1/200 IJN Fuso 1944 - card paper/3D print

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Expand view Topic review: 1/200 IJN Fuso 1944 - card paper/3D print

Re: 1/200 IJN Fuso 1944 - card paper/3D print

by wieslaw_ffw » Mon May 04, 2026 5:47 am

Joelle wrote: Mon May 04, 2026 4:56 am My spot on board is already booked! 🫡
Hopefully we’ll meet there soon 🙂

Re: 1/200 IJN Fuso 1944 - card paper/3D print

by Joelle » Mon May 04, 2026 4:56 am

I return the thanks—it makes me proud that you find my painting style successful. ☺️

The fact is, your *Fuso* is simply a masterpiece in cardstock. However, I am really looking forward to seeing how you tackle the *Exeter*.

My spot on board is already booked! 🫡

Re: 1/200 IJN Fuso 1944 - card paper/3D print

by wieslaw_ffw » Mon May 04, 2026 1:29 am

Joelle wrote: Sun May 03, 2026 11:20 pm Fantastic work—especially considering that it is made of cardboard.

This level of quality is astonishing for this material. 👏
Thanks a lot, Joelle! Always nice to hear something like that, really keeps the motivation up 🙂

But honestly, I still think your Mikasa is way better than my Fuso. I especially loved your painting style — definitely want to try some of that on my next build. I’m planning HMS Exeter (1942, around the time she was sunk), so I’m already looking forward to playing with the airbrush 😄

Thanks again!

Re: 1/200 IJN Fuso 1944 - card paper/3D print

by Joelle » Sun May 03, 2026 11:20 pm

Fantastic work—especially considering that it is made of cardboard.

This level of quality is astonishing for this material. 👏

Re: 1/200 IJN Fuso 1944 - card paper/3D print

by wieslaw_ffw » Sun May 03, 2026 5:34 am

Dan K wrote: Sat May 02, 2026 6:19 pm Just beautiful, and only 16 years in the making. :smallsmile:

No issue with posting photos today?
A lot was going on in my personal and work life, so it sat on the shelf for 10 years — and honestly, it was pretty close to ending up in the trash, really close.

No problem sharing the pics — I just linked them from the site.

Re: 1/200 IJN Fuso 1944 - card paper/3D print

by Dan K » Sat May 02, 2026 6:19 pm

Just beautiful, and only 16 years in the making. :smallsmile:

No issue with posting photos today?

Re: 1/200 IJN Fuso 1944 - card paper/3D print

by wieslaw_ffw » Sat May 02, 2026 2:48 pm

Same place, different time. Just the boats and planes left to do, plus I’ve got a crew I want to place on deck - and of course, I still need to sort out a base and a display case.

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Re: 1/200 IJN Fuso 1944 - card paper/3D print

by wieslaw_ffw » Sun Apr 05, 2026 5:17 am

Slowly but surely...

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Re: 1/200 IJN Fuso 1944 - card paper/3D print

by wieslaw_ffw » Sat Nov 22, 2025 6:51 pm

Hey,

The superstructure is coming along pretty well. I still have a few small details left — the top-level rangefinder, the radar antenna, a couple of lanterns, and the signal flag frames.

I’ve got a question for the WWII Navy experts here: what signal flags would you guys put on Fuso’s mast for Nishimura’s run through the Surigao Strait?

I’m attaching a pic of the WWII Japanese signal flag decals I’ve got.


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Re: 1/200 IJN Fuso 1944 - card paper/3D print

by wieslaw_ffw » Mon Sep 08, 2025 3:42 pm

Thanks guys.

Re: 1/200 IJN Fuso 1944 - card paper/3D print

by marijn van gils » Mon Sep 08, 2025 4:55 am

I second that! Fantastic work! :thumbs_up_1: :thumbs_up_1: :thumbs_up_1:

Re: 1/200 IJN Fuso 1944 - card paper/3D print

by Joe Simon » Sun Sep 07, 2025 4:37 pm

This is an incredible build! I love it!

Re: 1/200 IJN Fuso 1944 - card paper/3D print

by wieslaw_ffw » Sat Aug 30, 2025 4:53 pm

I mess around with it every now and then. You could say I'm about halfway through the "pagoda". Next up, I need to fix up that little "chicken coop" at the front of the bridge with the rangefinders. But for now, everything's going back into the display case - my daughter's flying in from far away to visit her folks. And, as the saying goes, some things just matter more than others.

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Re: 1/200 IJN Fuso 1944 - card paper/3D print

by setori » Thu Jun 26, 2025 4:47 pm

:thumbs_up_1:

Re: 1/200 IJN Fuso 1944 - card paper/3D print

by wieslaw_ffw » Thu Jun 26, 2025 3:32 am

Dan K wrote:I knew I had an example. Look to the lower right corner of this postwar view of Ise's lower bridge deck.
Thanks, Dan K � that explains a lot.

Re: 1/200 IJN Fuso 1944 - card paper/3D print

by Dan K » Wed Jun 25, 2025 7:58 pm

I knew I had an example. Look to the lower right corner of this postwar view of Ise's lower bridge deck.
Attachments
Ise bridge portion as workshop, interior, Dec 1947.jpg

Re: 1/200 IJN Fuso 1944 - card paper/3D print

by Dan K » Wed Jun 25, 2025 7:24 pm

So the question is: does this make sense?

Yes.

What is shown is brown linoleum with brass tie-down strips, just like on the aircraft handling platform aft. This was a common deck covering in the superstructure, though not every level was so covered. Photos are non-existent, unfortunately.

Hisashi Ando, who is the founder of the Tam Tam hobby store chain in Japan and a very highly regarded IJN researcher and modeler, builds 1/100 models of various IJN ships for display in his shops. Below are two views of his Fuso's superstructure.
Attachments
225b4543.jpg
c0ddde0f.jpg

Re: 1/200 IJN Fuso 1944 - card paper/3D print

by ModelMonkey » Wed Jun 25, 2025 5:27 pm

wieslaw_ffw wrote:
ModelMonkey wrote:A masterpiece in the making.
Hey!
I see you�re into 3D printing too � awesome stuff, BTW. I just model and print for myself, but I really gotta say, your prints and designs look amazing. Nice work!
Thank you so much!

Re: 1/200 IJN Fuso 1944 - card paper/3D print

by wieslaw_ffw » Wed Jun 25, 2025 2:08 pm

I have a question. I found a detail from a Japanese modeler � as shown in the photos below � namely anti-slip mats like those found on an aircraft deck, but placed on various platforms of the superstructure. I haven�t found anything like this in Anatomy of the Ship by Skulski, and I also don�t have photographic documentation that would confirm something similar.

So the question is: does this make sense?

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Re: 1/200 IJN Fuso 1944 - card paper/3D print

by wieslaw_ffw » Mon Apr 14, 2025 2:16 pm

pascalemod wrote:I like how in this scale, the paper model makes a lot of sense, with sharp angles hard to match in plastic. Yes, the lower hull gives away the paper origins, but most of the ship is pretty superb.

I always wonder how durable it is when made out of paper, will it stand up well to UV (neither does plastic ofc) and how much is it protected with varnish.
I also think it�s those sharp angles that really make the model go from just a tiny version to a true 1/200 scale replica of the original. That�s what really sold me on this scale, even though it does take up more space on the shelves.

As for UV protection, I paint my paper models with Tamiya paints, just like I would with plastic models, after giving the paper a good coat of clear varnish. So far, it works great, and I think with this kind of protection, paper models should stay looking fresh for a long time, just like plastic ones.

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