*COMPLETED* 1/350 USS Benson (DD-421), 1940

[ModelMonkey]

Looking really good. I just love the look and history of this class and your build is a great work.

By the way, I'm available for any future winter trips to Costa Rica.

[Devin]

Costa Rica in February has become a regular thing for us. We go to Tamarindo on the Pacific coast and have friends here who now own property in town, and we've become good friends with a lot of the locals, so it's become our "We have to go somewhere NOW" spot.

Back into the build. I asked elsewhere on the board about whether to rig before or after the gloss and dull coats. The answer was overwhelmingly to rig very last -- which is the way I've always done it, but just wanted some different opinions -- so Benson has now been Futured (I'm not sure that's a proper verb, but I like using it).

Not much to see in the photos except an overall shot with some equipment, and close-ups. I use Grex airbrushes now, and really like them. The Genesis is the button trigger model, small top feed color cup. I use this for the majority of my work, as I like to work in close with low air pressure. The top-feed color cup means you can work with very low pressure and very thinned paint (I'm not exactly sure what pressures I'm working at, but they have to be less than 5psi most of the time). The Tritium is for bigger work, the pistol trigger and the large side-feed color cup make larger surfaces and longer working sessions much easier to handle. The great thing about these airbrushes is that all of the interior parts, caps, needles, washers, etc. are all totally interchangeable between the two models. The only draw back to this setup is that sometimes I like to work REALLY fine, and when you get to a certain low pressure on these you get a little pulsating and the paint tends to dry too fast on the tips (I mostly use acrylics). I have a Badger Sotar 20/20 that I LOVE for those times I really need that fine control, but that airbrush has been broken for over a year now and I can't seem to get it resolved through Badger; so much so that they're sick of hearing from me and won't even answer my emails anymore!

The Future will cure today, tomorrow I can start with the washes. I'm going very light on the weathering on her because she's a full hull display. Just a wash to pick out details, a light drybrushing, and maybe some very very light vertical streaks on the hull to break it up a bit.

[MartinJQuinn]

Looks great. You going to pick out the pilot house windows with a wash?

[Devin]

Yes, that's the main reason for the wash. With it mounted on the Panavise I can flip it on the sides to fill the portholes. Like I did on the Luzon.

[Devin]

Just two photos today. Decals applied and anchors installed. I actually totally forgot about the anchors before the gloss coat. No worries, as once the decals finish drying, I'll go over them with a light mist of Future so they blend for weathering, and I'll hit the anchors with some gloss at the same time.

[Devin]

Wash in progress. As I stated, I love the Panavise as I can flip the model on its side to make sure the portholes get good and filled with wash. I don't like to drill out portholes, even in 1/350th scale, but you need something to make them pop.

I started using the MIG pre-mixed washes a year or so ago. At first I was one of those that said "How lazy can you be, to us pre-mixed washes?", but then I tried it once. They get a much finer grain to the paint solution than I have ever been able to achieve, and they dry in a matter of hours instead of the days it takes for a mineral spirits and oil paint mixture to set up. And yes, I've tried making washes with naptha instead of mineral spirits, and while it dried faster, it never dried properly, suffering a lot of crazing.

I've also done some work on the props.

[ModelMonkey]

Great workmanship of a good looking ship!

[Devin]

I allowed the wash to dry for 3 evenings, mostly because I was busy with other things, but it gave it a good solid finish before the dullcoat. I've been using Testors Dullcoat decanted out of a rattlecan for some time now, as it gives a perfect flat finish, but that stuff does stink to high heaven, and I just prefer to use acrylics when I can. Sargentx in this topic http://www.shipmodels.info/mws_forum/viewtopic.php?f=4&t=156653 introduced me to the Golden UV clear coats. The flat is dead flat, as much so as the Testors lacquer, maybe even a bit more. I cut it with just a small amount of their satin so that there's the slightest sheen and so that the blue hue to the paint isn't lost, and shot it, thinned 1:1 with water. I had to be careful as it was just a little too thin, so I'll change that ratio next time, but it came out beautifully. I have found my new clearcoats. (and don't worry, you don't have to buy them in big bulk jugs, they sell it in smaller squeeze bottles).

Next up was a drybrush. I normally do that with oils or enamels, but I'm running out of time, and went with Vallejo Silver Gray, cut with extender and glaze medium. It gave such a nice highlight effect, and so subtle, that I'm afraid I'll lose the shading if I clear coat again, so I'm going to move onto rigging next.

[Devin]

Rigging is under way. I started running the flag halyards, but then realized they'd be in the way for the mast stays, so I jumped to them instead. Using EZ line that's been snapped and then had individual strands pulled out of it. The strechyness (is that a word?) is very forgiving to work with. Another bonus is that, unlike the Caenis thread, the mucilage glue is sticking to this stuff wonderfully.

[Dan K]

She's looking really good, Devin.

[Devin]

Thanks. I'm forcing myself not to go nuts on the detailing, and to try new stuff. I'm really liking the EZ Line for rigging so far; very forgiving. I'm also forcing myself to not weather her too much, as she's full hull.

[Devin]

I always dread rigging, until I get into it. Then I remember how it's the one bit that really brings a ship model to life. I have the flag halyards done, used Caenis line, and the running rigging and stays are mostly done, using fibers of EZ Line for those. Should finish the rigging tomorrow, then get her on a base this weekend. All on track for MosquitoCon next Saturday the 4th.

[marijn van gils]

That's looking very good Devin!
I like how the deck and vertical surfaces contrast, and how smooth and thin you got the paint on the model.

One question: do you know what the cylindrical thing is, that is attached to the front top of the mainmast? Lexington had one too in '42, and I have seen it on many period photo's ships, but I couldn't find its' purpose.

Cheers,

Marijn

[Devin]

Marijn,

That's a crow's nest, a lookout position. When in use the top is flipped up and one or two crewmembers are stationed there. I honestly don't know how it was accessed on these ships, on some you came up through a hatch in the bottom, on big ships they could climb up inside the mast leg to gain access.

Two photos below. The first shows the top of the 'nest with open top. The second shot is a SIMS class, but same concept; if you zoom in on it you can see what I believe is the head and shoulders of a sailor on watch.

-Devin

[marijn van gils]

Thanks Devin!

Funny, I had that photo of Mustin saved to my computer as a reference for building Morris (but Morris didn't have it in may '42)!

Cheers,

Marijn

[Devin]

Yes, with the war prep modifications made in 1941, those things start to go away. I believe they added the sky lookout chairs around the base of the director on the bridge at the same time the crows nest came down. Later in the war you definitely wouldn't want to be that high up on the mast with a radar above your head!

[Rick E Davis]

As Air Search Radars were installed, GENERALLY ... and for certain on destroyers, the crow's nest was removed to make way for the radar.

[Devin]

Finished the rigging last night, so I want to mount her to the permanent base before I attached the small boats and davits (anyone have any tips for mounting those, by the way?)

I've cut a plank of poplar, and some unknown rectangular stock for keel blocks. Now it's a matter of fitting them out so they look evenly spaced, and that'll be that. I normally put all my ships in a case, and I still may, but I have a glass door bookcase now, so I'll give it a try leaving Benson uncovered for a bit. If dust starts to accumulate, I'll buy an individual case for her later.

[Devin]

Another brief update. The wooden pieces from yesterday have resolved themselves into a fitting base. I have to admit that I was winging it on the keel blocks, and they're probably oversized, but I'm happy with the way it turned out. The two differing wood types contrast well when hit with clear shellac; I used no stain.

Had an issue with attaching Benson to said base, the aft mounting screw was hitting the bottom of the deck, heard that sickening CRACK of plastic beginning to separate, so I stopped immediately, cut 1/4" off the screw, and all is good now.

I have signal blinker lamps, boat davits and boats, and the main searchlight to finish and install. I'll probably add a crew member or two as well, just for scale. Otherwise she's 98% done. Okay, maybe 95.3%. I like dragging out these last few days of a build, my favorite parts of a project are the final touches.

[Timmy C]

Looks great! One of the problems I always have with mounting ships on keel blocks is the less-than-perfect flatness of the keel on the model - you need slightly different heights for the keel blocks, but won't know what that is until you have them all cut out for dry fitting!