project, and attached it to a return roller and rolled it around so it was the same diameter, at least. I'll sand it to the correct thickness and go from there. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mozzy19 Posted May 20, 2014 Share Posted May 20, 2014 Oops, missed this one... It's looking really nice so far. Sean Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brews Posted May 21, 2014 Author Share Posted May 21, 2014 I just need to paint the tire of the rear of the return roller now, and glue that on, and I can attach the off-side track. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brews Posted May 22, 2014 Author Share Posted May 22, 2014 Yesterday, I finished painting the return roller half that I'd made from Milliput, and attached the completed item to the hull. I thought to myself "you'd never be able to tell the difference". Later, not much later, I found the original. Unbelievable. When I was painting the wheels, I had them held in a "second pair of hands" - alligator clips on a flexible frame with wing nuts to tighten the joints - I'm sure you know what I'm talking about. The "missing" part was still on the 2nd pair of hands. How I'd missed it, I'm not sure. The time I spent looking for it .... moving couches and chairs... scouring the floor ... scratching my head ... So, it's back on the tank now. It was a neater job than my scratch-built item, with finer detail, so on it went to its 'natural' place. If anyone needs a rear half of a return roller, it's in my spares box. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brews Posted May 22, 2014 Author Share Posted May 22, 2014 So, I put the off-side (the right side, as far as the instructions are concerned). I took care to use the correct parts, as the torsion bar arrangement means that the rear-most road wheel on the right side is closer to the drive sprocket than the corresponding wheel on the left side. However, while I had negligible gap on the near side, I had a gap almost as big as a full link on the off-side. Tamiya does not provide separate links, only lengths as short as two links. Oh well, lucky I had a scalpel and a couple of spare 2-link parts. I only needed one, of course. Here's the "before I glued the single link in". You can see the link in the bottom of the hull. and the "after". I'll have to repaint, but it's a lot better. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brews Posted May 22, 2014 Author Share Posted May 22, 2014 I'm about to start the weathering of the wheels and tracks, starting with washes on the tracks, one side at a time (i.e. upper and lower side). Need a bit of luck on this. I'll be using acrylic washes, I think. As soon as the upper track runs are done, I can button up the hull, and weather the rest of the tank. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brews Posted May 23, 2014 Author Share Posted May 23, 2014 There's not a great deal of difference between the tracks of a KV-1 and the T-81, you know. Detail difference in the middle of the track. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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