I am interested in scratch building 1/350 scale US Navy modern radar sets. I believe I read an article a while ago where a European modeler did this with stretched sprue and plastic card. I cannot remember where this article appeared but I'm sure it was within the past four years. Does this sound familiar to anyone? Does anyone have any advice or instructions they're willing to share? Other than purchasing a photoetch set, I'd really like to give this a shot.

Thanks very much.

Ahoy, John, Welcome to Modelshipwrights, mate!

I myself don't re-call the article, but none-the-less, have had to (at times, because of sheer clumsiness! ) scratch a bit of radar for certain builds...my advice in the matter is, if you have the patience, and the scale drawings, you should be able to accurately replicate most radar assemblies in use today...but there may be some parts (parabolic reflectors, etc) that may be quite difficult to replicate with raw materials, and that's where fine photo-etch enters the picture.

My best advice would be to find as much and as many images and information that you can on the certain radar(s) that you want to scratch, then go about gathering the necessary materials (brass rod, plastic card, sprue, etc.) that match the drawings and images as far as look, scale, and accuracy, and then get to it!

Personally, mate, I'll stick with the brass PE versions, though!

Cheers,
~Gunny

Aye, aye Gunny! Thanks for the advice.

Hi John,

Could it be this one?

Mother Joined the Navy: 1/350 USS Ticonderoga CG-47

Cheers,
Rui

No, honestly, it's not, but Mother's made it look easy. I think the article appeared in Fine Scale Modeler. Doing a google search has not turned it up.

Thanks, Rui, for showing me this build!

Mother (Joe) is one of those special guys who pretty much prefer scratching something themselves as to buying PE. His stuff is first rate, he even did the railings out of evergreen rods. He makes everthing look easy though. Just do it the way he did. Get some 3 d drawings, scale them down to correct scale. Cut up a bunch of styrene rod that is the diameter you need and assemble. It will take time and quite honestly look a bit better than a PE one. Some of the WW2 types though I think you will find really need to go PE as the diameter of all the bits and pieces and the usual round dish would really make this task difficult. Me, I'll stick to PE, I can get one bent and glued in 15 minutes or so.

I can see from mother's on-line build that his work his indeed first rate. That's because I suspect he's from the same neck of the woods as I! Thanks for the advice and I'll be sure to let you know how it progresses.

Mother didn't really go into details on the radar. You've caught every ones attention so I hope you keep us posted on the build....maybe a "How Too" or a build blog.

No, he didn't, did he? Hmm, a new career as a writer? You never now. I'll give it a shot and provide updates. Thanks!