The Ship Model Forum

With the Z-17 just about done, it is time to starting turning my attention to Gallery's 1/350 "Fighting I". This will be build strictly out of the box. You can find the in-box review here.

I already skipped step 1 (adding the hangar deck), as I've drilled three holes in the bottom of the hull for the finials I'll be using to mount her to her base. I'll get back to that step once the finials are on.

I skipped ahead to step 2 and started with the sonar done. And, just like a similar piece on the Gallery Iwo Jima, the fit was less than stellar:



So, I'll have to break out the Bondo and get to work.

More to come - the beginings of this will be slow, as I want to finish the Z-17 in the next two weeks, and I'm catching up on about four years of neglect around the outside of the house - I've spent the last couple of weekends cleaning up all the flower beds. I've already gone through 40 bags of mulch and ain't done yet...

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Martin

"Tomorrow is the most important thing in life. Comes into us at midnight very clean. It's perfect when it arrives and it puts itself in our hands. It hopes we've learned something from yesterday." John Wayne

Ship Model Gallery

This is a very highly anticipated build!! I will be watching this one for sure. Don't let the flowerpots slow you down

Cheers: Laci

And, so it begins.......

Geez, that sonar dome fit is disappointing. I should be starting work on this one in a month or so, I need to have it done in time for nats to deliver to her owner who lives out that way.

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Enlisted men are stupid, but very cunning and deceitful and bear considerable watching." - Marine Corps Officers Manual, 1894

http://www.modelshipgallery.com/gallery ... index.html

Ryan it is a relative kit to trumpeter remember. I will be following too. Would love to do one with supplies for Nam.

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On the Bench
1/350 Independence
1/350 Dunkerque
1/350 Shimakaze
1/350 Sharnhorst Dragon
1/350 Belfast

Still working on smoothing out the sonar dome. My tube of bondo is just about dried up, which made it difficult to work with. Stopped at a WalMart the other day to get a new tube, and they were out of it...which figures.

Tried using some Mr. Dissolved Putty as well, but that's new to me so I need to get the hang of it. After filling, sanding and repeating, there is still a visible line on the hull. So, I'll need to go back and touch it up some more.




While waiting for the putty to dry on the sonar dome, I added the bilge keels. Gallery was nice enough to add lines on the hull marking their location.

However, the locator tabs on the sprue are in a crappy spot, which take a little trimming and sanding to get smooth...

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Martin

"Tomorrow is the most important thing in life. Comes into us at midnight very clean. It's perfect when it arrives and it puts itself in our hands. It hopes we've learned something from yesterday." John Wayne

Ship Model Gallery

Martin, did your kits flight deck have sink marks (?) in the flight deck? Mine has three small depression with one forward of the superstructure and two behind it. Just wondering if anyone else had this issue.

Ryan, don't sweat it, i slapped it together less any extras because we have no extras yet, all in about one month, you'll make it happen,

Keith

I took the flight deck out of the box to take a look. At first, I didn't see anything, but as I angled the deck, I saw the slighted depression aft of the island and another farther aft, just aft of the deck edge elevator. Looks like they are associated with what must have been a locator tab during the injection molding process. They are very faint, I can see why I missed them at first.

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Martin

"Tomorrow is the most important thing in life. Comes into us at midnight very clean. It's perfect when it arrives and it puts itself in our hands. It hopes we've learned something from yesterday." John Wayne

Ship Model Gallery

While ruminating over the fate of the Z-17, I did some additional work on Intrepid...





Found the fit of the struts onto the shafts a bit wonky - almost bent and broke one shaft. It took some sanding of the shafts and boring out of the part the strut slides through with a rat tail file to get them to fit properly. Moral of the story: take your time, sand/test fit, then repeat as needed. Now I need to go back and putty where the struts go into the hull - there are some small gaps here and there.

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Martin

"Tomorrow is the most important thing in life. Comes into us at midnight very clean. It's perfect when it arrives and it puts itself in our hands. It hopes we've learned something from yesterday." John Wayne

Ship Model Gallery

Finally found time to do some more work on CV-11. After puttying and sanding small gaps around the struts and shafts, I found time to airbrush the bottom of the hull. This allowed me to permanently install the finials that the ship will rest on. Which meant I could finally install the hangar deck and start moving ahead on the build...




Hopefully I'll start to make some real progress now!

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Martin

"Tomorrow is the most important thing in life. Comes into us at midnight very clean. It's perfect when it arrives and it puts itself in our hands. It hopes we've learned something from yesterday." John Wayne

Ship Model Gallery

Started adding sponsons and platforms around the sides of the hull and at the stern...





Then I started working on the structure at the aft end of the ship, that supports the flight deck.


So far, no reamajor fit issues (knock, knock on wood).

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Martin

"Tomorrow is the most important thing in life. Comes into us at midnight very clean. It's perfect when it arrives and it puts itself in our hands. It hopes we've learned something from yesterday." John Wayne

Ship Model Gallery

Added the sides of the hangars today. The outside of these parts have lots of nice detail. The inside, not so much. I've decided to cheat and close the hangar almost entirely up, which saves me some painting. Plus, you can't see much anyway.



Once the sides were up, I dry fitted the flight deck in place, just to make sure everything lined up.


Fit of the hangar bulkheads is pretty good. I only had to fill a few spots. So far, she's going to together fairly quickly and easily. (Knock on wood)

I've skipped a step in the instructions. I'm bypassing the aft platforms and flight deck supports for now, and adding all the parts to the sides of the hangar bulkheads. I'm trying to add as many items as possible before having to paint, but the aft platforms will need paint before assembly of all the parts and flight deck supporst, so I'm going to do that section last.

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Martin

"Tomorrow is the most important thing in life. Comes into us at midnight very clean. It's perfect when it arrives and it puts itself in our hands. It hopes we've learned something from yesterday." John Wayne

Ship Model Gallery

A contest winner in the making!

It looks like the shape of the hull was captured so much better in this kit than Trumpeter did with its 1/350 Essex/Yorktown/Ticonderoga (a bit blunt and boxy) and its Hornet (a reefer van).

Can't wait to see you do your detailing magic.

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Have fun, Monkey around.™

-Steve L.

Complete catalog: - https://www.model-monkey.com/
Follow Model Monkey® on Facebook: - https://www.facebook.com/modelmonkeybookandhobby

You are too kind Steve.

Progress continues. This is really a pretty easy boat to put together. I've got most of the sponsons around the side of the hull on, and have reached a point where I need to paint before I add anything else. Here's the photos...














A few comments: Gallery did a good job on where they located the attachment tabs on many of the parts. There is also some really nice detail on the outside of the hangar bulkheads and on many of the sponsons. Really gives the kit a busy look.

Hoping to crank up the airbrush today and start doing some painting. Stay tuned for more...

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Martin

"Tomorrow is the most important thing in life. Comes into us at midnight very clean. It's perfect when it arrives and it puts itself in our hands. It hopes we've learned something from yesterday." John Wayne

Ship Model Gallery

I'm tuned. Love the bulkhead details on the gallery deck. Oh Trumpeter, why didst thou betray me?

_________________
Have fun, Monkey around.™

-Steve L.

Complete catalog: - https://www.model-monkey.com/
Follow Model Monkey® on Facebook: - https://www.facebook.com/modelmonkeybookandhobby

Looking good Martin! I will be following this with great interest as this kit is on my hit list to be converted to the Hancock.

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Gabriel

Thanks guys.



LOL

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Martin

"Tomorrow is the most important thing in life. Comes into us at midnight very clean. It's perfect when it arrives and it puts itself in our hands. It hopes we've learned something from yesterday." John Wayne

Ship Model Gallery

It must be something of a relief to have the pieces go together relatively well for a change. This speaks well of the kit. I can only dream...

Yeah, the Trumpeter North Carolina this ain't...

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Martin

"Tomorrow is the most important thing in life. Comes into us at midnight very clean. It's perfect when it arrives and it puts itself in our hands. It hopes we've learned something from yesterday." John Wayne

Ship Model Gallery