The Ship Model Forum

This is my first scratch build ever. I hope I am putting this in the right place. I started this in 2011 and its been finished for about a year. I put it under glass this summer. I used plans from The Floating Drydock for USS Alabama (as built) as well as plans for the USS Massachusetts. I built the ship as best I could for her end of war fit. I live only three hours from the Alabama and I took as many pictures of the real ship I could as well as much research at Navsource. The fact that I have lived so close to the ship all my life and have visited the museum many times is what has inspired me to do this model. The basic structure for the hull is 1/4 inch luan ply for the framing then covered with two layers of 1/8 balsa sheet. Then I simulated the hull plating with printer card stock. The superstructure is made of solid balsa again covered in card stock. I cast my own main and secondary turrets as well as many of the small parts found all over the model. There are some things I know might not be exactly correct (20mm gun mounts/0S2 etc) and other things that might not be exactly to scale because I had no plan for it. Only pictures. I will only put up pics of the build process for now but if if anyone has any questions I will be more than happy to answer as best I can. I would also like to thank everyone here at Model warships.com. I studied with great interest many different and awesome ship models looking for inspiration and ideas.

Sort of a jump now in the hull construction. I have covered the framing with two layers of 1/8 balsa sheet. bow and stern are shaped with solid balsa block. I used body filler for final shaping.

Here is the hull now covered in the card stock to simulate the hull plating. Some superstructure parts going up as well. Basic profile of the ship taking shape.

Some hull priming, paint, details being added. Main deck planking.

Now on to some early superstructure construction. I used 1 inch thick balsa planks for the dack levels. Again used card stock for plating and fabrication.

The 5 inch guns. I made a master and cast these myself from resin. The barrels are from B&D barrels. Ladder rungs were made from staples.

Congratulations! It is quite an achievement. It looks very good.

Some main deck detailing and painting.

The main guns. Like the 5 inch turrets I made a master and cast these myself, Each one took 16 ounces of resin to cast.

The MK 37 directors. I made these myself as well. The radars are JR Haynes.

Now just some oddball small items.

Moving back to the superstructure construction and detailing now.

I hesitate to call you this but . . . LIAR!!! That's too good to be a first effort!

More details

More details

The rest of these pictures will be the completed model and building the stand

A few more

Building the stand

Under glass finally

Last pictures