The Ship Model Forum

Hi guys,

my 1/350 Nimitz has been laid last night. Now hull is ready for primer and painting (awaiting for the new Hansa 581 airbrush).

What I have ordered in addition to the kit:

Black Dog Carrier Tractors
Tom's Modelworks Flotation Racks for Nimitz
Gold Medal Models 350-28 & 29
Tamiya 1/350 Aircraft Set 2 78009
Gold Medal Models 350-30, 1 item for testing
Eduard 1/350 Air. Carrier Crew set.

Discussing with Admiralty Model Works regarding JAG Wasp Deck Vessels (difficulties with delivery to Ukraine).

Few photographs:

Looking forward to your build

Nothing gives me a warmer or fuzzier feeling than seeing a new Nimitz WIP. You're off to a good start.

Wiring for hangar bay, flight deck and island. Implemented with MiniUSB jack in the hull and connector in the stand.

I want more details about wiring and lightning!

Small update - wiring in stand. Also I've finished painting of hangar deck. My Hansa 581 is still not yet delivered, hence, I used an old exUSSR airbrush (15 years old). Result is not so bad. Photo of deck I will post later, together with hangar bay. Also today I've bought SMD led strip - hope, lighting will look fine.

Today evening I've painted the upper hull and when I started with low part disaster happened. Masking tape which I used started to lose red paint! So, two questions:

1. how to and what shall I use to mask hull parts?
2. Tamiya XF-9 seems to be too dark. Any better replacement?

maksim2020 wrote:Today evening I've painted the upper hull and when I started with low part disaster happened. Masking tape which I used started to lose red paint! So, two questions:

1. how to and what shall I use to mask hull parts?
2. Tamiya XF-9 seems to be too dark. Any better replacement?

Did you prime the model first? And if so, what primer did you use?

In particular with the plastic trumpeter used ont eh nimitz kit, and the lower hull especially, you need a high-quality laquer type primer in order to get good paint adhesion. If I were you, I would strip ALL the paint off the hull, and re-prime it with Floquil light grey figure primer, or Tamiya grey primer. After that, you should not have any of the paint lifting problems you describe above.

+1 for Floquil primer. I had issues before about masking tape lifting off paint but not since I discovered that primer.

Yes, I did use Tamiya Primer 87044 (white). Masking tape I used before came to the trash.

After some Internet search I found the solution - automotive tape, 3M. Here is a result (no waterline yet, going to paint it tomorrow).

Gentlemen,

do you use any polishing? I just coated with varnish the entire hull after painting, think, that polishing would be helpful.

Yesterday I've received good stuff in my mailbox - GMM 350-28 & 29, and today - Tom's Modelworks Flotation Racks for Nimitz. Small progress today.

Stern area of hangar.

Nice work.

Thank you, James.

BTW, I found an exact dimensions of hangar bay of Nimitz class:

length: 684 ft (206,5 m)
width: 108 ft (33 m)
height: 25 ft (7,6 m)

It could be useful for future Nimitz-builders.

Hangar 3 is almost ready. Also I did a "zero bus" for hangar, island and flight deck (still under the question mark due to the difficulties with fiber optic).

Your hangar is looking great. Are you going to light up the CONFLAG stations?

Hmm... I did not think about this, good idea.

Hangar is 99% done. Walls are glued in place.

P.S. thanks James boomstick68 for his hangar as an example.

Very good work in this hangar. I like it.