1/200 Scale Group Build from 2015-17

[Mgunns]

Okay folks:

A small update on my Arizona build. No small thanks to Randy (tegun) and Jeff Sharp on drilling down on the antenna rigging of the main top. I redid the top, still need to add the bird bath and more rigging but; here is where I am now.
This is the backside of the top. I redid the "antenna" thingies on the aft side to more closely reflect the actual main top. I also inserted eyelets for rigging and rigged the 'arrow' looking mast coming off the top.

This is the forward side of the main top. I have the antenna insulating yard attached to the 'arrow' looking mast with eyelets to accept rigging. I won't put any of the antenna insulators on until I am ready to fix the main mast to the deck and rig.
Upon studying reference photo's of the top, taken from many angles I was able to determine the diagonal 'things' were actually bracing on the top and not bracing for the yards or antenna masts. For netting I used some 'spare' flight deck netting cut to shape. The macro shows a bit of a ragged edge, but it is less apparent during normal viewing. I should be posting some more pics tonight or during the week with progress. I am also updating the tripod, taking off some of the PE and replacing it with the Eduard set.

[Goodwood]

Thanks, Master Guns! Your Arizona is looking pretty good�I'm no good at adding additional details from photo references.

As promised, here's some update photos pertaining to the hull and the joining of the deck. Unfortunately, either due to a flaw in the kit's engineering or my own incompetence, the join between the deck and the hull is not flush all around; at the bow forward of and to just aft of the foremost breakwater, the deck goes in deeper than at other parts of the ship while at other points it seems to stand a bit proud of the intended installation point.

The following photos are of a mock-up of the hull with deck glued, the main, secondary and five of six QF AAA plus a couple of bits here and there as well as the unpainted mainmast and nearly-finished mast star and radar lantern, as well as the funnel which has been given a light wash:

[Mgunns]

Holy Smokes Goodwood!

You are making excellent progress on this build. Lot's of motivation. It certainly is an odd looking ship isn't it? With it's long foc'sl and gun arrangement. Looks pretty cool I'd say. I am at a snails pace on the Arizona but reaping dividends on the main top rigging with Jeff and Randy leading the way.
This is going to be neat!

[tegunn]

Looking excellent Goodwood! Mark, It ain't a snail's pace when "you measure twice, cut once"!

[Goodwood]

Holy Smokes Goodwood!

You are making excellent progress on this build. Lot's of motivation. It certainly is an odd looking ship isn't it? With it's long foc'sl and gun arrangement. Looks pretty cool I'd say. I am at a snails pace on the Arizona but reaping dividends on the main top rigging with Jeff and Randy leading the way.
This is going to be neat!

Whenever a Marine talks about motivation, I can't help but chuckle�it's such a central theme to the ethos of the Corps. Therefore I'll take this as the height of praise.

Anyway, this is gonna be a strictly OOB build, and if I do any rigging at all, it'll be for the two cranes, the one on the mainmast and the one mounted to the deck forward and to port of the bridge structure. Frankly, I'm surprised Trumpeter didn't provide any sort of photo-etch for the mast crane, nor any rigging diagrams at all for that matter. Fortunately at this scale, such add-ons can be done with plain, fine-gauge wire from the hardware store, which I have in abundant supply. My kingdom for some high-build primer.

[tegunn]

Okay everyone time for an update! At this point with the AZ, I'm doing a heap of subassemblies that really don't jump out at first. You know, the kind that when you ask your wife "how does it look"?? and she replies "It looks the same as it did 2 weeks ago when you asked me".. Then I proceed to show her the hose reels I spent a week on and the degaussing cables, etc..
So I'll start with the degaussing cables which are double plastic rod glued together (drying time implied). These run along inside the waterway--oh yeah, gotta add that too before the cables. They run under the fairleads which are raised to allow water to flow over the deck in heavy seas. On the Arizona, the fairleads are stylized; having a sloping side toward the keel line. The Texas/New York have a square channel which the fairlead is on top of. At 1/200 scale I didn't bother wither the sloping fairlead, but in 1/96th scale it should be there.

[tegunn]

Here's an example of the New York class:

[tegunn]

Trumpeter's fairleads have a tab which goes in the deck without being raised. I cut the tab off and used them as filler, then used Evergreen plastic (channel) which is the correct height and glued the on the bottom of the fairleads. These were then glued down and painted once the degaussing cable was installed.

[tegunn]

How it looks without mods..

[tegunn]

..Tab cut off for filler

[tegunn]

The finished fairlead

[tegunn]

..

[tegunn]

I've been focusing on the aft/quarterdeck of the ship moving forward to the midship O1 level(where I'm at now) then the bow. In the mean time while something dries, I work on another upcoming assembly. Things that can be installed (like hatches) and won't be modified I put on at one time.
The quarter deck involved all the mods that Jeff installed which I won't rehash. I can't thank Jeff enough for his research..
The aft 1.1" gun tubs had square bases which I modified:

[tegunn]

The gussets had to be reinstalled (with holes).

[tegunn]

Shots of the q-deck area

[tegunn]

..

[tegunn]

I occasionally add the turrets and other parts for inspiration...

[tegunn]

..

[tegunn]

As I've been moving toward the casemates, I modded the sides as per Jeff and added the PE casemate doors..

[tegunn]

As a note, Jeff implied he was somewhat a fanatic about installing walls/rooms inside the casemates/O1. I really can't see any alternative since one can see all the way through it like it's one big high school gym. Walls must go up! Out of focus but you get the point..