USS Indiana BB-58 Scratchbuild in 1/96 - 1944

[GTDEATH13]

What colour are you going to use for the decks? Only deck blue or will some have teak colour?

Amazing stuff, really inspiring...

[Bill Waldorf]

What colour are you going to use for the decks? Only deck blue or will some have teak colour?

Amazing stuff, really inspiring...

I'd really like to keep the teak color , however the decks were a dark blue. So, in keeping with historical accuracy, they will be deck blue (20B). Keeping the wood decks,in this case they are walnut venner with the plank lines lasered in, against steel decks which would be the 20B color, I feel would be a distraction, and take away from uniformity. I'll stain the wood area with a color as close to 20B as I can get, then paint the rest of the decks. The effect will be that some of the wood grain will show through the stain. That will be a good comparison to the steel decks as wood looks different than steel, even though they will be close to the same color. Hopefully the effect will add more "realisim".

[russclark]

hello bill,when you first started the indiana,i followed along building the mass. in 1/192 i painted the hull navy blue,the decks deck blue and the rest of the flat surfaces ocean gray.it looks pretty good.one thing that bugged me was that they called for haze gray for the superstructure,it seemed to blue for my liking,i can't remember the color i used. the paint i did not use was tamya haze gray in a spray can.

[Bill Waldorf]

Hello again all! Work continues on Indiana's superstructure. I am happy to say that now all major sections and levels are completed. A few small details to add, but most of the major work is now finished. There sure is alot of platforms and different levels. I did'nt fully realize how many until I started to build them one by one. Let's take a look.................

Here is a stb. view of the work completed on the fwd. citadel. Note I have added all the relevant platforms to the structure. I have also completed the forward mast assembly. A few items need to be added yet such as searchlights, more railings, ladders, sky lookouts, etc. Signal yardarm also needs to be finished. The funnel cap, the deck just in front of it and the citadel are dry fit for now, I'll permanantly mount them soon.

Stb. side again, looking fwd. The masts and signal yardarm are tapered wood dowels. Mainmast not finished yet. These two masts are small models in themselves, and are rather time consuming. One of the challenges is to keep everything straight and level.

A closer view of the forward citadel details. Note the large SK radar screen. By late 1945, other ships in the class replaced this with the updated SK-2 air search radar. A round antenna rater than the "bedspring" look of the SK. I found no evidence that Indiana ever recived the SK-2.

Pretty good view of the foremast assy. here. Note all the supports. The foremast rests on the aft searchlight platform.

A dead on view looking aft. As I stated earlier, keeping everything straight and level is a bit of a challange when working with several individual pieces. Things have to be checked and re-checked before final assembly. Looks pretty straight to me, thank goodness!

A good shot here of the bracing beneath all the platforms.

A portside view here. I have made notations about the various levels on the citadel structure.

A close-up here of the TDY antenna, a radar- jamming device. I scratchbuilt this one as there are none available.

A close up of the back of the SK air seach radar screen. The screen and the dipoles are brass p/e from JR Haynes. Anything you see in white must be added as it does not come with the piece. In this case I used .020 styrene rod. The base is a larger diameter styrene tube. The smaller antenna on the topmast is the SG antenna, surface search radar. There is another on the mainmast as well as a secondary air-search radar, the SR.

Here's a front view of the SK.

Well, that's it for this update. Alot more smaller items to add, as well as completing the mainmast assy. Then it's back to the maindeck areas for more "stuff"! Will I ever be done??? Stay tuned, more to come...............I continue on.........

[russclark]

she is going to be one bad ass battleship .the sk radar is a work of art,as is every thing else about the build. you make difficult cutting and fitting look easy,i know it is not,great work.

[Richard J OMalley]

Getting this update is the perfect way to start of the New Year .Thanks for the shot of inspiration.

[Dave Wooley]

Getting this update is the perfect way to start of the New Year .Thanks for the shot of inspiration.

Hi Bill I'll go with what Richard has said . That SK is an awsome piece of work . I just love to see models in the raw so to speak , as they say one picture can canvey a thousand words. Just looking in wonder at the development of the tower and how delicate parts are . I am experiencing heart flutter sydrome , not a medical condition , at least not one that I'm aware of but the thought of all that superb detail "exposed". I'm in the throws of looking at amalgamating all the detail work to the main tower /island on Kiev , hence the heat flutter thing. Once again Bill your ability rises above the skill bit into fashioning a piece of marine art , wonderful.
Dave Wooley

[Ludwig]

hello Bill,

Your BB58 is really amazing , a very fine scale model indeed.

regards,

Ludwig

[JIM BAUMANN]

REALLY neat and sharp work Bill!!


I love the underdeck bracing; and your ladder-rungs on the side of the tower are VERY neatly executed-

- perfect spacing--all angles spot on!!


REAL top work!


Jim B

[mark_sch]

Hello Bill,
Absolutey stunning work!!
Mark

[J. Soca]

There is so much detail ... Keep it up Bill and don't falter there for a sec. Now i wonder who is the lucky guy or guys getting this gal. hhmmmm Better be proud of it ,this is really some exquisite work!!



Jose

[Bill Waldorf]

Hello again all Here's a new update on the construction of the ship. I have now completed the mainmast, and have fabricated and installed the last of the AA Gun and related director tubs. I have also finished the 15 floater net baskets. Things are getting more and more busy on BB-58's decks! Lets take a look.........

Here's an overall view of the mainmast looking forward from stb. side. made from tapered wood dowels, styrene and brass etched parts. SR air search radar not yet installed. The SR was a back-up to the SK.

Top of the mainmast here. Note the SG surface search radar at the very top. Small wood dowel beneath the SG is the drive motor. Ladders are etched brass. Radar is cast metal.

A close up of the lower support structure for the mainmast, stb. side. Note how the lower part of the mast is faired into the funnel.

Another view of the lower supports from portside. Note one of the floater net baskets in the bottom left of the photo.

Completed gun tub arrangement on stb.side forward by the base of the conning tower. Small tubs are 20MM twin locations, large tub is the 40MM quad, while the other tub that is raised slightly is for the 40MM director. Ammo hoist hatch and vent are cast metal.

Portside arrangement here which is slightly different than stb.side. Gun placement is the same.

20MM tub here, stb.side next to #2 16" turrent. There will be two guns here, same on portside. Just aft of these tubs, there will be two more 20MM guns but with no shielding at all. I assume they were a portable mount. Note the davit for the accomodation ladderway.

This tub is aft of the #3 16" turrent,stb. side. It shields 4 guns. The portside one is slightly smaller and shields 3 guns. All tubs are fabricated from styrene.

Three of the fifteen floater net baskets. I show how to make these on the Indianapolis thread.

An overhead view showing the general arrangement of the superstructure. Lot's of styrene and alot of fabricating.

Another overhead view a little farther aft.

Almost the whole ship, stb. side. Hard to get it all in to the camera frame!

One more overall view, again from stb. side.

Well that's it for this update. More deck fittings to add, then it's on to the catapaults and the aircraft crane. Still have to make all those guns and directors. I'll be busy for awhile!! Stay tuned.......more to come.....I continue on....

[russclark]

exellent work bill,you probably answered this question before somewhere,but i can't find it.your ladder rungs how do you make them,one at a time or do you make a jig,if it's a jig have you a pic.thanks

[Bill Waldorf]

exellent work bill,you probably answered this question before somewhere,but i can't find it.your ladder rungs how do you make them,one at a time or do you make a jig,if it's a jig have you a pic.thanks

Hello Russ, The ladder rungs are actually a model RR part, made for freight cars. They are preformed copper wire. Available from Proto Power West / A-Line. I need so many of these, it's easier to buy them, rather than make them one by one. Thanks for the post........

[Richard J OMalley]

Thanks for the update .Always good to hear from you .

[JIM BAUMANN]

Looking better and better!!

As a small scale modeller-the gargantuan size would daunt me!!

I tip my hat to you for maintaining the impetus and sharpness of execution throughout!




Jim Baumann

[Neptune]

One day off and I already missed this!
Somebody seems to gear up and get a good pace here. Great and "as usual" very sharp finish. Real quality work here.

[Millard]

Bill
She' looking real good.Excellant as always. I'm looking forward to your next updates.
Rod

[Dave Wooley]

Hi Bill ARH and myself have just returned from our society meeting { see Picture Post and a CVE 73} and just picked up on your build . What can be said ? Your Indiana is more than the sum total of its parts it's simply a stunning piece of work and it's not competed yet!!!!!
Dave Wooley

[GTDEATH13]

How are you goint to paint the superstructure? Which parts will be attached and then painted and which parts will be painted separately?

What kinds of glues do you use to attache parts of different material to each other?