1/700 US Navy rafts?

[pascalemod]

hi there! how would i build some extra rafts for my battleships? The kits dont have enough and I need like 10 more for my Washington build. I have only 2 extras, and 1 from Flyhawk destroyer. Its clearly not enough.

What are my routes, any tips how to build them?

[drasticplastic]

There are these from Shapeways:
https://www.shapeways.com/product/PYD7A ... arketplace

[Timmy C]

Shelf Oddity also has them: https://shelfoddity.com/index.php?route ... duct_id=91

Scratchbuilding 10 seems rather tedious - but if I had to do it, I guess I would start with a sheet of plastic of the appropriate thickness (or two sheets glued together to get that thickness), then draw the inner and outer perimeter. Drill two holes on either ends of the inner diameter to get the inner curve, then knife away the straight section in the middle to create the centre cavity. Then cut along the outer perimeter to free the raft from the rest of the plastic sheet. Use excess PE netting for the bottom.

An alternative would be to make your own mold and cast resin extras using the kit part, but that'll cost more than just buying aftermarket unless you plan on doing more castings.

[drasticplastic]

Hmmm...after looking at the Shelf Oddity ones, I would use them!

[pascalemod]

Shelf Oddity also has them: https://shelfoddity.com/index.php?route ... duct_id=91

Ordered. Superb recommendation. My Washington is gonna look sweet with these rafts!

Now need to see if anyone sells blast bags for the 16in guns for US ships so I dont have to scratch build those... Any tips?

[Timmy C]

I'd just use the plastic ones molded at the base of the kit's guns - chop off the barrel, drill hole, insert brass replacement.

[pascalemod]

I'd just use the plastic ones molded at the base of the kit's guns - chop off the barrel, drill hole, insert brass replacement.

You got a good tip on how to drill the hole straight? because a numerous bag has been messed up this way. They all point slightly off. Such a stupid system

[Timmy C]

No, sadly. But, one way I've been trying is to make the hole diameter slightly larger than necessary so there's some wriggle room; install all three blastbags onto the turret, and then glue the barrels on while resting the barrel tips on a level surface (and making sure the turret itself is also level with that surface). Use a slower-drying glue, and a bonus of this would be you can have time to nudge the base of the barrels into the correct center in case your drilled hole was slightly off.

In theory, anyway...

[Fliger747]

Different scale, but I have successfully made blast bags in two ways in 1:192 scale. For Missouri I made a form and coated it with paint on latex, let dry, peeled off and slipped over the barrels. Not bad, but the latex can get brittle over 20 years or so. On Alaska I made them using modeling clay, which seemed an OK method for barrels with will not change elevation.