1:200 USS NEW JERSEY (BB-62) 68-69 (Trumpeter MISSOURI kit)

[BB62vet]

Jason wrote:

Hate to say it but it looks like you're simply bumping up against the limits of the technology here. The radar units look great but also look like they could be crushed by breathing on them. That lattice would be better if done in photoetch me thinks...

I disagree - the Pontos FC Director Radar assembly (which is the older WWII version) was all PE and looked 2 dimensional which is one of the main reasons I asked Model Monkey if he could use 3D to design/print a replacement for it and give us a "real" looking object - he did that exactly! The problem comes with the fragility of the parts and their scale/size.

As I stated above, with proper care and patience, these units CAN be taken off the wafer and used on the model - and the result IMHO is much better than a similar PE etched part.

Steve, sorry that Shapeways rejected your entire director offering, but it looks like Carl will be addressing this issue from his perspective.

With sincerest apologies to any cat fans out there. Figure-of-speech and all

Carl - I will not show this to our Japanese Bobtail (19 lbs. of pure HELL!!!) - as he's a very fickle and will kick ass at a moment's notice!!! LOL!!!


And, I'll be plugging away at removal of 3 more units tonight - keeping fingers crossed that I don't screw these up, too!

[Channell]

I dunno Hank... but you've actually got them in hand so you'd know better than me.

[cba@3dmodelparts]

Files in hand- Thanks, Steve, they really look good. I'm not going to switch my collection budget to 1/200th yet, but...

I've done a preliminary layout, and don't see any show-stoppers. Give me a couple of days... and no cats...

-Carl

[Goodwood]

Send me all of your cats.

[ModelMonkey]

The last time Hank and I had dinner together, he brought his Nipponese feline ruffian.

The cat tore out my throat and blinded me.

I got better, though.

[BB62vet]

Goodwood wrote -

Send me all of your cats.

What?

To be honest, Smokey won't ride in our SRX, only my Nissan coupe'!!! wonder why???

On the model front, two radar units down, two to go!! I managed to salvage one of the mangled units from the 1st wafer - the remains of the two wrecked units were torched by welder ants last night.

Glad that Carl is rolling on this, but if I'm successful tonight, the last two will be in place.

Steve - glad you're healing up from the "Cat Fight". LOL.

[BB62vet]

All Mk. 37 FC Directors complete and in place (not glued, yet!):

Model Monkey did a really good design job on the Mk. 25 Radar assemblies - I think this really adds to the overall correct equipment appearance of the model.

Hopefully, tonight I will begin to mark up the hull for modification work to begin. Setting aside the superstructure for a while to concentrate on the hull.

[Mgunns]

Hello Hank:

Looking good. The Model Monkey parts look great. I am really pleased with what I have received from him.

[Fliger747]

Hank:

Look really nice! Rigging of the antennas quite amazing. One question, did NJ have the brace onthe Fire control tower base between the flag bag and the tower, with the oval step through, like the one on Missouri?

Cheers. Tom

[Channell]

Very nice Hank! I'm interested to see your hull mods too, hope they go smoothly!

[Brett M]

Looking really nice! Nice work on all the details.

[BB62vet]

MGunns, Jason, Tom, Brett - Thanks for the kind remarks.

Tom - not sure what you are referring to (did NJ have the brace on the Fire control tower base between the flag bag and the tower, with the oval step through, like the one on Missouri?

Yes - if the angled gussets on either side of the bulkhead at deck level are what you are asking about:

Stbd FC Directors.jpg (72.1 KiB) Viewed 1472 times

Those are something I did put on the model, but only the fwd one on each side, as I have one detail that is not correct - the solid railing around the director base on the 03 Nav. Level should be 3 bar opening railing. If I had done the properly, the after angled gusset would have been put in place.

As it is, the is one of two things that are not completely correct for the time period.

Hank

[Fliger747]

Hank

Have some photos of what I am talking about and will post.

Tom

[Fliger747]

This is the brace I am referring to.

[BB62vet]

Tom,

No, I don't think that support gusset was left after her 1967-68 refit. I'm not positive, but will look thru my cruise books next week; that is a very obscure area that does not get photographed very often and is not in most of the known photos of the ship.

Hank

[BB62vet]

Well, a new year and progress, of sorts!

Using the Model Monkey (Shapeways) 5" dual gun mounts rather than the kit mounts (not correctly shaped), I have 5 completed and set in place:

To be honest, drilling and placing all the hand rungs was a very long and tedious process. I'm not looking forward to the other 5 mounts, but I do have a method that works - one at a time, start to finish - painting and all.

So, small steps = closer to finishing.

Hank

[Fliger747]

Hank:

Looks great, yes imaginably tedious! Going with installed mount blast hoods under the bridge wings?

Yes these deals are often a step forward and one or two backwards sometimes!

Cheers; Tom

[BB62vet]

Tom wrote:

Looks great, yes imaginably tedious! Going with installed mount blast hoods under the bridge wings?

Thanks, Tom! - well, I mentioned they were set (not glued) in place and whether I leave the blast hoods on those two mounts is debatable - I am leaning on removal. I may have to trim back some of the railings in order to position the mounts in a more suitable display.

Hank

[Mgunns]

They look great Hank: I see what you mean about the individually installed ladder rungs. Yes, I can imagine the tedium in that. But; you are halfway done now.

[BB62vet]

Thanks, Mark! Yea, halfway there. One thing I've found out - even the acrylic paint doesn't really adhere well to the Shapeways plastic. Two coats are a MUST - I do like the acrylics from the drying time standpoint, unlike the enamels.

Hank