Just starting out

[mark9976]

Hi all,

I've been modeling for a while now and wanted to take on a large ship, so I've chosen the USS Arizona (BB-39) in 1/72 scale. I've been designing it in 3D and the model is now at the point where I'm ready to start printing the hull and setting up for the build.

Since this is my first project with serious finish work, I'd appreciate some advice from those of you who have done big builds:

1. Seams: What's your process for closing the seams between printed hull sections (filler, sanding, primer) so they disappear under paint?
2. Paint order: Do you paint sub-assemblies as you go, or assemble most of the ship first and paint at the end?
3. Paint and tools: Do you airbrush? If so, which paints do you prefer (acrylic vs. lacquer, brands) and what primer works well over resin/PLA prints?

Any tips on things you wish you'd known before your first big ship would be welcome too.

Here's a render of where the model stands:



Thanks in advance,
Mark

[FFG-7]

I presume you are doing her in the 1941 time period but there are issues with what you have done. what drawings & plans are you using? are you going to put the docking keels on the bottom of the hull? at 1/72 scale, that model will be 101.4167" long.

BB-39 USS Arizona Booklet of General Plans (1941) https://archive.org/details/bb39bogp1941
BB-39 USS Arizona Technical Drawings (1930) https://archive.org/details/bb39ga1930
BB-39 USS Arizona Technical Drawings (1915) https://archive.org/details/bb39ga1915

BB-39 USS ARIZONA http://www.navsource.net/archives/01/39a.htm

[GrahamW78]

I presume you are doing her in the 1941 time period but there are issues with what you have done.

FFG-7 i did something similar years back with a 1/96 HMS Hood off one magazine plan, didn't check it against anything else cos i couldn't be arsed, and it was only when the turrets were glued on that a mate who knew his stuff pointed out i'd mixed up two different refits, fair play to him for not laughing too much. what got me more was the size tho, mine came out nearly 9 foot and i had to accomodate it in the garage next to the MGB which went down like a lead balloon with the missus. ended up stripping the whole upper deck back and redoing it, took alot longer than the first go, anyway just my two pennies worth

[FFG-7]

how many years back did you do the mk1 Hood?

[GrahamW78]

how many years back did you do the mk1 Hood?

gotta be fifteen years back now mate, maybe more, can't be arsed digging the photos out to check lol, though i wouldn't call it a mk1 as such cos it was the same hull just with the upper deck ripped off and redone, so not sure it counts as a proper second build. tbh i'm not sure i'd be as hard on mark about the plans as you are either, cos for me getting it wrong is what made it stick, you definately remember which refit is which once you've had to strip it back, anyway just my two pennies worth