1/700 USS Tennessee

[ArizonaBB39]

Hi everyone! It has been quite some time since I've posted a build here; it's been quite some time since I've built a ship model. (I determined its been 4 or so years ).

This past week I got the itch to build something after seeing an excellent build on a Facebook group I'm a member of.

I decided to start building my 1/700 1941 USS Tennessee. I'll be trying to build her to the same standard as my USS West Virginia built years ago. A major issue I've run into is that I am terribly out of practice assembling/applying photo etch

Enough of my babbling. I am using the Pitroad(Trumpeter) plastic kit. For details I have master brass barrels, five star (Colorado class set, since they didn't seem to make a Tennessee class set) photo etch, blue ridge models wood deck and cage masts, 3d model parts fighting tops and AA guns (all bought years ago). Paints will be Tru-Color USN colors. (A note, the Tru-Color paints are darker and bluer than the Model Master paints I've normally used. They seem to match the paint chips reviewed on the main site here better than the Model Master do [the Model Master being lighter and more blue- gray])

I started by putting the hull together. Then I built some of the major sub-assemblies followed by brass barrels in the main guns and the turret mounted catapult.

That's all for now. Hopefully I can get it built to look as nice as my WeeVee

[ArizonaBB39]

you do realize that the Tennessee's main guns are 14" compared to Colorado's 16"?

Yes...which is why there are three barrels in the turret as opposed to two; Also why I purchased master's 14" barrels separate instead of using the 16" ones supplied in the five star set...

[MartinJQuinn]

Off to a good start!

[Frank Fowler]

Nice start. One thing missing from the Trumpeter kit of Tennessee is the 3 inch AA guns. Tennessee had 4 tubs with 3 inch guns on December 7, 1941. One on each side of the No 3 turret like California and West Virginia and two high up in the forward superstructure at the same level as in California, but configured differently since the layout of this level was different between California and Tennessee.

[ArizonaBB39]

Nice start. One thing missing from the Trumpeter kit of Tennessee is the 3 inch AA guns. Tennessee had 4 tubs with 3 inch guns on December 7, 1941. One on each side of the No 3 turret like California and West Virginia and two high up in the forward superstructure at the same level as in California, but configured differently since the layout of this level was different between California and Tennessee.

Frank, thanks for bringing that up as its something I've been trying to figure out. I knew she had the aft tubs, but for the life of me couldn't remember if she had the superstructure tubs. I'd looked at pictures and didn't see them in the 'normal' spot (blue box in photo), but now that you mention them being higher up I looked again and there they are (red box in photo)

Now I need to figure out the shape of the tub and supporting structure

[Frank Fowler]

You are welcome. Yes the California and Tennessee had these tubs in the forward superstructure one deck higher than the three Colorado class ships. I know the Trumpeter kit has a small tub at or near the location on the deck piece for the Tennessee, but I don't know if it is big enough or in the right spot. Looking forward to seeing your finished model.

[ArizonaBB39]

A more digital update today. Since I needed to add gun tubs in the superstructure I decided to be a little crazy and 3D print a replacement part. I haven't printed the piece yet, but thought I'd share here first to get some opinions before I use the resin. I measured the Trumpeter part best I could (I ordered some digital calipers today, so I may need to completely re-draw the piece after they come and I can measure more precisely) and drew it in Google Sketchup (not the best 3D program, but I'm relatively proficient).

I feel it matches the kit part pretty well. Looking at the pictures again, though, it seems the tub was smooth and didn't have ribbing like I have, an easy fix luckily.

Before I print the part I need to clean and tune my printer as I haven't used it in some time (home projects took priority over model projects for a while). Hopefully I can have a printed prototype this weekend.

Thoughts and ideas are welcome

[taskforce48]

Great progress! The digital calipers are a must for precise fit. The overall shape feels right, but based on Tennessee�s aft 3in tubs and 5in shields not having ribbing These probably would not have either.

Eager to see how it comes out, 3D printing has changed how I approach projects and takes some of the tedium out if scratch building.

Matt

[ArizonaBB39]

thin the bulwarks down to .02" or .01" thickness as yours appears to be too thick for that scale.

It may be a slight optical illusion, as the thickest bulwark is 0.75mm (almost 0.03"). If they look too thick after my test print I'll change them.

Great progress! The digital calipers are a must for precise fit. The overall shape feels right, but based on Tennessee�s aft 3in tubs and 5in shields not having ribbing These probably would not have either.

Eager to see how it comes out, 3D printing has changed how I approach projects and takes some of the tedium out if scratch building.

Matt

I've never been so great at scratchbuilding, but several months ago I got a 3D printer (Anycubic Photon) and have been using it to print N scale (1:160) things for trains. This will be the first 1/700 related project I'll print, but I know the printer can handle it. It's amazing how detailed you can get and still have it transfer to your 3D print using a resin printer.

[MartinJQuinn]

Look forward to seeing how this comes out. 3D printing has indeed changed the hobby.

[ArizonaBB39]

Well, I decided to get the printer going earlier. The print doesn't look too bad. It ended up being slightly wider at the widest part and I need to reconfigure the printer support structure. It doesn't look half bad. I'll need to make some tweaks, but that was expected.

[taskforce48]

Not bad for a dry run

Not sure what resin you are using, but both of the Grey Resin's I used on the Photon had a mean tendency to warp if you didn't put some ribbing supports on it. Also, try Chitubox if you haven't to allow you more control on settings and supports.

Looking forward to seeing more,

Matt

[Dan K]

Very nice work.

[ArizonaBB39]

Thank you all. Print #2 after some tweaks, it looks very good now, I may need to make the ribbing bigger, but we'll see how it looks after some paint.

[ArizonaBB39]

Another update. (Purists and rivet counters may want to look away). I started painting the ship. I decided to go with a modified Ms1 camouflage and used 5N instead of 5D. Is it accurate, probably not, but I wanted a little variety in my ships. I figured since the USN was experimenting with camouflage at the time it might have been possible. Like mentioned before, I am using TruColor paints. I modified their 5N slightly by adding 5L and 5U to lighten it a little and make it a little less blue. Remember I mentioned the TruColor paints looked to match the real paint chips rather well, but were bluer and darker than the ModelMaster paints I've used in the past.

Main hull painted

After a light grey dry brush

I also painted the wood deck overlay. I may have put the coats on too heavily as it was a pain to apply to the deck.

Turrets painted up

5"/51 guns installed

Various Superstructure decks

And finally some dry fitting of the parts

My 3D printed piece looks pretty good painted up with the rest of the superstructure. I noticed that the ribbing on the splinter shielding is hardly noticeable compared to the actual kit parts. I'll probably modify the file some more to make it look more like a direct replacement piece. I primed the rest of the parts (I think) earlier today and will get them in paint this week. I am waiting on an order from Freetime Hobbies with new cage masts, I was a little too heavy handed with the main mast when I went to attach it to my paint board and smashed it

[MartinJQuinn]

That looks really good.

[Dan K]

Agreed.

[ArizonaBB39]

Thank you both!

Another update, installed the boat deck and 5"/25 guns (3DModelParts). Printed, painted, and installed my replacement deck piece. This is the 4th or 5th iteration now. It's still not a 100% direct kit part replacement like I'm shooting for, but I felt it was good enough for my personal model.

Where I'm at now: time to put together all of the smaller kit details and add photo etch details and railing. She's getting close to finished!

[ArizonaBB39]

Tried my hand at some rigging this week. Not 100% sure what all I should be adding rigging wise to the main mast, but added what I could definitively see in pictures.

[ArizonaBB39]

I haven't posted in a while, but I have been working on the Tennessee. She's actually pretty much finished now. Just needs a few .50cals and (if I'm brave enough) some rigging (anyone have a rigging diagram?)

I used 3DModelParts fighting tops. I modified the forward fighting top to better represent the ones found on Tennessee and California with the .50cal gun tubs. Unfortunately there isn't an aftermarket option for this version of the fighting top in 1/700. The Trumpeter gun tubs for the fighting top don't seem quite round enough based on prototype photos, but after paint they don't look too bad.