First build?

I’d like to build a tank, having not tackled one since before High School (40 years ago).

What would be a good first attempt: I’m not picky about WHAT it is so much as being a kit that I would have a reasonable chance of finishing and being happy with… good fit, reasonably accurate, good looking when done, not requiring zimmerit if German, and not overly complicated (I’m not asking for much, am I? lol).

I value your suggestions, and thanks!

Hal Sanguinetti

Welcome to the forums Hal. Your question is a frequently brought up by newbies. Most often mentioned are older Tamiya kits such as the T-34’s, Panzer II and even the Shermans. They are all decent introductory kits and require no zimmerit and all have one-piece tracks. If you prefer something a little better detailed, I’d go with the Tamiya Panzer III L, Wespe, or Marder III kits. They run a bit more, but are farther advanced, yet still easy to put together. They are also cheaper at one of the online companies or ebay. Good luck.

The Tamiya T-34 fits your requirements to a “T”. Although of early 1970’s vintage, it easily builds into a pretty decent T-34 and is downright cheap by 1/35 standards. Their Shermans are pretty good as well. Although their slightly misnamed “M4 Early Production” strikes me as overpriced, their 1981 vintage M4A3 if you can trip across one is a bargain, much like their T-34. If you want a German tank but without Zimmerit, late model Panther G (squared chin undet the mantlet) and Tiger II with the Henschel turret didn’t necessarily have Zimmerit.

True, but they will run you over $40 at the LHS. Online or ebay will be markedly cheaper. They are nice kits, but the one-piece tracks will require some effort to get to sag, such as superlgueing or by pin, or thread.

One of the Tamiya Shermans…105mm, Early, M4a3 75mm, all in 1/35 scale would be my pick. I’ve heard pretty good things about their 1/48 kits also. IMHO these fit your discription.

[#welcome] to the forum.

My vote goes for the T-34. one of my very first, and it turned out WONDERFUL. took first at a show.

Hal,

My input would be to build a US vehicle since they don’t require complex paint patterns. A good Olive Drab with some black wash and dry brushing comes out pretty good. Shermans are great. I still enjoy my M3 Lee by Tamiya. Easy kit to build but it looks super and is a copy of one I used to see all the time at Fort Knox.

Best of luck

Tanker

I think you’re probably right. I kind threw out those suggestions for interesting looking German armor that was Zimmerit free. One could get around the track sag issue, by using the skirts, although they may not be appropriate for late Pathers and Tiger IIs, at least none of my meager references showed either with skirts and no Zimmerit. In retrospect, aside from price and track sag, memories of my 1/72 Tiger’s interleaved wheels make me think that Zimmerit or not, that the late Pather G and Tiger II are probably more intermediate than beginner in any case.

Hi Diggerboi,

I’m going to join everyone else and say early Tamiya is the go for a first-time armor build. I’m currently building two early Dragons and they’ve been so trying at times (poor fit, far too many parts that are far too small (my eyesight has seen better days too), parts so fragile they disintegrate in your hand, contour inaccuracy) that I’m looking forward keenly to a thirty-year-old Tamiya!

My first tank ever was their early Abrams (35124) and it built like a dream, just fell together. That was in '89. I went with a four-color spray cammo job, but I’d been working in airbrush since '79 so it wasn’t a problem. My next tank was Tamiya’s Flakpanzer Gepard, modern SPAAG, in monotone olive drab, and again she was a very easy build, even up to mating the twin guns to elevate together.

Their 1981 Sherman builds like a breeze, so does their early Panther A. That one draws a lot of flak these days for being under-detailed and toy-like but I’ve always been impressed by the level of texture you can create on it, for a cheaper model. For that matter, their little M41 Walker Bulldog (35055) is also dismissed as a ‘dog’ by modelers with more money than sense: personally I think it makes a very attractive model, for a very affordable price, plus you can gussy it up with AFVClub’s replacement running gear and track sets if you feel like being adventurous.

Never let folks tell you ‘rubber band’ tracks are not good! They’re easy to detail, easy to install, and depending on your subject ‘sag’ may not be an issue. Even if it is, it’s also a trade-off. I know experienced long-time modelers who say link-and-length tracks are a nightmare to assemble and install, and I’m inclined to agree. Besides, they don’t ‘roll,’ and – call it childlike if you will – there’s something amazingly realistic about seeing the tracks work, even if it’s only for an inch of travel on the workbench!

Happy building,

Thunderbolt379

Thank you, all the replies were very helpful for me as well. I’m eventually hoping to do a KV-2, probably in 1/35, but would appreciate some practice before that, especially in painting. Since I’m disinclined to buy an airbrush for what might well be a temporary side-trek into the hobby, something with a simple color scheme I can do will Vallejo acrylics would be ideal, since as a wargamer, I’ve had a non-insignificant amount of brushwork practice down already.

Hal,

I’m a big fan of Tamiya’s M26 Pershing kit. Very little filler is needed. The suspension is workable, but it is easy to build. The tracks can be glued with plastic cement. It is slightly less than $40 retail.

If money is tight, I’d recommend the Tamiya M3 Stuart or the M3 Lee. You can find them at a show or on Ebay for really cheap. They look great when finished, but they will both require a little primer.

Grant

My first build ,just completed,is the Tamiya M41 Bulldog. Hobby Lobby 1/2 price kit, $6.40 with tax.

Lacks the detail of newer and more expensive kits , however you can purchase after-market items for it.

At that low price be creative and build your oun AM parts from things you find at home or at hobby centers.

Enter a search and you will find completed models of this very neat American tank.

Hobby Lobby also offers coupons on the net for 40% off any item in the store , these are offered several times a month. .They also offer several more advanced tank models as well as aircraft , ship, auto,and train kits…

Thanks for the idea, that looks like a fun kit indeed. I’ll see if I’ll be able to pick up one for equally cheap. Plus it looks like an ideal candidate for going über-scroogey and do a full brush-painting job on black primer.

Any of the old Tamiya kits will be a nice one for your restart. My first kit was the M41, and I´ve been hooked up on modelling ever since. That would be a nice start, different from the regular WWII kits.

cheers

You could try an Academy early Tiger. I found the kit to be good, they also do this kit with interior which I will soon be building. Hope this helps. By the way, the track sag is not dificult just a dab of super glue.
Mine turned out quite nice and the kit is not that expesive…Kenny

It’s actually painting that worries me the most. I mean, I know I can assemble a kit since when you get down to it, it’s all about going slow and checking both instructions and references as you go along. But painting’s a whole form of art all its own. All I’ve done are Games Workshop wargame models, and their “tanks” are best left unmentioned in this context.

I can do a decent standard of detail painting on a brush, drybrush, do ink washes and highlights, but it seems to me those skills don’t go a long way in the “real model” world.

I recommend one of the first Tamiya 1/48 kits, a Stug III (gray scheme) or Sherman (Olive green scheme). Easy enough build, relatively cheap ($16-$20), and bigger than the 1/72 if you are thinking of doing 1/32. I just built the Stug with winter camo and it was great.

Yeah, tank color schemes don’t seem to get much simpler than the gray Stug III. As soon as there’s even a square inch of room on my desk (currently being populated by two platoons of Guardsmen in for repairs), time to play my local hobby shop a visit and see what they have.