The Ship Model Forum

Did you start on your hull mods, Hank?

Jason,

No, I haven't - other things keep cropping up that have diverted my attention. I hope to do so before too long. Thanks for inquiring. Are you back in the BB saddle yet?

Hank

OK, I'm going to try again - here are a couple photos from last night: So far, so good!! I guess something in all the security crap at work is preventing uploading from there. All righty then!!!

I added the stbd signal halyards and bottom fan array LF radio antenna. I'm pretty well decided to redo this with EZ line and a smaller tri-bracket than the current all metal wire antenna appears. I was at a complete loss as to what this was until I emailed Nick England who has a Vintage USN Radio site (http://www.navy-radio.com/) and was able to guide me through what this antenna was for and its components. Anyone who has USN radio/radar/communications questions should visit his site. Oh, and he's not far from me in Chapel Hill, NC. So, I've got some more work to do to redo this antenna as well as the port side once I have some replacement PE from Pontos to finish the port signal flag box.

The photos aren't great, but my camera is still not quite back to close-up configuration and my eyesight is still a bit impaired from going off all BP and cholesterol meds in order to get it back to "normal".

Oh - I also got an email from Shapeways tonight letting me know the Mk. 56 FC directors were on their way - can't wait to see them!!

Later,

Hank

Hank:

Thanks for sharing the photos. Glad shapeways is on the way, you are close enough they should be there soon!

Halyards look really good! Tom

Thanks, Tom!!

Yea, the halyards, while tedious to install, do look better than my complex antenna wiring. I should have taken the time to calculate the scale size of that tri-bracket from the spec sheet Nick England sent me before making the one that is too big. Also, eyelets & tubes that are going to have to be canned and others used to build a new array.

Hank

This week I did replace both sides of the bottom fan array antennas and only have one lead in wire to add to the stbd side. This was a real p.i.t.a. to make and it took 4 nights to accomplish. I hope to have photos next week.

The Mk. 56 directors were here when I got home - they look GREAT!! V-E-R-Y small, even in 1:200 scale, so may or may not add hand rungs, but will attempt to put the handrails on the top. FYI - these are the parts that Steve Larson designed in 3D for printing via Shapeways and the results are excellent!! Wish I had them finished, but that might take a while.

As for painting, I am going to attempt to find some white Transtint brand to mix with the black and come up with a suitable Haze & Deck Gray to match my enamels on the rest of the model. I know the Transtint works with PatMat's 3D printed anchor chain, so hopefully it will work on the directors, as well. If not, I'll go to acrylics, but I would rather not have to do that.

Hank

Hank:

If you prime them you may get away with using enamels. Looking forward to seeing the results!

Tom

Tom,

I hadn't considered that (priming them first ).

I do have a couple spares.

So for the many, I will sacrifice a few...stay tuned

Hank

I sprayed mine with auto primer with good results.

T

Doggone, Hank, that is one beautiful piece of work! This is going to be awesome when she's finished!

Larry,

Thanks so much for the nice comment - they all add up when assessing whether the time spent is all worth it - I think it is!!

Hank

Started work on the Mk. 56 directors Mon. night. The first two photos are the parts as received and after a light spray coating of auto primer. Here are the stbd side directors sitting in place (without radar dishes) Last night I discovered that the enamel paint is not suitable even with auto primer as a base coat. So, I am cleaning these up and removing the enamel and will replace with acrylics - I've also added a side ladder to a couple of the director bodies and will continue with this work tonight. Here is a shot of the amidship Mk. 37 and Mk. 56 directors together. The radar dish will be added once I've begun repainting and detailing each of the directors.

Sweeeeeeet!

Steve,

Thanks so much for the nice remark!!! Last night I used acrylic Lt Ghost Gray for 2 of the Mk. 56 units without any problems. I've gone back and cleaned off the enamel on all but one, which came out ok. I've added a PE ladder and antenna - so, once the Gunship Gray acrylic gets here (for Deck Gray surfaces), I'll be able to finish and install on the model. Hope to post further photos next week.

I may have to re-evaluate using acrylics in the future - I guess things have improved quite a bit since they made their debut in the '70s.

Hank

Hi Hank:

Looking good. I like how you managed the halyards and the antenna lines coming off the yard and going to the antenna trunks. Nicely done. I am tempted to redo, (again) the halyards on my Arizona. I have been using Testors MM Enamel on the AZ, but when I use Acrylics I use Tamiya with either MEK or Laquer thinner, works great for air brushing, but no brush painting; but I digress.
Your work here really looks great.

Mark,

Thanks so much, I really appreciate it. The rigging I did was simplified from my original concept, but gets the job done and looks fairly accurate. I'll finish up the port side flag halyards when either the replacement PE from Pontos arrives OR I get really pissed off and scratchPE it from scrap! Getting closer to the "OR"!!!!

Interesting to use the Acyrl with MEK or Lacquer thinner, I use water or alcohol.

Interesting! Cheers: Tom

Depending on when the acrylics arrive (probably next week), I may try some other parts, as well. As long as I can find matching colors there shouldn't be a problem. I'll admit that enamels have a tendency to dry up in the bottle before all used and that presents a problem. I suppose that acrylics are no different; does anyone know the shelf life of acrylics vs enamels?

The fact that they do dry flat is a plus in my opinion. Even some of the "flat" enamels dry sort of satiny which isn't desired.

I'm now wondering if my own questions won't prompt a universal change in painting direction for future models. Something to ponder.

Acrylics can dry in the bottle, but most of them can at least be resuscitated by adding water without worrying about mixing in the wrong thinner as for enamels.

TC wrote:

Acrylics can dry in the bottle, but most of them can at least be resuscitated by adding water without worrying about mixing in the wrong thinner as for enamels.

Yea, that's a very good selling point. It's hard to do that with enamels - not impossible, but hard. I just went through that with a bottle of Gunship Gray and ended up tossing it and opening my last unopened bottle.

I get the strange feeling that THE FORCE is present - in the guise of an acrylic mirage I'd better sleep on this!