The Ship Model Forum

Hi Wayne,

I used a wooden deck in 1/700 scale on a Essex class carrier and the 1/700 Akagi. I learned that due to all the deck area and the extreme camber that the Akagi had, it will want to warp and twist unless you apply constant equal pressure when applying it. I wondered to even go so far as to vacuum bag my next attempt.

You need to apply a sanding sealer to the wood before you attempt any painting. I prefered to use wood stains for the overall deck color, followed with very light sanding, and then applied sanding sealer. Make sure your deck is fully secured to the plastic kit deck and the adhesive is fully cured, otherwise you may get some pop ups and warpage. I used Minwax stains and sealer.

For deck markings, you probably don't want to hear this, but masking them out and painting them is the best way. As I found out on my 1/700 Akagi, it turned out to be easier than dealing with all those long decals and trying to line everything up and then find out the decal color was the wrong contrast. The final look is worth the time of masking and painting.

Finish the deck with maybe a light wash of light gray to blend and tone everything down and a final coat of flat clear to seal everything.

Scott

Thanks. I found a thread over at FineScale Modeler that said the whole thing is a bad idea, but trying to finish a wood deck is almost futile.

Hmm, no one chimed in? I don't use wooden decks, so I'm no help here. This question comes up often enough, yet I don't see a FAQ or helpful hint on it.

Might I suggest a new posting on the main page, with a more generic title such Wooden Deck Questions or something like that.

This is my first post on this or any other modeling forum, so pardon me if I don't observe the protocols.

I am working on 1/350 Akagi by Hasegawa. The plan is to finish her as she was at Midway. My problem is that I purchased
the Hasegawa wooden deck, and I have never used one. So, I have two questions:

1. Is there an appropriate finish/varnish for the deck? What I have seen online isn't very clear about what works best if
anything.

2. The deck came with "stickers" to sub for the waterslide decals in the kit. However, they seem way too bright for the scale, not to mention a ship that had been continuously at sea. Does anybody have ideas on how to weather them? Or would I be better off just using them as stencils and painting them in?

Thanks very much in advance.

Thanks Gerry, new barrels will help.
But I was thinking of a complete replacement.

Ok thanks Dan,
it looks I need to make a good old scratchbuild to enhance the guns

Greetings Christian

Have you tried these guys?
http://master-model.pl/

I don't know of any others. It's possible that there may be a 3D printed version available somewhere.

Is their a replacement set for the twin 12cm guns available for the Akagi?
I want to built the Irako and perhaps an Ukuru Escort and they had the same gun.
But the pitroad gun is more than basic and fivestar only made a set for the single gun.

Greetings Christian

It will look cool no matter what

Thanks, shame really I was looking into building one of these and I thought it would be cool to have a plane launching at every level. Not that it really diminishes the awesomeness of their appearance.

No, never such a configuration. I think it would have been unworkable, given the need for a sizable bridge and the heavy turret armament.

So was there never a configuration where the middle flight deck was usable for flight ops? Did they decide it wouldn't be useful while the ships were still under construction?

In that configuration, up forward, there is a lower flight deck, a bridge deck, and an upper flight deck. The upper hangar deck is the same level as the bridge deck. So, no flight ops off that deck. The forward lift divides the space between the bridge and the hangar deck.

I have a question about Akagi and Kaga in their 3-deck configuration. It looks like the navigation bridge is directly under the forward end of the upper flight deck, between the 8" twin mounts. Does this block aircraft access from the upper hangar to the middle flight deck? I know the middle flight deck was short and of limited use, but was it made inaccessible by design or was this bridge built later? Or does the bridge move or open in some way?

Thanks Dan,I have all the parts,trying to find out sizes and placements on the ship

FineMolds makes some small sets in styrene: http://www.finemolds.co.jp/www/wa-list.html

Veteran Models makes some in resin: http://www.1999.co.jp/eng/10071941 & http://www.1999.co.jp/eng/10075820

I believe Rainbow and FIve Star make PE voice tubes as well.

Can anyone tell me where I might be able to find out what sizes,and placements of equipment such as binoculars,range finders,search lights,and other deck equipment,I'm doing the fujimi 1/350 premium edition,with wood deck set,and a bunch of veteran models

Hi Dan,just figured I'd mark out the waterline,go to work with the dremel,then sheet it with plastic on the bottom,and decide a water technique!

Thanks Dan, tough choices indeed. That hanger set also creates the annoying dilemma between either having to leave the hull unpainted, cutting a cross-section out, or only being able to the tiny portion of the hanger through the elevator shafts. One of these problems will always persist regardless of how I build the ship.

Both kits are nicely done, with good detail and PE sets. I think the Hasegawa flight deck better in terms of its planking (more to scale), but its elevators are molded solid with the flight deck.Tetra also makes a PE set for it. If you use either the Hasegawa or Tetra Flight wooden flight deck, there are brass elevators that could be used to help replace the cut away ones should you choose to open the wells in the flight deck.

The Fujimi version is pretty nice as well. And, as you pointed out, there is the Rainbow PE set with flight deck, and that amazing Rainbow interior hangar deck set to go with it. Plus, Fujimi actually makes a transparent upper hull version of the kit: http://www.1999.co.jp/eng/10308292

Flyhawk make a PE set and flight deck for both the new Hasegawa and Fujimi versions.

Tough choices .