USS Luzon, 1/700 scale **COMPLETED**

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Expand view Topic review: USS Luzon, 1/700 scale **COMPLETED**

Re: USS Luzon, 1/700 scale **COMPLETED**

by Devin » Fri Aug 17, 2012 2:25 pm

Thanks, guys. I'm happy with how she turned out.

Re: USS Luzon, 1/700 scale **COMPLETED**

by JEI » Fri Aug 17, 2012 1:59 pm

I saw this in person at the IPMS Nationals in Orlando. What a terrific build!

Devin: Very well done! :thumbs_up_1:

Re: USS Luzon, 1/700 scale **COMPLETED**

by Dan K » Sun Aug 12, 2012 8:21 pm

She looks great. Even my wife is impressed. Well done!

Re: USS Luzon, 1/700 scale **COMPLETED**

by MartinJQuinn » Wed Aug 08, 2012 3:54 pm

Great looking build, Devin. Good luck at the Nats - sorry I won't be there to check her out in person.

Re: USS Luzon, 1/700 scale

by sgtryan13 » Wed Aug 08, 2012 12:53 pm

I like it! A lot. I think you are beign too hard on your poor crew! they are hardly noticable at this scale, maybe the rations are a little slim where they are, or they are suffering from a bit of malaria or montezuma's revenge is all! Looking forward to checking her out at nats.

Ryan

Re: USS Luzon, 1/700 scale

by Devin » Fri Aug 03, 2012 3:47 pm

I need to do some sort of name plate, but otherwise I'm calling this one DONE.

My first-ever 1/700 scale ship build. While I enjoyed most of it, I'm still not happy with PE crewmen and other details that are too flat for my liking. It was fun, but now I need to build something BIG!
Attachments
She kind of gets lost in the case, but it'll keep the dust off.
She kind of gets lost in the case, but it'll keep the dust off.
I did the wake with white paint and lots of stippling with an old brush and glaze medium.
I did the wake with white paint and lots of stippling with an old brush and glaze medium.
Not completely happy with how the flag is attached, but I just couldn't get a line to hang properly from the yardarm to the deck.
Not completely happy with how the flag is attached, but I just couldn't get a line to hang properly from the yardarm to the deck.
You can barely see three crewmen here. Technically there should be no khakis for this time frame, but the whites blend with the ship so easily that I wanted some contrast.
You can barely see three crewmen here. Technically there should be no khakis for this time frame, but the whites blend with the ship so easily that I wanted some contrast.

Re: USS Luzon, 1/700 scale

by Devin » Fri Aug 03, 2012 9:50 am

Okay, I feel a little better now! I'm sure I won't have near the number you do, either. I'm probably only going to put a half-dozen or so of these little squids on board.

Re: USS Luzon, 1/700 scale

by sgtryan13 » Fri Aug 03, 2012 9:34 am

It's ok Devin, your deck crew's bigger 1/350 brothers will be gracing the deck of the Bush. I respect the hell out of anyone that can effectively paint a full deck of sailors in multi colors, but it's just not for me!

Re: USS Luzon, 1/700 scale

by Devin » Fri Aug 03, 2012 9:04 am

Thanks, guys. Getting to what I hope is the home stretch.
Attachments
I'm still filling gaps between the hull and the water surface. Next time I'll build up that area more before I attach the ship. This little bit keeps needing more attention. Once it's dry, I will be able to proceed with painting the wake using acrylic paints and glaze medium.
I'm still filling gaps between the hull and the water surface. Next time I'll build up that area more before I attach the ship. This little bit keeps needing more attention. Once it's dry, I will be able to proceed with painting the wake using acrylic paints and glaze medium.
These showed up from Freetime Hobbies yesterday. In retrospect I could have done the flags on my color laser, but these have adhesive backing, so I'm interested in seeing how well they work.
These showed up from Freetime Hobbies yesterday. In retrospect I could have done the flags on my color laser, but these have adhesive backing, so I'm interested in seeing how well they work.
Eduard's pre-painted photoetch figures. I feel dirty using pre-painted materials, like I'm cheating, but I know I'd have ZERO fun painting these things myself, and I'm short on time.
Eduard's pre-painted photoetch figures. I feel dirty using pre-painted materials, like I'm cheating, but I know I'd have ZERO fun painting these things myself, and I'm short on time.

Re: USS Luzon, 1/700 scale

by Dan K » Thu Aug 02, 2012 9:09 pm

Yes, it will do very nicely, I think. :thumbs_up_1:

Re: USS Luzon, 1/700 scale

by Roscoe » Thu Aug 02, 2012 7:12 pm

That looks just amazing Devin! Very cool and unique "little" ship, it should definitely be an eye turner at the NATS.

Good luck, and really nice work,
Dean

Re: USS Luzon, 1/700 scale

by sgtryan13 » Thu Aug 02, 2012 9:47 am

Make sure you explain to them that 1/700 gins pose no threat to the plane or passengers. And remember, you're dealing with TSA, so individual experiences may vary, so you may want to brig some flip charts and crayons in case you have to further explain your case... :big_grin:

Re: USS Luzon, 1/700 scale

by Devin » Thu Aug 02, 2012 9:38 am

Thanks. I went with a Mississippi River water color. Every time I see that river I'm amazed at how brown it is. After looking at a few color photos of the China gunboats on station, their rivers in that time frame were a bit cleaner and bluer, but I'll just say this is post rainstorm or something.

The uniqueness of the subject and it's cool profile is why I chose it. I like the odd, hence my obsession with Civil War ironclads.

Yes. A week from now I'll be explaining to some TSA dolt at JFK "Yes, it's a resin model, not plastic explosives" (I've read where sometimes resin shows up as a suspicious substance during screenings)

Re: USS Luzon, 1/700 scale

by sgtryan13 » Thu Aug 02, 2012 8:56 am

Wow, what an awesome and interesting subject! I like it a lot, well done! That "water" looks like a good reason to make sure you are up to date on vaccines! the work is great, but I just can't get over how different and unique that ship is. If there were a prize at nats for most unique ship model, this would take the cake for sure! Looking forward to checking it our in person in...holy cow, a WEEK from today??? Yikes!

Re: USS Luzon, 1/700 scale

by Devin » Wed Aug 01, 2012 8:30 am

Just realized that this has to be done a week from today at the latest (early flight to the NATS next Thursday). Rigging is done, very light weathering applied in the form of grime and rust streaks (not really visible in the photos). I have some figures and flags on the way from Freetime Hobbies and those will be applied sparingly, but otherwise I'm calling the ship DONE.

I've put her in the water. Today I'll be filling any gaps between the hull and the water surface with thinned Gator Glue. Once that dries, I can then do the white paint for the wake effect.
Attachments
I did this photo right before putting her on the water base. Most non-modelers have no concept of how small a 1/700 scale gunboat is, so I use this photo to blow their minds.
I did this photo right before putting her on the water base. Most non-modelers have no concept of how small a 1/700 scale gunboat is, so I use this photo to blow their minds.
This side of the hull needs little filling at the waterline, it's a near perfect fit. Port side, though, has a bit of a gap.
This side of the hull needs little filling at the waterline, it's a near perfect fit. Port side, though, has a bit of a gap.
A close-up showing the rigging and the wake laid in with acrylic gel applied with a knife blade. I really like the water texture that the watercolor paper provides. I'll be using it from now on.
A close-up showing the rigging and the wake laid in with acrylic gel applied with a knife blade. I really like the water texture that the watercolor paper provides. I'll be using it from now on.

Re: USS Luzon, 1/700 scale

by Devin » Sat Jul 28, 2012 1:35 pm

Flat coat applied. I tried the Mr. Color brand Mr. Super Clear Flat with UV protection on this model. I decanted it from the rattle can. Even though decanted, it was a bit thick still and needed some Mr. Color thinner added. It went on fine, but it appears to have chalked a bit on the dark gray areas. I'll decide if I want to keep using it. I still have yet to find any dullcoat that works as well as the old-school Testors dullcoat.

Rigging underway. Using UNI-Caenis 20 den black thread. I attempted David Griffith's method of using mucilage glue to attach it, but I think I'm too ham-handed and it just wasn't sticking for me. Gator Glue, thinned with water, works perfectly. I'll be sticking to that method.
Attachments
When rigging I normally use clamping tweezers or hemostats to clamp onto the line and keep it taught. That's too much weight in 1/700, so I'm using these tiny wooden clothes pins. I think they're for doll clothes or something, but they work great and provide just enough light tension to the line.
When rigging I normally use clamping tweezers or hemostats to clamp onto the line and keep it taught. That's too much weight in 1/700, so I'm using these tiny wooden clothes pins. I think they're for doll clothes or something, but they work great and provide just enough light tension to the line.
The kit instructions would have you run the forward says to the bow, but then they'd interfere with the guns movement. I honestly think the gun might be over scale (it's so tall the shield and barrel impede the view from the bridge), but at this stage of the game I'm just making it work and running the rigging to a different location.
The kit instructions would have you run the forward says to the bow, but then they'd interfere with the guns movement. I honestly think the gun might be over scale (it's so tall the shield and barrel impede the view from the bridge), but at this stage of the game I'm just making it work and running the rigging to a different location.
Once the glue has set up I use a pair of tiny and SHARP fly tying sciccors to clip the lines as close in as possible. Any remnants will be touched up with white paint. Stays for the forward mast done.
Once the glue has set up I use a pair of tiny and SHARP fly tying sciccors to clip the lines as close in as possible. Any remnants will be touched up with white paint. Stays for the forward mast done.

Re: USS Luzon, 1/700 scale

by Devin » Thu Jul 26, 2012 11:59 am

Thanks, guys. I'm really happy with the windows, too. I wish I'd thought of this before I drilled out the portholes on the hull and done this instead with PE add-ons. I've never liked the look of drilled-out portholes -- it's the most out-of-scale thing you can do on a ship model, in my opinion -- and I think this will work well for them in 1/700th, and maybe even in 1/350th. Too bad I already drilled out three-dozen of them for the pre-war USS Wichita, or I'd have given this a shot on her.

Today is dullcoating Luzon and a dark green translucent glaze for the base/water.

Re: USS Luzon, 1/700 scale

by Dan K » Thu Jul 26, 2012 11:53 am

She's coming along very nicely now.

Re: USS Luzon, 1/700 scale

by DanCinSD » Wed Jul 25, 2012 8:54 pm

:thumbs_up_1:
Devin, the windows look great, nice build and review all in one.

Re: USS Luzon, 1/700 scale

by moomoon » Wed Jul 25, 2012 6:16 pm

Very nice indeed, like it!

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