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1/350 USS South Dakota BB-57 Conversion set
RussellE
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Victoria, Australia
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Posted: Thursday, June 27, 2019 - 01:22 PM UTC
Hi Folks!

Recently I've been looking at what USN battleships are available & I can't help but note, that 2 of the more significant ships of the Naval Battle of Guadalcanal are missing in action so to speak. They are the USS Washington BB-56 and South Dakota BB-57.

Now, Trumpeter offer USS North Carolina BB-55 and Massachusetts BB-59 and Alabama BB-60 as IM kits, but there is a glaring omission of the ships that have arguably more eventful and impactful careers than the ships offered by Trumpeter.
So I was wondering, is there any interest in conversion sets for either the Washington and/or the SoDak?

These sets could be done in one of 3 ways: resin cast; 3d printed in SLA resin; or injection molded for the most priciest method?

Thoughts?
Quincannon
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Posted: Thursday, June 27, 2019 - 02:19 PM UTC
No question that Washington and South Dakota have been overlooked in 1/350 scale.

Battleship modeling is a bit out of my comfort zone, but I would think the fellow to contact as to the feasibility of conversion kits would be the man who owns Model Monkey. Just today he posted on another site that he was doing more in 3d resin printing, and already has a rather extensive selection for USN BB's and cruisers.

I was fortunate to have been aboard South Dakota before she was scrapped, many years ago. Always had a soft spot for her.
ghauser
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Posted: Thursday, June 27, 2019 - 03:24 PM UTC
You might keep an eye on Ebay as one of the Yankee Modelworks conversion sets sold in May. They occasionally pop up.

https://www.ebay.com/itm/1-350-Yankee-Modelworks-3014-Conversion-kit-/173896305152?hash=item287d070a00%3Ag%3AGRUAAOSwzL1c0Zht&nma=true&si=ndY7cA7zB65USTPRRGSnJfGkOAk%253D&orig_cvip=true&nordt=true&rt=nc&_trksid=p2047675.l2557
McRunty
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Posted: Friday, June 28, 2019 - 04:22 AM UTC
Looking for your next project I see....
RussellE
#306
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Posted: Friday, June 28, 2019 - 10:38 AM UTC

Quoted Text

No question that Washington and South Dakota have been overlooked in 1/350 scale.

Battleship modeling is a bit out of my comfort zone, but I would think the fellow to contact as to the feasibility of conversion kits would be the man who owns Model Monkey. Just today he posted on another site that he was doing more in 3d resin printing, and already has a rather extensive selection for USN BB's and cruisers.

I was fortunate to have been aboard South Dakota before she was scrapped, many years ago. Always had a soft spot for her.


Hi Chuck, I'd more looking to go into competition with those guys
RussellE
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Posted: Friday, June 28, 2019 - 10:40 AM UTC



Hi Greg, yer they're hard to find, that's why I'm wondering if there's a market the for them?
RussellE
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Posted: Friday, June 28, 2019 - 10:41 AM UTC

Quoted Text

Looking for your next project I see....


Hi Rory, More of looking to see if there's a business opportunity to be had
ghauser
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Posted: Friday, June 28, 2019 - 04:18 PM UTC
I grabbed one and an Indiana for around $40 ea. when Freetime hobbies was getting rid of them. Still haven't built the Indiana. On the list.
Quincannon
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Posted: Saturday, June 29, 2019 - 04:24 AM UTC
I see. What medium do you propose using?

Of the two I would think Washington would be the easiest to convert from North Carolina.

Would it be presumptive to ask if you intend to portray Washington and South Dakota as they were at the time of the great Naval Battle of Guadalcanal 13-15 November 1942?

Spurred on your initial post Russell, I reached back to my "favorites" book shelf (just behind my desk) and pulled "Guadalcanal Decision at Sea" by Eric Hammel off for another read. It is a comprehensive account of that battle, and I would highly recommend it to you.
RussellE
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Posted: Sunday, June 30, 2019 - 12:31 AM UTC

Quoted Text

I see. What medium do you propose using?

Of the two I would think Washington would be the easiest to convert from North Carolina.

Would it be presumptive to ask if you intend to portray Washington and South Dakota as they were at the time of the great Naval Battle of Guadalcanal 13-15 November 1942?

Spurred on your initial post Russell, I reached back to my "favorites" book shelf (just behind my desk) and pulled "Guadalcanal Decision at Sea" by Eric Hammel off for another read. It is a comprehensive account of that battle, and I would highly recommend it to you.


Hi Chuck

Well I guess it would depend upon what level of interest there would be. At this stage, I'm not convinced there'd be much demand, so if I did do it, it would be in resin on a 3d sla printer.

Being an industrial designer, I'd model up the parts in 3d myself, before outputting to a printer...

I'd definitely go for the Naval Battle of Guadalcanal 13-15 November 1942 as the intended time period.
saransk
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Posted: Tuesday, August 13, 2019 - 05:54 AM UTC
I would think that within the two classes, the actual differences between sister ships would really depend on the time frame. For the North Carolina / Wisconsin they could look very similar without any major differences. I would think a mod kit would have the few structure changes and be mostly smaller bit, plus a really good "map" of the various radars and such by date.
The same would hold true for the South Dakotas
The South Dakota would need the extra flag level insert but none of the changes should involve huge work.
I think that if the mod kits were made, especially with a concise list of the changes in the radars and such by refit date, it would sell.
In my case, after three unsuccessful attempts at remaking the 01 deck and foremast superstructure for the USS Pennsylvania (1943) I purchased the 3D printed parts from the "Model Monkey" which were dead on to the plans I had and saved me from "sinking" the project.
Littorio
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Posted: Tuesday, August 13, 2019 - 12:03 PM UTC
Hi Russell, I'd have an interest in the Washington conversion. I have the NC but have always preferred the look of this class over the other big US BB's so, to have NC in a late war fit and Washington in an early fit would work for me.
SpurnWater71
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Posted: Tuesday, August 13, 2019 - 01:46 PM UTC
Rusty W as she was at Guadalcanal would seem to have the best business case if you are starting a new venture.
RussellE
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Victoria, Australia
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Posted: Tuesday, August 13, 2019 - 09:53 PM UTC
Hi Guys!

thanks for the interest.

Unfortunately, given the limited interest and the availability of Dakota conversion parts from shapeways, I'm not going to be following through with this.

Thanks for the support, happy modelling!
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