Tim, your attention to detail is always so impressive!

Surely this will take centre place in your "fleet"display when completed!

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Ok, I’m going to go and bury all my models in the backyard now. Tim, how the heck do you drill holes that small? I’ve broken dozens, maybe hundreds of steel, tungsten and hardened brass drill bits in my sixty years of modeling. I’ve used pin vices, variable speed drills, even tiny drill presses, but I couldn’t get consistent holes like you’ve done. Show us your secret. Do you have a secret NASA titanium set of tiny drill bits and a sub miniature electric drill?
VR, Russ

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Russ, I find when drilling holes, it pays to "spot" them prior to drilling them with some sort of sharp pointer, that way you get the location exactly where you want it when you position the drill...

Mark, Gary, and John, thanks!

In addition to the side rails, Japanese torpedo launchers had short safety rails on their tops as well.

The rails are visible in this image of a launcher aboard Shiranui. Not only were there rails along the edges, but there were three rows of them in the center too.


After drilling out the 43 top stanchion locator holes, the safety rails were installed in the same way as the handrails on the sides. These things were crowded in there pretty closely, so my construction sequence was to build them up beginning with the center groups in an effort to minimize damage while working on rails along the outer edges.


For these slightly taller vertical safety rails I used a thicker .020” tool to help cut the stanchions to uniform heights.



Finally, the rails were secured to the tops of the stanchions with careful applications of Tamiya Extra Thin cement.

Yes, yes, but will these little gems actually launch a torpedo??

Tim,

I first was going to say can he add anything more to the torpedo mount and thought no he can't add anymore. Then I noticed the ladder on the side by the door haven't been installed, so yes he can...LOL.

Mark

Excellent little torpedoes.

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Excellent little torpedoes.

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Ditto!

Mark

... I’d have expected to see those counter rotating props motorized — or at least spin when you blow on them....

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... I’d have expected to see those counter rotating props motorized — or at least spin when you blow on them....

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Who says they don't?!

Set on its shipboard trolley and mounted aboard Hatsuzuki, the tiny Long Lance looks ready to take on the U.S. Navy!

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Set on its shipboard trolley and mounted aboard Hatsuzuki, the tiny Long Lance looks ready to take on the U.S. Navy!

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They look too good to paint, Tim