Thanks Gaz, Michael, your feedback and support is very much welcomed.

I have been considering giving "Pledge One Go" (our local version of Future) a try on gluing the PE in some places. I can apply it easily with a brush, it capillaries perfectly into tiny gaps, and cleans up easily. This will also remove the risk (i.e. extreme probability) of me gluing myself to the parts and the kit, and probably the workbench, with CA. The only down side would be curing time.


I use it as an adhesive on clear parts on my car and aircraft builds because it won't cloud the clear plastic. Has anybody tried this?

Cheers, D

A little bit more PE tonight, doors on the bridge superstructure, seats, sights and cranks on the twin-40's, and assembly of the twin-40's.




Cheers, D

Very tidy PE work Damian.

Excellent job

Cheers

Si

What Si said, D: Very Tidy

Worked on one sub assembly tonight, 10 styrene and 3 PE parts, with two twin gun assemblies still to add after painting.


Cheers, D

Ups - sorry, I just realized that I missed quite a few updates and some very nice progress here!!

You are doing a great job, Damian, very nice and tidy work on the PE!

Great to see that you are enjoying the wet side of modeling!!

Cheers,
Jan

Thanks Jan, I am enjoying this build a lot. I am enjoying that there is no pressure on this build for a change. Most of my builds are for Group Builds and Campaigns on Automodeler and Aeroscale where there are time frame pressures. On this one I can do as little or as much as I like and that is what I need on my first ship build.

Time for tonight's micro-shenanigans! The 10 x 20mm twin guns got their 3 PE parts each.








Cheers, D

Very neatly done with the etch Damian,

Those twin twenty's will look the business once in place.

Cheers

Si

looking very sharp, D

Great work on the Oerlikons, Damian. Those tiny bits of PE are very difficult for me.

Gaz

Thanks guys, it seems that I have achieved a passing grade in micro-shenanigans, so the logical next step is nano-shenanigans!
The 2 assemblies in the left of this picture each have 2 PE parts that are approximately human hair diameter! The carpet monster tried its best to eat one part, but a few minutes on hands and knees with the trusty mobile phone torch and I managed to beat that monster into submission and retrieve the part.


This is the step in the instructions, assembly "B" and I am interested to know what this is if anybody can help???


Cheers, D

Another sub assembly together tonight, 13 styrene and 2 PE parts, with 2 of the twin-20mm guns to add later. I am interested to know what the vertical tubes are on this assembly, there are 4 x 2-tube pieces, 3 beside the ladder and 1 at the other end.


Cheers, D

Looking good Damian.

I can't help you with the tubes, but the piece of kit shown in assembly 'B' is a binocular mount, the two little prongs on the etched component going across top of the assembly represent a pair of powerful binoculars.

Cheers

Si

haha-nano shinaningans! good one D! I think that's why we're all cross eyed and hunch backed!

Great work, Damian!! Very delicate details, and very tidy work with the PE - you are building her into a beauty!!

Si is correct about the binoculars, at least that would be my guess, too. But for those pipes....one would have to find some pics of the real thing. From the model, I can't tell...

Keep up your great work!!

Cheers,
Jan

D, I'm going to guess that those tubes are the cases for spare 20 or 40mm gun barrels.

Good point! - I think you are correct there!!

Many thanks for the feedback guys, great to have you all overseeing operations here!

Si, I suspected as much, does anybody have a photo of the real thing easily accessible?

Luciano, your suggestion makes sense as well. Once again I might have to do a bit of googling to try to find some photos of the original article just to satisfy my curiosity.

I do believe that it is time to hit the paint shop next, I have run out of sub assemblies. On that note, the instructions call out for Sea Blue on the hull, but a couple of builds that I have been checking out online have been painted dark grey. Does anybody have any opinions on which is correct? I am inclined to go with the instructions, but I would love to find a definitive reference if possible.

Cheers, D

D, one of the best sources of information when painting US ships is Synder & Short Click on the ship camouflage database, then the type of ship and class, then find your named ship. In the case of USS Gearing in 1945 it wore MS33a / MS28D and MS22 which means it was repainted twice. If you then return to the measures page it will tell you what the colours were.

Also do a google image search for the 'measure' ie. MS33a and the class and you will find official USN camouflage drawings.

Thats how I found what I needed when I did USS Hoel.

Good luck

One more thing, see if you can find some photos of the ship in the measure you want to do as the official paint scheme was not always followed to the letter.

Find this out for a US ship which is laid up while I build some aircraft, the crew got lazy and missed a band of camouflage from the upper bridge on one side!

Excellent information Luciano, what a great website for reference materials.

The photo below is from Navsource, and show the Gearing just after commissioning but prior to being fully outfitted, MS22 measure. I believe that this would be what is represented on the box art and the instructions, so this is how I will proceed. Thanks once again for the assistance, this really is opening up a new world for me!



Cheers, D

Ok, the problem with opening up a new world is that you get drawn in and distracted from the task at hand

Trawling through the website that Luciano so kindly linked inevitably led to some discussion boards and further links and . . . . You know how it goes!
Looking forwards to the Frank Knox build I found the following couple of images which will give the eventual 3 ship display a good point of difference. The B&W photo is DD-742 Frank Knox in measure MS21, and the colour image is DD-366 USS Drayton in the same measure.



I also found this image which labels a few of the radar assembly items and will save a few questions from me down the track.


Now I need to check out the options for the Chevalier and come up with a third variation.

Cheers, D

Damian,

those are pictures of a contemporary one, referred to as 'big eyes' then (Pictures are from 2000/2001). From my personal experience with the USN, they are using things that proofed useful and successful designs for astonishingly long times - you can find equipment on display in WWII museum ships and in active service units at the same time - which in many cases is not a bad thing, don't get me wrong there. I am aware of quite a few things in German Navy that have been replaced by some fancy new stuff, for whatever reason, that never reached the quality of the old stuff.

Well, that being said, I have no pictures of USN WWII equipment, but I would feel those binoculars were pretty similar if not the same....







Cheers,
Jan

Thanks for posting those photos Jan, great images.

I went on my typical Google journey today in a quiet moment and found the website for the USS Slater restoration which has some excellent photos of what I am assuming will be the same weapons and fittings as the Gearing.
Twin 40mm mount

Twin 20mm mount

Binocular mount


Unfortunately the kit parts are too small for nano-super detailing but I am glad to have learned what these parts represent on the 1:1 vessel.

Cheers, D

Damian,

your research looks pretty successful! Looks like the binoculars have gotten some significant improvement, those you found resemble the model ones pretty close, as it appears.

Cheers,
Jan