The Ship Model Forum

Ive started building this project a while ago, may be a year.

Hasegawa Yellow Sea is the basis for this kit, but dating it back just using paint scheme as I believe differences arent huge between Victorian and Yellow Sea one of 1904 vintage.

A 1902-04 Mikasa, nothing super exact dates wise as I just want a nice Victorian paint scheme. It will have - after some research:

1. Black hull
2. White and Black masts
3. White ventilators with red innards


It was then put into the box, waiting its turn as I focused on Hood and Bismark. Now that those, and a few others are done, I finally got back into Mikasa work.

Hasegawa kit is accurate but over scale a lot, in many areas. I discover this after painting many parts and go back to rebuilding, hence the long project. The PE included enough for a small detail, not huge, and it is also rather thick. But it's ok, better than nothing and I didnt wanna spent too much more on this tiny ship. I am gonna rebuild masts though and funnel cages and some guide supports on the superstructure as youll see later.


Here is the progress in the first part of the build. This is 2017, where I was slowly building it in parallel to others. I havent yet figured out the order of PE vs paint. So it is more paint, and PE later. Im not sure thats how Id build it today as it slows everything a lot.

Stay tuned for more...

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The second batch - end of 2017, when I repainted the ship into Victorian colors It is dry fitted in this picture and masts are still in the box. Here it resembles a battleship but so much more to do. Note the overscale mast tops...

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Lower hull weathering with salt - it was a test but I was relatively happy with the outcome. All I want is a random texture look to it.

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We continue.

So I picked it up a month or two ago and have been back at it.

First I dealt with masts, I didnt like the stock ones, but I also think mine are not ideal. I gave them this wire mesh on top, with an idea to install a canvas that covered the yard arms at some point. however I decided against it for now, and left them as is. It looks as if they are just covered in some thread. Will see if I keep it or put a bit of white glue on top and make it look like canvas all along.

I also started working on PE - the list is not big, but tedious - one must install the warious walkways, and also the supports for torpedo nets (thats another project entirely!).

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And while at it, I modified a bunch of things that I felt was over scale or just poorly executed by Hasegawa. Once you start pulling at that thread you gonna unravel the whole ship so the trick is knowing when to stop.

Here I tackled lack of anchor chains coming out of hawse pipes - I drilled them inside, and threated some braided wiresand kind just jammed it on top of the plastic one. I think it works.

I also rebuilt the supports for the superstructure, including the internal ones and ones on outside. This is crucial imho.

Then I weathered the hull weather, adding a muck line. Thats also added a bit of interest to the model.

Finally, I tried to replace funnel caging with scratch built items, arguably it is messier than before but it was a fun project nonetheless!

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Next phase was about merging the hull and superstructure.

Then came railings, the fun part. I used the tape method to position them and dotted with superglue. The railings are thick even in PE form. They really stick out in white color too. So I washed them with dark gray, and it some of the heft was hidden that way.

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And this is how she sits today.

Still needs rigging and some small scratch building on masts, torp nets etc.

References for rigging in 1902 guise is a problem - if anyone has some please let me know!

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Rigging began which is quite arduous. I cant really figure out how to rig masts etc so Im now using Mikasa from WOlrd of Warships as closest I have. Hardly best case, but it is what it is!

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The 1/350 kits included rigging diagrams - sad to hear the 1/700 does not.

Here are Hobby Search's scan of the diagram included in the Tsushima kit:
https://www.1999.co.jp/itbig32/10321618z11.jpg
https://www.1999.co.jp/itbig32/10321618z12.jpg

Sadly their Yellow Sea/prewar kit entry didn't scan the diagram included in that kit. It looks a bit simplified but once applied onto the model the effect appears to be sufficient - I stuck by them for my own rendition done back when I was still in my 'teens: http://www.modelshipgallery.com/gallery ... index.html

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De quoi s'agit-il?

I referenced yours a lot actually! very cool. Every time I opened the pics of it in gallery I kept saying "I wanna see this photographed against a plain background!!" . NIce job, thanks.

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One thing I am stuck at is the crane booms. There are two.

They are lowered.

The funnel guys - wiring that supports funnels - are seemingly intermingling with the crane. Like they are passing right through it. On Formidables the funnel support wires were much closer to funnel base - unlike as shown on Mikasa. So while on Formidables there is clarity, on Mikasa I dont get how the crane operated with funnel rigs in place as per diagramme. I assume the ship didnt lose the cranes, so how did it look?

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Settled on a solution for rigging... now its all done, waiting for a proper photoshoot when I have time. A lovely build it was and very happy with the kit, ship, and all the little bits added, such as the torpedo nets form braided wires or canvas screens on some of the railings and masts.

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Please move to finished builds thread

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It's a very beautiful result.

Glad you went for the black and white instead of the grey livery.

I like that they give you a piece of wood for a base.

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Thank you!

Much prefer the victorian livery. Not many 1/700 pre-dreadnoughts also around... and in this scheme it looks british built!

The wood base is a useful addition indeed. Stained it ebony black.

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