Coming on good Norman,

The superstructure looks great test fitted.

Cheers

Si

Norman,

Very impressive work. Glad to hear that the fit of the kit is going well.

Michael,

Great work on your Miami, I am always impressed with how you guys work on such a small scale. 1/350 gives me trouble as it is let alone 1/700.

Looking forward to seeing both works move forward.

Dave

Thanks David. This is actually my first kit ever in 1/700. Also the first time I've used photoetch this extensively. I've also started giving the same treatment to a Skywave Rudderow. Although I won't be going as extensive this time.

Well so for on my build I've added all the chocks and the side supports for the boat davits. As far as I can tell all the deck hatches I find are on. Doors and wall hatches as well. I've made the SK radar antenna and mounted one of the small SG antennas as well. The aft crane is also made. I still have yet to make 1 more catapult and the director radars along with the final funnel grill cap. I also need to finally flesh out where the yardarm goes on the mast.

Great progress here!!

And really good to see more and more build joining in - eventually it's become really busy!

BELFAST has made some progress as well - shipyard is back up and running, not only the PomPom shop...

Focus for this weekend was the middle deck, or shelter deck - which proofed a quite complex task, even though not all the many small parts involved. But the camouflage question - and when to paint - makes it a little tricky.

So here's a few impressions of the shelter deck and the aircraft catapult. The full story as alway will be at the BELFAST blog shortly...











Cheers,
Jan

Hi Jan,

The Catapult looks impressive, the whole deck looks great in place.

I have made a little progress on the Scharnhorst, started work on the single and quad 20mm.... so many microscopic parts. No pics yet, hope to get a bit further next weekend.

Si

I'm glad that everyone is still working hard! Checking in helps encourage me to keep up. I've bought a few masking products (Tamiya Tape and Mig putty), and I think I just have to get better with my airbrush. I might call this camo done for now, and keep building.

Question: Should the deck and/or all horizontal services be Deck Blue? The pictures on Navsource look like the deck is a light color.

Well technically, according to SHIPS-2 (the manual that lists the camouflage measures that were in use in the US Navy at certain times during WWII), the deck should be painted a pattern of Deck Blue 20-B and Ocean Gray 5-O. But it looks like the deck is just overall Deck Blue. Hard for me to tell...

Thanks Michael,

Is this what you are looking at? It's one of the things that has confused me a bit too, since I have not seen good pictures of this being applied in the field (or...water). It would be cool since the Ocean Gray kind of wraps around the ship, but I am hesitant to use it without photos.

Of course, I guess I could get involved in the multiple-page somewhat heated discussion about the Ocean Gray vs. Black paint issue taking place on another website...

Here is my in progress shot of the USS San Francisco. I have been surprised at how quickly I was able to move through the construction. I was also a bit dismayed at the amount of flash and giant ejector pin marks in many parts. Hopefully, Trumpeter has worked out the issues in later releases but I didn't think this one was that old. Oh well.
I'm sure that sharp eyes will find more than a few mistakes here or things I missed. If you see something glaring please let me know before it is to late. Moving on!
Cheers,
Rick

A quick question for my cruiser friends hanging about here. Detail painting; should I be picking out any areas for painting with anything other than the deck blue or 5-N Navy Blue? I am thinking of things like the blast bags, hoses, life boats, a=or anything else?
I have the Friedman book on US Cruisers but it is all black and while and hard to tell. If anyone has any insight it would be greatly appreciated.
Cheers,
Rick

Very nice progress, Rick and Steve!! Looking good your cruisers!!

Here's the latest from my BELFAST, platforms installed on the shelter deck:







Still some touch ups needed...
And two Walrus on the way:









Cheers,
Jan

Rick,

I would certainly do that (i.e. pick some details and paint the differently). I just think it looks so much better and gives life to the model. I have no insight as to how exactly the US cruisers looked like, but the details you are mentioning are likely to have had different colors... And I for myself allow a certain degree of 'artistic freedom' to my models, when I am not sure about something, or whenever I think something looks particularly interesting in a certain way...

Cheers,
Jan

Jan thanks for the feedback, I think that is exactly what I will do unless I hear something different. Your Belfast is coming along nicely, the Walrus are especially impressive. Love the clean PE additions, you have some impressive skills with CA my friend!
Cheers,
Rick

Rick, Steve, Jan

Great work guys, three excellent cruisers coming on.

bit of a hiatus on the Scharnhorst, real life and a nasty cold have kept me from the bench, (I daren't handle sharp objects or fine etch with a tendency to uncontrolled coughing or sneezing fits)

Hope to be back in action by next weekend.

cheers

Si

Rick, Steve, Jan,

I echo Si's comments great job on your Cruisers.

Rick, your "Friso" is looking great. Nice clean paint job. I have both the "44" and the "42" version on the stash. looking forward to building them one day.

Steve, nice job. I am still amazed at your skill with such a small scale. Keep up the great work.

Jan, Your Walrus' look amazing. Will really add a level of realism once added to your Belfast. Nice job on the gun tubs too, I will look at stealing that method in the future.

Looking forward to seeing more great work soon.

Dave

So after multuple sieres of painting sessions i am now on to more brass. This weekend consited of final touchups on the main paint and then some stairs, ladders, and brass platforms. Let me stop here and suggest a quiet room, some peaceful music, some strong coffee or whiskey, and tons of patience. This is a jigsaw puzzle. The main supports for the crows nest have to go in by themselves without glue to anything else. Do not, i repeat do not think you can build it up and install it afterwards. The angle at wich they set will not allow. As far as the aft platforms behind the smoke stack. Be careful and take your time building these and PAY ATTENTION TO WICH SIDE THEY GO TO. If not and you bend them the wrong way youll be soldering and sharing choice words with yourself.

I have to say it looks good bow after it was fixed. Steady hands and a good weller iron helped. On to the pictures.






As always, im sorry for the quality of the pictures, a camera and computer are in the works but all i have is a phone at the moment. Any and all contrsuctive criticism is welcome. Im going off kit instructions so if you spot an inaccuracy or have a question about the kit itself id be happy to hear from you. More to come soon.

Very tidy etch work Norman,

That is quite a collection of ladders,

Cheers

Si

I second what Si says: great work going on here guys!

Si, I hope you are feeling better soon mate, and can get back to the dockyard

PS. I heard a rumor that Dragon models has gone bust-can anyone confirm that?

Si - I hope you feel better soon!!!

Norman, very nice work with the ladder puzzle, you can tell it took a great level of patience to accomplish.

As Russell said, great work going on for this campaign. Look forward to seeing some more updates soon.

Dave

Thank you gents, the ladders in all took a couple hours, the worst part was making sure you bent the rails the right direction. I dont know if you can tell but the left middle (as looking towards the bow) platform was soldered back together. Thanks for the kind words.

Russ, Dave,

Thanks guys, back at work, bit of a busy family weekend coming up, but hoping to get a few hours in on Sunday on the Scharnhorst's 20mm.

Should have an update then.

Cheers

Si

Love the ladders!

Great progress everyone. I've been stalled with the paint job on the San Diego, and now that I started applying the Weathered deck blue, I'm not really a fan of it. I know it's supposed to be dark. Maybe I can't get past the light look of the decks from the photos of it at Mare Island.

One thing I have leaned: Before spraying paint, build in sub-assemblies!!



From Navsource.org:

Norman,

very nice work on the ladders and your PE in general! -I can't spot the broken and soldered platform, nice and clean fix!!


Steve,

your camouflage looks good! And the color of your deck looks fine to me, as well I see your point with the photograph, but I would not worry too much!

I always paint the individual sub-assemblies first, sometimes even down to individual parts. Lately I have resorted to painting even earlier and accepting that I have to do some sanding and re-painting afterwards. Sometimes that allows you to spare areas that are not accessible later on - at least not without over-spraying other areas - while you can arrange the build up in a way that the sanding is required only in easy accessible spots. And those you can normally spray without doing (much - any) damage to other parts.



Cheers,
Jan

Looks good Steve,

Agree with Jan, the deck colour looks good. Black and white photos can be misleading. One solution if you think it looks too light is to put a dark wash over the deck, will also bring out the moulded detail.

Cheers

Si

Looks good with the camouflage. I actually did a photo essay on all about USN camouflage on the World of Warships forum.

I have gotten a little bit of work done on my Cleveland build. I've built both Mk 34 with Mk 8 main battery directors and both Mk 37 5in directors. I've started adding rafts (which unfortunately I've run out of ) as well along with a sparse few hatches and doors. On the 2 finished turrets I just need to add a periscope out of wire and those will be finished. I was also able to do up the directors so that they too can rotate (at the rate I'm going I be able to get the 40s to rotate as well). This stemmed more from the fact that the little pegs on the bottom of the 3D printed mk 37 directors were too big to fit in the holes of the kit structure. I cut them off and drilled holes for wires. I also added small platforms to part of the aft superstructure that were absent in the kit. I'm also changing parts of the structure as I see fit to try to to match a plan I have of the Miami. Not making any major changes; just small changes that I'm confident in.