1/350 USS Arizona

[ArizonaBB39]

Recently I acquired a 1/350 Arizona and have been collecting information and researching more about the ship. I know a lot about her, but am no means an expert, so I can always learn more! That being said I've been intrigued by all the different ideas of the final paint scheme of the ship. Some time ago I built an after the attack Arizona. I decided to use this as a test bed for the colors/scheme I was thinking of using. I was able to purchase some of my favorite brand of paint, the Model Master Naval colors, 5-D and 5-S. I decided I'd try one of the different ideas on my already built kit to see how it looked. I painted the hull, and main mast in 5-D and the turrets, barbets, catapult, and crane in 5-S.
Things I noticed: The 5-D is VERY dark, so much so that you can hardly see the black boot topping in some angles and lights. The 5-S is also VERY blue, and almost looks a little silly to me. I'm sure if I took more time to weather it, though, it wouldn't look so strange. Here are two pictures I took with my phone, once I charge my real camera I'll take more pictures.




Here's a crop of the second one put in grey scale. Interesting how it turned out:



I have an extra set of TOM's Arizona photo etch that I plan to add to the ship and then I want to experiment with cotton balls to create smoke to depict the ship still burning/smoking. (which is why I didn't repaint the forward superstructure/mast and turrets.)

So this thread will contain the build up of my new Arizona kit as I start working on it. What do you guys think of the colors? Got any ideas on how to weather especially the 5-S to make it look better? Thanks!

[Tracy White]

5-D chalked rather badly. I did some chalking on my 5-D USS Ward with white oil paints, technique similar to the "dot filter" you may have seen discussed here before.

[denstore]

5-D chalked rather badly. I did some chalking on my 5-D USS Ward with white oil paints, technique similar to the "dot filter" you may have seen discussed here before.

I havn't seen this before. Do you remember in what thread?
Opens up for more "weathering" -like effects.
Have missed the dot-filter discussion as well. What is it about?

[Tracy White]

It was in a WIP thread, now completed, that I haven't had a chance to find yet. Someone's Dragon destroyer in Ms 12 Mod.....

[ArizonaBB39]

Alright, here are some pictures of my new Arizona build:





The fighting top isnt glued nor are the legs. I made it so the fore leg goes all the way through the boat deck as well. I'm not done with the fighting top yet. Still need to add the radar platform and a couple other things. The replacement windows from the GMM set are great, but super hard to put on, but look so much better!

[Tracy White]

Looking good!

Already so much farther along than my own build!

[LE BOSCO]

hello Abram

good start ,for your project
Nicolas

[ArizonaBB39]

Thanks guys. I had a little time to work on her tonight, I think I"m done with the forward fighting top. The yard arms were a super pain to get aligned, and they still aren't, but they are close enough. I made the radar platform out of a piece of 3x5 card I cut to the shape of the platform. To get the shape I traced over my 1/192 plans on a plastic bag, then I cut that out and used it to transfer the shape to the 3x5 card, I then free-handed the shape in a smaller size that I felt looked about right then cut it out of the 3x5 card. I used .75mm rod for the radar base and cut little triangles for the supports around it. They're probably too big, but they're as small as they're gonna get! I used extra railing I have for the railing around the platform and to make the little yardarms coming off of the platform. I added some ladder rungs to the sides of the fighting top. To make these, and the ones on the back I took a length of ladder and folded it in half. I don't have the skill to glue on each individual rung, so I thought this was a good compromise. I also made the little bits that stick out of the front of the fighting top (no idea what they're called) by cutting two lengths of plastic and gluing them together to make a little step. All it needs now is some paint and rigging, but that will come later.

[Tracy White]

I also made the little bits that stick out of the front of the fighting top (no idea what they're called)

Those are the towing and masthead lights.
Good progress!

[ArizonaBB39]

Thanks Tracy!

Some more progress, I got turret 3 done and ready for paint. I cut the kit barrels off at their base and drilled a small hole to accommodate the master models metal barrel replacements. The master models barrels are excellent, and I recommend them! I tried adding some pieces to the catapult so it didn't look so "empty" I know its not accurate, but I like it. I added some styrene cut to size to the range finder ears to recreate the optics. I'm still undecided on blast bags or not right now, but other than that the turret is done.

[ArizonaBB39]

Last update for the weekend, started scratch building the superstructure/bridge decks using my plans from floating dry dock since the kit pieces do not have the correct number of portholes or doors.

[Christian M.]

Hello Abram, looks great until now!
When I bought Arizona kit as first ship model to build, I used barrels from ABER, but looking to Mastermodell, these are quite better. Also this stick of Mastermodell barrel to glue in a hole is far better, because this one from Aber I had was much bigger in Diameter and so I had problems to drill a hole in the base.

Question: Why don't you make Blastbags? I ask, because there are photos of Arizona in Pearl before attasck wearing them...

[ArizonaBB39]

Christian, thanks for the kind words. I mostly am undecided about the blast bags because I haven't found a way I like doing them yet. I am still learning, of course.

[sgtryan13]

Nice work, and truly a labor of love, putting all that effort into a kit that is, well, a bit lacking to say the least.

I had often been unsure of how to do the blast bags, having tried the white glue, tissue paper, aluminum foil, cotton wadding, and many other techniques with disasterous results...

That was all until I tried air-drying kid's craft clay to sculpt blast bags. It is simple, easy to sculpt, easy to remove, and the effects are great, you can use a scalpel to make creases, etc. When it iar dries, it may crack some, just fill the cracks with thinned white glue and you'll be fine. Cick on the link inmy signature and look at the 1/200 yamato to see the results, that is the technique I used there.

Ryan

[ArizonaBB39]

Ryan thanks for the tip, I've tried all the other techniques you mentioned too and never got the results I wanted. Now I have something new to try!

[Christian M.]

Nice work, and truly a labor of love, putting all that effort into a kit that is, well, a bit lacking to say the least.

I had often been unsure of how to do the blast bags, having tried the white glue, tissue paper, aluminum foil, cotton wadding, and many other techniques with disasterous results...

That was all until I tried air-drying kid's craft clay to sculpt blast bags. It is simple, easy to sculpt, easy to remove, and the effects are great, you can use a scalpel to make creases, etc. When it iar dries, it may crack some, just fill the cracks with thinned white glue and you'll be fine. Cick on the link inmy signature and look at the 1/200 yamato to see the results, that is the technique I used there.

Ryan

Ryan, how simple is that? And I fool fought arond with these and that methods you named with same results you told ... and only this simple stuff - Kid's draft - as solution.

Only to name of what I heared also: This masking fluid stuff which plane modelres use to save cockpit glass when airbrushing the plane and so on is like gum when hardend and should work to make blast bags too ... I was told. But kid's draft is much easier aqt least!

[codythecatt]

I was going to start another thread about making blast bags. Now I don't have to! Modeling clay, how simple! Any brand recommendations?

[Zetmodel]

Very nice work!!!

[sgtryan13]

Not trying to steal your thread Arizona, just answering

I don't recall the brand of the clay, I threw out the package long ago, but I recall it having a rainbow on it if that helps

I would think you are fine with any clay, so long as it is air drying clay. It is cheap, and comes in a big brick, way more than you will ever use. I would think you can find it at any crafts/ hobby store, and probably toy stores as well.

[ArizonaBB39]

No need to worry Ryan!

A little update. I got the Navigation Bridge and Emergency Cabin platforms pretty much done. I scratchbuilt the deck houses to more accurately portray the real things.