1/72 Yamato - or a steep learning curve!

[herbieham]

started the painting process

[herbieham]

just for my own memories

[Neptune]

Looks great (and huge of course).
So what about these yard arms? Did you place them after painting or do they look white due to the light in the room?
Although I never like painting, it does give some satisfaction to see the parts with paint on them, covering the joints of the bare construction. So in the end I sometimes rush constructions to see them painted (eventhough the paint job is most of the time a screw-up).
Yours however is not! I love that kind of worn look. Looks very realistic and un-toy like. Must consume a lot of paint to spray a structure of this size.

Keep it going, you're advancing pretty well.

[herbieham]

Hi neptune
great to hear from you.
Simple explanation, thats a full tamiya can of kure grey just for the bridge.............11 dollars........ouch!
So the white bridge wings are simple to explain, ran out!

I have looked very carefully at colour photos of remaining jap battleships and destroyers ect at wars end. The fading of the grey towards a lightish blue is quite distinct, and no where do you see uniform colour.
Also, a lot, a lot of rust.............

So the beaten up look will be the way I go
Holidays at the moment for me, so we are plowing on.
Man those ladders were tricky!

[J. Soca]

Hi neptune

Man those ladders were tricky!

Ha! can you imagine going up and down those ladders from the flag deck to the aircraft lookout bridge.. the paint sure brings it to life



Jose

[Cliffy B]

Climbing the ones inside the tower on BB-64 are fun enough. Climbing those on the exterior, especially while underway in some sort of seas....no thank you!

GREAT job man! It'll all pay off in the end

[herbieham]

Holiday for herbie.............so the building continues!
mast, about 75% done

[herbieham]

Comments very much appreciated.

I have surrended with the electronics, and have sought help, a new friend of mine, Joseph, who apparently a lot of people here in sysdney and at hubertus model boat club know, , has ripped out all my prone to burst into flames electronics, and a new set is going in, plan is now expanded to include some running lights,AA gun sound effects, and the main director will also turn.

I cannot over recommend this mans work.............he is a whizz.

[Neptune]

I see... That is indeed an expensive paint job. Looking from above with all the guns, that superstructure really looks massive! Of course the hull next to it as well

The new electronics probably mean she won't be in the water for a while. Too bad! Would've liked to see some on the water pics with that superstructure and those guns in place

[herbieham]

Hi Nelson!
Builders trials this summer I hope,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,
mind you, took 4 hours to build one damn radar for the mast today, so maybe next summer!!! LOL

[herbieham]

Oh , the difference between ametaurs and those who know what they are doing

Joseph came, and Joseph conquered.
The reason my speed controllers melted all the time, too many AMPs for them from the battery set up I had.
Any way, now yamato has 4 fully throttled motors, the rudder, 3 operating turrets, lights(to be fitted, but wired ready to go), AA fire sound effects, a voltage display, and too come(wired but i have to fit the servos yet) BOTH gunnery control stations will rotate in line with respective turrets.
The last are wired, but I have to make some mods to the gunnery stations, and some how feed the wire through the superstructure (a hole is there, but...........)

Everything works, but is not neatly placed or mounted yet, as we want to put a heat sink into place as well for the throttle controller.
I am particularily pleased at how well and smoothly to scale the turrets turn, the "ball bearings" do the trick just nice

Overall, this week of holidays, working on the boat has been magic.
Photos below also show the latest project, the aft crane, which has been a real delight to build.

Not finished yet, it just swallows materials, and I have run out of L shaped styrene for today

back to work monday, think I need to retire soon and do this stuff full time.....................(LOL)

[herbieham]

[herbieham]

yes, its still a mess, but it will soon be neat as a pin

For me, the most impressive thing was watching the wiring go in, turned on, and working very first go.

[HvyCgn9]

G'day Herbie,

Excellent detailing work mate!!

I would not recommend those ESC's with the motors you are running (graupner 900's from memory??) the 900's are amp hogs even with the small 57mm props I use on USS Long Beach (what diameter props are you running?? I think they should be around 100mm for Yamato!!). Those "Blue" esc's are known for having exaggerated Amp ratings, they are relatively cheap off ebay but in the long run you are better off spending a little bit more on some quality esc's like Electronize FR30's, ACTION electronics esc's or Mtroniks Viper40's.

It might seem like alot of cash to lay out on some gear that won't be seen but after several years building her you don't want it to go up in smoke due to a $15 dollar ESC catching fire.....there was an RC sub on the Rcgroups site that went to the bottom when same brand esc "chucked" a wobbly.....they knew the spot it sank by the stream of smoke filled bubbles rising to the surface! When recovered the ESC had burn't thru the 3mm thick acrylic cylinder I shudder to think what would happen in a wood and fibre glass model with more available oxygen to fuel the inferno...

Apologies for the negativity the paranoid android from Hitchhikers guide to the Galaxy has corrupted me....

Cheers Bruce

PS have you worked out how you will transport her yet??

[herbieham]

Crane

[herbieham]

[herbieham]

lost a post somewhere

Lights fitted as well now to the bridge, and servo's for both gunnery directors
Working on detailing the superstructure, then its more painting, mounting the guns and more deck planking.
We are racing the sumer heat approaching.....

[Capit�o Norbert]

nice build

[herbieham]

detailing continues
gun deflection limiters and guard rails and god knows what else

plus, i dropped the gun director..............aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaargh!
major work fixing that

[herbieham]

just a few pictures for my own satisfaction, the deck still to be fixed down, superstructure almost finished to my satisfaction