1/200 Arizona finally DONE!

[Jeff Sharp]

With the anchor plates back in place and the kit supplied chain in place, I've decided to put the super detailing on hold until I can replace the chain with stud link chain that Pat Matthews is producing for Floating Drydock. This will be 15 links per inch stud chain and should look quite nice.


In the meantime I'm jumping up to the boat deck to fix and detail some things there.

First, I want to move all of the 5" gun splinter shields to the edge of the deck. Right now they sit just a little bit too far back.


They all should be all the way to the edge of the deck with one of the vertical supports actually extending down onto the bulkhead.


Here are a couple of pics to show you how much each shield need to be moved forward.




Here is the starboard side with all the shields moved.




All thats needed now is extending the vertical support down onto the the bulkhead.

[Jon C Ryckert]

Jeff,
Maybe I missed it in this thread but what reason did you put the most forward portside section of anchor plate back on? Also, are you going to attempt making the degaussing cable?

[Jeff Sharp]

Hi Jon,
I keep flip flopping back and forth trying to decide if I want to eliminate it. I wish I knew if it was permanently removed for some reason or maybe they were replacing it.

To be honest with you about the degaussing cable, I didn't realize she had one. Was hers sitting on the deck along the edge inboard the rails?

[Jon C Ryckert]

Yes it is along the deck edge scupper/waterway. I think I have the layout figured out, just not sure if it is two or three cables. From some pics, it looks like two that are laid side by side and then change to where they are stacked vertically one on top of the other. But, in some pics it appears that there may be three cables and they are laid out two side by side with one on top of them, centered. You can make out where it enters and exits the hull in some pictures and in others, the quality of the image is not the best but they give you a rough idea. I can make a drawing of what I believe the layout is and post it for you if you are interested.

[Jeff Sharp]

Yes please! That would be great! Thanks! Do you know how it was at the break in the deck?

[Jon C Ryckert]

Not 100% sure of where it enters through frame #88 but I have an idea that it is similar to what I see in a pic of West Virginia being salvaged but, do know where it exits onto the upper deck as I have a photo I took of the wreck in 2004. I may post what I have in the CASF thread as I don't want to clutter up your WIP. May I use one of the pictures you posted from the film?

[Jon C Ryckert]

If you get a chance, take a look at Penn's 1942 refit pics on Navsource. I believe Arizona's is very similar but is different in regards to how it goes around the decks edge.

[Jeff Sharp]

Absolutely. You can use any of the pics I posted.

[Tracy White]

Hey all - just checking in. I'm subscribed, but must have missed a notice a long time ago, so I missed about the last 4 pages of updates

Jeff, for what it's worth, I believe Arizona lost one of her anchors in the last overhaul for weight considerations. Never been able to figure out which one...

Also, that forward vent you were wondering about has to have been removable for the times she was in heavy seas. It was over a crews washroom (head) and so I imagine ventilation would have been important to them

[Jeff Sharp]

I believe Arizona lost one of her anchors in the last overhaul for weight considerations. Never been able to figure out which one...

This film would suggest that the port side Windlass was empty. The center chain lead to the upper most port hawse and the starboard side chain lead to the upper most starboard hawse.

[Jon C Ryckert]

Hey all - just checking in. I'm subscribed, but must have missed a notice a long time ago, so I missed about the last 4 pages of updates

Jeff, for what it's worth, I believe Arizona lost one of her anchors in the last overhaul for weight considerations. Never been able to figure out which one...

Also, that forward vent you were wondering about has to have been removable for the times she was in heavy seas. It was over a crews washroom (head) and so I imagine ventilation would have been important to them

Still trying to figure out why some of my pics won't meet the requirements to post but I have a scan from the Nautical Research Guild magazine from a few years ago that show the Arizona in a pic that was taken from the Argonne. From what I can tell both of the port side anchors are present. Not sure if it is from Aug, Sept or Oct of 41. There are two lighter colored protrusions on the port side and if I was to guess, they would have to be anchors as the hawse pipe flanges (?) would not be visible due to the overhang of the bow. But that doesn't mean squat because if something was in a pic the day it was taken, it may not still be there the next. What I find funny about the third anchor is that earlier when I was looking at the mosaic pic, I thought I saw what looked like an anchor about centerline of the ship but right at the point that all of the wreckage drops off from the bow to the superstructure. For some reason, it made me think about the North Carolina which had the recess on port side of the deck for an anchor in 1942. What I am seeing in that pic is probably just twisted steel.

[Jeff Sharp]

Jon, I just realized that you have given me about a months worth of work. Gotta rip up all the chocks, hollow them out, add a scupper/waterway, lay the Degaussing cables, then put the chocks back in place.

[Jon C Ryckert]

Jon, I just realized that you have given me about a months worth of work. Gotta rip up all the chocks, hollow them out, add a scupper/waterway, lay the Degaussing cables, then put the chocks back in place.

P.M. me and I'll show you what I have so far. BTW, the chocks are easy with a Dremel. Also BTW, misery loves company and you know you just have to do it..

[Tracy White]

What I find funny about the third anchor is that earlier when I was looking at the mosaic pic, I thought I saw what looked like an anchor about centerline of the ship but right at the point that all of the wreckage drops off from the bow to the superstructure.

The explosion blew out the windlasses and chain lockers, so the anchors would have either been held in place or fallen out due to shock and whiplash, etc. I haven't made the time to look through all of the salvage logs to see where the two that were recovered were removed from.

The shot of Arizona in Drydock in October shows the starboard side, but the hawse pipes are unfortunately behind a mound of dirt from the drydock construction.

[Jeff Sharp]

Ok, so another detour. I'm gonna tackle the Degaussing cable(s). I've got the scupper/waterway in place...


...and I'm already excited with how it looks.

Here is my first attempt at the cable running under the hollowed out chock.


Only 27 more chocks to go!!

Thanks for the tip Jon! I love it!

I also added the two large square vents on the boat deck that Trunpeter for some reason did not include. I'm not sure yet how they will affect my boat racks but I have a feeling i'm gonna have to do some cutting.

[MuseumGeek]

Whoa! Whoa! Whoa! Whoa! Jeff, you can't just blithely post up "I've got the scuppers in place" and not explain how ya did it!
Dish, boy! I have to decide if I wanna spend that kinda time on mine or not.

[Goodwood]

Dish, boy! I have to decide if I wanna spend that kinda time on mine or not.

I think we both already know the answer to that question...

[LE BOSCO]

hello Jeff

I like your research work , and improvements you make in d�tails to your Arizona
congrats
Nicolas

[Jeff Sharp]

Thanks guys.
Matthew, the scupper/waterway was an easier fix than I anticipated. I simply super glued very thin strips of stryene to the edge of the deck. For the chocks, chop off the tab on the bottom of the chock then stuff the tab in the hole on the deck as a filler. Hollow out the bottom and sides of the chock with a dremel or small file. Then create a new side wall on the chock using the same height styrene strips used for the scupper/waterway. This process takes a little bit of time. I got about 8 of them done last night.

[MuseumGeek]

I kinda figured that was what you had done looking at the pictures, but wanted to verify before I went all stupid and started gouging plastic or something equaliy as goofy! This and the square vents are on the docket for the weekend. The wildcat rings were fun. I got really good at making round pieces of wire. Luckliy my Mission Models photoetch tools made the job pretty quick.

Thanks for the info and the constant posts! I'm having as much fun watching your build as I am doing mine.