The Ship Model Forum

The miscount was worse than I thought on the 20 mm, turns out to be 34 instead of 30. What I did was forget there are 4 at the base of the stack on the 01 level, I only counted all the ones on the main deck plan.

Fortuitously the plastic Trumpy 20 mm have a base sufficiently similar in size to be used in place of the brass ones, so just finishing the last two.

WOW !

Tom, great build. Must be a blast to work on this model.

Alaska book is due from my printer any day now, possibly even today !

Keep up the good work !

Steve Wiper
http://www.classicwarships.com

Thanks Steve! I have one on order already! Really pleased how the ship is coming along but always some late project revisions as more info becomes available. Moving the tend and dogsled from Summer camp to Winter camp, so it may take a while for the book to catch up to the winter address.

Cheers: Tom

Sadly time to begin disassembling and packing all the bits and pieces of Alaska for a 300 mile road journey back to the main contract yard. Just hoping that it survives without damage during the journey along sometimes bumpy roads. I do have a shipping box but the main superstructure and all the turrets, mounts and light AA are not yet fastened down, awaiting paint. So they have to be separately packed. They survived the trip down, but hard to say about the return with much more fragile detail added.

Cheers: Tom

Alaska all boxed up, I am pretty confident that she will do well with the transit. The catapults are probably the most fragile items and I secured them on the pedestals with double sticky tape rather than try to pack them separately.

I did start on the stack top modifications. I somewhere have a photo of the stack top, and hopefully Steve's new book may include that one. I repaired several of the walkway brackets which had come off and trimmed down the walkway grate. After the top mods are done, then re do the rail. Alaska has a very unusual grated walkway awarthships right in the middle of the stack!

Main deck painting is the first of the chores before I can begin installing the light AA on a permanent basis.

I note on the FDD plans a line on the foredeck that notes (very small) paravane C/L. So another detail to produce! One requiring some research.

Happy modeling! T

Tom,

Am I understanding correctly, that you are using 1/200 AA guns? I thought there would have been a larger difference between 1/200 and 1/192, those guns seem like the perfect size. I just relocated the fleet a few weeks ago as well and I feel for you, best of luck!

Looking forward to future updates,

Matt

Yes using Pontos and Trumpy 1:200 light AA. Once upon a time quad 40's were available in 1:192 from HR, but no longer. They were metal castings, but couldn't compete with the Pontos micro turnings. I haven't scaled out the Trumpy pieces but they might not be right on for 1:200. Yes pretty close, for such small items you can get away with this.

Thanks! Tom

Some work today on the aft superstructure. No book yet...

Added some detail including SG radar to the for stack mast. Changed the pipe rail around the searchlights to a short splinter bulkhead, to have top rail added later. Added a bunch of vent screens, vertical ladders and whatnot. I would guess that the short splinter shield was low to avoid interference with the searchlights. Have to find some 2 rail for a bunch of the superstructure.

T

James M received his Alaska Book already, Mine still in transit, just in time to miss catching my move for the season, so might be a little while longer.

Looking forward to it's arrival.

Still no book and Steve hasn't gotten it back, so apparently in some Post Office, somewhere.

Have been working on the ship however. Drone's eye view of the shipyard.

T

Today I got my automotive project back on the road, so some time available to get to work on the ship again. Tonight some detail deck painting around the gun tubs and attached all the 20 mm on the main deck, fore superstructure same treatment, aft superstructure to go. Fairly tedious work with a very fine brush.

Cheers! Tom

Fantastic looking build so far! Can't wait to see her finished.

Matt

One of those two strokes forward and a stroke backwards. Currently mixing 5N for the measure 22 hull paint. The current step backwards is with the bloomers for the main battery. The originals were latex painted over a form. Works quite well till I painted them, made them brittle and they cracked. I have the original form for Missouri's 16 inch rifles, but can't find the Alaska one. Not sure if this is the worlds longest ship project, I began this one in 1988...

Sprayed the 5N and haze gray on the hull. Mixed to the Shorts &Snyder color chips using the Golden high flow acrylics. They both spray and brush nicely right out of the bottle. I do need to manufacture the external fuel pipe that runs aft from the catapult base. I think there is only one on the Stbd side.

Steve Wiper did get my book returned by the PO, so will send him some more postage and cross my fingers.

Will try for a couple of photos today!

Cheers. T

Current progress CB1, painted in Measure 22 using Snyder and Shorts Color chips and Golden High Flow Acrylics, mixed to match.

Nudder udder one.

Alaska CB1 in Measure 22 matched from the Snyder and Shorts color chips. Many small details to go! Need to decide on the best rail available in this scale and order, get some anchor chain, make up a new batch of fire hoses and on and on. Fire Control Radars to build up etc.

Cheers: Tom

Absolutely gorgeous!!

Matt

A beauty you guys amaze me with your talents.

Matt and Kevin:

Thanks for the kind comments. Minor progress today, building the arm for the portside aircraft crane, added railings and ladders for the crane towers and other very minor items.

Cheers: Tom