Aoshima 1/700 Maya 1944 � buildus interruptus

[Dan K]

As I was finishing up my Chokai project in early 2007, I began this build of sister Maya so as not to lose any of the particular construction knowledge gleaned from Chokai�s learning curve. Like Chokai, I chose to use the just released Aoshima clear bridge kit version of Maya 1944 as it was, and still is, the most accurate 1/700 version available, and the clear bridge levels would make it easier to install bridge windows without a lot of plastic removal work. Detailing would be a whole other matter, though.

I made some quick, basic progress with the bridge, as seen immediately below, but my enthusiasm waned. Having just come off a very concentrated and prolonged build of the sister, my interests drifted elsewhere. Jump to 2011.

With the completion of the Fubuki DesDiv project earlier this year, I was at loose ends about what to do next. There are so many new kits out, particularly all of the new Fujimi kits. Unable to chose, I decided to pull out the Maya kit and dabble along until I firmed up a choice.

It�s been almost 4 months and I�m still dabbling while puzzling over what to do next. Somehow, I�ve achieved more progress than I had expected. It certainly has helped that several components, like main turrets and the lower mainmast, were near completion from the original Chokai project where they had been used as test or extra builds. Encouragement (or perhaps subtle pressure) to complete it from Misters Quinn & Poore hasn�t hurt, either. The project seems to be gaining critical mass, so perhaps I will actually complete it on this go around.

[Dan K]

This is the mostly completed bridge. To say that it has a �busy� look is an understatement. There are several levels to the bridge. I�ve reduced it to three component layers that are not glued together, which accounts for some of the spacing between the bridge windows and the deck above it in the photos. These will disappear (I hope) when the bridge is finalized and glued

[Dan K]

I used the FineMolds Takao class PE set for bridge windows and upper air intakes, and scratch built brass mesh squares for the lower intakes. I replace some of the molded on AA platform supports with square strip and added triangular, perforated ribbing under the AA platforms as well (not that they�re visible here).

On either side of the lowest, first level of bridge windows are 1.5m navigation directors. The Aoshima parts are too large. Skywave has a corresponding set of 2 on the #38/E02 equipment set. Thing is, you still have to cut it down from the bottom as it would be too tall, but it can be cut to fit. After I used these parts, PitRoad released it�s new 1/700 IJN accessory set NE-01, which has a pair of properly sized 1.5m directors on it. Of course. The same can be said about the Type 94HA directors on either side of the bridge.

On the Chokai build, I had opted use the bridge faceplate from a Pitroad Chokai kit instead of the Aoshima version because I felt the detail better represented Chokai�s bridge face. That�s not the case here. The AA version of Maya has so many platforms covering the base and front of its bridge that I see this aspect of the detailing as less of an issue for the Maya. I used the Aoshima kit plate, though I must report that it�s a less than perfect fit. Some filler and adjustments were needed.

All the 12cm search binoculars are scratch built from brass. That was a tedious step. And, come main coat painting time, taping off the painted linoleum decking is sure to be just as much a thrill.

[MartinJQuinn]

Great looking stuff, Dan. Love all the little details on the bridge. Are those signal platforms you added on the back of the lowest open level of the bridge?

[Dan K]

Thx, and yes, those are 30cm signalling lights. I can see that I still have some straightening & finetuning to do.

Since I have an extra nanosecond today, I will post the next part.........

Funnels

I had intended to retain as much of the kit molded air intake structure as possible under the fore funnel foot, just as I did with the Chokai kit. However, I botched the removal of the plastic molded grills. I decided it would be easier to scratch build a new intake box then trying to laboriously correct the old one. Which I did, just adding screens, a center partition and filling in the funnel structure between the two kit funnel halves. I also added the support section that trailed the box

The funnel grills are scratch built from brass mesh. I had intended to use stainless steel PE grills issued by Aoshima as part of a small PE fret made specifically for their Takao class kits. I actually purchased the PE set for the Atago kit as I felt it had more usable pieces for my purposes, though the funnel grills are the same for all the frets. Unfortunately, I could not get the PE grill to fit correctly on top of the funnel so, it was back to scratch building.

I also removed the molded on auxiliary piping and replaced them with brass rod and added ladders. Vent holes were drilled out.

The rear funnel followed the same plan, though I did leave on the molded rearmost auxiliary pipe. It�s mostly covered by platforms on the completed ship, so it will be hard to tell any difference at all.

[Quincy]

Top notch work as always Dan!




BoB Pink.

[sirpaul]

Looking good so far. The larger ammo boxes are a nice add. I have built this kit several times. The Pit Road main turrets and boats are a nice add to the Aoshima kit. Would love to see this one when it's done. And yes the tower looks real busy.

[D-Boy]

Dan, would you happen to have a picture of the bottom of the re-worked funnel - I'm hoping to better understand how you mounted/braced the scratchbuilt screens. Nice to see some photos of a project you have so frequently referenced. I look forward to progression and completion so you can play will one of those new releases!

I'll be careful not to drool over future posts.

D-Boy

[Dan K]

sirpaul - thx. I don't recall whom but, one of the accessory mfg. makes the ammo boxes in 1/700 PE. It's overkill for me. .02" x .03" & .02" x .04" styrene strip makes for good, appropriate sized boxes. In this scale, I'm not too concerned about seeing the hinges. It's just a matter of cutting the sides straight, which I don't always do so well.

I actually use the Aoshima turrets, heavily re-worked for the air vents of the shielding. I did the same with Chokai. Stay tuned.

DBoy - shot on the fly for you this AM. I do fill in the space between the funnel halves on the underside. You just can't see it at this angle. The shame of this is that much of the grill work is hidden by either the bridge superstructure or the AA platforms. Still........

[Dan K]

Well, I've got time for the foremast

The real ones were a very unique, large and complex piece of latticework, particularly for the versions sported by Chokai and Maya (and Takao and Atago prior to their final reconstruction). 1/700 scale makes it that much more daunting. The kit�s plastic mast is just too simplistic, and flimsy. Scratch building one is an option but requires a great deal of exacting work. I�m not above using a smart, less painful alternative and fortunately, the FineMolds Basic Takao Class PE fret has a very nice version in stainless steel that folds into the proper shape with ease.

I�ve already used one for Chokai, so this is a no-brainer. However, it still requires a fair amount of additional detailing of railings, platforms and ladders to make it complete, plus the addition of both a Type 21 and a Type 13 radar for the late war fit. The kit provided plastic radar compartment is not shaped correctly, and requires enlargement and details like a hatch and porthole.

The one real flaw with the FineMolds unit is that it�s legs are too short to sit properly on the Aoshima kits and provide proper clearances. Maybe it was sized for the PitRoad versions. I superglued some styrene extensions onto each of the legs and then carefully sanded them down to proper length.

[Devin]

Looking really good. You do scratch things in 1/700 that I'd be hard pressed to pull off in 1/350th!

Glad to see that Martin and my nagging is having some result!

[J. Soca]

She is looking awesome so far Dan !! the two signal plaforms on the bridge structure look spectacular

Jose

[Dan K]

Thx, Jose

The 01 or Shelter deck is known as the High Angle Gun Deck or HAGD deck in most IJN parlance, referring to the placement of the large caliber (12 or 12.7cm) AA guns typically mounted on this level. The Aoshima kit part fits well but is pretty basic when it comes to details. That includes the deck surface; it should be treaded but comes plain. To keep the level of pain down, I kept it that way by choosing not to glue a PE sheet of treaded surfacing on top of the deck. Doing so would also required for any other main deck surface not covered by linoleum.

I stripped off the molded on bases/tubs for the 12.7cm HA mounts and replaced them with those that come with the PitRoad kit (My PitRoad Takao 1942 kit came with an extra sprue of parts solely dedicated to a Maya version, which proved to be most fortunate. I don�t know if this sprue came with everybody�s kit, or just mine.) Those are better shaped, thinner walled, and do not have the raised hub base for the mounts that come molded on. The kit hub bases are just too high.

Another replacement was that of the kit molded trestle support for the rear of funnel #1. It was basically a raised triangular blob atop the center housing for the engine air intakes. That came off and the PE trestle from the Aoshima PE fret went on, after adding styrene strip to properly even out the base.

All of the Takaos received additional crew compartments from 1943 on as additional AA mounts increased the crew complements. These were located on HA deck in various configurations. I drilled out appropriate portholes and added hatches. There was an additional, triangular shaped compartment added atop the center housing. The Aoshima kit doesn�t provide for it but the PitRoad kit does, so I added it.

Two sets of Aztec molded stairs were also replaced by PE at this point. Additional 12cm binoculars and lookout positions were added aft, as were a lot of 25mm AA ammo boxes and the base of the mainmast.

[Dan K]

It�s not easy to see in this view, but there�s another set of air intakes behind the rectangular crew compartments that are part of the original design and were retained thru all the refits, along with some of the elongated intake tubes. Look to either side of the fore funnel support trestle .The intakes were made from square brass mesh and the tubes from brass rod. I didn�t make a full set as most of these remain hidden behind new AA platforms of the late war fits.

Access platforms & hatches to the lower set of searchlight towers were also added at this point.

[Dirk]

Dan, a good decision to continue with Maya.
The combination of this very interesting and elegant ship with your skill and knowledge will provide a very exciting WIP report.
I agree with Jose and like the signal platforms. These tiny details make a model an outstanding one.
Please continue

[Dan K]

Thx, Dirk. If you insist...........

Additional styrene strip was added to the bulkheads that make up the forward end of the bridge base. All the Aoshima kits mimic the specific set-up for Takao in this location, which had a sort of indented vertical knuckle where the bulkhead meets the side of the hull. All the other sisters had a smooth wall meeting the hull side.

The AA platforms have been added as have 110cm searchlights from the FineMolds NanoDread line. I�ll tape over the lenses; maybe even hand paint the backing with aluminum or silver prior to spray painting the grey coat over everything. Also added are 3 of the 4 per side deflection rails that limit the arc and travel of the barrels of the 12.7cm mounts, so as to avoid accidental discharge into the ship�s structures.

Cradles for damage control lumber have also been added on top of the larger crew compartments.

[Dan K]

Test fitting time

[D-Boy]

Test fitting time

Beautiful work, Dan, capturing all the finesse of this complex bridge and superstructure. And in 1:700 nonetheless.

Will you paint sub-assemblies, or assemble and then spray - what is the strategy and how does that inform the build progress?

And how does one handle airbrushing in an urban locale?

[Dan K]

Painting the 1/700 Takaos is a bit tricky. I found with Chokai that I need to completely paint the funnels, and the area around their bases, ahead of time as so much of them was hidden by raised platforms and compartments. The same was true of the back of the bridge and the underside of the foremast. Maya's additional structures make this even more of a necessity.

And, the forefunnel and bridge need to be mated to the HAG deck in order to finish detailing the bridge front. So, at some point, what I have just posted is going to be close to one entire piece. So, yes, some subassemblies are involved. Which is also why the top of the bridge hasn't been glued on, to ease the placement of the foremast over the forefunnel.

Airbrushing in an urban locale - portable paint booth, air compressor, and articulated exhaust hose thru a portable window screen. Takes about 5 minutes to set-up and then subsequently break down. A necessary pain that leads to my practice of completing virtually the entire model, in appropriate subassemblies, prior to painting. There are interim painting steps, such as shooting the linoleum and taping that off, but that still comes late in the process. In this particular case, I did paint the linoleum decking of several bridge levels early on to ease some fine detailing.

[D-Boy]

Aribrushing in an urban locale - portable paint booth, air compressor, and articulated exhaust hose thru a potable window screen. Takes about 5 minutes to set-up and then subsequently break down. A necessary pain that leads to my practice of completing virtually the entire model, in appropriate subassemblies, prior to painting. There are interim painting steps, such as shooting the linoleum and taping that off, but that still comes late in the process. In this particular case, I did paint the linoleum decking of several bridge levels early on to ease some fine detailing.

Sigh. I had imagined you on the sidewalk, attracting a crowd. Or, even better, on the sidewalk with rattle cans attracting the attention of MTA police force thinking they had a circa-1980 subway graffitti artist finally in their hands...