Very nice progress Bryan!!

Great detailing Bryan,

Really adds depth to the model.

Si

Great detailing Bryan...

Keep the updates coming!

Russ

Very nice Bryan,

and your collages are really a splendid idea - makes you feel like standing on the real thing...just awesome attention to detail!

Cheers ,
Jan

1/350 FFG-57 Reuben James

Thanks Gents for all the encouragement. Actually, there have been some great action on the site and its made me really want to make some time for the bench.

Jan, congratulations on the Repulse, just great clean work
Russel, you handled that mishap with poise and grace,
Simon, I cant believe how fast you have built up that Bronco kit,
Todd, Im really happy to see that Vietnam carrier back in business and am intrigued as to how you profit from the black primer.

Today's Update:

I have finally started adding detail in place of all of the stuff I took so much pleasure in destroying. Along the way I found a ladder and crawling human sailor entry hole (that's the technical term I m sure) not provided by academy or MKI so I took a crack at building a 1/350 ladder from stretched sprue. I think it worked out alright. In addition you can see the shelf forward of the ladder and the hole above it. This whole construct is behind a bulkhead/wavebreak so even if the ladder is a little goofy it gets the point across.

Reference:


Building the ladder (repeated on the other side, unfortunatey twice because I melted the first ladder with a spill of Extra Thin) and adding all sorts of detail. I have just started the equivalent area on the port side.


Thanks for the help everyone,
Bryan

Nice job on the ladder!! I know I won't be fitting in that access anytime soon!! Nice eye picking up on this detail!! Can't wait to see this in color!!

As for the black primer...there are a couple reasons why I like it...first being I can see what I am covering...I guess my eyes are adapt to the shade and pick up the details...also I don't saturate the primer coat. This allows me to gauge the amount going on as I barely cover the plastic. The primer does its job if its on there...doesn't need to be thick at all. Finally, when I paint, I can work sections and add shading ...kind of in reverse. I will try and show what I do when I get there...if I don't get to flogged on the end result...LOL!!

Nice work scratchbuilding the ladder Bryan,

That is a tip I shall keep up my sleeve if you don't mind.

Si

Great looking build. I spent many hours on these ships while while working at the Long Beach Naval Shipyard and never noticed most of these details. I just started on this kit a couple of days ago and hope to use your build as an inspiration.

On the subject of the offset rudder I remember that it had to be us-shipped to remove the propeller shaft. The cavitation explanaton sounds correct.

I'm looking forward to seeing more progress on your ship.

Bryan,

your attention to detail, and , almost more than that, your creativity to approach things and come up with solutions, is absolutely amazing!! I never had the idea to build a ladder from stretched sprue, but it looks great!

Your build almost makes me feel being on one of those again...

Just one remark, if I may - your ladder /access- or manhole look absolutely correct, only that it is no manhole, just another bullseye. The ladder is there to reach the somewhat concealed 'second floor' of the storage area left and right of the bridge underneath the bridge wings. On one of your pictures you can see it, most of the time this area is covered with canvas to the rear. But the installment is just as you did it

Great job, I am looking forward watching you bringing Reuben James alive!!

Chhers,

Jan

1/350 FFG-57 Reuben James

Thanks for the great support everyone, it makes this insane detailing a little easier to keep up.

Albert, welcome aboard, I hope you have a great time with the Academy FFG, Ive been very impressed with the kit overall. By the way, what kind of experience do you have with these ships, did you build them? Serve on them? Can you tell me where this is:


Id love to add the ships bell.

Today's update:
Superstructure detailing port and starboard. The open door will get added later, I don't want to break it off. I had a hard time bending the longer ladders but they came out alright. Im gonna have to buy a proper PE bending tool, its worth the 20 bucks.



Next up detailing around the hanger garage doors.

By the way I am petrified of painting/messing up this ship.

Thanks for your guys support,
Bryan

Great job Bryan,

That extra detailing is superb, looking forward to the next update.

Si

Hi Bryan,

I was a civilian worker at the Long Beach Naval Shipyard and am old enough to remember when these ships were just artist concepts. I worked in the Design Division and my group worked on Main Propulsion machinery for the most part. I worked on the CRP Propeller system and some of the Main Propulsion Auxiliary Equipment. These were only one of the classes we worked on. I also did a bunch of design work for the 1980's Battleship program and did all the drawings for the new Fuel Oil System, Forced Draft Blower upgrades and several other jobs for both Missouri and New Jersey. Also worked a lot on the Spruance Class DD's, LHA's Steam Powered CG's and Knox Class Frigates. Probably some other I can't remember.

I'm not sure but I think the bell is just under the bridge windows. I didn't spend much time on the main deck on these ships. I usually just headed bellow to make my sketches and such.

It is a nice model. It's my first ship in years. I got into armor for a while but my first love is ships. I already have a stash of 6 or 8.

Great job Bryan, your attention and love for detail just continues to amaze me!!

As for the ship's bell - on your big pic of the original, lower right corner between the guy's head and the orange structure, you can see a door. That's the one underneath the port bridgewing, from the passageway that leads all the way up to the foc'sle, so the picture was taken from near the Mk 13 launcher looking port-aft. What Al says 'under the bridge windows' ist absolutely correct.

Hope that helps, continue your great work!! Looking forward to see more from Reuben James!!

Cheers

Jan

Hi Bryan

your attention to detail is excellent! Keep up the good work!

Will be great to see some paint go on!

Russ

1/350 FFG-57 Reuben James

Again thanks for all the great support everyone.

I had a Friday morning to myself so some progress has been made,

Today's progress:

Detailing around the hangar bay and doors, I especially like the stop light for helicopters. What does the yellow light mean though?



Next up, Forward part of the superstructure, here is the plan as a teaser,


Thanks for stopping by,
Bryan

Great stuff Bryan,

Loving the attention to detail.

Keep up the good work.

Si

Really nice work Brian, I cant remember the amber light over the Stbd hanger, Possibly it was part of the RAST control??

I do know the 2 red lights near the CIWS up on 02 deck are the Helo wave off lights, they flash to abort the landing.
They sit either side of the SGSI, (Stabilized Glide Slope Indicator) which in that photo is powered down as its leaning to one side.

I think earlier you were asking about the cabinets (with white fronts) behind the CIWS mount, they house the ready use 20mm ammo for the CIWS. The painted areas are a separate panel designed to dissipate heat and stop the lockers from getting too hot.

On Australian ships, the ships bell was always at the aft end of the breezeway as you exit to the flight deck, near the aft gangway area as it was rung 8 times for colours in the morning when the stern flag was raised.

Hi Bryan,

great work, nice 'teaser', looking forward to see the results!!

The 'traffic lights' for the help are correct! As Ned already points out, for some reason - don't ask me why - USN refers to that yellow light as 'amber', and you have three deck status, green, amber and red deck. Amber is for engaging and disengaging the rotors. This is a somewhat tricky situation, as the ship needs to be quite stable when the rotor starts or stops spinning and during that time passes through some critical rpm's. Fro more detail you can check the link. Anyway - most other navies that I know, including German Navy, operate only with red and green deck.

http://navyaviation.tpub.com/14014/css/14014_290.htm

Cheers,

Jan

Bryan,

You must have good eyes and a very steady hand. The quality of workmanship on the details is fantastic.

Al

I looked at your picture of the bell once more and compared it to my references - I have to apologize, that's not the spot I thought it was, I completely forgot that the front is not entirely flat, so if it were this spot, you would see the part with the door 'falling back'. I have to admit I don't know where that is - is it certain it is from a FFG 7?? I am quite lost...

Jan

Jan,

I was thinking the same thing. The quote "Don't give up the ship" is attributed to James Lawrence on USS Chesapeake during the War of 1812. The most recent USS Lawrence is DDG-4. I don't find a reference to a modern USS Chesapeake. I don't know where on a Perry class ship you would have the configuration shown in the photo.

Al

Playing a little catchup here...outstanding detailing still going on Bryan!! This looks like it's going to be a real treat to paint!!

The bell in the above pic is from USS Lake Erie,CG-70 Tico, not an FFG. An exceptionally good pic of it here:
http://www.lockheedmartin.com/content/dam/lockheed/data/ms2/photo/Aegis/1021556.jpg

1/350 FFG-57 Reuben James

Thanks for pointing out the Ships Bell oversight. Looking again I found this photo from FFG-61 Ingrham showing the bell on the Forecastle deck.



Also the Reuben James's motto is: "BACK WITH A VENGENCE"

Thanks for the sharp eyes guys,
Bryan

Yep, that's correct, I found some references showing the bell right there! Memory tricked me on that one!

But somehow the bell was moved when at sea or in port - there's a bell needed at the Quarterdeck when in harbor for the ceremonial stuff - can't say if there was more than one bell or if it was moved around...

Cheers,
Jan