Calling all Iowa-class (BB-61) fans

[rdenman62]

Matt52590,
I did the same thing as Builder2010 did on his 16' guns. Wrapped the ends with bare metal foil. You can find it here, http://www.bare-metal.com/....

Builder2010,
I think you've have done a fantastic job on your Missouri. I hope when mine is completed that it will look as good as yours. You know, the safest way to get that out to Pearl is to take it yourself???? Make it a well deserved vacation and enjoy the sites....

[Builder 2010]

Thanks to all!

At first I thought of bringing it myself, but quickly dispelled it because it's a big box when you consider the boat and its showcase. I've also been told that using commercial shippers is a big mistake. One source, who ships some of the most beautiful models in the world, said they ship in a box so large that it must be handled by a fork lift. This eliminates the chance that someone will throw the box onto a belt, the ground, into a truck, into a plane, etc. Others have suggested using the military to help get it there since they're the only folks who really could understand what it is, what it represents and where it's going. That's a good idea and I'm going to pursue it.

[SIBIRIAK-66]

My small deposit...

[SIBIRIAK-66]

In metall...

[Matt52590]

Hey all,
I know this is probably a dumb question but since i said in my first post yesterday that I'm relatively new to adding extra detail to the out of the box material hopefully y'all will give me a little leeway . If you noticed on the pictures i reposted of Tony Bunch's modifications to the bridge, you'll see how he shaped the armored control bunker into its correct shape. He said he used strips of styrene. and Builder 2010, you said you used styrene also. So my question is since I've never worked with styrene before, how do you shape it? Do you apply heat? Is it a malleable material to begin with? Thanks for any and all help!

Regards,
-Matt

[Builder 2010]

If you use thin enough sheet, you can mold it around a form or use the top and bottom pieces of the pilot house. Wrap the sheets around the top and bottom shapes then use an application of the thin solvent-based styrene adhesive. Wrap it up with rubber bands and let it fully cure before looking at your good work. You can get some pretty thin sheet with bend around curves very easily.

I did get the remaining ship parts in place today including the whip antennas.

These were the kit's bases drilled with a #58 drill to accept a piece of .016" piano wire. I thought about using 0.008" guitar string, but it seemed almost too fine to be seen. Either way, these are slimmer than the kits plastic ones and you won't break them if you bump them. I know... I bumped one and nothing happened.

I also got the anchors installed. I may add just a touch of weathering with a little bit of rust colored paint and rust weathering powders. I haven't weathered any other part of the ship and may not want to just weather the anchors. Besides I have a picture of a sailor painting the anchor so even that may not have shown much rust at this time in the ship's career.

Clearly, this anchor's not going to have any rust on it when this fellow gets finished.

Here's the progress shot of the last pieces on this model, the Seahawks. The silver cockpit canopy with be coated with some clear green tomorrow to make it look a little better. Trumpeter makes all of their 1:350 planes with transparent cockpits, but this model was originally molded in the mid-80s before that level of sophistication was commonplace.

This next pic is the model in the showcase I built for it. I still have to get a brass plaque engraved with the particulars. I'll have the planes in place during the next work session, and have the cats permanently mounted. After the few decals, I declare this ship ready for sea trials.

[Matt52590]

Wow, again Builder 2010 i know i said it before but I'll be more than happy to say it again; your build looks fantastic ! Would you mind if i Private Messaged or Emailed you? i have a couple more questions for you but I don't want to take up a million pages of forum space if i can help it. I have yet to start my build as I'm still collecting as many after market pieces as i can, so hopefully i can get started by next week or so and would love to have your expertise on dilemma's I'm more than sure i will get myself into.
Regards,
-Matt

[Builder 2010]

Since I posted an entire build thread that covered literally every detail of the construction including the screw ups, perhaps you could go to the forum site. It's quite lengthy, but it's worth the read if you want to replicate this work.

http://www.worldaffairsboard.com/modele ... iling.html

But you could also send a private note.

[jlogicalor]

Since I posted an entire build thread that covered literally every detail of the construction including the screw ups, perhaps you could go to the forum site. It's quite lengthy, but it's worth the read if you want to replicate this work.

http://www.worldaffairsboard.com/modele ... iling.html

But you could also send a private note.

I'm currently building the Missouri and I've referred to your build several times so far. Its been helpful.

[Builder 2010]

I'm glad it's been helpful.

But, wait until the epilog when I give the "After Action Report", a condensed version of everything I liked and everything I'd do different if I build another one of these...yeah... like that's ever going to happen!

Someone, I think it was my son, suggested I put it all into a web-book. It was a lot of writing, but beside being therapeutic, helped me think through problems that arose � along with staring at the ceiling upon waking in the morning and working through steps in my head.

[Timmy C]

Beautiful build, Builder!

Just one nitpicky thing that you might still be able to fix: anchor alignment. When placing the anchor against the hawse hole, visualize how it would align once the anchor stock is fully ensconed within the hawsepipe, which runs a straight line from the hole in the hull to the opening on the deck. The anchor should have the flukes pointed up and towards the stern, rather than nearly vertical: http://www.navsource.org/archives/01/016301l.jpg

[Captain pugwash]

I second that its fantastic.
Being that I have this one to build with the add ons, your build is going to be a great help with the good and the bad
Nice going B2010.

[robertmelvin]

Builder, I followed your thread on the World Affairs Board with great interest. Your work on the Missouri is simply mind blowing. You have set a standard, in my humble opinion, for detail and accuracy that stands apart, even among some of the master builders here. I followed with great interest your successes and the occasional failures that you unfailingly overcame. Congratulations on not only a job well done, but a job that sets a new standard in detail and accuracy in your subject. That deserves to be on display at the U.S.S. Missouri museum ship in Peal.

Thanks for sharing your efforts with us, both here and on the World Affairs Board. Though I have no illusions that when I attempt my Missouri mine will look anything like yours does, I have learned a great deal from following your threads and hopefully will be able to make my humble effort just a little bit better thanks to the things you have taught me.

Bob

[Builder 2010]

Once again, to all, thanks! Robert... your review is one that even I won't be able to live up to. As with most artists, there's always room for improvement. I've been so close to it for so long, I know where all the warts are.

About the anchors...I realized after I saw the pictures that I have it on wrong and I'm going to fix that. I've been wrestling with the photoetched props sticking to the seahawks. The Eduard props are the finer design, but one of them popped out of the tweezers and disappeared. I heard it hit the parts-catching-board that I have under my workbench, but it was gone. So I'm using the fatter ones from an old GMM set. It's always the stupid stuff that causes me the most trouble.

[Builder 2010]

The ship is done and the anchors are fixed! Here's the pictures I took tonight of the finished product. I want to take some more in the RAW format so I can submit them to Fine Scale Modeler. I need to get a valuation of this model before donating to the museum. Any ideas?

Seahawks were finished and attached to cats. Cats were attached to the ship.

I fixed the anchors as best I could, but the shanks are very short and don't extend backwards.

And then my grandson and I dusted it a bit and took some more pictures.

And this one was an experiment with the focus stacking software. It was 12 overlapping exposures each focused about an 1" back from the previous one. The software then configures the picture into one image with a great depth-of-field. There was a minor problem with this one in a couple areas (props and right side seahawk support strut). The next pictures will be shot outside so I won't need flash.

Next up, rebuilding a large train set.

[rdenman62]

Matt52590 here is a picture of my missouri with the flyhawk set for the bridge and bulkheads. its a really nice pe set

[Builder 2010]

I love the bridge brass parts. I'm also interested that they include a brass front for the mid-ship AA ensemble that has portholes in it. I didn't know the ship had windows there. I'm also concerned that with all the parts you've already installed, you may have difficulty painting the decks. Should be a nice looking build.

[SeanF]

I don't think they changed the curved upsweep of Iowa's bow into a hard angle, but this photo from early this year sure makes it look that way:
http://www.navsource.org/archives/01/016156i.jpg

Definitely a fluke of camera perspective that I've never seen before!

- Sean F.

[Builder 2010]

It's a long telephoto shot which greatly compressed the depth of objects, but are you sure that's an Iowa class ship? It doesn't look right to me.

[alx]

If you read the stern, it is the Iowa.