Taking on the 1/200 Missouri...

[Channell]

I resume the white for the dollhouse is a primer and the finish will be measure 32?

Cheers. T

I wonder what she'd say If I did a dazzle job... I'll tell her we need to camo the front room to confuse any invading Japs... Just in case. She might get mad about me painting the new sofa, though.

[Fliger747]

Perhaps a little red lead for accents?

Happy wife, happy life, looks to be part of the cost of doing business. Done more than my share of home improvement over the years.

Regards. Tom

[anyahajobuzi]

Hey Jason!

I am not sure about that background on your last picture of the MO. A chop-saw?! Are you trying to tell us something about this project?
Is the 1:1 project done yet? I'd like to see more progress on your ship. What's taking so long? C'mon, I don't spend 5 years on a single ship model...oh wait...

keep it up, Jason, I'll be checking in!

Cheers: Laci

[Channell]

Hey Jason!

I am not sure about that background on your last picture of the MO. A chop-saw?! Are you trying to tell us something about this project?
Is the 1:1 project done yet? I'd like to see more progress on your ship. What's taking so long? C'mon, I don't spend 5 years on a single ship model...oh wait...

keep it up, Jason, I'll be checking in!

Cheers: Laci

Patience, Laci. Reattachment surgery takes a while to heal and I need my thumbs to continue work. Be careful with chop-saws kids! Naw, actually that was out to build the base.

I'm done with the living room and most of the spring cleanup on the yard. I still have my daughter's room to work on but I've found a couple hours to work on the 'Mo here and there; she got a coat of primer and I'm trying to get rid of the seam along my new deck rim and fix the blemishes.

I decided I didn't like the brass scuttle drains (they stuck out too much) so I replaced them with (flush mounted) styrene tube as well.

I've also been experimenting (and failing) with water on scrap pieces.

So work is progressing... there just isn't anything worth showing yet. I'll get more pics up when I get some of this grunt-work done.

[Channell]

Proof things get can get ugly before they can get good:



I should have taken a picture before, but the kit bow 20mm platform was more like a blob of plastic than an accurate representation and this mess represents several hours of work.

I'm trying to get this:



But I am getting closer!:

[Channell]

This week I decided to take a break from the hull and go after part of the model I've been dreading; the Pontos Oerlikons. So far they do not disappoint for cool factor AND frustration. I decided to just tackle them all in 1 run before tucking them away.





I'm building the bases/shields and the actual guns separate to make painting a bit easier. I also separated the folding 1 piece shields into two pieces; to me it looks more accurate than as Pontos intended they be assembled but it is a bigger pain.

The base is a section of the bottom of the ship; it makes a convenient place to build/paint/store them until the time comes to install them.

[LE BOSCO]

nice job Jason good painting session
cheers
Nicholas

[Fliger747]

Hope there aren't any cats in the house..... I think that is what halted construction years ago on CB1, the ex had five of the little buggers.

Those look really good!

Cheers: Tom

[Channell]

Thanks Tom and Nicholas!

1/2 way there...



...and on to phase 2

[Fliger747]

The Orlikons lined up remind me of the army of tericota soldiers at Xian China.

Nice working base....

Cheers. Tom

[anyahajobuzi]

very nice work on those Oerlikons!!
They are exactly the reason why I will only build a modern version of an Iowa-class battleship. (and in 350 only) so it is sooo nice to see someone else taking a run at them. The great bonus with yours is that they look really great! Nice and straight and clean!

Cheers: Laci

[Fliger747]

I thought that as well, but it turns out there are still about the same number of details per square cm... And you have to scratch build a lot of them.

Cheers. Tom

[Channell]

very nice work on those Oerlikons!!
They are exactly the reason why I will only build a modern version of an Iowa-class battleship. (and in 350 only) so it is sooo nice to see someone else taking a run at them. The great bonus with yours is that they look really great! Nice and straight and clean!

Cheers: Laci

That from someone who has a 60-something odd superdetailed 1/350 airwing with open cockpits to build! I'll stick with my 50 Oerlikons and 20 quad bofors and 10 5" mounts, thank you very much!

Be honest Laci... if you moved up in scale no one would believe you actually built it... they'd all point their fingers and yell "photoshop!"

Plus it would take 10 years instead of 5 to finish. Still better than me though... so far I figure I'll be done with the 'Mo sometime in the mid 2040's

[Channell]

I thought that as well, but it turns out there are still about the same number of details per square cm... And you have to scratch build a lot of them.

Cheers. Tom

... and A LOT more square centimeters to cover! You know, I have a perfectly good 1/350 Tamiya New Jersey + Pontos set sitting in my stash... what was I thinking?!

[Channell]

A quick blip on yet another sidetrack...

I'm trying to figure out the best way to improve the portholes; I replaced every one on the Bismarck and I have no desire to do it that way again. Since the Missouri's portholes are mostly all nicely molded (minus only a handful that are warped and will need some "porthole madness") there isn't a pressing reason to redo them all.

So, I decided to give a go at grinding them thinner from behind. Here's my "sample" section; what do you think?





And the "right" tools for the job:



The trick was to find the "sweet spot" on the dremel speed setting... fast enough to cut but not fast enough to melt the plastic. I also cut them in front of a bright light and didn't drill the the portholes out beforehand; that made it fairly simple to tell how deep I was by how much light was getting through the plastic. When I got to the point where the interior "dish" of the porthole center could be just popped out, I knew I was there.

[Angeliccypher]

That is a really cool technique. Do you think it would make any difference on 1/350 though?

[Channell]

That is a really cool technique. Do you think it would make any difference on 1/350 though?

I haven't tried in 1/350 but it might work with a steady hand. Still, you'd have to go that much thinner to get the same effect and honestly, in 1/350 portholes are tiny anyway. To me, painting the hole black looks just fine.

I/200 is a different animal though... at this scale the portholes are big enough to deserve some more attention.

[PetrolGator]

Very cool effect there, Jason. I want this kit but you know, married. My wife would leave me if I tried to display the beast.

[Fliger747]

Not most women's idea of home decor.... My gal has been good about it, possibly the result of lots of 1:1 dollhouse improvements (Jason has the right idea here). And as long as I display it where no one will see it everything will be oK. A waterline model is a bit less imposing....


Good luck! Tom

[Fliger747]

Just finished sanding the drywall for an office off the library for my gal, which she will paint later. I suggested a two tone paint job, medium gray to waist level then a lighter gray (measure 32) so as to show off the black and white photos to best effect.... I got a we'll see response. I knew dazzle would not fly....

Cheers. Tom