The Ship Model Forum

Hi Guys,
Tom,
Are you going to build waterline also?
Charlie,
You were the one who was wondering about converting the hull to waterline, right?
Tom,
I too have used the Testors clear parts cement and window maker. I originally used this on a/c small windows; just what Charlie said.
I used the window maker on the rear-most upper bridge windows, (facing aft), but I had already finished the bridge window frames and everything else before thinking, glass bridge windows; so these windows are all open. These windows must have been sliding behind thicker steel sliding covers. That's how it looks to me.
Charlie,
I'd love to see some pics of your New Jersey.
I can probably help you to post pics, but you'll first need a, "photo bank". My words. Also, read the, "Picture Post", Thread. Read the first few pages, and that should get you going.
You have done things that I have been a little bit unsure about trying, and I'd really like to know how you finished your wood decks.
Did you paint, and streak...or what?
Thanks in advance, Tony Bunch

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"You guys make this hobby fun!"
"Some of my dearest friends I have made right here on Modelwarships"

Hi Guys,
Kenny,
Mr.Owl was the wisest of the wise, and was the only one who knew how many licks it took to get to the center of a Tootsie-Roll tootsie-pop. Doesn't everybody know this????
Abram is on track, but the Wisconsin has the least of the, "black decking", (to be honest..unlike the Iowa...sorry Abram), which I have been referring to as non-skid.

This is an assumption, as I have not seen any of these ships, (and not their decks to be sure), in many years. I did watch the Missouri in all of glory and mightiness depart San Diego harbor back in 1990. I will never forget that day! Not being a sailor, I can only wonder what it would have been like to be one of the last, (or any for that matter), of the Battleship Sailors!
Funny thing...if you tour the Missouri, (virtual or otherwise), there is no non-skid on her aft deck today.
Rock on Iowa Fans!
faithfully submitted, Tony Bunch
one of many.......

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"You guys make this hobby fun!"
"Some of my dearest friends I have made right here on Modelwarships"

Steve,
You've studied the Iowas'. Is all of the black on the aft deck of all of the modernized Iowas non-skid? Why are all 4 ships different in this area? Must not be a safety issue.
Tony B

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"You guys make this hobby fun!"
"Some of my dearest friends I have made right here on Modelwarships"

Tony, no I'm doing a full hull rather than a waterline. I find the full hull more pleasing, and a whole lot less work. I'll have to give the Testors a try since I'm not to that point yet and can still do it.

What about the upper level around the conning tower, did those forward facing openings also have glass with covers that lowered, or were they simply open after the cover was dropped. I can see several shots where it's obvious that a cover has been dropped, but you can't tell if it's open behind it, or has glass.

Tom

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Tom Hathaway

Tom,
Are you talking about the armored conning tower?
If so, there were glass covered slits as viewports; then there were additional drop-down covers..again..see thru. As best I can tell.
If you are talking about the bridge windows; these were sliding up and down pieces, as I have seen pic of them only partialy open. Also, if there was a reflection that could be seen from a distance,(wartime situation), then these panes of sliding glass were in the up position; therefore giving off no reflection.
I have pics to post, but not here from the Hobby Shop.
YoHo!
Hapy Holidays!
Tony Bunch

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"You guys make this hobby fun!"
"Some of my dearest friends I have made right here on Modelwarships"

Hi Guys,
Here are some great pictures of Charlie's, (PopPop's), Tamiya 1/350 BB62.

here's another...........

and another.............looking goooooooood!!!

Great, Great, Job!
.......just helping out a fellow Iowa Class Fan.....
Faithfully submitted, Tony Bunch

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"You guys make this hobby fun!"
"Some of my dearest friends I have made right here on Modelwarships"

Tony, the area I'm talking about is directly in front of the armored conning tower, and directly above the enclosed bridge. The front facing of the open deck directly above the enclosed bridge has 5 "panels" which in various photos show as either "up" or down. I'm not sure whether the slide up or hinge. In the Tamiya kit, they are molded solid and slightly indented. I'm just wondering, since when the covers are down you can see daylight through the opening, whether they also had some sort of glass windscreen behind the covers or were simply open. There is a similar arrangement on the open platform on the forward face of the tower even with the cap on the first funnel. Again the Tamiya kit has recessed the panels.

Any ideas or better photos?

Tom

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Tom Hathaway

I know I'm full of questions but while I'm at it, here's another one.

What are the items on the deck aft of the rear stack and forward of the aft surface lookout tower? The Tamiya kit parts are E5 and E6. I can't figure out what they are, the line drawings don't help much and I haven't been able to find a photo which shows them clearly. Even the great shots that Steve did of the museum model don't provide much of a clue. About the only shot I've found is on page 139 of Sumrall's book, and they are covered by a tarp! The overhead shot of the Missouri in NY City Harbor in Oct of 1945 is dark in that area, although it clearly shows there' is a flag box on the deck back there as well which the kit doesn't have.

Any clue on this one?

Tom

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Tom Hathaway

Hi Guys,
Tom,
Those are 5" practice loaders. Boy, talk about deja vu! Almost two years ago exactly...I was posting this very same question!......and the question about the bridge windows, and a question about the white stripe behind funnel 2 and the practice loaders, (obviously you have the Stillwell book), and the mk57 gun directors, (installed on Missouri after 01/45), and the...and the....
Funny!
What comes around, goes around!!! Steve Larsen answered each of my questions in detail....sparing as much time as was required to give me a full and understandable answer to each particular query. He has also e-mailed plenty of scale Missouri plan drawings for reference. Now it is my turn! I will post some pics later, as I must get ready for work. I can help.
THIS IS WHAT MAKES Modelwarships.com a GREAT place to go for ship modelers'!!!!!!!!! People like Steve and all of you guys! Great bunch of guys!!!
faithfully suibmitted, Tony Bunch

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"You guys make this hobby fun!"
"Some of my dearest friends I have made right here on Modelwarships"

They are the 5" practice loading machines. Chad


http://warshipmodels.com/~users/grimrea ... achine.jpg
http://warshipmodels.com/~users/grimrea ... chine1.jpg

Hi Guys,
Tom,
Chad beat me to it!
Good going Chad.
Another fine Iowa Class Fan! He's a 1/96 modeler, but has the heart of a 1/700 modeler.
Where some people think...Smaller is Better!
No matter, the Iowa Fans are the BEST!!!!!!!
faithfully submitted, Tony Bunch
a humble Iowa Class Fan
HAPPY HOLIDAYS ONE AND ALL!!!!!

_________________
"You guys make this hobby fun!"
"Some of my dearest friends I have made right here on Modelwarships"

PRACTICE loaders!!!!! All has been revealed!!!! Makes perfect sense!! That's a great help!!!!

Thanks for the info and the pictures!!!! On to the modeling part!!!!

(Chad, what plans are those? They are WAY better than the 17 panel from the NNSY from around 1950 that are available as a .pdf!!!)

Tom

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Tom Hathaway

Tom, it is the floating drydocks' USS Missouri plan book. out of print the last I seen, Pacific Front Hobbies shows in their publication section for 42.00 Chad

Thanks, Chad. I just did a check and wasn't able to find it listed on their site.


I did realize after you guys mentioned what it was, that the Raven book on Fletcher Class Destroyers has some great drawings of the loader, so I'm using that to modify the kit parts to make them more representative.

The kit has "handed" parts. I've certainly never been inside a twin 5" mount, and I don't know whether the tubes inside were symetrically opposite or not. I can see a case for having the breeches open in opposite directions, but being an old artilleryman, I'd be surprised if that's how the ordnance guys did it.

If you're able to find the plans still posted on the Pacific Front site (or elsewhere) I'd be happy to know that.

Tom

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Tom Hathaway

May seem like an oversimplification but in studying some warship photos I am noticing dark colored blast bags AND the 'white'-colored ones also. Was there some 'standardization' or preference among navies or am I simply seeing color 'phases'? Thanks ahead of time for enlightening me.

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Hi Guys,
Scott,
Here are some pics of main battery blast bags....
Here is the USS Iowa as seen during WWII.
[img]http://warshipmodels.com/~users/Tony%20Bunch/016383c.jpg[/img]
Here is the USS Missouri taken last year at rest in Pearl Harbor. Photo courtesy of Mr. Bing Wan

....as you can see...all of the MAIN BATTERY Blast Bags are black.
Here are some pics of more accurate builds, (both of the Missouri in this case), and as you can see....black.
Here is the 1/48 Gibbs and Cox "Builders" model.

Here is the John R Haynes 1/192 Missouri model, (one of my favorite to study for colors and extra details), and my favorite Missouri model.

This post is mainly focusing on the main battery, but there are some bloomers on the 5"38 twin mounts on the WWII Iowa. They look to be black also.
For paint colors, I will, (been on my 1/350 Missouri for 2.5 years on and off, and still have not yet touched the turrets), most likely use Floquil paint color, "Grimy Black", for these blast bags. This will be flat finish and slightly faded. I used this color on all of my a/c tires before I got "turned"!
faithfully submitted, Tony Bunch
Happy Holidays from SoCal

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"You guys make this hobby fun!"
"Some of my dearest friends I have made right here on Modelwarships"

okay, i know i'll be using the wrong terminology here but the barrel caps... the black canvas type thingies with the star..... i know pretty much every ship has/had them.

how do they take those off, put them on? have a guy slide up the barrel and slip em on? do the barrels lower down enough that they use a ladder? just curious. And do they only put them on when docked?

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Tony:

Is there a web site that has pictures of John R Haynes build? Or some other source? Seems like another good reference as the Missouri takes shape.

Regards,

Charlie

Hi Guys,
Hopefully Steve Larsen will read this, as he sent three pics to me of this particular model. I think that there is a website, but I have not searched. I think he has a 1/192 product line for the Iowa Class, but that's all I cold guess.
Nice build though!
Happy Holidays!
Tony Bunch

_________________
"You guys make this hobby fun!"
"Some of my dearest friends I have made right here on Modelwarships"

Stu, Dave Becker has: http://www.modelshipgallery.com/gallery ... index.html

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-Abram