First Ship model- 1/350 Nagato with extras!

[ComfortablyNumb]

Excellent! I love that you drilled out the portholes and capped them! I found the most difficult part of installing the caps was keeping them level upon installation, you have done a good job on that so far.

The casual observer may not be able to see all the details you've installed, like the stair railings on the inside of the decks, but you (and all of us) know they are there and its fun to point out some of those more hidden gems to folks when they are looking at your model.

As far as the cable reels go, I think most of them would have cables/hoses on them, but that would be up 100% to you. After experimenting, I used soldering wire to wind the reels. It is very soft wire and winds on the tiny cores without much struggle and has zero bounce-back, if you know what I mean. To make the windings, I took a length of appropriate diameter rod and wound the soldering wire around the rod for about 4-5 inches in one piece and then I could just cut off what I would need for the next reel and install. Installing the cores properly is tricky, as you know, but I found if I laid a toothpick or a needle inside the reel frame, then laid the core on top to rest at the proper height to let the glue set and then slide the needle or toothpick out, you will have a satisfactory looking reel. I don't have any pics of this procedure, but you get the idea I think.

Love all the work you doing on Nagato..it will be magnificent when done! Enjoy the process! -Tim

[drizzt73]

Excellent! I love that you drilled out the portholes and capped them! I found the most difficult part of installing the caps was keeping them level upon installation, you have done a good job on that so far.

The casual observer may not be able to see all the details you've installed, like the stair railings on the inside of the decks, but you (and all of us) know they are there and its fun to point out some of those more hidden gems to folks when they are looking at your model.

As far as the cable reels go, I think most of them would have cables/hoses on them, but that would be up 100% to you. After experimenting, I used soldering wire to wind the reels. It is very soft wire and winds on the tiny cores without much struggle and has zero bounce-back, if you know what I mean. To make the windings, I took a length of appropriate diameter rod and wound the soldering wire around the rod for about 4-5 inches in one piece and then I could just cut off what I would need for the next reel and install. Installing the cores properly is tricky, as you know, but I found if I laid a toothpick or a needle inside the reel frame, then laid the core on top to rest at the proper height to let the glue set and then slide the needle or toothpick out, you will have a satisfactory looking reel. I don't have any pics of this procedure, but you get the idea I think.

Love all the work you doing on Nagato..it will be magnificent when done! Enjoy the process! -Tim

Thanks for your support Tim. I have used cotton on the reels so far but will try your solder method next - thanks for the tip

[drizzt73]

Ok I've been chipping away and finally finished the bridge tonight.

This is 2 weeks work and consists of approx 171 plastic parts and 96+ PE parts- phew!

















Anyway I am glad to have this major sub assembly done (minus paint) I'll take some better pics with more light when I get time.

I will be moving onto the searchlight towers next

Cheers

[litvin70]

Its very fast work!

[gott_cha]

I would have pulled all my hair out on that one!

[drizzt73]

Thanks for your support litvin70 and gott_cha.

As promised some better pics of the bridge assembly







The painted Funnel assembly





The recently started rear bridge assembly



Giving myself a break from PE I decided to work on all the fiddly bits that go on the deck. As I only had 10 of the Fukuya brass bits I used them in places that stood out as I think they are very nice.







Thanks again

[drizzt73]

Quick update

I painted all of the bits and pieces on the deck by hand and am glad to have that done.





I also spent a few hours doing my davits? for the lifeboats etc



Here is where I stand at the moment









A quick comparison between the kit prop and my aftermarket brass ones- at least I wont have to paint them :





Cheers and thanks for looking- any comments are most welcome

[drizzt73]

Hi all, time for my weekly update, Haven't done much lately which isn't good as I only have approx 7 weeks to have this done for my show.

I glued the props on tonight- I think they look nice





I also spent the past week or so working on the searlight towers





I think my next step will be to paint the sub assemblies and possibly start fixing them to the deck. Then I can work on the stairs and other bits and pieces that attach to these parts. Then I still have the smaller boats, search planes, some more bits for the deck, the anchor chain and then the 2 biggies- the deck rails and then the rigging- not looking forward to that! so yeah I have heaps to do!

Cheers and thanks for looking

Anthony

[Paul O'Reilly]

Anthony,

Excellent work, my friend. I wish I had your skills. One small correction to your screws. I believe the screws were handed, i.e. the starboard ones rotated clock-wise when viewed from astern while the port screws rotated anti-clock-wise. Your port inner and starboard outer screws should be switched with each other. Others may know more on the subject but that is what I believe.

Paul O'Reilly

[MartinJQuinn]

Nice work. Makes we want to break the Nagato out of the stash and dive in.

[drizzt73]

Thanks Paul and Martin for your support. Excellent pick up Paul- I wouldn't have known any better! I will change them tonight.

Now I have a huge problem that needs an urgent solution. I just went to have a look at the kit anchor chain only to find out that I don't have any????


The kit instructions show it as part "UB" and I assume it is actual chain and not a plastic part? Does anyone know if that is the case and if so is there a Hasegawa customer service area? or what style and thickness chain to use?

Any help appreciated!!!

Anthony

[Paul O'Reilly]

Anthony,

I use chain from my local hobby store - usually 19 links per inch would do for a battleship in 1/350. Darken it with some "Blacken It". Soak it for a few minutes in that stuff, rinse it off and install with CA glue.

Paul

[drizzt73]

Anthony,

I use chain from my local hobby store - usually 19 links per inch would do for a battleship in 1/350. Darken it with some "Blacken It". Soak it for a few minutes in that stuff, rinse it off and install with CA glue.

Paul

Thanks again Paul, I managed to phone an Australian Distributor for Hasegawa and they are going to try and order me the kit chain from Japan- hopefully they can supply it and quickly! In the meantime I will try my local hobby store and see what they have. I don't have any "blacken It" so can you suggest an alternative?

Cheers

Anthony

[drizzt73]

Quick update.

I painted the bridge sub-assemblies and they are now on the deck/hull. I have also attached some PE stairs to these parts and the deck.







Also my latest creation- 1/350 17m Torpedo boat- again I'm very impressed with the Hasegawa PE detail and what it adds. I also drilled out the funnel.







In place on the deck



Finally an overall shot of where she is at





Thanks all

Anthony

[drizzt73]

Hi all, time for a bit of an update

I've been pushing on with the sub assemblies and some fiddly stuff-

The secondary armament- broke 3 mini drills in my pin vice drilling the ends of the bagging out for the 14cm barrels!



The Veteran Models Resin and Brass 12cm AA guns



I also put together the PE catapult- very challenging to get together



I also managed to finisgh the last of the major sub assemblies- some sort of AA radar towers?



Ready for priming this morning



I have just airbrushed the Kure Grey on all of this and once dry I will mount it and take some more pics

Cheers and thanks for looking

Anthony

[drizzt73]

Well after a 4 day easter weekend I managed to get a bit more done, I also forgot to take some pics of the finished an mounted lifeboats/torpedo boats etc- complete with PE parts and decals.




I used another modellers tip and pre-painted the etch rails on their sprue but have already found that the paint tends to flake off so I will need to touch it up after installing it.



I started on the deck handrails last night and thought I would show the ingenious (in my view anyway) feet on the PE rails- makes my life easier!





Added to the deck




P.S I found the "missing" anchor chain in a sealed bag hidding in between the two decal sheets



Nearly there! and I have 3 1/2 weeks till my show

Cheers and thanks again

Anthony

[drizzt73]

I am a happy chappy, I have been dreading doing the rails since I started this build but I managed to get them all done in under 2 hours work- yay!

Now I have to start on the recon planes.

Pics to come

cheers

Anthony

[Dan K]

It's working out well.

I'm a little surprised that there's no PE for trestle supporting the searchlights around the funnel.

[oldpaperone]

Should the prop shafts be the anti-fouling red color as the rest of the bottom of the ship or did IJN leave their ships shafts (try saying that quickly four times) the colour of metal - I think shafts are made from steel.

[drizzt73]

Should the prop shafts be the anti-fouling red color as the rest of the bottom of the ship or did IJN leave their ships shafts (try saying that quickly four times) the colour of metal - I think shafts are made from steel.

Good question- the instructions said to paint it gold/brass- anyone confirm if this is correct?