1/200 nagato scratch built

[Neptune]

Wow, that's one excellent looking hull you have there!!!
Great job, keep it going like this and it'll be a winner

[Dave Wooley]

Hi Russ This is a truly difficult build . Just looking at the detail on the foremast and and how you have developed each of the levels on what is a very complex structure is a testimony to your skill as a scratch builder . Also your progress amazes me .
Dave Wooley

[J. Soca]

if you think that pagoda is hard to accomplish imagine Fuso's or yamashiro's im looking forward to see it done Russ i'm truly awed by how fast you are going, keep it up!!


Jose

[TogoTommy]

Great looking bridgeworks Russ!!! Nice progress, sure are moving fast!!

From the CG's coming from Japanese sources, the Ise and Hyuga seem to be the most elaborate and intricate
Bridgeworks... Maddening to say the least, even looking at them.. Just hundreds of pieces, of perforated structural bracing!!!
One of the most difficult aspects about IJN BB's, is that you can often SEE the inner structure... Adds a level of depth to the models that a simple welded armored box structure, (ala later BB's) will never have... Not to mention, that the HIGH foretops were perfect place for the big main btry director and 11m rangefinder..

The pagodas gave all the IJN battleships their own character, unlike any other...
To me, they seem very stately, and proud... Definately my Favs...

Good pic of Mutsu, mid yrs of life.. No attribute of age on the pic, so ??????

Tom

[russclark]

thanks for the kind words guys,i am pondering how the best way to make bridge and deck supports,there must be a million on nagato,has anyone got any suggestions,anything will help.my first thought was to use a leather punch for the holes in styrene.

[Dave Wooley]

thanks for the kind words guys,i am pondering how the best way to make bridge and deck supports,there must be a million on nagato,has anyone got any suggestions,anything will help.my first thought was to use a leather punch for the holes in styrene.

Hi Russ Experiment , see if it will work?

[TogoTommy]

There are several types of punches out there, I think I have them all, LOL!!!

The rotary head plier type leather punch...
The straight hollow punches, that you drive with a hammer..
The punch thu type with the intechangable matching punches and hollow anvils...

Mostly you have to watch the punch edge taper.. Inside or outside?
Most (99.999%) are outside, so it crushes the outer material giving a ragged edge..
And the dot that is removed, is clean edged.. Sometimes this is good,
and sometimes not!!! Depends on which part is wastage..

A solution for this is to get a set of tubing in various OD's and use a
mototool to sharpen the end, with the taper on the INSIDE of the tube..
This leaves the crisp edge on the outer part, with the dot as the ragged wastage..
I think that is what you want!!! So you dont have to shave the parts with a razor...

The punch thru type, are the only ones I know of that leave a clean edge on both parts...

All of them are pretty cheap at Harbor frieght tools, or ebay...
Most expensive was the Punchthru, about 30 bucks at HFT, decent quality for chinese...
And it goes down to 3mm size..

Hope this helps bro!!
Tom

[jimbuna]

I've had to see this to believe it

Excellent

[russclark]

been jumping around, but i have decided to finish the aft tower before i do anything else.if i don't i will forget what i was doing windows always give me fits,it's because you can't put the glazing in before the assembly is painted,so i am going to build the windows seperate,and then slide the assembly in after the tower is completly assembled and painted .the rangefinders and directors are made from styrene and brass tubing .heres some pics of the windows and aft tower roughed in lots of fine tuning to do yet.anyone know what color the inside of the bridges are.

[Richard J OMalley]

There is a article in "Warship International no 1-1982 " Painting Systems of the Imperial Japanese Navy ,1904-1945 " by Linton Wells .It states " inside bulkheads of superstructer passageways visible from outside the ship were the same color as the ship's exterior.Compartment,hold,and interiors mostly were white,except the hatch coamings and lower 16 inches of bulkheads [ later the lower 40 cm . ] could be painted rust-colored in easily-dirted areas .
Life rings were white, with wide red bands at 90 degree intervals around the ring .
I hope this has been of some help.

[Dave Wooley]

Hi Russ Wise move on the glazing . The tower is developing into a piece of art work .
Dave Wooley

[Capit�o Norbert]

Russclark what building on these complex japanese shapes..
for me a amazing work and i thank you to share us...

[J. Soca]

I envy you Russ!! wish i could go that far, not that i like to understimate myself but i just can't.. i'm still amazed by how fast she is taking shape keep up the awesome work!!



Jose

[russclark]

hi again all scratch builders and nagato fans ,i always use brass for my masts because styrene tubing is not stiff enough,it bends to easy.my first soldering attemps where rough,as time goes by and many masts later i am slowly getting better.i now use a 40 watt iron,lots of flux,and very little solder and keep the tip clean.before it took me more time to file away the excess than to do the soldering.i am still not an expert but am getting better."jose" i have lots of time to work on my ship because i am semi retired and only work when i am needed, no work or school to get in the way, earning a living and education always come first, when you become an old fart like me you will have lots of time to do what you like oh by the way i don't know how but the pics sure come out nice and big when you click them now .

[Dave Wooley]

Hi Russ Nice piece of solder work .
Dave Wooley

[Richard J OMalley]

Hi Russ
Dave took the words right out of my mouth !

[Capit�o Norbert]

Hi Russ excellente work. whta type of flux do you use?

[russclark]

Hi Russ excellente work. whta type of flux do you use?

hi norbert,the flux i'm useing is what one uses for plumbing,kester paste flux.you realy have to clean it up after as paint will not stick to it.

[russclark]

i am having trouble finding where the winchs for the boat crane are,are they on the deck or are they down in the hull.i can't find any reference to where they are?

[Richard J OMalley]

Check out Gakken #15 Nagato .Go to ebay and search Gakken .