The Ship Model Forum

I'm rather averse to seeing a kit get deep-sixed, no matter how badly screwed up it is. My suggestion is to use this one as a learning opportunity, something on which you can take chances, test your skills, practice your techniques (painting, shading, attaching p/e...), including practicing weathering (after you get the original paint off). Also, consider putting it in a diorama (another chance to do something different if you haven't already tried it), most likely one depicting battle damage or long service use, given the description of the ship thus far. Replicating realistic looking battle damage is a bit of an art itself and requires some research, planning, technique, and some improvisation and scratchbuilding. So, silk purse into sow's ear...?

This IJN CA is actually a side project I'm working on now. She's been completely disassembled and will shortly be returned to fighting shape.... someday.

I build entirely too slow.

I'd just buy a new kit and take whatever parts you can salvage off of the old model and keep them as spares maybe to use on another kit or scratch build.

Super Glue comes off with acetone and acetone does not hurt the plastic.

PetrolGator wrote:Bonus points for stern long lance hit?

Well, that might look pretty f'd up that battle action at close(st) range must have been really really brutal... even footsoldiers were normally further apart than the Laffey and her opponents at that night!

Bonus points for stern long lance hit?

I never tried it, but I think the paint could be removed with oven cleaning spray... but no idea how to get rid of superglue. I mean - it's called SUPERglue

I'd put it aside as "lesson learned" and go for a new kit, if it's "only" 40$ and you want to use PE anyways. At least you would have spare parts if your carpet monsters are hungry again

Or you could build a new one and make this one look like the wrecked ship after the "Rendezvous with Hiei"...

Okay, slight confession: I tried delving into this hobby back in 2009 or so. I bought a 1/350 USS Laffey and, well, partially built and ruined it. Last night, while waiting for paint to dry, I found it in a box of junk I had stored up in the computer room.

Now, it's spray canned, Wal-mart super glued, and well, hideous to behold. Still, it's one of the nicest DD's ever released in plastic and deserves better treatment. I'm tempted to grab the GMM PE set and scratch any small details lost to carpet monsters of the past.

Questions:
1) It's partially glued and EVERYTHING is painted in a Model Master acrylic paint, from the can. Or maybe enamel? I don't remember. What are methods, for both, to strip the paint off the model so I can resand/reprime/repaint it?

2) Superglue. How do I get rid of this?

3) Uh. Anti-skid pads.... anyone got some in 1/350?

4) Is this even worth it? I can get one of these kits for ~40 bucks.

I build her full hull, but I think I'm going to show her as of that night in 1942 when she got up close and personal with a Japanese BB, just before being sunk.