1/700 Kinugasa at Savo (Hasegawa + Shelf Oddity Extreme Set)

[Vladi]

Thank you, sir

Further detail preparation steps done today...

[Vladi]

Most parts have been sprayed today and after some touch-up will be ready for assembling.
The amount of the tiniest details provided by the Extreme set is just breathtaking!

[Vladi]

Deck details frenzy!!!

[Dan K]

Lots of sharp details there. Nice!

[Vladi]

Thank you, Dan

Some further steps done. Started the final assembly with aft bridge. Various gaps filled in by diluted PVA glue. More touchups will be still needed.

[Vladi]

Hello friends of my Kinugasa build

I added the forward funnel and piping to both funnels. I had to use some artistic licence here as my attempts to find someone who would have had any 1942 photo showing the final arrangement (other than the one already shown in this thread) proved unsuccessful.

My other challenge was that I decided to wait with attaching the piping after I airbrushed the funnels so that I could mask the top black stripe on the funnels. That was quite ok but spraying the piping before attaching it was not that good idea as the paint often succumbed to handling etc. In the end I even replaced some of it with non-painted ones and I will have to handbrush it all again.
I used 0.3mm and 0.4mm brass tube for the piping. Two "H" shaped parts (3D printed from the Shelf Oddity set) will be attached to two of the tubes on the forward funnel as seen on photos.

Next comes the main bridge.

[Dan K]

Beautiful and crisp.

[Vladi]

That�s very kind of you, Dan, thanks!

Now the progress is quite fast with many subassemblies already prepared before. Finished the piping details on both funnels and then I glued the main part of the main bridge to its place and torpedo tubes to the torpedo deck, which I also started weathering. Also the AA crew ready room was glued between the aft funnel and the aft bridge, a feature installed in 1941 and only seen on a few photos. Now I will need to continue step by step on the bridge, weathering it and adding all the binoculars and other equipment, and also officers and sailors. Some crew will also go to the torpedo deck before the aircraft handling deck is installed over it.

I can�t believe I�m that far already! This build has really taken a lot of time to develop, partly due to the research aiming to have the aft bridge right, partly due to switching between her and Chicago and most importantly due to the break over the last summer and fall. I really look forward to have her complete in not too far future

[Vladi]

Ladders, binoculars etc. installed, now for the crew

[Vladi]

I admit I love these boats

[MartinJQuinn]

Love the piping on the funnel. Outstanding work.

[ArizonaBB39]

You almost forget this is 1/700 when looking at those little boats! Excellent work.

[Vladi]

Thank you, Martin and Abram! I hope to continue over the weekend

[Dan K]

Love the bridge interiors. That's over and above, particularly in 1/700.

[Vladi]

Thank you so much, Dan

Crew time!

Started with painting about 200 sailors from four 3dmodelparts sets. No, I don�t intend to put all of them on this ship, just taking advantage of mass production to serve my future builds, too

Then I manned those main bridge levels that will be half-covered in the next steps, and added also some crew to the torpedo deck. To be continued...

[MartinJQuinn]

Awesome!

[Dan K]

Agreed. I suggest setting up the crew around the TT mount as below:

[Vladi]

Cheers, Martin and Dan

Dan - thanks for the idea and a great photo, just that I glued the a/c handling deck into its place an hour ago. But the crew behind the splinter shield would not be visible at all, anyway...

[Vladi]

Hi guys, this corona period was no modeling holidays for me but my Kinugasa is finally ready to airbrush some last details and then for her gloss coat!

[MartinJQuinn]

She looks great. This may be your best work yet.