1/350 USS Reagan CVN-76

[sgtryan13]

I don't mind at all youngtiger. I made the case myself! It is 1/4" acrylic, sourced from a local supplier so no shipping costs, but still not chaeap at all! I don't have the recipt in front of me, but the price of the acrylic was well over $200, prob closer to $300.

[sgtryan13]

Making these cases on my own has made me realize a few things-

1. Ron Blauch at Grandpa's Cabinets is a friggin artist! His cases are the best around. Mine don't even compare.

2. Ron either has a very small profit margin on his cases, or gets a great wholesale price on acrylic! Cause this stuff aint cheap!

3. Ron is awesome. he shared some of his techniques with me for building my cases.

4. The single ONLY reason I do not order these cases from Ron at Grandpa's Cabinets is the shipping costs. this has nothign to do with Ron, simply the costs the shippers charge. when I got prices for cases this size, the shipping was over $100 per case, and I checked with USPS,UPS and FEDEX. I do not enjoy making cases at all! I would much rather pay to have them made, but when shipping is that expensive, it left me with little choice but to make it happen on my own.

[kylewoody]

Sgt Ryan all this talk about cases has got me thinking. Having been to about a half dozen shows with various things (cars, planes, ships) I've yet to use a case, and perhaps luckily, have not received any damage. Wondering now if I should after hearing your stories!

Do you get the vibe ever that its righteous or even snooty at all? Displaying a model in a case does not mean any of that, but people sometimes get that way. I ask because I was thinking about putting my two 350th ships under my acrylic cases at the next show.

That ship is GORGEOUS though, I'm with Sean - would love to see it in person!

Kyle

[sgtryan13]

Well, at the risk of hijacking my own thread re: to case or not to case, here are my thoughts specific to your question Kyle-

Honestly at smaller local or regional shows, I do feel like people could view me puttin my ship under a case as snooty, since very few if any other models will be in cases. Now at the IPMS-USA nationals in 2012, I was surprised and happy to see that the majority of 1/350 ships were inside of cases.

Personally I do not do it out of any snooty or eliteist feelings, I do it out of reaction to my observations. I work in law enforcement, so I am a very avid observer of people where ever I go. I do it out of habit, I don't even know I am doing it, but patterns and behaviors register in my head, and here is what I have concluded from observing people at model shows:

Most observers at the shows seem to get overwhelmed by the sheer # of tanks and planes, so they do not spend a ton of time looking at any one in particular, nor do they tend to get too close to a particular tank/plane, nor do they seem to feel compelled to touch any of them, or the need to point at a detail with their finger a millimeter away from the detail in question. I think the # of planes/tanks is sort of a protection buffer.

Also the larger scale or planes/tanks combined with the (usually) more managable size of each specific model, makes it easier for the casual observer to point out a detail from a safe distance and get a decent view of said detail from a safe distance.

Another thing that I have come to theorize is that the more common terms found on tanks/palnes makes it easier and safer for observers to talk about a detail without the need to touch it to illustrate what they are referring to. For example, you will hear 100's of people say "Oh, look how detailed the cockpit is!" or "Wow, he even detailed the interior of the gun turret!" . But when it comes to ships, you will hear "Oh, cool, look how detailed the thingamajig begind that big gun is!" Since the other person does not know what thingamajig is being referred to, the person trying to talk about it will feel the need to point very close to the part, and thus, accidental touching of a delicate piece of PE or nearly invisible rigging takes place.

Now my personal experience/observations when it comes to ships (and not just my own, mind you), is that the ships, while FAR fewer in #'s suffer far greater percentage of touchers, near-viewers/pointers, and accidental damage. I don't think I am bias in my opinion, it is just from my observations and experiences. The reasons I feel that ships are in greater danger at shows are-

The smaller # of ships seems to make the observers spend a little more time looking at each specific model since they are not overwhelmed with 200 planes/tanks on a single table. They seem to stop and actually look at each individual ship, even if for just a few seconds. The longer time that each person might observe a ship increases the chances of accidentally or purposly touching something.

The smaller scale of our ships means that observers may have to get closer to actually see the details on the ships, and this is where my dread of guys wearing ballcaps comes into play. They lean in for a close inspection, forgetting that the cap sticks out so far, and there ya have it, broken mast or rigging.

The minute details and PE parts on ships seems to amaze even the most seasoned plane/tank modelers. I dunno what it is, but I have seen even very accomplished plane/tank modelers feel compelled to touch a piece of PE, rigging, a seascape or a flag. The seascape part is funny to me because I finished my Indy the night before a show, and did the foam on the sea with artists oil paints that take a long time to dry. I watched some clown touch my water, not realize he now had wet paint on his finger, and proceed to stain his shirt with the paint. Too bad he didn't pick his nose.

Carriers specifically seem to be a big temptation to touch. Lots of people just can't help but try to touch a plane to see if it is glued to the deck or not. Well it WAS glued to the deck before you friggin touched it moron!

My personal opinion is that 1/350 and larger ships are at the greatest risk. 1/700 stuff seems for the most part to be much safer on the tables. First, because they are small enough to place farther back from the edge of the table. Second, because most casual observers seem to just glance past the small stuff (funny, because Dan K will pack more details into a 6" IJN destroyer than most 1/200 battleships I have seen).

All in all, I don't think cases make ship modelers snooty, it is just that we seem to be sort of a separate entity of modelers, and some of our models seem to be magnets for dumb people. I had no problem putting ships and sci-fi stuff on the tables without cases when I felt that they would not be big temptations for touchers.

[NWarty]

Ryan,
I've been reading this thread wondering "how in the hell does a person at a show think it's even remotely appropriate to touch a model?" I mean, ferchrissakes, most people who attend these shows are fellow modelers. My 9 year old boys know too well, you don't touch another dude's work and here you have experienced and grown adult jackwagons breaking your stuff. Unbelievable.

By the way, beautiful work my good sir

[silvershadow]

Ryan,
I've been reading this thread wondering "how in the hell does a person at a show think it's even remotely appropriate to touch a model?" I mean, ferchrissakes, most people who attend these shows are fellow modelers. My 9 year old boys know too well, you don't touch another dude's work and here you have experienced and grown adult jackwagons breaking your stuff. Unbelievable.

By the way, beautiful work my good sir

Give than man a Bells Whisky!!
Well said ^^)

[sgtryan13]

Thanks for the support guys! Obviously the case/ touchers topic is one I am pretty passionate about!

Anyways, how many friggin times can I say that I am almost done???

Well, I am now I am almost done-er.

The under water scene got some more work, I put a blue textured film on the plexi, and i like the look more, though it kind of makes the gloss and texture I put on the hull irrelevant now, but I am calling the under water part done before I go overboard and mess something up. I am happy with that aspect, so that is all that counts.

The airwing is progressing along, now all the hornets are done! In the pics the F models have not had their canopy masks removed yet, but they are done. Now all I have left are 13 aircraft, 6 helos, 3 hawkeyes, 3 prowlers, and 1 COD.

The flat coat really dulled down the colors of my aggressor birds. It is probably more accurate, but I did like them a lot better when the colors were brighter, especially on the desert schemes. Oh well...

the sea scape is getting more attention, little by little, various shades of light blues will be added to the wake and waves, and her plaques should be in this week.

[sgtryan13]

I counted em up, there are 55 aircraft on deck! Wow, what was I thinking!? Add those to the compliment in the hangar, and we have a grand total of 70 Friggin birds all done up and detailed for this build. N-E-V-E-R again! I am glad I went all out on this one so I can stop being jealous of all the CVNs that I get commissioned to build and never see again, but man, I am beat!

And as reagan saw fit to give me one last kick in the junk (hopefully) part of her hangar cieling came loose. I think it happened when I had to do a last minute fix to her wooden base and had to screw in a screw using a power drill. Luckily it should be an easy fix, but still BS none the less! Oh well, at least I cought it now instead of a judge at a contest catching it. If I had not been curious to see my total # of aircraft, I probably would not have caught this, as I sealed the hangar so long ago I sometimes even forget it is in there.

[lost_texan]

Out-freaking-standing! I like the 5 shades of gray for your aircraft too, really makes them stand out.


Brad

[DWD]

This is a really great looking build Ryan. Just seeing your photos of your layout and seeing it all coming together is amazing. The ocean effects looks like it turned out great too! This is one you will appreciate looking at when it's completed, knowing it's your very own to keep. I know that feeling all too well of finishing a model that you put a ton of time and care into only for it to go to someone else and will probably never see again. I think that is why I am putting so much time and detail into my Enterprise. It's for me! Great job man, really. I also love the different grays for the aircraft. That really made them pop when viewed altogether. You always have some great ideas for your builds. Just a superb job.

[Dave from Downunder]

She look so realistic. The only giveaway that it's a model is the elevator "floating" on the water. If it was real it would be on the bottom.

It is a shame i will never see this in person

[sgtryan13]

Thanks a lot guys, truly appreciated.

The multiple greys on the aircraft is a standard for me now. I tried it a few years back, I think on Truman, and I really dig the effect. If yoyu look at pictures of CVN's taken from above, you can clearly see that there are in fact a good # of different variations of supposedly the same grey, some are pretty drastic. Either way, it just keeps the airwing from beign too monotone and boring for my taste.

Last night I finished all the deck vehicles other than the tilly crane. The f-18Fs got some final little detials, and the seascape got some subtle color variations in the wakes and waves. I am taking it VERY slow colorign the wake and waves, since I do not want to over do it. I am doing a very little each day, letting it dry, taking pictures and scrutenizing them on the screen.

Oh, and Dave, that is not an elevator in the water, it is a new super-secret nuclear heli-pad made to combat the iraqi coal barge fleet.

[PetrolGator]

I really hope to see your CVNs in person, Ryan. GREAT work.

[sgtryan13]

Thanks Petrol.

I plan to make the trek to the IPMS-USA nationals in Virginia this summer, so if you plan to attend you should see Reagan there (maybe even with an escort or two if time premits). Several of my commissioned CVNs reside in the greater Washington DC area, I am thinking about trying to arrange a CVN reunion, I think that would be a badass photo-op, 3 or 4 of my Nimitz class builds all in the same picture!

[PetrolGator]

I should be at Nationals. Being an IPMS officer, I really should. Thankfully my role is rather minor, so the trip is at my discretion.

If I do go, I most certainly plan on bringing anything that's done well at our local shows.

[sgtryan13]

Big doings! Reagan's crew is 100% complete, and started reporting to their duty stations on her deck last night until I sounded the liberty call for The Walking Dead.

[LE BOSCO]

I sgtryan

I wish a good duty stations for your crews and for you ,a good luck for the last step
forward to seeing the results
cheers
Nicolas

[anyahajobuzi]

Congratulation to another completed CVN!! And this one is to keep too!
I looked at your deck layout, and thought: well, that's an OK number of aircraft on there, but it would look better with more. Yeah, I thought: I will do a whole lot more. Then I read it's 55 of them!!!! No way I will top that. That's a lot! I got a new appreciation for number 55.

Your model brings tears to my eye because seeing a complete(!) Nimitz-class carrier is quite the feeling. I hope to have one of those one day myself, you know
I love those whateveryoucalledthem-waves at the stern! very powerful stuff, Ryan!

Cheers: Laci

[sgtryan13]

Ummm, to the moderator, I am not done with reagan yet, still a lot to do actually. Could you please move this back to the WIP section?

Thanks.

[sirpaul]

That looks sick Ryan. I wish i could see it in person aswell. I only go to granitecon though. I missed it last year but i will be going this year. Are you going this year?