The Ship Model Forum

I am pleased to announce that we have finally completed the waterline 1/700 scale Oklahoma and Nevada kits which were previewed at the Las Vegas IPMS show. Both kits are now available on the Tom's Modelworks website. https://www.tomsmodelworks.com/catalog/index.php

These kits were made in collaboration with leading 3D designers (3DModelParts, Model Monkey, Kraken Hobbies) and are highly detailed. The hull is resin and was cast by Corsair Armada. The kits reflect the two ships as they were on the morning of 12/7/41 and show many differences between them. A full set of brass details is included as well as 3D printed OS2U Kingfisher aircraft. Complete instructions are included and no scratch-building is required! If you can make a plastic kit with some photo-etch details, you can make these! This amazing 3D printing technology allows us to make parts that fit together easily yet have wonderful detail. Treat yourself to an "after Christmas" present!

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"A ship in harbor is safe, but that is not what ships are built for."
- William Shedd

And for a close-up review of the kit, Martin just published his on this site: http://www.modelwarships.com/reviews/sh ... Nevada.htm

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De quoi s'agit-il?

2nd Christmas for me! An order for Nevada placed!

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- David
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Almost completed: BB-44 ('45), BB-56 ('42), BB-59 ('44)
Just building:

I wish 1/700 was my scale because they look fantastic. I believe this demonstrates where our hobby is headed, such crisp details, just amazing.

BW

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Brandon S. Wood

Hi,

Great looking kit! Glad to see my parts included !

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Model kit manufacturer and distributor: https://b2b.modellbaudienst.de
Distributor of Very Fire, Snowman, Milania Master Korabel, Falkonet, Microdisign in EU
1:350 HMS Diana 1794 - nearly released
Further kits in preparation.

I have to say that I'm a bit stung by Martin's assessment of my contribution to the project, namely the hull. I had nothing to do with the planking, portholes or sag. I was given the old HP hull to do what I could and had a bit over two weeks to make the changes AND cast 50 copies of the hull. Samples were then sent to Kraken, with the bulk going to Richard. The hulls had to be done before anything else so the other parts (3d and etch) would fit.

I added deck edge strips so the plank lines wouldn't run off the edges; larger bitts to match plans; chocks added where there were none before; etch doors and hatches to replace plastic rectangles; centering holes for the 3D turrets were added to the barbettes; removal of "Aztec" stairs; removal of anchor chains and anchors; removal of the paravanes; removal of the gasoline line and redefined the hawse pipe ends; revised the stern inset to make it more accurate than any previous version. I wish I had time to address the grooves in the planking where HP added a midship hull extension. The aircraft crane base already existed from the 1944 version of the Nevada, so a 3D version was deemed unnecessary. I think most of the remaining flaws will be hidden by the new upper works and fittings. I'm sorry if what I did wasn't considered enough. I think what the others have done is a vast improvement over what had previously been available.

Mike @ CAP

Mike:

Thanks for taking the time to explain to us all the work you did on the HP models hull. Based on your description, you obviously brought the hull to a new level, turning a veritable sow's ear into a silk purse, and as a result of your labors it is a much better representation of USS Nevada than it was previously. But I think that Martin, as a reviewer, was doing his job by describing a small number of areas where he felt that the hull was not necessarily up to current standards, which we now understand was due to limits in the time available to you. As a potential customer, I appreciate both your description of the work done, and his assessment of the product. I guess there will inevitably be tensions between craftsmen and reviewers (I write for a living, and am frequently unhappy with my editors, LOL), but I appreciate the professionalism that both of you bring to your work.

Please don't feel stung--you have made an immeasurable contribution to our hobby, and I hope that you will continue to do so for years to come!

So here's to hoping that the Nevada and Oklahoma kits are a commercial success, and that they inspire further collaborative efforts of this sort.

Please keep up the great work!

Best,

Mike E.

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Mike E.

What Mike did to this old HP hull was quite remarkable. He has done this for all the other kits I have released that were once HP kits. I don't have any side by side, old v. new hull pictures but trust me, this project doesn't work without Mike remastering of the hull to start with. I knew what he would do with it before I even contacted anybody else. We all knew the planking was overscale. Matt grudgingly made the 01 level conform to the planking on the hull! That a twenty-plus year old resin master hull isn't quite as detailed as brand new 3D printed superstructure and weapons parts is inevitable but I believe Mike's work on re-mastering it means it that the hull absolutely "holds it own."

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"A ship in harbor is safe, but that is not what ships are built for."
- William Shedd

I would echo these comments. Mike, your ability to conjure magic from resin is second to none, as I know personally.

I also know that Martin was giving an objective assessment of the hull for the prospective audience. I certainly don't read his comments as anything disparaging towards you. He clearly stated that it was the old HP hull that had been reworked, and indicated many points to illustrate that it had been done so extremely well.

It's just not perfect, as few kits are. And that's completely understandable, given the starting point of the old HP hull. That you had but two weeks to modify and produce it speaks to your unparalleled abilities. \

As Rich said, without you, this new kit doesn't exist.

I understand what you all have said and thanks for the support, but I wish Martin had been able to better differentiate between what was changed and what was on the original that couldn't be addressed. It's not that I didn't want to make additional changes. I just didn't have either the time, or the justification for further expenses to Richard.

Mike, nobody said that. Neither of us and certainly Martin did not. He just profesionally summarized the output. Many pros and a few cons. We all agree you did a wonderful job within the given inputs and given timeframe. Case closed.

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- David
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Almost completed: BB-44 ('45), BB-56 ('42), BB-59 ('44)
Just building:

To all who ordered one or both of these kits, thank you! They were all mailed today. There was a delay for two reasons, one we discovered a flaw in one of the brass sets and that needed replacing and also everyone here tested positive for Covid and had to isolate. We are fortunate that no one had any serious issues but it did delay the processing of these orders.

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"A ship in harbor is safe, but that is not what ships are built for."
- William Shedd