How's everybody doing? We're a couple of weeks into the campaign now, has everyone been able to start. I've surprised myself. At first I thought the White Ensignn PE deck set for the Bismarck was going to be a cut and paste operation, but found out on the first piece it wasn't going to be so. Now two weeks into the campaign, I sit back and am amazed how far I've gotten. I've got all the decking done and have completed the front superstructure including railings. (this is where most of the small deck pieces went) No paint yet. Starting to work some of the back superstructure railings in now. Probablly work the funel after that. Slow and steady, but despite it being the minihobbies version instead of the Tamiya, it is looking pretty good.

Greetings, Steve...
Sounds like your entry is progressing quite well...how about a couple of progress pics to let us experience your accomplishments? I myself am progressing quite slowly, I've got the lower hull completed (minus the screws) of my New Jersey ans painted, and the upper hull is progressing slowly...some of my progress pics will be up within a day or two...Thanks for keeping us in the loop with your progress, mate, full steam ahead!
Gunny

Yes, we want PIX !!!!

I'm still at the research stage (got sidetracked) and I'm working on the display stand (yeah, sounds like cart-before-horse, but there is method-to-madness ...).

John

I have all the molded railing off and have repaired the "damages" from that operation. Now I'll order the railing from GMM and go from there.

Hey John, I'd noticed on the Sci-Fi channel that those Ghost Buster type guys are going to the North Carolina to hunt ghost....yours include restless spirits too? :-)

Steve, I wish you wouldn't have said what you did about the railings...I've been suffering some serious angst over those things as it is. You were suppose to say "they went on like a dream" or something to that affect.

Railings are a major major pain, if you try to make one piece and bend it every which way trying to shape it. Believe me I've done that for years. On this one I decided to do something new. Do a bend maybe two then cut and glue, then add another piece. Time wise it may be a hair longer, but results-wise. 1. less stress 2) it looks SOOOO much better. Sorry guys, I don't do progress pics. I don't like to show my work until it is fnished. I've been looking at those color paintings of the hull and am trying to figure how I'm going to paint that. That will be a major project in itself....5 colors....sheesh!!!!!!!!!!! Well, I've got months to do this one and I'll probably take some time out and do my entry for the Viet Nam Campaign....haven't decided what I'm going to do for that one. I've got a jeep, UH1D and a 48 Patton. But I've also got a ton of figures, so I may do a diorama. But that's another story.

Well I had to buy a new bit for my rotary tool in order to drill holes around the Barbette tops. Once that was done I was able to remove them and use a sanding cylinder to remove the excess until it was nice and smooth. They look pretty good but when I test fitted the deck together I found that on the upper barbettes, Bruno and Caesar, the deck below is visible at the bottom of the barbette. I already planned on putting some kind of cup to surround the empty barbette to give the illusion of depth. While doing that I just figured I HAD to put glue to plastic so I put a few of the odds and ends onto the deck. I also removed the anchor chains that were molded into the foredeck. Why do kit makers feel they have to put those lousy things on the deck? Tomorrow I"m going to pick up some tube glue in order to try that trick about gluing the decks to avoid the seems.

Anybody else making the MiniHobbies Bismarck? Does yours have a big scratch across the rear deck and part of the last barbette?

Rodger,

Did you ever decide if you were going to add the turret gear teeth?

Rodger:

I have that too. Weird, I don't think it is a scratch and it isn't in the plastic as far as I can feel, but it almost looks like they had a mold break and glued it back together. I guess we'll find out when we paint the deck. If it is, you can cover yours up with debris.

Don't ask!!!

Actually, I'm so darn busy, I haven't had time to buy a kit yet, and I don't have any battleship kits in my stash, so I haven't a clue what I'm going to do....yet.

I’m still waiting for my USS Pennsylvania to arrive.
Thanks again Mike (Blade48mrd) for the great offer.

I have been looking up reference material and am currently getting my work space ready for it so i can start soon after it comes.

I plan to, but I always plan on more than I deliver. I'll check out the local Radio Shack for some of those toothed plastic tie backs that might have teeth small enough.

I have opened the box and looked at my Banner 1/350th Arizona. I will have to be a late starter in this campaign. I have 3 others I am finishing up. I should be done with them and then its all Arizona all the time! I am still bringing together my reference materials as well.

I FINALLY got started on my 1/350 Missouri last night. I went through all the after market stuff I got (and there WILL still be a few Tamiya plastic pieces left :-) ) to make sure I had what I needed. I'm using Steve Nuttall's brass 16" and 5" barrels, and replacing the 5" turrets, the quad 40s, all of the 20 mm, all of the Mk 51 directors, the launch and the float plane as well as adding all the PE for hatches, railing, catapult, radar etc. (probaby have 3 x as much money in "stuff" compared to "kit")

I sanded the parting line off the hull (thank GOD it's one piece) and primed it last night.

While the "dazzle" paint looks "cool" I'm going for Measure 22. Besides being less trouble to do, it's what she was wearing at the end of the war and I'm building her configuration as of that date anyway.

Looking at all that PE I'm wondering if this campaign is going to be long enough!!!

Tom

D'Oh! You know between you and Steve, I'm starting to sweat bullets over this PE stuff. I'll be cornering the Zantac market before the end of the campaign.

Steve:

Don't you know that's part of the game. We cry and moan about how hard and difficult it's GOING to be. Then when we're done everyone oohs and ahs over our efforts. PE is time consuming yes, but it is no more difficult then what you use for a model tank. Only use what you are comfortable with. I've seen some of those 10 piece radar arrays, and said the hell with them and either took the main piece, a different piece, or just used the kit supplied plastic piece (The GMM Missouri one... case in point). Brass bends very easy and shapes quite well. Just take your time measure cut recheck then glue. We've all seen Tom's models, His is going to look spectacular and give us all something to strive for.

Steve's right on the mark. While we love to complain about it, when you're done it really is eye catching. The trick is patience, patience, patience. I find I really have to work slowly and carefully, and that's what takes me so long. It also REALLY helps having a lighted magnifing glass on a moveable stand. There's NO way I could do that stuff any more without magnification.

But the thought of doing some 70 something 20 mm's and each one consisting of 3-4 pieces! I'm definitely going to need to have several "bins" with covers I can close store them in as I complete them to keep from losing them all with one good sneeze! :-)

Tom

I just wanted to let you guys know I’m getting started.

Here are some shots of the USS Pennsylvania before I get started.





This will be the first ship I ever built so this could be interesting.

Don't feel like the Lone Ranger Jacob, it's my first as well. in fact I think there are several participating in this campaign who are in the same boat.... ..so to speak

What's the year of that particular model? The box art smacks of the style from the 70s....


My progress? None...I'm dead in the water for awhile and I'm doing well to finish my entry for Mini-Magic and start the one for MP...Not to mention the Swift for WTTN....

See ya
Steve

Greetings, Jacob!
Looks like a good entry...what made you decide on this kit to be your first?...just curious... Remember, there's alot of knowledge in the waters here at this forum if you run into a snag! Don't be afraid to ask..
Gunny

I see you have a full hull or waterline option. I built the sister (Arizona) one of these back in the mid seventies to go with my collection of 700 scale ships that the Japanese were hitting the markets with. They had a couple of non-Japanese battleships out so this was a very welcome kit. Construction was similar to the 540 (?) scale one that Steve is building or the present day one in 350 scale. Hey why mess with a good thing, though the Arizona experts say it is all goofed and have many changes, none of them warrant much action for a non-fanatical builder

Gunny
The ship is one of the kits Mike (Blade48mrd) was offering.
Thanks again Mike.

I’m from Pennsylvania myself so it worked out pretty good.

My grandfather was in the navy and at one point sometime between WWII and Korea he was stationed on a battleship dry dock so I do have a bit of an interest in the ships.


I’ll probably wont be doing much extra detailing work on it.

I’m thinking if I have time I might scratch the railing. I think it will look a little off with out it. But I don’t know yet.


Most of the work wont be able to start until I get my paint in the mail so I probably wont have much work done to it until next week.

Redneck...check into a photoetch set for it. If anything just get a 1/700 rail set. Trust me this is 100 times easier than trying to scratch it. Check with Gold medal models, Toms Modelworks, and even Eduard to find the most reasonable priced...Great MOdels, Squadron shop arry some of these a slight discount

Not too far along, but taking my time. I've cut out the main gun barbettes, but still have to cut out the are on the deck below for Bruno and Caesar. put together the base of the bridge are, and the next level up, plus the hangers. This model isn't going to have all that many parts left. Next I need to move onto the secondary and anti-aircraft guns.