The Ship Model Forum

Tonights "accomplishment"... Laid a thin coat of primer over most everything. Gives me a chance to evaluate things and see what is what. Initial observation is the paint really brings out the detail in the 3D items.

However, the mono color looks nothing so much as if she is in the reserve fleet (mothballs) with all the light AA and radars stripped.

T

In "mothball paint", note yard removal of all light AA and port aircraft crane...

Tom

Absolutely fantastic!

I think this scale really shows off the lines of the ship.

There has always been something quite captivating about the clipper bows and flare of The USN cruisers of the era. Alaska has a great proportion and profile that belies her very busy detail aspect. Certainly not the clean uncluttered lines of a Hood but somehow it emerges into a pleasing whole. A tall slim lady with lots of pleasing detail...

Cheers: Tom

Slow few days, working quite a bit. Big effort today was chocks (not the children vitamins...) and bitts. Scatchbuilding sometimes devolves into making a lot of some items. Not too many bitts left, but the chocks will take a while, especially as I need to craft a number of roller chocks. Always discovering details, such a the foc'sle should not have a waterway.... Only need about 20 more chocks... Then don't forge to shake the two part resin bottles before mixing...

Cheers: Tom

1st class work Tom! If I didn't know any better I'd be asking how that amazing kit escaped my attention.

I do think a 1:200 Alaska would be a popular kit due to the fine lines of these unusual ships. Not having any serious PE experience the light AA etc will be real learning curve! Keeping sanity may be interesting!

Cheers: Tom

Hi Tom!
It's really amazing!
I wanna make it 1/200 in future.
Song.

Top notch work Tom, as mentioned here before, it at least (and if you ask me, surpasses) the quality of a kit. Very sharp finish. Although I'm not incredibly familiar with this kind of ship, I do love that clipper bow, I was toying with the idea of building a New Mexico class some time in the past. Perhaps an idea for your next build,

There are some advantages to scratch building certain parts such as thin bulwarks, tubs etc that are somewhat limited by limitations with the injection molding process. Making super numbers of small repetitive items by hand can be a trip. Song is probably better at replicating the required number of such items in good quality than anybody around!

Cheers: Tom

Replaced all the bitts and chocks with more appropriately sized ones, a few on the foredeck to go. Thanks for the kind comments!

Tom

Making progress on the 14 quad 40 mounts! Steve Wiper's CB book is now listed as available on the Classic Warships site.

Current progress on populating the ship with "stuff". Much stuff to, especially the rather daunting construction of the 30 20mm mounts.

Cheers: Tom

Using photo stacking to increase depth of field.

T

Since ripped out most of my homemade Mk 51 directors and substituted some ones from the Trumpy/pontos NJ/Missouri kit. That in turn necessitated in rebuilding some tubs, including the bow quad 40 tub.

Eight more bow chocks to build, procrastinating! Start adding floater net baskets here and there as best I can, Radars, and more light AA. The 30 20mm look quite daunting, the PONTOS ones seem to be a study in minimum size parts! Ha! Try this!! To remodel the top of the stack, which I liked, but is wrong.

Umm, paint, avoidance....

Cheers: Tom

Absolutely wonderful build.

Plugging away with the micro surgery that is the Pontos 20mm mounts. Only six done so far. I haveto check available photos to see if the Alaska used the lead computing sight or the simpler system. The Pontos can be made either way. The round ammo cans are a real pita to roll. As the trumpy 40 mm's are shown with the protective covers over the twin loading chutes, it might not be correct to display the ammo cans mounted on the 20 mm.

Cheers: T

Current progress midships.

Plugging away on the micro surgery that is the Pontos 20 mm Orlikon. Have 20 of the 30 little buggers done. Keep finding new "stuff" to add, for instance a coaming hatch between turrets one and two I had somehow overlooked.

T