Great work, looks like a stunning kit, and you really does it justice!

What are you planning on the portholes, a black wash ?

Cheers/Jan

Aside from the fact that the build is looking fantastic, the speed is what amazes me. I guess I am just too darn lazy. It takes me twice this long to finish a simple 1/700 IJN destroyer.

This is a great thread and the Akagi is looking fantastic.

Thanks guys.

Here's where I f**ked up.




I really didn't think about the portoles until Jan brought it up. So I went on some of the galleries and noticed drilled out portholes. Ah Sh**!!! woulda been so much better if I drilled them prior to painting, or even assembly. So... I've started drilling; being real careful as not to scratch the paint. I'll go over the edges with a small brush later.

Here are my questions:

1) I read some people just drill part way through instead of completely through. I've drilled about 20 or so so far, all of them completely through. Advantages, dis-advantages?

2) Does all of them need to be drilled? There's a heck of a lot of them on this boat.

Arg, I´m sorry man

Never tried drilling portholes, but have opened a lot of floodholes on submarines. I allways thin the plastic from the back so the edge dont look so thick. I guess it would be the same problem on portholes in that scale.

Since you have allready assembled most of the hull, thinning out is not an option - so in my opinion you have 3 options:

1: stop drilling and just give them a black wash followed with some future to give a semigloss finish.

2: keep on drilling and paint the edges black so the thickness isn´t noticable.

3: leave them gray and say the are all closed with the armoured cover?

Cheers/Jan

I drilled out about 98% of the portholes on Akagi and your right, there's bloody lot of them. Just make sure the drill bit is free of any melted plastic between holes as you will end up with a much larger hole than you want.

Dave,

I'm drilling completely through all of them! I'm planning on using streched CLEAR sprue to use as port hole "glass" so I can set how deep they go in. I haven't tried it yet because I'm working on the interior hanger decks.(amidship ALL 3 LEVELS)
Its pretty complex but I'm slowly figuring it out..I'm 50% done the fabricating! ..you might have to try the same for the portholes..streched clear sprue cut to size and push inward to the depth you want....don't forget to polish the end to get the "glass finish" if you stretch the right diameter they should fit snug enough that you won't have to glue them. I know its a
pain but we All need to push ourselves and keep on sharpening our skills!


Renato

Great progress Dave, the paint job looks great, very clean build!

Frank

Oh my are we starting to drill out port holes now (shudder). Iwonder if I should look into that for my Kongo build I am just starting Aren't ya'll concerned about the "see through" look. Someone checking out a close up sideview when you are done might see the porthole holes you drilled out on the other side? Then of course you put something over the backsaisde to prevent this. I made the mistake a few years back of dilling out and replacing decks and all that with my 72nd scale U-boot. Wish I had pretty much left it alone. The kit was super without all that and the work......sheesh. But that is my personal preference. 3 months is about the time I have budgeted for this build...got to much in the stash now and lord knows what is going to come down the pike this year.

Thanks for all the suggestion guys.

And I am concerned about the "see-thru" look. Kym, I think you have the most done on this beast, how's it look with the portholes drilled?

I can put blocking sheets on most of the sections but the bow and stern decks are already in place so....

Personally I don't drill out portholes unless you SHOULD see through. Remember that you have glass and then storm covers behind them that are painted the same color as the structure around them, so a light wash and then drop of future would be an accurate representation of a porthole all buttoned up.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Porthole

Just a quick update.

Got tired of working on the hull so thought I'd finish the PE on the rear deck. Got one of the supports on and the observation platform that went on it (checking the fit against the hull). Looks really cool. The platform part came from Set C (not sheet C of the Super Set). The funny thing is that I haven't seen this part attached anywhere else, not even in pics from the Hasegawa site. I thought it is a really cool detail.

Well I held the hull (without the deck) up to the sun and it looked like the lights are on inside. You have to understand that the holes are only 1mm in diameter, so even a person with the best of sight would not be able to 'see thru'.
I wish I hadn't checked, as now it's given me ideas about wiring the inside so the port holes do light up.

Still too lazy to do much work on the hull. Finish the rear deck PE though. A couple of pics with the deck dry-fitted

Nicely done Dave,

... a bit too bright for first thing in the morning viewing!! ... like staring into a midday sun by accident. The level of detail is impressive.

thanks,

Frank

its beautiful. seems a shame to paint it

Thanks for the complements, guys.

Haven't had much time to work on her. Mostly doing assembly on the odds and ends like the terrace supports.

Did manage to finish up the first pass of weathering today (just the starboard side). I opted for a little bit dirtier look as I'm trying to depict her between the Indian Ocean ops in early 1942 and the Midway campaign.

A wash for the portholes worked well. Thanks for the advice.






Once the other side gets the initial weathering pass, I'll add the tough-to-get-to PE and railings for the hull, then the AA terraces. Rust spots and streaks will be last.

Kostas,

I like the weathering on the under-water hull section of the Kongo. I'll probably tone it down a little though to match the overall look of my current weathering effect. One question: How to do the white scratch effects and overall fade patches?

I've been trying not to look at this build log as much because it drives home the point of how mind bogglingly slow I seem to be with the Kongo (although to be fair, the Kongo has had a bunch of bizarre issues, but still...).

Anyways, regarding the great porthole issue, you can always do what I do-- after you drill them out, and you get your painting done, use Micro Kristal Klear to add "glass" to the holes. You just dab it in with a toothpick and all done (it's a type of white glue). It dries clear, but with a glass effect... Here's a shot of my Mikasa with Kristal Klear in the drilled portholes...




Your build has been wonderful and is quite a show stopper already!

Hi Dave,

She's really coming along! Good work on the paint and weathering. The wash technique is what I tend to do as well.

Frank

Great work! And a great idea re: portholes and klear

Dave, beautiful work! I've been following your build with interest as I got the Akagi kit for Christmas and am now currently trying to figure out exactly which AM sets to get to go along with it. My question pertains to the PE work on the funnel. Is that brass from the jack stay set or is it included on the A, B, C or Super Sets? In other words (and I know its subjective) is the jack stay set worth getting (if say, I'm considering going whole hog on her)?

Thanks for the complement guys.

Peter,
The funnel Jackstays is its own set and not part of the Super, Set A, B, or C. I didn't put them on mine as I think they are oversized. I've seen other builds with them and it looks nice but just not for me. I think if someone really wants more than the molded in detail, then sanding the molding off and adding very small diameter brass rod would work.

Dave, thanks for the response. I looked back and now realize that it was a photo of Kym Knight's, and not your build that showed the funnel jack stays, sorry. After looking again I am starting to think that they may be a bit pronounced. I think I'll hold judgment until I see one painted up first. I t may be that will reduce that effect somewhat.

What an extraordinary project. If we get the carrier campaign approved for next year, other Akagi's would fit in nicely.

--Karl

Dave, an idea I came up with today that might be of some help to you later in your build. I used the 'not used' photo-etch pieces from basic set A (114 to 123) and cut the long sections off for the stern support pillar cross braces. Check here for a photo.
http://www.shipmodels.info/mws_forum/viewtopic.php?f=2&t=39502e

Thanks Kym. I still have to evetually tackle the rear support bracings. I was thinking of really small diameter wire. I'll have to cut a piece and dry fit to see if the scale looks as good as yours.

No real updates as I'm working the bits of railing around the top and the various platforms and tiers. Not really interesting to show.

Finally ordered the wooden deck today. Anxious to see how it'd look.