The Ship Model Forum

Good evening everyone, I know it's been a long time since I posted an update. Well first thing I had to do was redo the slip way, I got a new work desk, a couple of 5 drawer rolling cabinets, and as we all know packing up [u]everything[/u]isn't fun but it's been taking a lot longer to get everything the way I want and having to integrate new products and tools, figuring out the best and logical placement for my tools and materials. Big time PITA.
However I have been working on several ships and yard craft, as well as growing the inventory of ships for the diorama. It's going to take a LONG TIME to build all the ships but it's worth it to see this all coming together.
Currently I have the following ships in the works:
USS PENNSYLVANIA BB-38
USS SAN FRANCISCO CA-38
USS WARD DD-139
YFD-2 "Old New Orleans "
USS AVOCET AVP-4
USS NAVAJO AT-64
(12) PT BOATS PT-20 - 30 & 42
YG-15, 17, 21
YO-20, 21, 23, 24, 30, 43, 44
YR-20, 22
USS NOKOMIS YT-142
YF-240, 241
YC-429, 470, 473, 477, 651, 699
YSP-11 - 20
The best count of the ship's and yard craft is approximately [b]175[/b]Registered vessels. I now have [b]118[/b]models in my inventory. It's been a total nightmare getting the ships that are needed for the diorama, and now the trade tariffs and shipping is now ridiculous and out of control. But, we have the technology and we can build them. I'm hoping to get a bunch of progress pictures and post them soon.
Take care and God bless everyone.

Inspiring work, but I'd need to buy a bigger house to try something like this! :heh:

[color=#4080FF] Good evening everyone, I hope you're doing well and you are having a ton of progress with your projects.

As for myself, well I have to say that I've been kinda slacking on the project, but it's still being worked on, or work with other things for the the diorama. As many of you have seen other dioramas I have done in the past, I'm pretty obsessed with details and getting them as close to perfect as I can. Anyway I will be posting a new update in next month with pictures. I'm still focusing on the Navy Yard and doing a lot of planning, sorting out and mapping out the road's and railroad tracks aside from plotting the crane tracks as well. This is really monotonous and at times aggravating, having to check multiple references and compare them to each other, lots of back and forth looking through my magnifying visor and then grabbing magnifying glass just to make sure it is correct, then transfer it to the layout of the base. But I knew what I was getting into when the CNC (Wife) green lit the project. Trying to be historically correct is easier said than done and referencing photos that don't always give the best detail it's just a daunting task. But as we all know if it's not accurate and correct to history in the trash talking begins very rapidly but working in this scale the rivet counters can count away. Well that's about all for this evening I truly hope everyone is having much success with their projects and I look forward to seeing progress on those and I hope everyone has a great weekend and remember get kids involved with learning how to build models regardless of the subject and teach them the love of the hoppy just as I tried to teach mine. Everyone have a good night and will catch you on the next one.[/color]

[quote="FFG-7"]I presume 1 of the 2 Nevada kits will be Oklahoma?[/quote]
Actually it's the Oklahoma, the vendor said that the Oklahoma box was torn or something to that effect and asked if they could use a NEVADA box in place of it. So it is the OKLAHOMA in camouflage as a Nevada clone.

I presume 1 of the 2 Nevada kits will be Oklahoma?

Part #2 of PEARL HARBOR the entire harbor

Ok I'll do my best posting all of the pictures from today and hope you like the progress so far.

Hey everyone, I'm sorry I was not able to get the most recent update done, life kinda took a toll on me the past couple months and I'm still recovering from my latest surgery, but I have been working on the diorama as much as possible, on the good days. I have several new things ordered and I have been casting different types of yard craft, as well as scratch building other things like YFD-2. I'll be working on some of things that need to be addressed on the tables (layout stuff) and then I WILL be posting this evening once I get some progress made. Take care and press on.

Can't wait to see more :woo_hoo:

Just wanted everyone to know that I will be posting an update this evening and hope you have a great day.

Really good to see you back on the forum! I've been patiently waiting for updates on this project :woo_hoo:

Thank you for the kind words Greg, and yes it is a different kind of crazy but it's still crazy.

Well I have been working diligently over the past few days on the diorama and I have been focused on the (2) drydocks, DD#1 & DD#2, I have nearly completed DD#1, well it's done except for the "fine tuning" and the other is about 80% done. I hope to have them both 100% in the next day or so. But I think after I completed them I would like to see a ship or two completed. Switch back and forth to keep from getting burned out on one or the other.
It's going to be a long, long, long time before the end of my project but I have been getting more and more excited to see how it goes and challenging myself as well as one of my son's. Some of you might remember my son Chris, well he is now grown up, married and has a little boy that is Papa buddy, and he and his wife are expecting a little girl to the late summer.
Chris is going to be helping me with a lot of the more tedious work but it's good to have him to help with the project.

Well everyone I hope to have some pictures of the progress by the end of the week. Until next time, have a great day and see you soon.

It's really starting to take shape...and your task is monumental...but l'm sure you will make it, love for history, passion, patience and craziness are what drives us to make those tiny ships...
Keep on doing this outstanding job

[color=#0040FF] Good afternoon everyone I trust that you're doing well and I want to say Thank You for following this journey and I appreciate you. I tried to post this update last night but my phone was being retarded, but not much done with the ship's......yet but I'm going to be switching back and forth with this project, work a few days on the diorama, then work a few days on the ships.

Now let's get into the update, first order of business was cutting out the primary shapes for the shipyard and wards,it was a bit challenging but I pressed on and got it done, then I painted the water areas and did a massive amount of blending to get it close to central Pacific, lots of blue's and greens with a few more colors for depth. I did however choose not to "muddy up" the water but chose to be a little more bright than dark.

I have cut out the (2) battleship drydocks, drydock #1 & #2, since at the time drydock #3 was not completed until '42 I've replicated that in n my diorama. Well here's some pictures of the progress that has taken place..... enjoy.

Comments and questions are welcome but please be respectful.[/color]

Hey David,
I know the photo you are referring to, I have it already downloaded and it's ready to be used once I get to the UTAH AG-16, But thank you for letting me know.

Good afternoon everyone, I just wanted to let y'all know that I am going to be making some BIG progress on the diorama, I have some more 5.2mm laminate to get the land and water differences and I have made some pier castings for the shipyard area, basically the 1010 dock and the bravo piers, can't remember the actual numbers for the piers. I'm sure someone will let me know, I do have them written down but not in my face at the moment.
Anyway, I got the first order from Shapeways and I must say I was a bit disappointed that the details are not good, but it's not a complete loss, I'm just going to have to modify them and get rid of the huge thick mast and cranes and scratch build them for the best details I can.
Today I received:
USS DOBBINS AD-3
USS UTAH AG-16
USS VESTEL AR-4
USS DOLPHIN SS-169
USS YO-43 Fuel Barge

The first three are the challenge for me but I can handle the modifications that are needed for a more detailed product. The latter two are going to be good for just upgrading them with some nice PE sets I have, there's not a dedicated PE set for them that I'm aware of but I do have plenty of general detail sets that I have massed over the past few years.
Well I'm going to get to work and I'll post an update very soon.
Take care everyone and have a great time at your work bench.

[quote="MartinJQuinn"][quote="Iceman 29"]It's always a compromise with our wives on this subject. Failure to negotiate would be followed by an affair worse than Pearl Harbor. [url=https://postimages.org/][img]https://i.postimg.cc/vmtXbwfJ/fl0039.gif[/img][/url][/quote]
LOL! You are a wise man! :heh:[/quote]


Yes sir I have played this one GOOOOOOOOOOD!!!!!
Well I'm happy to report that I have been making a little bit of progress on the diorama, I'm currently working out the layout of the train rail system and the basic layout of the roads, this is the most aggravating part of the diorama but it is a very necessary part, I have figured out I have that I have to go ahead and add another 2' x 4' table to get the right layout and then double check the measurement for the infrastructure. Something is throwing me off and I am positive it's the 1010 pier, it's scaled out correctly but it's not looking right, I think I have it too short, at least it looks like it to me. But I will get it right, after all with this project I have to, because the rivet counters will definitely lose their mind :argue: :bash_2: if I am 1/64th's of a nats butt off.

[quote="Iceman 29"]It's always a compromise with our wives on this subject. Failure to negotiate would be followed by an affair worse than Pearl Harbor. [url=https://postimages.org/][img]https://i.postimg.cc/vmtXbwfJ/fl0039.gif[/img][/url][/quote]
LOL! You are a wise man! :heh:

A lot of stuff you have to buy...and organize...
Can't wait to see the first pictures

Great to see this project again.