Tsk-Tsk, Mr. Arthur...
Hey, Bro...Don't worry, Be Happy! ...There's still almost five months of build time left with this one, Steve...but Flattops is right around the corner,mate, so be careful, or you're gonna get bit in the @#$%^! :-)
Gunny

It's just so hard to find good help these days..you know?

Hey guys. I'm working on the 1/350 Arizona with Tom's PE details. You do get all the boat details with Tom's, but no fighting top detail. So, I'm scratch building it. I got a great pic from NavSource and started working. the details are done with .010 x .030 styrene. I did notice that the Arizona had four windows instead of the three. I don't know if the PE represents that, but that's what I built.



Subhunter

Hey guys, I've got a USN 5L light gray question. I have two 5L's in my color chips. One is a light blue gray and the other a medium light gray. Which is the right one for my Arizona's Measure 1 fighting tops?

Subhunter

A step backward, a small one I hope.

As previously noted, I took a break to build bookshelves -- well, leaned one against something to reach for the drill-driver & it fell -- I grabbed for it but the NC's hull took a glancing blow that opened up two seams I had already cleaned up, but did not major damage.

The book shelves are done & in & I'm about 1/3 done putting books back -- takes time because I'm recording locations for all of 'em so I can find them ...

Hope to be back on the NC Friday ...

John

Subhunter I don’t know if this is correct or not but for the Pennsylvania I’m using Model Masters “ #5-L light Grey (1941) “ which is the light blueish gray. If I remember correctly Model Master did have a 2nd 5-L that was listed as a latter date. I’m thinking it was 43.

Thus my near frantic concern. Thanks for the reassurance, you and Skip keep me on an even keel.


Zantac time.

I have also made some progress on the Missouri. I had thought that having a long vacation would provide plenty of time and so it did. And lots of other stuff jumped up to take it, but I am getting some things done.

I finished up the SC-1 float planes and they look pretty good. I used the L'Arsenal replacements which have a bit more detail. I was disappointed that they had a solid cast resin canopy, so naturally I had to make clear ones of my own using some clear sprue and carving it to shape. I cut off the original molded canopy, hollowed out the cockpit for some "depth" and glued on the scratch built canopy. It looks a lot better than trying to paint one.

I'm about half way through doing the Mk 37 direction finders. These are quite a project as I'm using the L'Arsenal resin replacements as well as the PE frames for the radar, but the actual radars from the GMM set are much better, so I'm using those instead, along with the extra IFF gear L'Arsenal doesn't include. To finish them off, I mounted them on the Tamiya base and then scratch built a mounting rod so that when they're inserted into the mount, they'll stay in place, but also will be free to rotate.

I also took Steve Joyce's suggestion and I'm opening all the bridge windows. I suspect that I'll be cursing Steve before I'm finished for starting this. But the few that I've done on the lower level look MUCH better than the closed plastic in the kit. It almost might be better to simply grind the whole thing off and scratch build the frames instead of opening each one up and it may come to that, but for now it's one at time.

As soon as I get all the Mk 37s painted I'll get around to some more photos.

Tom

Hi all,

I finished building the Scharnhorst (still need to take pics). I've been thinking about a nice base/diorama and decided to use this photo for inspiration:



I haven't been able to find a VIIB type u-boat in 1/700 though (U-47 was a type VIIB). I may just buy a VIIC and change the position of the AA gun (from tower to rear deck). Not much details can be changed anyway in 1/700....

Any suggestions for a 1/700 German uboat? I found this one, any comments/opinions ont this kit? (Hawasaga VIIC & IXC uboats):



Getting that warship feeling again
Martin

Yamato has been succesfully launched and is now at large in the Pacific!!!. An enjoyable build even though it didn't take long to complete - thanks to Mike for the kit and to the resy of yoy salties for the inspiration. Ships will never replace other genre as my favourire subjects, but it's good to try something different once in a while.

PS:: I know there are gaps under the front of the superstructure - they weren't there last night but the parts obviously 'popped' before the glue had dried fully and it's now set hard!

Martin, the Hasegawa kit is a good one. I've got it and I like it. Their small, though.

Question...does any one know if the Arizona still have the range clocks in Dec. of 1941?

Thanks,

Subhunter

Ok, I'll get one of those, together with some 1/700 PE railing :-) Is the voyager PE railing any good?

Martin

Hi Dave

Your Yamato looks good (it's a shame, the gap)
Thanks for your work!
This Campaign is going to be better than DDD

Martin,
We need some pictures
I like your idea of the Dio - a good choice!

Skipper

Good morning, mates!
With the holiday season upon us as now, the time for modeling becomes less and less, but please keep the posts and pics coming whenever possible, let me know how your build is coming along, and remember...January 1st is very close, and not only will it be a new year, but also a new warship campaign, also!(Flattops! woo-hoo!!). Mike Durr has made another offer to anyone who wishes to join the Dreadnoughts Campaign, that he has some more free kits to give away to willing builders who would wish to join up...check the "Gary Beebe's Dreadnoughts Campaign Roll Call" post to see more details about this generous offer from Blade...Keep up the great work, and keep up the communication!
Gunny

Keep charging guys. Still plenty of time left. Tom I'm expecting a museum piece out of you. I'll make an effort at matching you to a degree when I do my NC. I've ordered that Lions Roar set that had 17 sheets of brass and the brass main and 5" guns. YEEHAW some fun to be had with that.

I still haven’t found the time to get more work done on the Pennsylvania but I’m still trying to get it finished by the end of the year.

Hi Guys,

Just checking in. No progress. Still busy with holdings inventory and budget concerns for this fiscal year. Survived the weekend blizzard. I feel like I've been exiled. Hope to be back active soon, the modeling world is passing me by.

Hi Steve!

Glad you dropped by!
One thing you can be sure: You will always be welcome here - Always!
You'll see that soon you will be returning "home" and with full spead ahed

Keep safe,
Skipper

From what I can tell, and may be wrong on this, but I don't think I am, the answer is yes. The Az still had the range clocks as of December 1941.

Well it sure is taking up enough time!!! I'm still making steady but slow progress. All the solid bridge windows have been removed from both levels. When you do that you can now see inside a bit, so of course you have to fill in the armored conning tower around which the bridge was built. (Molded a piece using "Sculpy" clay.)

The GMM PE set has window frames and after I've painted, I'll put some clear acetate inside them and install them. It also appears that on the top level, there were clear plates of glass on the foreward face, which had covers that could be raised or lowered, so I'm doing that as well. Covers are now on in the lowered position, and after painting, I'll put in the "glass".

I've gotten rid of the molded ladders on the 01, 02 and 03 decks by grinding them off and will replace them with PE. Because of the way the kit was molded, grinding off the ladder also opened a hole in the bulkhead (that's a wall for you land lubbers), and of course that had to be filled in with sheet styrene. Luckily, there is also a hatch that goes right there so part of the "surgery" will be covered up.

There was one ladder that wasn't included in the kit, and that required cutting an opening in the deck to insert a PE ladder through to the lower level.

I finally got the L'Arsenal 25 man rafts (Thanks to John from WEM!!!) and have added all the rafts to the three main gun turrets. Those are SO much better than the kit supplied versions. My only gripe is that they only have 10 PE tie downs for 20 rafts. The instructions indicate that these should be used when you stack rafts, but the photos clearly show that the singles hung on the sides of the main guns are held down this way as well. Hope I don't run out!

And I'm getting close to finishing up the remaining L'Arsenal quad 40 mm mounts. Those are a bit tricky to build, but I've discovered that rather than build one complete one at a time, it's much easier to do the exact same step in the process for all the remaining mounts. If anyone has these and is going to use them (they are fantastic BTW), I've discovered a couple of tips that will help, so let me know.

Once I get them all done, I'll shift over to painting, as I also have the 4 Mk 37s which need that, and some touch up work on the hull. After I finish up that part of the painting, I PROMISE I'll get some more pictures.

Tom

I finally found some time.

Anyway these will probably be the last progress pictures of my USS Pennsylvania.
The next time I post pictures of it she should be complete.





All I have to do now is attach the jack staff and paint and attach the AA guns on the upper deck.

OK, a few weeks (or more) back, I announced a hiatus to build bookshelves in my work-room -- well, they are finally done & 1500+ books now have a decent home.
Here is one shot, a few more are in the Workbench section of my Profile.



You can, on my reasonably clean workbench, see the NC. I am still working seams. It took a bit of damage when a shelf slipped & smacked the foredeck.

I got the Lion Roar update set & it is nice. Superb instructions, turned 16in & 5in barrels, an anchor chain. The PE has good relief detail equal/better than WEM/GMM. Looks to be fairly complete. I think the rails might be a bit oversized. Anyway I'm going to merge all three sets in this build ...

So, to relieve the boredom of hull/deck seams, I started on the 16in & 5in turrets which means of course I'm into cleaning plastic & once I get the side/rear walls on the turret bodies, then I'll be into cleaning more seams ....

There is an error on the Trumpeter 5in turrets in that one of the telescopes is missing -- there should be two on one side & one on the other. I'll scratch them in with some Evergreen 1/4-round, I think.

The turned barrels will be nice, but will require great care when cutting off the orignals & drilling a hole to be sure everything stays in line ...

John

Man, John, that's impressive collection. Mine barely fills up 3 shelves on a regular book case.
Still working on scratch building the window frames on the fighting topsof my Arizona. Almost finished and then, I can finish the tripods and sub-assemblies.

Subhunter

Just wanted to let you guys know I’ve finally finished the USS Pennsylvania and will try to get pictures of it up with in the week.


Edit: I’ve got them on the computer now just have to wait for them to be able to be uploaded.

I posted on another thread, hoping to get one of Mike Durr's giveaways, but haven't heard anything in reply. PM'd him too. Anyway, this is what I'd said:




He's not replied my PM either, so maybe he's away on holiday or something. I'd like to get going on this campaign cos it's exciting to do something that's a new field for me. I'm keeping my bench free for a ship, but if it's not happening I'd like to get on with some other project.

So, Mike, if you see this, please check your PM box. Thanks. Hope your generous offer's still open.