Gun Cruiser Group Build

[JTninja]

I know but the problem is they were bigger, faster, and more powerful than Scharnhorst class battlecruisers. I'll leave this one up to be determined by the masses

I googled List of US Cruisers, and Wiki list them as large cruisers, so Id say theyre good (cause the internet is always right! ). Sure, it had '12 guns, but at that time, BB's had '16, and the IJN was creating '18 guns. One could say they would idealy be the best "Gun" cruiser

I plan on participating, this would be my first group build. Id love to do the USS Louisville, but way out of budget. Im thinking of getting a 1/700 Trumpeter New Orleans or Vincennes. Everyone does the Indy, but that one did help bombard Peleliu...

[taskforce48]

Oh so many choices! Where do I start? Question, can I use a started kit even if I wasn't the one who started it? I have a kit where the guy I bought it from built one turret already, thing is I am going to need to replace the barrels with brass ones anyway so I will be undoing most of what he did to complete it.

What do you think?

Matt

[Avery Boyer]

I'd vote for including the Alaskas, based on their official classification as large cruisers.

And I guess I'm doing Chicago...question is, paper or plastic?

[Filipe Ramires]

Well, why not...I'm about 10% done with Tenryu light cruiser (early 20's version)...might as well put her in for this...!!!

[drdoom1337]

I'm seriously considering entering my 1/350 Admiral Hipper, but theres no wood deck or PE for the kit available yet. I don't want to just use bits and pieces out of 1/350 Tirpitz / Prinz Eugen PE either. Anybody know when a dedicated set for Hipper will be released?

[MartinJQuinn]

I'm seriously considering entering my 1/350 Admiral Hipper, but theres no wood deck or PE for the kit available yet. I don't want to just use bits and pieces out of 1/350 Tirpitz / Prinz Eugen PE either. Anybody know when a dedicated set for Hipper will be released?

White Ensign has a dedicated set for the Hipper available. They also have a different set available for the Prinz Eugen.

[Pieter]

Thanks to russian wikipedia I now have reasonable drawings and pictures of an Elswick cruiser.
So if I can manage to find the time I will be doing Chih Yuen. Chih Yuen was one of the cruisers William White designed when he was working at Elswick. Just found out that she was build at the Low Walker yard thogh...oh,well...Chih Yuen was very much a gun cruiser: 3*8", 2*6" and 8*2.2" on 2300 tons was a lot of guns per ton.

[Randy53]

I must confess to my fellow shipmates, "I have started my Gun Cruiser build prior to the official start date." Go ahead and keelhaul me! We had a good day for today painting and I had to lay down a some primer and paint over some masking on the hull. Throw me overboard if you like but I just couldn't wait.

I've lost the space that was reserved for my paint booth to a spare refrigerator or the wife and for the time being I have to go outdoors when the weather permits to spray.

I have been known to paint in a makeshift paintboot on the kitchen counter, but not with enamel! LOL!!!

[MichelB]

I think any cruiser build started after the posting of this thread (such as mine )should be allowed, since it was started in the spirit of the group build.

[taskforce48]

"k, I'm in, Corsair Armada's Chicago (again). The last one didn't survive the move.

Bob,
What year and fit is the Chicago going to be? I have decided that I will do the Chicago as in August of 42' from the 1/350 BWN Houston kit for this build. It might be interesting to see two Chicago's, one in 1/700 and one in 1/350.

Matt

[Bob Cicconi]

Here's my entry for the group build: The Sealsmodels 1/700 Itsukushima as she appeared in the Russo-Japanese War.

[Sr. Gopher]

Well, no budget and not a new model since Christmas!

I'll be watching on the sidelines again...but hopefully just for now.

[Mark McKinnis]

I thought that I was doing the Wichita. But then I opened the box on the Niko Oregon City. Holy Buckets!!!!

The PE set is second to none and the mold is perfect. Time to crank it up!

[Pieter]

Nice project, which has some common history with my project. What references will you be using?

Here's my entry for the group build: The Sealsmodels 1/700 Itsukushima as she appeared in the Russo-Japanese War.
http://i45.photobucket.com/albums/f79/b ... CF2552.jpg

[Bob Cicconi]

Pieter: I'm basically using the box top as my reference as I was not able to find many photos online, or any English language history documenting the changes made to the ship or the differences between Isukushima ans Hashidate. I'm actually finished the build, but haven't posted the photos yet.

[Pieter]

When I did my Hashidate (backdating her from the Seals kit) I found some references. I have the warship article by Lengerer and Itani as well as some other pictures. PM me when you're doing Itsukushima.

[Gone Asiatic]

Ah, well, the Atlanta is already somewhat coming along and I don't want to cheat. Therefore I will scratchbuild the USS Charleston C-2, gun cruiser of 1887.

Could you PM me a link to the plans? I eventually want to scratch this kit as well.

[Gone Asiatic]

My entry is HP Models 1/700 HMAS Sydney, 1914. I hope to complete her (and the IJN torpedo boat destroyers) by the end of the year.

[Bob Dedmon]

I'm doing Chicago as she appeared as the attack began 29 Jan 1943. I had to clean the hull up a bit, it appears the resin used may have either begun curing before being poured or not completely mixed. There were several minor blemishes on the bow area that I filled and cleaned up. I painted teak on the deck then over sprayed 20B, I'll hit that very lightly with sand paper to bring the teak up through the blue for wear in heavy traffic areas. I should get the hull color down today and possibly get the O-1 deck and aft superstructure installed. I'm giving myself up to 2 months to finish her. She's my favorite ship so I'm trying to take my time and get it right. This is the 4th or 5th time I've built her. The first 2 were conversions of the old Matchbox Indianapolis, there is a write-up on how I did that somewhere on this site. The last build didn't survive my last move. Chicago will place me half way through the collection build of the Northampton class ships leaving Louisville, Houston and Augusta to go and I have kits for all three of them waiting.

[taskforce48]

Ok, now that this thing is officially going, here is what I will be working on.

Bluewater Navy's 1/350 USS Houston

I will be building her as the USS Chicago as she was when she was torpedoed in the first battle of Savo island. I haven't done much other than take the parts out of the box and give the kit a good going over, I did however notice the overpour on the bridge levels was much thinker than usual.

Of course, I just had to see if this was going to be a real challenge or nothing at all. So I contemplated how I was going to tackle this as I feared that the old power sander would produce too much heat with this much sanding and warp the part. I noticed how the overpour was recessed from the edges of the part so I thought about a razor saw, it would lay flat against the bottom of the piece I wanted and remove what I didn't.

What do you know, it worked pretty well only taking about 5 minutes a part. It would have been faster but I kept stopping to check my progress and making sure that it didn't start to go off course. No with a little sanding, these pieces will sit real nicely.

Other than that, that's all for now. Now I need to go and get all my research material together and start hammering away. I have already ordered a set of B&D Barrels and most likely replace the 5/25's with a yet to be decided after market one. 20MM's will be Masters and 1.1's will be kit with Masters barrels.


Matt