Build log for the Aoshima 1/350th 5,500 ton Cruiser Nagara

[DanCinSD]

Greetings, I have decided to post a build log for this kit to help keep me focused on building her. I need to have this kit done in 60 days for the San Diego Model Expo on June 2nd. I am picking this ship since I have built a 5,500ton cruiser in 1/700 (Natori, a sister of Nagara) and have some reference for the ships already.
My references will be an old Maru magazine (?) on the ships, the Model Art ships special #29 and the L&W book on Japanese cruisers of the Pacific war and the helpful modelers on ModelWarships.com.

This is the kit.


The moldings look nice..... The hull has the degausing cable molded on...


The rudder even has detail on it.


The sprue with the float planes, 5 different types.


The funnels, notice the baffle and cap parts to add to the funnel.


The kit comes with a small run of anchor chain and a fret of p/e.


hmmm, I also added the "EA" p/e set for this kit....


But, did not get the "EB" set as it is just railings and I have those from Lion Roar. Also added are some 1/350th Nano-Dread 13mm AAguns (need to get the 25mm set for the 2 mounts of that weapon) and some other generic IJN p/e.


Tomorrow construction begins!!

[Atma]

Superb ! I will watch this and try to help you if you have any questions.

[Quincy]

I will be watching this build with interest.

I wish that Fine Molds would release this particular 13mm set in 1/700 too.



Bob Pink.

[DanCinSD]

A weekly update.
I have been working on getting the hull together and painted, I had hoped it would be done by today......
But, here is where she is now. The paint is Model Master "Maizuru gray" since that is where she was last before the Dec 1941 date I am building the kit for. Decks are Tamiya XF-79 "Linoleum" deck brown. Tamiya XF-9 "Hull Red" will go below the waterline.




As you can see, my kit has a warped upper deck, looks like it will go down ok once glued.


I have also started on the bridge structure, I like the way Aoshima broke down the molds for the bridge. With the seperate decks and cabins on the different levels, it should help with detailing and painting.


Many of the smaller fittings are being started also, one thing done poorly (IMHO) is the torpedo tubes, the ship has 4 twin mounts and the kit gives four twin mounts, but they molded 2 mounts with the tube ends folded back. The molding on the folded tubes looks thick and unrealistic. I will mount those 2 mounts aft, under the deck.
You also get "torpedos" to put in the tubes. I am not sure what color IJN torpedoes were, but I am painting mine metalic grey bodies with black warheads.


I also like the 5.5" mounts, they are 3 parts and should look pretty good assembled. "Blast" bags are molded on the barrels..... The plastic barrels look good, I don't feel the need to replace them with brass.

I am ordering some Flyhawk p/e to detail the small boats as they are kind of bland in the kit. This will also give me the chocks for the boats to sit on deck, the plastic molded on chocks are very thick.

7 weeks to go..... next Monday another update.

[Dan K]

Silver bodies with black warheads (warshots) is correct.

[Atma]

How the general fitting btw ? Any problems ?

[DanCinSD]

Thx Dan, I think I read about IJN Torps building wingy things and hoped they would be the same for surface mounts too.

Atma, I haven't glued to much together yet, but so far the bridge structure fits well, the hull went together with a few small seams, the biggest problem so far is on the deck that will hold the funnels, it is badly warped (as shown in the photo).
I had hoped to add the funnels and rig them before I glued the deck to the model..... I might have to change that plan because of the warp.

The Nano-Dread 25mm mounts arrived today nice but crazy expensive..... I'd hate to do Yamato with them!!

[DanCinSD]

It's been a tough 2 weeks for building, little bit of flu and a lot of work!
But, I did manage to go out and find some accesories that will work, brass and stainless wire, bronze rod, some Nano dread 25mm mounts a new set of tiny drill bits and with a friends help took a piece of wood, cut and routed it for a base.

The lower hull was masked and painted Tamiya XF-9 "hull red", I was very happy, I think this is the first time I have sprayed a hull with no blead unders or other boo boo's!!


Torpedo tubes and 5.5" mounts have been worked on....



I am still trying to decide if I will use verticle ladder for the side of the gun shield or try to do individual rungs for the ladders on the back of the shields and many other places on the ship.

Tamiya boat set was also aquired for use on this ship....




Boat deck masked and the process of removing the molded on boat chocks has begun



Holes are also being drilled for the stack guys and other rigging....

The "ship" sitting on her base, both need final assembly still.

[DanCinSD]

Progress update, I received the Gakken #32 book on the 5,500 ton cruisers this week, it should help in detailing and answering some questions I have.

Detailing has started on the bridge structure, I opened up 2 companion ways between levels and started adding the pe to the bridge.


I also masked off the decks to airbrush the fittings gray, it took about 3 hours to mask..... Once I was done and the airbrush cleaned and put away I noticed I forgot to paint one of the decks. So, out came the brush again!


This is the first time I masked a deck for airbrushing the fittings, and it turned out pretty well, there were only a few bleed unders to touch up.


So she sits waiting to do some prep work on the rigging, once I have that done the decks get glued down and progress should go a little faster on this build.

[Quincy]

Looking good Dan! Glad to see that the deck warp posed no issue.





Bob Pink.

[Dan K]

First chance to view in a while - nice. Keep it going.

[DanCinSD]

Thanks Bob and Dan..... A little progress report.

The Fine Molds 13mm Quad mount..... just sittin in the tub.


The Fine Molds 25mm twin mount, parts and finished in the tub....




And the fun part!! I want to highlight the brass strips that holds down the linoleum on the decks. I am not sure if it was painted or left brass..... I looked in the Gakken #32 which has a 1/150th scale model of Tama and 1/100 th scale Sendai, it shows brass strips, so that is what I am trying to replicate.

After thinking how to do this, I setteled on painting them. I picked up a Model Master jar of Enamel "Brass" and I am masking each strip and doing a light dry brush.... well, moist brush to add the brass to the strips. I am hoping after the finishing washes I will put on the ship when near completion that the brass will tone down a little bit.
I hope the resulst will be worth the PITA of masking all of them!


One more deck to paint, then this build will be off to the races.

[DanCinSD]

update...... keep chuggin along!
Lets see, I finally finished the deck painting and started glueing them down, I did some pre-rigging by drilling holes in the deck and supergluing transparent sewing thread to the deck underneath and then taping the lines to the side of the hull until it is time to rig.




The bridge has been worked on, bino's added inside (never to be seen again) and the p/e windows installed, and as I kept looking at the quad 13mm gun tub on the kit and then in pictures (Gakken #32) of a 1/100th model of Sendai I decided I had to re-do the tub on the kit. Of course it is not as good as it should be since I had already glued the tub down..... That Tamiya extra thin holds good! This is the result.

Railings will fill in the gaps.

Here is where we sit as of now....


I have been a bit surprised by the fit of some parts on the kit. For example, on the bridge roof above the p/e windows was a large gap. I used a "Mike Ashley" technique by cutting wire (or plastic rod) and gluing it in the gap, it is hard to see now that it has been repainted. There were a few other seams where decks met hull or or bulkheads that have been filled with Vallejo acrylic filler (nice stuff!!).
Work has moved on to the foremast and funnels, getting them built and rigged. I have also started the "Dave" floatplane for the catapult, which is also done.

[DanCinSD]

Moving right along! About 16 days to go....
Work was done on the hawsepipes and anchor chains, I found this 40 links per inch chain in a local Model Railroad shop....... I didn't go as far as Timmy C and flatten each link! But I am thinking about that technique for the future.


The foremast was one of the priorities for this week, I decided to do the lower tripod with the kit plastic parts and p/e, and later I will do the fore topmasts with brass rod and tube.



The kit gives you the option of "glass" in plastic for the windows or the p/e parts.

Also on the agenda was the floatplane and catapult..... I am disapointed in the floatplane, the detail is poor and the moldings thick. I will look for a replacement at a later date.



This will become a "Dave" floatplane.

The last task for the weekend was to do the funnel stays, I am using .006" brass wire.




Other parts were added while glue or paint dried...... here she is as of now.


The main tasks left are adding the boats and davits, finishing the foremast, constructing the mainmast, adding the railings and then the rigging all around. Then just tunning the final assembly....

[DanCinSD]

Time for an update....
Work was done on the ships boats..... an interesting problem arose during that section, I bought the Tamiya, 1/350th IJN Boat Set to use and I find out that the boats are much bigger than what Aoshima provides in the kit.

Tamiya is the bigger boat, Aoshima the smaller.

But, I wanted to use the Tamiya sets p/e boat cradles and had already removed the molded on kit ones from the deck, so I will have to deal with the larger boats as best as possible......
What I like about the Tamiya set are these alingment and drilling templetes for the boat cradles.... The templete is made from Tamiya masking tape and pretty foolproof to use.


Lay the templetes out, drill the holes and place the cradles in the holes....


Add the boats.....


Nice idea Tamiya

Cradles and boats are near finished, I will have to readjust the dabit locations and get them rigged. I will have the boats in the cradles except for one 9m cutter, if I have the time I will swing it out.
Work proceeded on railings for the bridge, glueing the last two decks down and working on the smaller fittings while I think more about the davits....










About a week and a half to go, and all that is left is the davits, masts, rigging and a few smaller fittings.

[Dan K]

....tick, tick, tick........

[sgtryan13]

Nice work all around, and I especially like the idea of "pre-rigging", I am going to have to remember that little gem for future builds...

[Angeliccypher]

She is looking great. If my build of her is half as good as yours I will be happy.

[J. Soca]

Nice work Dan!!

Jose

[Guido]

Nice work, Dan!
This is a good looking ship, indeed!
Cheers,
Guido