Return of the Destroyers! Apr. 15-Oct. 15, 2011

[moomoon]

@Dan / California Bound:
The razor blade at the bow edge will help to:
- sand a thin bow with correct side-view profile
- make this thin part of the model stronger

Bye.

[Quincy]

You guys are all doing great work so far. Looks like I'll have some catching up to do when I get my kit back from my friend.




Bob Pink.

[AussieBuilder]

Well guys, sorry, but I think I've got this one in the bag.

Just received my WEM 1:600 ultimate PE for destroyers yesterday. The detail on the destroyer is going to be A-M-A-Z-I-N-G.

Sorry what's that? You guys have PE too? Oh... umm ok, nevermind then. Carry on.

[Quincy]

Well guys, sorry, but I think I've got this one in the bag.

Just received my WEM 1:600 ultimate PE for destroyers yesterday. The detail on the destroyer is going to be A-M-A-Z-I-N-G.

Sorry what's that? You guys have PE too? Oh... umm ok, nevermind then. Carry on.

Photoetch? Aw crap! I forgot about that.



Bob Pink.

[California Bound]

moomoon,

Oh, ok. That makes sense. The blade is a pretty good idea. Looks like shaping/sanding is proceeding nicely.


AussieBuilder,
The russian navy does not take the "threat" of photoetch lightly, you have forced me to respond with etch of my own, and I'll up the conflict level with my whole two brass guns.


Dan.

[Fletcher]

I see all of your photo-etch, and raise you some Evergreen Styrene AND some brass rod!!!!

[California Bound]

Well, you got me there. Styrene yes, but no brass rod. How about both soft and rigid wire? If that doesn't scare off the enemy, I'll have to use my super weapon... 3 feet of anchor chain. With only 3 ships left to build, and only two of them having visible anchor chains, I went and made a bulk purchase. Go figure...
Dan.

[AussieBuilder]

Well, you got me there. Styrene yes, but no brass rod. How about both soft and rigid wire? If that doesn't scare off the enemy, I'll have to use my super weapon... 3 feet of anchor chain. With only 3 ships left to build, and only two of them having visible anchor chains, I went and made a bulk purchase. Go figure...
Dan.

Haha. You only plan to build 3 more ships? My dockyard always seems to have more than 10 ships waiting, and that's not even including the ones I'm starting to plan in my head.

In re to the brass guns.... yea... I can't compete with that. Aussiebuilder knows when he is out gunned

[Rowdy75]

Would like to sign up if I could. Simply to just participate and to get back into building model ships rather than wargaming vessels. For this I have an unstarted 1/700 USS Cole.

[AussieBuilder]

Have made necessary adjustments to the hull, including reducing the size of the forward deck, sanding the stern, and sanding the bow.

Also made some small adjustments to the superstructure holding two of the 150mm guns.

Styrene and putty all the way

[Gordon Bjorklund]

moomoon wrote:

The razor blade at the bow edge will help to:
- sand a thin bow with correct side-view profile
- make this thin part of the model stronger

Japan's secret weapon. razor blades in the bow. So that's how PT-109 was sliced in half. Very interesting.

[Simon_Hwood]

Finally got out of the blocks. The 40mm tubs have had their moulded structure removed to take the GMM ammo racks, etch and hull and 40 mm tubs have had a shot of Haze grey from a Tamiya rattle can, decks painted, and maindeck fitted to the hull. The maindeck was an absolute pig of a fit, me or the kit I do not know, but if I had the bow in straight the stern was off to port, but got there in the end





More soon

Si

[D-Boy]

Quick suggestion - could folks post their ship's name and class at the beginning of their posts - would help orient us to what we are hearing about in each build.

[PeteM]

Well I'm currently on hold since I sat down at the bench this afternoon only to find that the "B" sprue was missing from my Dragon Benson kit. I opened a ticket with Dragon care so until they send a new one there's not much I can do. So its back to the other several projects I've got going for a while.

[AussieBuilder]

Quick suggestion - could folks post their ship's name and class at the beginning of their posts - would help orient us to what we are hearing about in each build.

Good idea. I'll do that from now on. Btw, I'm building the Hr. Ms. Evertsen 1928

[PeteM]

Dragon USS Benson 1940

Well this build has gone from the bizarre to surreal. After first realizing that I received a kit without a necessary sprue and getting it replaced(thank you Carl!), I went to my modeling room this morning to find that our 6 month old Shepherd/Rottie decided he has a taste for styrene. I found a sprue from this kit(fortunately no serious damage) and the sprues holding the stanchions for the Hasegawa Gambier Bay(luckily I've already replaced them with brass ones) partially chewed. The various sub-assemblies I had completed were strewn around the room. I managed to find all of them except for the Benson's forward superstructure. I still don't know if he ate it or if its in some crevice someplace. Well I rooted through the kit box and found that there are actually enough extra parts provided to complete a second one (thank you Dragon!). I just have to remove the molded on splinter shields from the deck piece and I should be good to go. I'm starting to think it's a good thing this group build is 6 months long. Lord knows what will happen next!

[D-Boy]

Dragon USS Benson 1940

Well this build has gone from the bizarre to surreal. After first realizing that I received a kit without a necessary sprue and getting it replaced(thank you Carl!), I went to my modeling room this morning to find that our 6 month old Shepherd/Rottie decided he has a taste for styrene. I found a sprue from his kit(fortunately no serious damage) and the sprues holding the stanchions for the Hasegawa Gambier Bay(luckily I've already replaced them with brass ones) partially chewed. The various sub-assemblies I had completed were strewn around the room. I managed to find all of them except for the Benson's forward superstructure. I still don't know if he ate it or if its in some crevice someplace. Well I rooted through the kit box and found that there are actually enough extra parts provided to complete a second one (thank you Dragon!). I just have to remove the molded on splinter shields from the deck piece and I should be good to go. I'm starting to think it's a good thing this group build is 6 months long. Lord knows what will happen next!

I suggest we all pitch in for a prize for "Most-Cursed Build"... our early leader, above.

[California Bound]

PeteM,

That is very unfortunate. Yet, it sounds like you got off lucky. And I must admit, it also sounds funny. Looks like you're going to have one of "those" builds.

And for the record, my puppies prefered PS3 games.

Dan.

[PeteM]

Thanks for the sympathy guys, although it turns out that I wasn't as lucky as I thought. He mangled the front part of the main gun director. I ended up taking the one from the 1945 Benson kit and I'll just use a L'Arsenal one that I have lying around for that kit (which I probably would have done anyway since it has the PE radar screen). Still in all I guess it could have been worse.

UPDATE (4/30/11): Spent about a half hour yesterday doing surgery on the spare parts to build another forward superstructure, which came out pretty good, all things considered. Today I walked into the laundry room, which is right next to my model room, and there lying on the floor was the original assembly, in perfect condition. Can't make this stuff up.

[Simon_Hwood]

This is most definitely a builder's kit. The level of detail is excellent, at the price of a high part count. The instructions could have been clearer and broken down into more stages, but actually once I got working with them they weren't too bad.

Next to be tackled were the walkway decals. The decks were given a shot of Tamiya clear to gloss them and then battle commenced. Some of the larger / more complex shapes especially around the quad 40mm tubs were cut into a sections to aid fitting. There fit issues with some of the maindeck sections in the end I made the walkways fit from end to end. I then shot a coat of tamiya clear flat which matted everything down nicely.



Next was building up the first level of the superstructure. the bulkheads were made up of about a dozen componants, plus the cross alleyway midships with a winch, all well moulded and after carefull cleaning up fitted very well. The important bit there is the carefull cleaning up, the fit is precise.



The No.1 deck level fitted reasonably well over the top & then it was a case of start at the bow and work aft adding all the small components. I have got as far as the end of the superstructure, still have the quarter deck to do. I have ticked off on the sheet every part I have added.



Bridge and funnels next I think

More Soon

Si