32 replies to this topic

[Wagoneer81]

I am posting this on this forum because I thought many of you might like to see a model, different from what you are used to seeing, take shape and form. Call it a rare treat and you don't have to travel far to see it. Also, I'm not a rivet counter and I think you all will be a little easier on me than some of the builders on other, more subject-specific sites. (Ahh hope!)
I build a lot of cars and trucks but suffer from SEVERE Modelers ADD. I'll build anything that sits still long enough... I'll be working on this one at my new 'Large Bench', not to be mistaken for my 'Small Bench' that resides in my bedroom. This way, I can keep up on this one and still fall back and work on something with fewer gun barrels and more wheels...

Just like the title says, this is a work in progress and like the Titanic I posted pics of, I am doing this one for someone other than me.... I am starting with the Tamiya offering and a Gold Medal Models PE set.

This is the kits parts, all laid out.... The hull is around 32" long...



The Photo Etch sheet from Gold Metal Models; Rails, radars, catapaults, cranes, gun sites and all sorts of little fiddly-bits. This set even incluses a scale figure of Admiral 'Bull' Halsey and the table and chairs where the surrender documents were signed, ending WWII...



Before I go farther, I want to add a shameless plug for myself. I think I have bought my last batch of #11 blades... One other sideline I've gotten into recently is custom knifemaking. I made this little knife from a piece of scrap power-hacksaw blade and a couple scraps of hardwood. It holds a wonderful edge and feels great in my hand. Every once in a blue moon, I'll have to make a few passes over a Arkansas Black Stone to fine tune the edge...



Now, onto some work. This is the forward superstructure, deck level 1. As you can see, the kit part is void of detail. That is easily remedied!



On go the first pieces of PE... The shepards hook looking items are oil tank vents. The Iowa class ships were oil fired and carried thousands of gallons of Bunker 'C' type fuel oil. These pipes vented the fuel tanks. I also added watertight doors, small crane davits and drilled portholes as per the PE kit instructions. You can see the difference before and after...



More to come!

Edited by Wagoneer81, 25 April 2012 - 08:22 PM.

[Wagoneer81]

This post will bring us up to date on this build... That means I'll be sitting down here in a few hours and doing a bit more...

I wanted to start with a couple of PE details so as to get used to working with this type of PE. GMM makes a great product with brass that is firm and holds its shape well without being to soft and easily damaged.

First is the aircraft crane that sits at the stern, between the two aircraft catapaults. The kit offering isn't bad, a little drybrush detail makes it a passable item. I know, I built this kit around 12 years ago, box stock. It was my first 'adult' ship project.
This is the kit part and the PE part, bent into shape and mounted to the base that was cut from the kit part.



I'm finding it difficult to get good pics using my digital camera as it won't pick up the fine surfaces of the PE parts as a surface to focus on... I have to shoot them close to the bench...

This is the SK-2 Radar. It consists of 14 brass parts. You can see the kit part that it replaces in the first pic. Yes, that is a US dime...




Next up is a Mark 37 5" gun director. Here are the parts...



And here is the finished product. I have three more of these to make...
Here you can see the kit parts that were replaced, to the left of the pic.





That's all for now, I'll be back in a day or so with more!

Before I forget, CONSTRUCTIVE criticism is always welcomed by me. I'm always up to learning something new!
Thanks for looking!

Edited by Wagoneer81, 25 April 2012 - 08:34 PM.

[trogdor]

Awesome, I can't wait to see more. I grew up in New England and used to tour the battleship Massachusetts many times. I know it's a different class of ship than the Missouri but still just as impressive. I'd love to see these ships still part of our battle groups. Nothing impresses me more than a full broadside salvo from those 16" guns

[Harry P.]

Those PE upgrades really make a huge difference. Very nice work so far.

[Agent G]

I'll be following along intently.

Here's a little inspiration for you. I took these in late '75 or early '76. Mighty Mo was mothballed then in the Puget Sound Naval Shipyard. I was assigned there as a gate guard after returning to the world.







G

[Jim B]

Very impressive build, and Harry's right; the P/E makes a huge difference.

There's just someing about standing on a battleship. Makes you feel safe. At least that's how I felt standing on the USS Massachusetts in Fall River.

[Wagoneer81]

Thanks all! G, those pics are priceless, THANK YOU for sharing them!

Rick, nothing says "YOUR ATTENTION, DO WE HAVE IT?!?!?!" like a nine gun salvo!!!


James, you are correct about the feeling of invincibility you get. I remember a story, I think after Katrina... I believe it was the museaum staff rode out the hurricane on board the Alabama, locked in tight with bedrolls and supplies. The only 'damage', if you want to call it that was the ship shifting a little in the silt that had built up around her during her stay in Mobile Bay, causing just a slight list to one side. One of the people stated that when they closed the outer hatch, it was silent. You didn't even know you were in a hurricane!

Ok, small update today, one of the ships aircraft catapaults. These are really little gems and could stand alone in a small display all by themselves...

Here's the parts layout, with the kit supplied, two piece cat...


The assembly, coming together... Watch, be very careful with the really thin CA, I was holding this by one end and applied a drop at the other and the capillary action was so good, I immediately glued my fingers to the end I was holding...


Finished, with a small disk punched out of .020 styrene to give the base a little thickness...


Other side, finished view...


This was about 45 minutes worth of work, but well worth the effort. I'm not gonna want to give this one up when it's done, That's one reason I'm taking so many pictures during the build... I want to remember this one!

Next, the other Cat, and the other three Mk37 directors. By the time I get those completed along with building the main turrets and secondary and tertiary gun batteries, I will have the paint needed and will start the airbrush work on the hull and start building and detailing the superstructure.

Edited by Wagoneer81, 26 April 2012 - 11:47 AM.

[cobraman]

Very nice work ! Not long ago I built a Princeton for my BIL. Never again ! Way too many tiny parts for old eyes anymore.

[Jim B]

Looking good! There sure is a lot of detail in those GMM sets.

[rmvw guy]

I am following along here in awe Chris. Nice work so far!

[Agent G]

The cats are superb!

Right after the shipyard, I got sent on another all expense paid vacation, this time east to the Mediterranean and areas there in. We watched as the Wisconsin fired it's big guns onto positions outside Beirut.

OMG was that a sight, even from 10 miles away.

G

[Wagoneer81]

Thanks, G! That would have been a site to behold!

Ray, I'd like to build a Princeton... I love the CVL's... As for the small parts, I'm thankful that I can build this scale again... For a time, a muscle disease (that's now in remission! WOOHOO!!!) messed with my dexterity so badly that I abandoned modeling in this scale for a while... That was actually the reason I started building 1/25 again...

This is one of two PE sets that GMM offers for this ship. This one is the 'basic' set. The other one offers details above and beyond this one. It contains the ammo racks and rounds, in stripper clips, for the 40mm Quad Boror mount tubs, extra details for the 40's... The level of detail offered by the other set is INSANE!

Here's one last update for the day... I builds a turret... Scraped off the cast on ladder detail and added PE ladders from the set... I drilled out the ends of the barrels to give that extra level...



The only thing that can be fairly mind numbing about these builds is the repetition... 60 some 20mm guns, 5 parts each; 16 quad 40 mounts; 10 5" twin turrets; and a partridge in a pear tree... Maybe this is why I like building ships in their pre-war fits... fewer AA guns.

Edited by Wagoneer81, 28 April 2012 - 01:31 PM.

[Wagoneer81]

Christopher, I'd like to see pics of the New Jersey when you get back to her. Maybe you'll post a thread on her here? I've used WEM PE before, they too make excellent products. I have several 1/600 Airfix kits that I'll be building with WEM PE sets. I have Hood, Iron Duke, Warspite and Ark Royal and am casually looking for good deals on any other 1/600 kits as well... 1/700's still a bit small for me but 1/600 seems to be just perfect... I also love their detail sets for 1/72 aircraft!

[deja-view]

I started this ship last year, but some of the small pieces (from the AA quad guns, I think) wouldn't come off the sprues without breaking. Tamiya sent me more but I never got started again. The detail set is great but it sure adds a lot more time to the build. Or, maybe not if the parts don't break like the plastic ones. I see there's also wooden decks available for even more realism. It's my favorite Naval vessel so I hope I get back to it and also do the Yamato and the Bismark...the "Big Three" of WWII. Watching your build, Chris, is very inspiring.

Do you know which paint camoflage scheme you're gonna use? I did the WWII Pacific theme on one side and the plain "no camo" on the other. Makes it feel like I did two versions. Just thinking, I guess I could change the BB number on one side and say it's the MO and the NJ or Iowa.
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Edited by deja-view, 27 April 2012 - 01:48 PM.

[cobraman]

Very happy for you that you can build again. I have been building for about 50 years and have built some of just about everything. When I got the Princeton ( my BIL was on it for a time) and saw the PE parts and the tiny crew I just about fainted. I made it through the build ok but I must admit it looked like a ghost ship because I could no way paint and add the crew. I think that ships are among the toughest kits to build and build well.

[Wagoneer81]

Ray, If you still have the crew, I'd be interested in taking them off your hands... I have several 1/350 subjects that would benefit from them.

Ken, I finished my Missouri build in the Ms.32/22d, like in your first pic. This one will be done in the Ms.22, as seen in your second picture. I like how you spilt the build into the two schemes...

Edited by Wagoneer81, 28 April 2012 - 01:42 PM.

[cobraman]

Knowing I would never use those tiny crewman I tossed them. If I still had them you would have been welcome to them. When will I ever learn not to throw stuff away ?

[deja-view]

Ray, If you still have the crew, I'd be interested in taking them off your hands... I have several 1/350 subjects that would benefit from them.

Ken, I finished my Missouri build in the Ms.32/22d, like in your first pic. This one will be done in the Ms.22, as seen in your second picture. I like how you spilt the build into the two schemes...

If I have crewmen in the kit I'll send 'em to you. Do they come with it...cause I haven't even looked.

[Wagoneer81]

No crewmen in the Missouri kit but most of the later Dragon 1/350 ship kits contain a half-dozen or so injection molded crewmen...

[deja-view]

No crewmen in the Missouri kit but most of the later Dragon 1/350 ship kits contain a half-dozen or so injection molded crewmen...

Sorry I couldn't help you with that. do you need more pics?

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Edited by deja-view, 12 May 2012 - 01:04 PM.