The Ship Model Forum

hello all

I have never scratchbuilt anything but i am wanting to make a modern style AO or AOE of the Rainer class an Supply class.JAG"s Sacremento and Cimmaron kits are really close from what i can see but are not quite the same but with some work could be done if I knew how to do it, Squareing off the Bridge, and fantail area and aft Decks of Cimmaron Kit would give a pretty close to Kaiser class, and somehow add a second stack to the sacremento kit and it woud be close to the eye, the bridge would need some changing i think too I dont have the Eye like you all do, but being new to ships i have no Idea how to even attempt those changes. and looking for some help thanks in advance..

Detroit/ Sacremento Class



Supply/ Supply Class



Cimaron/ Cimmaron Class



Pecos/ Kaiser Class

Do you want to scratch-build her or do you want to modify a kit?
If you choose for scratch-build the model might be useful to give the shape of the hull.
Take one or more blocks of foam and sand them in the right shape.
Check the shape constantly by comparing the model and your foam block.
Make a fibreglass mold on the foam, remove the foam and make a fibreglass hull inside the mold.
The supertructure is the easy part, especially when you don't want to build the interior.
It's basically some sheets of evergreen cut to the right length and height, glue them together and there you have yourself an undetailed superstructure.
The platforms can be made the same way, but using some framing underneath it or any other support is recommendeable as it otherwise will try to fall down.

For the hull are also some other ways to scratchbuild it, as does for all parts of the models.

Greetings Josse

Sorry I should have mentioned, I have the JAG Cimmaron Kit so I would be just trying to Replicate the Squared off style Superstructure of the Kaiser Class, I just dont know how to start a scratch build, also I dont know which would be easier to convert a Sacremento Class or the Cimmaron Class. By looking at the pics i posted what do you all think. I dont know how to get the correct height and the Windows??

Then you either need to find drawings (which is by far the most accurate way to find it) or you can assume that the height of a floor is somewhere in between 2,5 and 3m, which it almost certainly will be in real.
The bridge will probebly be a bit higher.
Count the number of windows above each-other and you'll know how many floors you have.
Finding the other sizes is much more difficult, majorly a matter of comparing your model to the photo's of the real ship.
A massive material would be very useful for this.

Greetings Josse