1/700 USS Chicago CA-29 at Battle of Savo Island

[Vladi]

Hi Lars

The plating is not my idea, I noticed it somewhere on this forum and wanted to give it a try. I didn�t want to add an extra layer of primer to the model (there already was one as it is resin). Let�s see how it will look like when finished.

These oerlikons are really cute. I used 3dmodelparts pedestal + shield (= one part) combined with a Flyhawk PE gun (I like it better than the 3dmodelpart gun, more to scale) on my previous models. Not bad and definitely a much faster option especially in case of late war BBs . But these are just nicer and assemble faster that I thought they would thanks to blacman�s clever design.

[MartinJQuinn]

The plating is not my idea, I noticed it somewhere on this forum and wanted to give it a try. I didn�t want to add an extra layer of primer to the model (there already was one as it is resin). Let�s see how it will look like when finished.

I think the plating is a little too uniform and stark. Hopefully you can tone it down or blend it in a little. Otherwise, the model is shaping up nicely. Those 20mm look great!

[Vladi]

Hello Martin,

thanks for your feedback, it�s highly apreciated (I think it was one of your posts that inspired me to try this technique anyway )! Actually, my concern was exactly the opposite. I will be using multiple layers of filters of diluted artistic oil paints and these tend to blend and cover quite a lot. But I can work on the plating a bit with an eraser to make it even softer and less uniform.

[maxim]

If it will be less noticeable after the weathering, it would be perfect. On real ships, you see them from some angles, but not always.

[Vladi]

Hi mates, this corona period was no modeling holidays on my side, but finally some work done this week: scratchbuilt Mk 24 director for the secondary conn & aft spotting station surrounded by (my) PE drums with life-saving equipment. Not much will be seen of the director, so this should do
Aim to get the last few details ready for airbrushing along with the Kinugasa and then the gloss coat.

[Captain Morgan]

Hi mates, this corona period was no modeling holidays on my side, but finally some work done this week: scratchbuilt Mk 24 director for the secondary conn & aft spotting station surrounded by (my) PE drums with life-saving equipment. Not much will be seen of the director, so this should do
Aim to get the last few details ready for airbrushing along with the Kinugasa and then the gloss coat.

20200521 Chicago details 2a.jpg

20200521 Chicago details 1.jpg

Mk 24 Mod 3 director.jpg

Are you making a MK 24 director without shield? I only ask since I haven�t seen anything saying Chicago sailed that way into her final battle.

[Vladi]

Hi Captain,

sorry for my late reply. This is intended to the aft spotting station that was open, as discussed here in the CASF Northampton thread. Please let me know if you have other ideas about what should be there. Thanks!

Vladi

[Vladi]

Just a quick update - did some work after another long lull.

I airbrushed a gloss coat and applied white hull numbers. Now I need to start weathering the decks with some oil filters and pin washes and then I will apply my custom decals of rubber non-skid stripes to steel decks. I�d rather have them medium grey than black but you can�t print real grey colour on a laser printer (except if you got a special one that can print white colour, too). I hope they will look fine.

Also the ship�s name will be applied to the stern. And I�ve got the crew standing by already, too.

I wonder what will you think about the hull plating now? They are barely noticeable to my naked eye from 30cm apart and they will likely blend even more after oil filters and matt varnish. Let�s see what will come out.

[gscott]

Great work so far, Vladi. That photo-etch you designed looks amazing.

[Vladi]

Thank you, Greg!

I installed both funnels and applied my non-skid decals. They look weird as they are gloss, but that will change for the better in the end. Looking at her I�d say there should be at least one row connecting the two halves on the hangar roof (also there was a ladder leading to the well deck there) but I�ve got a photo proving against it. So be it

[ArizonaBB39]

Beautiful work!

[Vladi]

Thank you

Applied filters and pin wash using dilluted artistic oil paints. Seemed to be overdone, but better today after the turpentine dried. Looks more subtle to my naked eye than to the camera lens and I hope the final matt varnish will blend it all together even more.

Next step: dry brushing

[blacman]

[ArizonaBB39]

Stunning! Keep up the great work

[Vladi]

Thank you

In the middle of weathering I noticed the aft 1.1in tubs were larger than they appeared in photos, like if they were intended for quad 40mm. I did some checking and concluded that they should be nearly 1.5mm smaller in diameter, so I scratchbuilt new tubs from 0.2mm styrene. Not perfect but they look much more apropriate to me.

Next step: matt varnish

The new tub is the one to the right (starboard)

[Dan K]

Nice.

[ArizonaBB39]

Very nice!

[Vladi]

Thank you

Today I ecided to do one of my less favourite works - SOC-3 Seagull floatplanes. I hated the Trumpy mold already when I was working on my USS Quincy, so I wanted to avoid all the edging the wings with a file. I tried to solve this by means of PE when I designed the Chicago parts, but I was not happy at all with how the PE wings looked like. Then I even tried to convince blacman to design and 3D print these floatplanes for me, but it seems 1/700 aircraft is over the edge even of the superior 3D printing technology he has available. So in the end I created the three floatplanes for the catapults and the well deck by combining my old filing method with the other PE details I designed. For the fourth plane with folded wings intented for Chicago�s hangar I decided to use my PE folded wings. Not much will be seen from that floatplane anyway so I am not concerned about it.

Almost one day�s work - but I�m happy this phase is done

The first photo shows the original Trumpy floatplane for comparison. The canopies have not been attached yet as I will only attach them after painting the floatplanes.

[ArizonaBB39]

They look very good Vladi

[Vladi]

That�s very kind of you, Abram, thanks!

The floatplanes are now painted with decals applied. Aircraft nos. 1, 4 and 5 wait for their final touches, a matt coat and then deployment on catapults and in the well deck. No. 3 with wings folded already sits in the port hangar. It was not really easy to fit it in, I should have done it before installing the hangar roof (and I knew it indeed ) but after a bit of struggle similar to building a ship in a bottle it is there. The last photo shows that even the spare wing can be seen hanging on the side of the hangar (this one was there in time).

The last two photos suggest that I have progressed with assembling the ship in the meantime, too - watch this space for the next post