First Build - 1/350 USS Laffey

[BillGorm]

This is my first time sharing anything on this site, so here's a bit of background: I returned to modeling 3-4 years ago with a focus on World War II era armor. As time has passed, however, I've developed an interest in ship modeling as well. About a year ago I asked for advice on a good kit in 1/350 scale and the USS Laffey was one of the top suggestions (along with Tamiya's USS Fletcher and Trumpeter's USS England). I picked the USS Laffey and it went straight into the closet while I worked on other projects. Now those projects are complete and I'd like to build the USS Laffey.

I'd like to use this build log to show my work and get input on the basics of ship modeling (which I've been reading up on). I plan to build the model full hull as I don't want to worry about water just yet. Also, since this is my first build, I don't plan to worry about accuracy. Aside from PE railings, I intend to build using only the contents of the box. Which brings me to my first questions:

Is the Cyber-Hobby upgrade set for the USS Buchanan appropriate for the USS Laffey?
Are railing sets for the USS Laffey available from other manufacturers?

Thanks for any help. Progress shots to come as soon as I can get myself underway.

[robertmelvin]

I'll be watching this one with great interest. I have to confess that I attempted the 1/350 Laffey as my second build after coming back to ship building about three years ago. The only thing I'd built before that since returning to modeling after over 30 years away was Italieri's 1/35 LCVP. No comparison! As I said, this is a confession, and I have to confess that she defeated me. Too many lost parts, too little experience and knowledge, too many dunder headed mistakes. She went to the closet of doom, where she resides to this day as a spare parts queen.

I have a replacement Laffey in the stash and I'd love to give her a shot now that I've accumulated some more experience, especially working with PE. Get ready for lots and lots of fiddly bits. She is exquisitely detailed, but it comes at a price in parts count and very tiny pieces that are juicy carpet monster food.

Please keep us posted on your build. As to the PE set, I had the dedicated Cyber-Hobby set for Laffey the first time out, but I'll be using the Buchannan set this time, so from what I've read you are safe in doing that since they are both Benson/Gleaves class DDs.

Good luck and happy modeling,

Bob

[NGaged]

I would definately go with Gold Medal Model's Buchanan set instead. Not only does it include more detail, but also is of a better fit overall. CyberHobby's detail set is notorius for its extremely poor and finicky fit. It does provide a VERY nice radar though.

[BillGorm]

Bob - No shame in muffing your second model after being away from the hobby for 30+ years. I started off with a relatively straightforward armor model. I got it together OK, but when I look back now at my "weathering" I have to laugh. I'm not scared of the small parts and PE because I've gotten experience with both through my other builds, but I do worry about screwing up the build sequence. I'll move slowly and ask lots of questions.

NGaged - Thank you for the GMM suggestion. The distributor link on their website didn't work, so I guess I'll have to mail my order across the country. Seems odd in 2012 to be mailing a check to someone.

[NGaged]

I saw you post a request on another build for his particular build sequence and I don't know if you saw my response. Here is the link again:

http://www.modelwarships.com/reviews/sh ... downe.html

[robertmelvin]

As strange as this may sound, in retrospect I think it might be a good thing that I buggered Laffey the first time out. My first build was Italieri's 1/35 LCVP and that, I found, did not present much of a challenge. Since its human nature that we seem to learn more from out mistakes than our successes, I was was full of myself after completing that kit and thought "I'm ready for everything, haven't lost the touch." Well, it seems that I had neglected to consider that I'm now attempting to do things I never even thought of as a kid modeling, and thought I was ready to tackle whatever, not realizing that the new tool kits, especially Dragon's new offerings, were a far cry from the kits I was "building", and I use that term very loosely, in the '60s and 70s.

Though Laffey ended up scuppered on shelf of doom, I learned a lot more about modeling and PE and using the new materials and techniques than I ever learned from a build I was satisfied with. Like you, BillGorm, it made me very cautious about the build sequence, putting styrene together. I learned to read, reread, and keep rereading the instructions as I go along. I learned to use my head and not just the instructions about the build sequence, and most important, I learned how much I had to learn and to not be shy about asking questions.

I have Laffey back in the stash and after a few other projects I'm going to have another crack at her. It really is a great kit with some magnificent detail, especially with some added PE. Like the real first Laffey, she did not die in vain. After all, a little humility is a good thing.

Bob

[Frankberger]

HI Bill,
I have have the Laffey kit also, but plan to do something a little differnt with it. The whole Benson/Gleaves series of kits from Dragon are really a great value for your money, and with all the variations possible, will keep me busy for awhile. For reference, if you can get a copy, the two Classic Warship pictorials, #12 on the Benson/Gleavers and #31 on the USS Buchanan are invaluable. I agree that the GMM set is the way to go. As far as my Laffey, I'm going to use the flat bridge included with the kit and mate it with the 1942 Buchanan kit to create a flat bridge Gleaves.

Can't wait to see pictures!

Frank

[BillGorm]

OK. I've reviewed the initial steps Ed McDonald followed to build his USS Lansdowne, as well as the approach Frank has taken with his USS Buchanan, and come up with the following to get the hull and deck done:

1. Glue the upper and lower hull together. Putty and sand any gaps
2. Glue the deck to the hull. Putty and sand any gaps
3. Drill out the portholes along the hull sides
4. Attach the shafts, struts, props, and rudder to the lower hull. Putty and sand any gaps
5. Attach the screw guards to the hull sides
6. Prime all the parts
7. Mask and paint the lower hull in Hull Red
8. Paint the shafts and props in Gloss Brass
9. Mask and paint the upper hull in 5-N Navy Blue
10. Mask and paint the boot top (or apply black tape)
11. Attach the finials to the hull and secure the hull to the base
12. Assemble the superstructure components. Attach them (without securing them) to the deck
13. Mask and spray the deck in 20-B Deck Blue

Does this seem like a logical approach?

And a few other questions:

1. Can anyone suggest Tamiya paint colors for 5-N Navy Blue and 20-B Deck Blue? I know a lot of guy use WEM, but I stick to acrylics and I'm familiar with Tamiya's characteristics. I'd rather not add experimenting with a new paint line as a challenge to my first ship build.
2. Is the lower hull piece in the Dragon destroyer kits an accurate indicator of the dividing line between the Hull Red and the upper hull color(s)? I'm wondering whether the join line is an accurate guide for masking and spraying the Hull Red.
3. Are there any step-by-step guides to painting the boot top? I'm having trouble envisioning how to do this.

Sorry to be so long winded. If anyone ever needs help building a tank, I'll be happy to lend a hand!

[robertmelvin]

Bill, if nobody has an answer by this evening when I get home I'll pull my Laffey out of the stash and take a look at where the hull splits to see if that looks right for the boot stripe. Right off the top of my head I can't remember from building her if that line was good for the boot stripe or not. One thing you might consider as an alternative to masking and painting the boot stripe is to go to either your LHS or an auto parts store and get some black pin striping. I should think at 1/16" at 1/350. Layed down carefully it makes a very credible boot stripe, especially after your final dull coat.

As I remember from my attempt at Laffey the upper/lower hull join requires a fair bit of putty. While you are at your local auto parts store you might pick up a tube of Bondo or 3-M body putty. Not the two part stuff that comes in tubs, but the stuff that comes in a single tube. I use that or, depending on the situation, Aves Apoxy Sculpt for almost all the putty work I do. The Bondo dries fast, but I'd let it set over night before sanding.

I think your build sequence is spot on. When I attempted her I painted the deck before I started on the superstructure. With that kit the tolerances are so tight that even the thickness of a coat or two of enamel paint was enough to cause me fit problems. On my next attempt I'm going to follow your sequence instead. Those same coats of paint also required me to open up the holes for the K-guns, etc..

One thing you might want to look at is to replace the mounting spindles in the kit with brass from Home Depot or Lowes, etc.. The kit spindles aren't that sturdy and I ended up breaking mine off before very long. They won't tolerate a lot of handling, which is hard to avoid. You can use some hollow brass lamp spindles, run a bolt up through them and the epoxy the nut to the lower hull after you have screwed it down and get a much more solid attachment.

I hope you'll post some pics when you get started. Laffey is a great kit, but be ready for lots of fiddly bits, and that doesn't include the PE! As I told you above, Laffey was my 2nd build, and my first 1/350, after 30+ years away. To say that the level of detail and the parts count was a surprise would not be an over statement. She's a great kit, but she also requires a lot of patience.

One last thing, unless you are just wedded to acrylic paints, which I've never been able to master air brushing, you might want to take a look at White Ensign's colourcoats line. They have near exact matches for USN World War II paint colors, air brush great with good quality lacquer thinner, and brush well.

Good luck and happy modeling. And welcome to the dark art. You may soon find yourself trading the tank kits in your stash for more 1/350 ships!

Bob

[Frankberger]

Hey Bill,
Just a couple of comments to add to Bob's.
1. In step 5 you indicate adding the prop guards. My past experience has been to add those last! There isn's a lot of room for glue surface and the joint is delicate. Putting them on early in the build increases chances for them to go flying!
2. I didn't make any measurements, but I did use the top/bottom hull joint as boot stripe location. I agree with Bob that it took a bit of putty to get a good looking joint.
3. Under FWIW, looking at some photos of ships in drydock, it appears that the prop shafts are painted in hull red also.
4. Looking at the instructions for my Tamiya 1/350 Missouri, here are their acrylic paint mix formulas for 20-B and 5-N:
5-N
Royal Blue X-3- 1 Part
Medium Blue XF-18- 1 Part
Flat Base X-21- 1 Part
20-B
Dark Grey XF-24- 4 Parts
Flat White XF-2- 6 Parts
Flat Blue XF-8- 3 Parts
Flat Red XF-7- 1 Part

Hope this helps!

Frank

[robertmelvin]

Bill, I agree with Frank, you are better off leaving the prop guards for late in the build. Also, my research indicated that the prop shafts and supports were both hull red, leaving only the props brass. BTW, that Cyber-Hobby Buchanan PE set is great for the range finder PE alone! Since this is your first ship it will save you a lot of aggravation as opposed to trying to get a good bend on the GMM set.

Bob

[BillGorm]

Bob / Frank - Thanks for all your input so far. You've given me a lot to think about:

1. Finials / base - I'm going to take my chances here and stick with the kit parts, although I will add weight to the base so that it can't be knocked over so easily. Odd that Dragon didn't provide a basic nameplate.
2. Prop guards - Good point about their delicacy. I'll leave them off until later in the build.
3. Shafts / struts - Ed McDonald suggested gloss brass in his build log, but I'll go with Hull Red.
4. Railings - I went with the GMM set. Hopefully I'll have it in hand by the time I need to attach them.

Bob, you mentioned Apoxie Sculpt as a putty option. I've used that to make tarps for vehicles, but unless the join line between the upper and lower hull is worse than I expect, I'd use Mr. Dissolved Putty. Have you tried it?

Frank, thank you for the Tamiya color references. I forgot that Life Color makes a couple of US Navy sets. Any thoughts on their accuracy? I know I said that's not my priority with this build, but since they're dedicated sets I'm curious to know how they compare to, say, WEM.

Finally, there's the boot top. I asked earlier whether the join line is an accurate guide. I suppose I could just use the side profile in the painting guide included in the instructions. Or the profile on navsource:

http://www.navsource.org/archives/05/459.htm

[Timmy C]

Observations on Lifecolour's accuracy can be found here: viewtopic.php?f=5&t=77101

[robertmelvin]

Bill, I've never tried Mr. Dissolved Putty. I'll check it out, thanks.

Bob

[Gordon Bjorklund]

"FYI the hull is split at the low water mark to represent the ship in light or unloaded condition."

This is taken from the review of Dragon's 1/350 USS Laffey kitin the "Review Section" of this site.

Lower hull piece is red. Stripe goes on the bottom of the upper hull piece.

Edit:

All of my builds of these kits have been waterlined according to that statement.

[robertmelvin]

Bill, last night I pulled my Laffey out of the stash and took a look at the hull. I agree with Gordon that if you locate the boot stripe at the lower part of the upper hull section you should have it just about right.

Hope this helps,

Bob

[BillGorm]

I cracked the box this weekend and got to work on the hull. I glued the top and bottom hull together and although it was a nice join it still needed work. So I applied Mr. Dissolved Putty, let it dry overnight, and then sanded it smooth with 400-1000 grit sandpaper. Then drilled out the portholes and the holes in the bottom of the hulls for the finials. Finally, I attached the deck, which was fairly painless. There is a very fine raised line that runs around the edge of the deck ... I assume I need to leave that intact while eliminating any gap where the deck meets the hull? I'm asking because I'm not sure whether the slight gap assists in positioning the railings.

Some progress photos (assuming I uploaded correctly):

http://i40.tinypic.com/sv5kht.jpg

http://i39.tinypic.com/15cy6v5.jpg

http://i42.tinypic.com/ehf5no.jpg

http://i42.tinypic.com/1z5ktxx.jpg

Is it possible to use photobucket for photos as well?

[Timmy C]

You can use Photobucket, but my experience shows that it has a higher amount of "downtime" than TinyPic.

[robertmelvin]

Bill, as I recall the gap is just that, a gap. Are you familiar with the CA/baking soda technique to fill seams? It works very nicely and quickly. Depending on the size of the seam, you can use either thin CA or gap filling. Apply your CA and then dip a brush into a tub of baking soda. Sprinkle the baking soda onto the CA, don't brush it on. As soon as the baking soda hits the CA it will set, the baking soda acts as a kicker. You can then immediately sand. In fact, you don't want to wait too long to sand or the CA will set up much harder than the surrounding plastic. You might want to mask on each side of the seam to keep from sanding off any detail you don't want to use. This is a great little trick for seam filling that I'd forgotten to mention earlier.

Your work so far looks great. What are your plans for painting? Given the close tolerances for the deck houses, I'd suggest you go ahead and paint the hull, but save the deck for later. Get you deck houses on and the decks above them, then mask and paint your deck blue. When I did her I painted the deck before I attached the deck houses and the thickness of the paint was enough to cause fit problems because the kit is so well engineered.

Hope this helps.

Bob

[BillGorm]

Bob - Thanks for the super glue tip. I've used CA + talcum powder in the past to fill gaps and to give PE parts a bit more shear strength. As for my painting plans, well, I'll let you know once I do!

All - I meant to post the following photos with my prior entry. They show the minor gaps in some places where the deck meets the hull (they're very small to the naked eye, but magnified here).




Here's what I'm puzzling over:

1. There is a small ridge or lip that runs around the the entire edge of the deck (which looks deliberate). Did this ridge serve a purpose on the real ship? And am I correct that I need to avoid removing it as I putty and sand gaps?
2. How are PE railing usually attached? Simply stick them to the model and rely on the CA + talcum powder to hold them in place? I ask because I'm wondering whether the hairline gap between the hull and deck would be useful for mounting the railings down the road.

Thanks for any help.