1/200 Scale Group Build from 2015-17

[tegunn]

Guns ready for install..

[tegunn]

I'm not sure about the chain plates. Jeff gives some really good info on how to make the subtle changes. If I can do it while keeping things clean and neat, I'll try. Lot's of deck ripping, but pondering a technique.. Vents though aren't an issue..

[tegunn]

Ok here's my next conundrum. When one gets a wood deck, the maker makes the errors(of course) the model has in order to match up the kit. Here's the O2 deck over the case mates with the wood deck made by ART Wox. This is a great deck, very thin..As one can see though they have indicated where the gun shields are located. So in order to do the mods Jeff has installed on his model, a lot of the deck has to be removed and replaced. I must mention that Trumpeter treated the gun shields as though the starboard side are mirror images to the port side shields. Shields 3-8 should all be shaped the same generally since the gun crew positions are the same. Refer to the General Arrangement plans available from Tracy White's website researcher@large. So at this point I'm pondering rebuilding six shields, maybe all eight AND relaying the deck. Or maybe not...

[Mgunns]

Conundrum indeed! Once again the modeler is faced with a decision. The question I have to ask myself is thus: "Is this mod going to make a difference in how the appearance of the model looks?" The effort that the modeler has to put forth with the wood deck in place is going to take some planning and extra work. Yes, it will add a new dimension of realism and authenticity to the model, but; without the mod, is the model that much degraded with the kit supplied splinger shields, albeit wrong? You have to ask yourself: "Did he fire 6 rounds or 5? In all the confusion I sort of forgot."
Anyway, I looked over the last images that you posted, you are really kicking some serious behind on this build. The small details that you are adding, amending will add to the overall impression of the ship and will be worth the effort. The fairleads, the square base to the gun mount and the drilled out gussets all add that special extra. Looking good there Randy.

[Channell]

Great and inspiring things coming together here! I think I can see my missing mojo in the distance, riding towards me in a cloud of dust...

[Goodwood]

tegunn m8, not to be "that guy", but you can attach multiple pictures to a single post, y'know.

Jason, I hope to have the mainmast for HMS Nelson completed in a few days (there's the holiday and a baseball game on the fifth to consider), and will post some shots when it's done.

[tegunn]

Goodwood, I've tried in the past to post multiple pics with no luck for some reason. I'll try again next post. Mark, thanks for the accolades! Don't tell anyone but the holes in the gussets should be a keyhole oval shape(best description I have), not just a round hole.

[Mgunns]

Goodwood, I've tried in the past to post multiple pics with no luck for some reason. I'll try again next post. Mark, thanks for the accolades! Don't tell anyone but the holes in the gussets should be a keyhole oval shape(best description I have), not just a round hole.

I won't tell a soul Randy: You're secret is safe with me.

R/S

[Mgunns]

Okay folks:

A little update. I am calling the main mast done for now. I am going to leave the "birdbath" as it is. I know that Jeff and Randy are going to be doing some major surgery up there, but; now that it is fixed to the main mast, I am leaving it. Had I not had it fixed, I would probably make the adjustments per Jeff and Randy. As it sits, I am happy with it.


I think I have pushed my modeling abilities to the next level with this, as I am normally an OOB builder save for some PE, this has been a learning experience and I am happy with the results.




Now it is on to the superstructure and hopefully I can get the darned range "clocks" to fix to the main and foremast. There is also a round object hanging from the overhead in one of the pictures in front of the main 'bridge' area. That will require further study.
The rigging is just hanging for now, once I get the antenna trunks in place and the eyelets fixed I will tighten up the rigging and attach the six antenna leads to the bar on the main top.
It looks a little out of scale with the macro lens, but looking at it with normal vision, it looks pretty good.

[BB62vet]

Mark,

Your ARIZONA mast is really nice!!! By the way, what did you use for insulators (?) on the antenna wires? Or are those guy wires? But why would there be guy wires? Antenna wires!!! - question remains!

Thanks,

Hank

[Mgunns]

Mark,

Your ARIZONA mast is really nice!!! By the way, what did you use for insulators (?) on the antenna wires? Or are those guy wires? But why would there be guy wires? Antenna wires!!! - question remains!

Thanks,

Hank

Hello Hank:

Those will be insulators for the antennas. I build 1/32nd WWI Wingnut Wings WWI aircraft kits and those brass tubes are used in the rigging to simulate turnbuckles. As mentioned, they may be a bit overscale, but when viewed with the 'naked' eye they seem okay. I get them from http://www.bobsbuckles.co.uk/ and they are for the 1/32nd Scale aircraft. The length is 2.5 mm. If I did it again, which I may, I will use 2mm expecially in 1/350 scale. The eyelets are also from Bob's and they work great in 1/350 and 1/200 as attachment points for rigging. The line is fine EZ line available from Berkshire Junction .com. As mentioned the line isn't attached but once I get the thing together it will all be tight. The beauty of EZ line is it doesn't require a lot of tension to be taut, so it is great with plastic masts.
Here is a shot of the turnbuckles on an airplane and how I attach the rigging to it. Quite easy and has the desired results.

Thanks for checking it out.

[BB62vet]

Mark,

Nice!! I'll check that website out - I'm looking for that sort of attachment items for the radio antenna on NJ. Your plane looks quite real!!!

Hank

Just contacted Berkshire Junction - thanks, Mark!

[tegunn]

Looking really good Mark! Good work on the insulators. I haven't got to that point on the model of deciding what to use for the insulators. Right now I'm wrapping up the little details on the Q-deck; moving to the interior walls of the casemates, and the bow deck after that.. After all the O1 level is finished I'll break away and work on the base for mounting. I like to get the case finished before I move to the superstructure.

[Mgunns]

Thanks Hank and Randy:

I have a wood deck for the Arizona, but; it has grain in it, after looking at Randy's Artwox and talking to him about it, I popped for one off Freetime hobbies. As I should be ready to go with the deck after I get the superstructure finished, I wanted to have a quality deck, not one I would be disappointed with. Once I get this finished, the "spares" will go on ebay.

@Hank: If you pop for those eyelets and brass tubes, you will need to have an optivisor as they are real tiny. Good luck and let us know how you like them.

[Fliger747]

From a zillion years ago I used to scratch build HON3 rolling stock repleat with truss rods. There were incredibly tiny turnbuckles available, injection molded, complete with hollow center to slip a very fine fishing line or some such through. Might be worth checking through Walthers catalog or some of the other RR suppliers. Especially N scale items are close in scale.

Cheers: Tom

[Mgunns]

From a zillion years ago I used to scratch build HON3 rolling stock repleat with truss rods. There were incredibly tiny turnbuckles available, injection molded, complete with hollow center to slip a very fine fishing line or some such through. Might be worth checking through Walthers catalog or some of the other RR suppliers. Especially N scale items are close in scale.

Cheers: Tom

Thanks for that reference Tom. I was thinking some "N" scale stuff might look right with this 1/200 kit.
Will scope it out.

[Fliger747]

Slow progress as info becomes available. Not too many exterior inclined ladders on this ship, just some for the older senior officers I would guess, aft the #2 turret. Some items not added as yet, waiting to find out for example, whether the area below the 40 mm tubs fwd of the coning tower is rounded or square? The area above the 02 level not yet attached as there are several ares not possible to paint after attachment.

Pelorous and target designators turned from either brass or aluminum, radar atop the MK 38 needs to be replaced with the proper unit and a large number of small details such as texture atop the main turrets, fire hose racks and on and on.

Cheers: Tom

[BB62vet]

Tom,

Really good additons & details, etc. - this is shaping up nicely!

Mark,

The EZ Line is here. I haven't done the order for the insulators yet, but will next week when I'm back at my shop. Due to unrelated vision problems, I'm using the Visor - but, wish I wasn't. Hoping for an improvement. However, I may still need it for this situation!!

Hank

[Mgunns]

Okay Folks:

A little update here. I finally got the courage to put the yard arms on the foretop. It wasn't that bad. I used the WEM PE for the yardarms and they bent and folded up pretty slick. The eyelets are Bob's buckles twisted copper wire eyelets and the tubes are Bob's Buckles 2.5mm brass tubes. I use these for rigging 1/32nd WWI aircraft and they fit in well with 1/200 and 1/350 ship models as well. The rigging material is EZ line. I tried to put the hand hold on top of the yard arms, but after about an hour and a half of fiddling, I gave up. I am going to come up with something for netting material, may be some of my wifes nylons I will have to see how that looks. Over all I am pretty pleased with the results, now all I need to do is paint and finish the superstructure.

I used red automotive body putty to fill the holes on the back side of the fore top, I had an extra top mast and light and used those as well. I used sheet plastic and putty to fill in the space for the radar mount on the very top portion as I am doing it in early 1941.



I also used the eyelets for running the halyards through. I cut them down a bit, and superglued them into the yard arms. Once assembled, I will run the halyards through to eyelets positioned on the flag bag.



Stay tuned for more modeling excitement as it occurs.

Hank: Hope you like the EZ line and the Bob's buckles eyelets and tubes. As you can see they are very small, but once you get used to your optivisor and handling these small pieces they work rather well..

[Mgunns]

Okay, after a few weeks I have got most of the superstructure assembled. I used the Eduard PE for the conning tower and the signal platforms, the rest is WEM. I drilled holes in the decks and ran plastic tubing down to simulate the pillar like deck supports.


I followed the instructions for the kit for the placement of the two objects on the conning tower, I guess there was only one on the actual ship, I am leaving them there.



The back side. I don't know what the "Things" are that WEM included to cover the flag bags, but I put them on as I think they look better than an empty box.



I have to add a couple more deck support pillars for the overhead over the bridge. To my horror, I realized too late that the signal deck railing should have been two bar vice three. Oh well, it's there now. Check reference before assembly! Next time.

It's still a ways off from being finished but I thought I would post some progress pics.