Civilian/Military Transports Group Build Apr.15-Oct.15, 2011

[JimRussell]

APA-12

The ship after painting, most major parts dry fitted - the first approximation of what she will look like. Still to go...fixing, weathering and all the details. Am happy with the result to this point.

Pic 1 is the goal, pic 2 to 4 is what there is now.

[Pieter]

Looks very nice Jim!

[ArizonaBB39]

Excellent work as always Jim, keep it up

[taskforce48]

Wow! Great work so far everyone, some really top notch building happening here.

Jim,

Your scratchbuilding always amazes me and the fact that you do it in my favorite scale is even better. A question if you don't mind, and I apologize if you have answered this before. Once you have your hull carved out, do you coat them in styrene or what do you do to produce a smooth surface? I have successfully created a hull shape from wood but I wish to plate it sort of speak with styrene and have been quite unsuccessful so far no matter what method I use. Superstructures I have no problem but the complex curves of the hull have just exhausted me.

TIA

Matt

[JimRussell]

Pieter and Abram, Thanks.
Matt,

Decks are clad with .030" styrene sheet - glued with a thin, solvent based contact cement (Welder from Lowes) used between unprimed wood and styrene.

Generally do not clad hull sides, sand to eyeball and an occasional template and then apply a thin coat of ordinary (no mix) Bondo. The best way to this is pre wet the wood with mineral spirits, put a little dab on the first finger tip and IMMEDIATELY spread. After drying the Bondo sands easy and smooth. Prime, fix with Bondo, sand and prime again.

[D-Boy]

Pieter and Abram, Thanks.
Matt,

Decks are clad with .030" styrene sheet - glued with a thin, solvent based contact cement (Welder from Lowes) used between unprimed wood and styrene.

Generally do not clad hull sides, sand to eyeball and an occasional template and then apply a thin coat of ordinary (no mix) Bondo. The best way to this is pre wet the wood with mineral spirits, put a little dab on the first finger tip and IMMEDIATELY spread. After drying the Bondo sands easy and smooth. Prime, fix with Bondo, sand and prime again.

First place, "Intriguing Tip" Category, for me! Thanks for the explanation.

A nice wood-hull scratch-build WWI destroyer going on over in the DD build as well, btw.

[JimRussell]

APA-12

The radar tower, or what you do when there is no PE.

Pic 1 the paint brush, from the left
........008" bristle, unpainted is stiff manilla line, dyed with a black Sharpie is stiff steel cable.
........014" black bristle, painted for use as the diagonal brace.
........025" styrene rod painted for horizontal beam.
........035" brass rod painted for vertical column.

Pic 2 assembly

Pic 3 roughed out, in place.

[moomoon]

Great mast & radar Jim (the radar itself is PE, right?).
Inspiring model

[JimRussell]

Moomoon,

The air search radar is definitely PE (no way I could not duplicate that) , if I had or could have found a PE tower that was close, I would have used it. But necessity is the mother of a scratched out part.

[JimRussell]

USS Leonard Wood, APA-12 is completed. Enjoyed the build

[D-Boy]

USS Leonard Wood, APA-12 is completed. Enjoyed the build

Beautiful! May my work one day approach your standards!

[moomoon]

Jim, this is another one that was quickly and very-very well done!
I am envious of your skills

[JimRussell]

D-Boy and moomoon,

Thanks.

[Jim Smith]

Here's my submission to this group build - Fujimi's Sado/Sakito Maru but in the pre-war NYK livery. Minimum weathering on this ship as she only went into service late 1939/early 1940 - hence the 'neutrality marking' before receiving her wartime grey.

Hope you like it.

Jim S

[taskforce48]

Great job to all!

Matt

[Bob Cicconi]

Here are the first photos of my S.S. Pearl build:

[Bob Cicconi]

Here are three more in progress shots of the Pearl. I actually completed it this past week and have submitted photos to the site for posting. Neat little kit!

[Pieter]

Very nice looking Pearl.

[reigels]

Very sharp; funnel colors especially. Looks like the bulwarks are almost thin enough to see through.

How do you use the ceramic tiles in construction? Hard surface for cutting PE?

[Bob Cicconi]

Exactly. I use the hard surface for cutting and sanding resin wafers by puttting a piece of sandpaper over it. I also use the back side for holding parts while I solder them.