1/72 Yamato - or a steep learning curve!

[Rich S.]

beautiful

i love the fact it's wood


rich s.

[ingura]

....

[herbieham]

well Mike( ozpirate) came over and I've been to his place.
he has taught me heaps -and Im already seeing vast improvement in my work with the styrene -and he gave me a very cheap supplier too.
been busy holiday stuff -but work continues -about 2 weeks and Ill have more stuff to show on the superstructure -got to get it exactly right!

Hull is upside down and in the process of being hand sanded -big job!
So it will be about 2-3 weeks before I have anything new I think.

Its been great though -sitting beside the radio listening to the cricket -slowly assembling stuff -and i really think now that i can really do this.

Wish i'd started this hobby years ago!

[ozpirate]

Wish I'd started this hobby years ago!

Now how many of us can relate to this???

[Steppenrig]

Hey guys,

Herbieham - Why don't you get a small orbital sander and save yourself hours of hand sanding?
I got a Black and Decker 'Mouse' from Bunnings the other day, the sander plus a couple of packs of 80 grit pads has cost me less than AUD$100 so far (the pads come in a pack of 5 for ~ AUD$10.50, and they last for quite a while). The little thing is like magic, the hull of CG(X) is really starting to look smart in it's smoothness.

Otherwise, great build, good work mate!

Dave

[TommyL]

final one for now -wife made following comment to Son today -"he's up in the shed -sniffing glue again"

How come most people think your crazy or flash a strange look when they find out your interested in ship models? Its almost like we are sinning. I don't get it. Its like they look at it as something little kids do then they grow out of it.

TommyL.

[herbieham]

Hi Steppenrig!
Im hand sanding cause Im too big of a clutz with a machine -especially with balsa!
I confess I used a sander i have for a while and have ruined the "armour belt profile" on one side -have spent 2 days rectifying that......grrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr.(and have more work to do again -glad its not glassed yet )
The room I work in has a clear perspex roof -so in summer very hot -so litle work on hull done this week -a fair bit on the superstructure base -but at least a week to go before I have anything to show for it.

Question -does glass resin react to styrene? -or will i have to cover it like the foam bow/stern with paper machee first?.

Actually Tommy, Im very, very lucky, my wife is very supportive -very -and enjoys sending people up to see "the beast" -she is glad i am busy with a project again -after finishing renovating the house (twice -once , then again after a storm) I was really moping about!
Work again this week, so i suppose progress slows a little.

Funny one this week - I rest the beast on big foam sheets 3 inches thick at times -and i accidently spilt the bottle of solvent glue I have, and about a capfull landed on it -MAN! -sizzle, melt, sizzle - chemistry at its most interesting!

[herbieham]

Its been stinking hot here for the last week -and my hobby room has a clear perspex roof -so its been hard to get into there to do much.
However have added the keels, sealed the foam ends, and sanded the hull now ready to glass.
Fixed up the sanding stuff up of the armour belt profile as well
Had my friend over who actually makes the fibreglass resin we buy in the shops he declares it ready to glass as well -so it must be right to go! he's going to give me a quote tomorrow -so I might be glassing very soon -I hope (I have no idea how much this will cost -if its heaps we may have a delay on the hull -- LOL

Any way, heres a piccie - the brown stuff is a filler I have been using

[herbieham]

At the same time I have been ferretting at the main superstructure -firmly decided to make a 1/72 sized 1/200 Nichimo -if its not 100% accurate -well I haven't stressed over it -this is meant to be enjoyable!
Although not nearly as good as what some guys do here -Im pleased.
2 non moddelling friends came over -one asked where was the kit? -and another asked how in the world did I do that -so that was good
A fair bit of putty on it -but mainly on the bits that will soon be under guns -or under the deckplate tread

Started the detailing process for it as well -lots, and lots of things to build!!

The most satisfying thing was putting it together -and its still right size as per the model guide Im using.
Some more piccies:

[herbieham]

[herbieham]

last one - the details are the key I believe

[Dave Wooley]

In the few short weeks I've been off the board I see I have a great deal of catching up to do
Dave Wooley

[herbieham]

well work goes slowly - mostly learning stuff this week.
The great -what did yamato really look like problem bites me - I put ventilation intake on front of superstructure same as the nichimo model - but every other picture i see shows something different -including photos recently found.

So my first real re do -scrap em -and do again (something I think I am learning you just have to do to get even a 1/4 good result.)
Sometimes look at other work on these forums and despair at my lack of skill!
I did say that this is a steep learning curve!
I suppose with so many brilliant builds on these forums -us butter fingers had better have a story for ourselves (LOL)
Still , its all about the satisfaction of the process -so we carry on!
Glass will be going on hull next week end I hope.
I have a friend who can supply for, well, basically nil cost -so Im prepared to wait for it the budget is that tight!

[herbieham]

the beast has just been glassed
2.5 ltrs of resin, 4 sq metres of clothe
Now i hope it cures properly

[Jose Chaica]

Can�t wait to see your work on the supersctructure...which, btw, is a good time to continue, as the resin sets...

.

[herbieham]

OK, here is my next take on the story of the beast -warts and all

Im pretty raw at this -if you have not guessed, and fibreglassing experience is very, very low

Anyway, two of the elders in my Church (who are very good friends) are in the glass business.
If you are in sydney -you may have heard of FMS , Fibre Glass material supplies.
Anyway, Steve and Graham of Scott technologies actually make the resins for FMS to order, Graham is actually a industrial chemist.
So they very kindly supplied me with "some resin left overs", and gave me the fibre, and Steve very carefully explained the procedure.
So away I go -and glass

mmmmmmmmmmm 24hrs -and its still sticky!!!
AAAAAAAAAAArghhh
So almost in tears (Ill admit it) I ring them with my woes -thinking this is a disaster
To cut a long story short -the glass is fine -its meant to be exactly how it is -hard, but flexible -and still slightly sticky -ready for the next coat, then the final coat of gelcoat. (Steve will lend me the gear to spray it on)
Apparently this is a Scott Technology "special"
So -I have a couple of air bubbles to remove(nothing dramatic at all) and Steve says job well done.
I said this would be a steep learning curve -and it sure is. (ignorance really revealed!)But I am glad i am having a go at this, its a real treat isn't it to see something grow from our efforts!.
Now I know that modellers are not mad -you all have tremendous patience and tenacity to see some of these models I see here through.

Can't wait to get up the back with the dremel and the bog this week, and to get that next hard coat on, I have found some one here in Sydney who makes deck planking, Mike has a contact for getting shafts made (though I might have a good crack at that by myself), and the Navy is sending me to sea in April (seagoing allowance = the radio gear!)
The beast building steams on!

[herbieham]

Ok-who forgot to tell me this sanding, bogging caper is hard work huh!


This is going to take ages LOL

[HMAS]

Hey Herbieham
check this out 1/75 scale http://island.geocities.jp/nekohati_kun/page029.html
No I can't read Japanese, so don't ask! enjoy
Tony

[herbieham]

Mien Gott!

I am not worthy -did you see some of those models -fantastic!

[herbieham]

Its just tooooooooooo hot to sand the hull - so Im tackling the tower
(still not perfect, but Im getting there........)