Basic painting and initial weathering and paint fading on upper surfaces. I use Tamiya acrylics all around. At this stage, I attached the Tow Cable. It is made from the two eyelets provided in the Tamiya model kit and a length of nylon string cut 18' 6" in scale length. I inserted the Tow Cable ends into the two Tank Workshop Clamps, and then superglued the nylon string into the trenches molded into the underside of the Tamiya parts - rotating them upside again. I got lucky in pre-positioning the Clamps at just the right distance for securing the Tow Cable. For variety, I also painted the two eyelets Tamiya XF-7 Flat Red to break up the overall drabness of the tank's finish.

I also decided to attach the inner portion of the Return Roller Wheels at this time. Anticipating fitting a new set of tracks to my miniature, I'd use the Return Roller Wheels as a guide for positioning my track. Also visible here, I decided not to "activate" my suspension as offered in the Tamiya kit. I used appropriate bolts to replace the screw details.

While waiting for coats of paint the dry, I went back and stared at photos of the Korean-era M45 Pershings. There aren't a lot of photos of different vehicles, but I was looking specifically for tracks. I've seen one or two with the Rubber Block tracks, but most of them appeared to be T-80E1 Steel Block shoes. This thwarted my plans to use the AFV Club rubber blocks. I went and ordered a set of the Steel shoes.

This brought up another change in my model. The Tamiya Drive Sprocket fits their polyvinyl representation of the all-steel T-81 single-pin tracks provided in the kit perfectly - naturally. The T-81 tracks were 24 inches wide. Though the later T-80E1 tracks were 23 inches wide (correctly done in the DML kit) - the Tamiya Drive Sprocket wouldn't fit the DML or AFV Club Tracks - being too small interestingly enough.

Option One would be to retrofit the DML Drive Sprockets to Tamiya's kit in order to use either their or AFV Club's track link sets. The Tamiya Sprockets have a female connection - and wouldn't you just know it - the DML Sprockets are a male connection to the Drive Housing. I did successfully cut off the prong and bored out the DML Sprockets with a 7/64" drill bit to fit to the Tamiya kit, but was faced with another snag.

A highlight of the Tamiya Sprockets is that they casted the six lightening holes in the hub - where DML did not. Okay, undaunted to this point, I drilled out the holes in the DML Sprockets - but try as I might, I still liked the looks of the Tamiya Sprockets better. Consulting the photos of the M45 Pershings it appears that some of them (if not all) were equipped with this earlier style of Drive Sprocket. If you go looking at Pershings in service you'll notice that there are three different types of Drive Sprockets fitted to the tank. Below photo - note the early style link from Tamiya on the right, and the later style from DML on the left. The third style is a "laced" type Sprocket like on the M4 Sherman - just if you weren't confused enough.

The service photos led me to Option Two - widening Tamiya's Drive Sprockets to fit either the DML or AFV Club T-80E1 track shoe. This also was the simplest thing to accomplish in the end - it only took 1/4th the time it did to drill out the DML Sprockets. I cut two sections of Evergreen #234 .438" - 7/16" styrene tubing to splice between the Tamiya Drive Sprockets, after sawing them down the middle between the Guide Rings. I performed this surgery after painting - so I know you can do it just as easily beforehand.

The above photo shows the modified Tamiya Drive Sprockets alongside the DML Drive Sprockets I worked on beforehand. Not strictly correct in measurement between the two Guide Plates - this was more than close enough for me as a detail compromise. The DML and AFV Club T-81E1 track shoes are pretty close in overall measurements - the real difference I noted was that AFV Club's shoes were just a hair broader literally - not worth even measuring. My set of T84E1 Rubber Block track shoes wouldn't go to waste however - my Italeri M47 Patton is sitting there waiting for a replacement set of tracks anyhow...

The tubing slips snugly over the plug already present connecting the halves of the Drive Sprocket. A run of five track links was put together and used to align the Drive Sprocket halves correctly when I rejoined them. The only thing I would wind up accounting for was the Guide Horns on the tracks as I wrapped them around the Drive Sprocket - to make sure the additional thickness of the tubing wouldn't prevent proper seating of the track run around the Sprocket. This modification allowed me to fit either of the three track link sets I had to my model miniature.

The left-side track run in place in the above and below photos. It took me quite a long time to clean-up and assemble AFV Club's track-links - several hours just for this run alone. I have mixed feeling about them, but am happy with the end result. In building my Tamiya Pershing, I noted that the road wheels do not have a positive, tight, lock on the suspension arms. This is the first time I encountered such a sloppy fit in a Tamiya model, and since no one else has mentioned this in a review (that I've read to date) I thought I somehow didn't assemble them properly. That would be hard - as there's only a polycap to trap between the two wheels.

This problem in my model kit lead me to undertake the following in attaching the tracks to my miniature:

First - I assembled the track run (83 AFV Club track-links per side even though the box says 82 per run) and wrapped a section around the Drive Sprocket.

Second - I attached the outer wheels for the Return Rollers.

Third - I mounted the Idler Wheel, and then all the Road Wheels into place. The tracks themselves helped to set the alignment of the loose-fitting wheels. The way AFV Club's track links assemble, 82 per side was just too tight. One more link provided realistic tension - and kept the Road Wheels in place while the glue set. The end connectors remain remarkably "wiggly" - even when set into place with glue. I'd straighten these out in the end assembly and not stress myself out trying to do so for every in-progress photograph.

Below, the miniature is up on blocks - several sanding sticks stacked up on the unfinished side to level the tank model while the left-side track and running gear sets up. When all of this was dry (overnight) I would then attach the skirts.

The tracks are painted with a base coat of Tamiya XF-1 Flat Black. I then wanted to paint a representation of the rubber swath often left on the steel track shoes during use. I secured the entire run to a piece of cardboard and masked off the two wheel swaths with Scotch Plastic Tape #06404. This is a low-tack tape that's excellent for masking duties, even over compound curves. The tape is 1/8 inches wide - just right for application here on my model. After weathering, dusting, and a DullCote - this detail will enhance the appearance of the model overall.

The steel color is a mixture of 90% Tamiya XF-56 Metallic Grey and 10% Tamiya XF-1 Flat Black - cut 50-60% by Lacquer Thinner. The red on the main end connector is thinned Tamiya XF-7 Flat Red, added for a little visual interest.

I temporarily attached the Skirts after finishing up the track runs to see what the model tank would look like in the end. At first a little curious about the spacing between the first and second road wheels on the right side of the model - consulting photos of the Pershings made me feel better. It is an accurate feature of the actual vehicle - kudos to Tamiya.

Next, I moved into placing the markings on my miniature before anymore weathering and detailing would take place. It appears in historical photos of the M45 Pershing in Korea that they bore little in the way of markings - from what you can see of them. I welcomed this, as it allowed me to move swiftly in placing them on my model tank.

Using the color plate in Squadron Signal's reference book, I marked my model of "HELEN" accordingly. To begin the process, I hand-painted on a light coat of acrylic Future Floor Finish to the areas of my model that would receive dry-transfers. With the cast texture already present on Tamiya's Hull, the MB Models resin Turret, and what I enhanced, the undercoat of Future would give a good surface for the dry-transfers to "hold" onto during the application process. I went with 4" non-stenciled letters and codes - taken from Railroad Scenics' white gothic letter sheet #DT-507. I used 10" National Symbols from Archer Fine Transfers' sheet #AR35021 - as these appeared about right for the markings in the photos I used. Invariably, applying dry-transfers sometimes isn't easy. I place my model on a plastic turntable to spin it around easily during the painting and finishing stages. It makes it easier to keep my hands off of it, but won't prevent the occasional dry-transfer "break" if not burnished down completely. I touched up any little problems with Tamiya XF-2 Flat White. When done, I went back and applied another light coat of Future Floor Finish to seal the dry-transfers in place and protect them from subsequent finishing stages on my model.

Not having an overhead nor rear view of "HELEN", or any other M45 Pershing, that I could make out locations for adding codes, I made a guess based on photos of all the locations other Pershing units marked their vehicles.

I used a smaller sized set of lettering from Railroad Scenics #DT-575 set of dry-transfers to complete "HELEN" and the Registration Numbers on the sides of the Sponson Boxes. Always save scrap decal sheets. The lettering and numbers are too small for me to comfortably apply free-hand to the sides of the Sponson Boxes like I did the codes on the front and rear of the model. So, I applied them to an open section of scrap decal paper. I lightly over-coated them with MicroMark #82276 "Last Step" Inkjet Decal Spray Fixative. In the past, I've used Gloss Cote lacquers - but, one burst too heavy - and the lacquer coat will disintegrate the fragile dry-transfers. You only want the lacquer coat or fixative to form a thin carrier film over the dry-transfers, allowing you to apply them to the model like a traditional waterslide decal. These went on without a problem.

That wrapped up the markings I wanted to add to my model miniature - and since I took my time it came inside of three hours - with lots of leisurely surfing on the Internet while waiting for the Future Floor Finish to dry sufficiently to move on. I tried to keep the lettering and numbers as straight as I could - but didn't try to make them ram-rod perfect. Looking at the photos, it seems neither did the crews.

With the decals set and protected in place, I would then proceed to lightly Gloss Cote the model overall to even up the finish after the decaling and applications of Future Floor Finish. I let the Gloss Cote dry overnight, and then I Dull Cote the model to set the stage for end assembly and final weathering - next page...