Glad to see this beast nearing completion! Great accuracy and colors, looking forward to the final product!

Russell: Do you need ANY chocks? I mean the inertia of the parked tank will keep it firmly in place -- it's not as if it's hauling something out of a ditch.

I don't ever recall chocks for any tanks undergoing maintenance. Also, the sledge hammer head is literally the size of the guy's head! How much would that weigh? 100 lbs? Maybe shrink it a bit?

Thor's hammer! keep it in there!

Thanks, all. I wanted to do this tank justice, as much as I'm able.
Roy, thanks for your tips previously, it helps. Regarding the need for wheel chocks: it would probably not roll away on its own, true. But I wanted to have some smaller items on the base to give a little context, to hint at an extended stay in a replacement/repair location, and thought the chocks would suggest that. Also, if something in such a place is going to have the engine periodically started and such, chocks are a safety precaution, whether the ground is level or not.
The Hammer: Well, it's kind of an inside joke, on me, really. I used to do a lot of gear and axle work on off-road, racing and service vehicles, and I made my own hammers, two of which were (are, I still have them) 12lb sledges on 14" handles. You'd be amazed at how fast you get used to having a couple of them around..... I realize the head is more of a caricature than a scale replica, and I may yet make something else that's more to scale, but as it is now, it's kind part of the "story": One guy, looking at something that is going to be further modified, and thinking: "Give me a big enough hammer and I'll make it fit". I'll probably come up with something that alludes to that as a title.
So.... last night I made up some actual wheel chocks and placed them. Also done was some more weathering on the hunk of armor. Rain again this morning, so I couldn't get any good pics, but I took some inside anyway. Here's one with the flash:

And the rest, no flash:





More than likely I'll remove the two pieces of wood at each end of the right-side tracks now.
I'm thinking that unless I can find the old Tamiya oxy/acetylene tanks I think I have in the stash, this one is done.
Thanks for all the comments, it's been very helpful, and of course, any and all are always welcomed.

Sunny day, minimal breeze, so I got some outdoor pics with the "corrected" sledge and finished base.
Thanks for all the comments and tips, all were appreciated.







Next (I'm thinking) is another Pershing, but for my piece in the current "What if" campaign, as an IDF unit.

Nice work. I am de-shelf queening my M-26. Did the front most road wheel have a retaining ring inside the hull? On one the front wheel keep sliding out.

Sorry-meant in my kit, both the front road wheels do not have retaining rings and they don't go through the hull on torsion bars like the others.

Thanks, Brett.
I'll have at look at the other HB kit on the shelf, I forgot on this one.... I do remember they're linked to the idler, as part of the track tension compensating idler.
I'll check this afternoon.

Russell, that's a "super" job!
Just the right amount of weathering really finished it off.
I have to admit though that I liked the"Thor" hammer!
Terry

Thank you Terry.
I liked the hammer too, thanks. I guess I changed it because I think this model came out god enough to take to a show of two, and I didn't want to get dinged by a judge for "out of scale" bits, or something like that.
I saved the hammer though....

Bret:
I took a look at my HB kit last night, and you're right, the front swing arm is only held in by its attachment to the idler arm. I glued my suspension after I set the nose-down attitude, so I didn't have any problems during assemble, but I 'did' have issues with both front swing arms flexing, or otherwise bending, after I installed the Friuls, and had to replace them with Tamiya parts.