The Ship Model Forum

Brilliant!

Gallery next.

Dan K wrote: Gallery next.

Indeed. And, after that, I'm focusing on the BlueWater Navy USS California, along with the 48th F4F-4.

Doing repairs to the splinter shields and combing around the deck edge, as well as touching up the paint. I also started working on the "seascape"

I had the opportunity to see Okie in the flesh yesterday. Absolutely one of Martin's finer efforts. Even he conceded that she looked pretty good from certain angles.

CA coming along very nicely as well.

Nice work across the board. You've been busy, Martin!

Well, it's been a minute since I last posted. I had a busy summer and fall since my last post: Trip to Ireland, trip to the IPMS USA Nationals in WI, trip to ScaleModel World in the UK and then over to France. In between was work, local hobby shows, work, hockey games, work and life. Oh, and work.
The "quick" Wildcat build, of course, took much, much longer than anticipated. I had to ditch the resin conversion set and the resin after market cockpit, as neither fit, and go mostly out of the box. But, the first of two is finally completed: The second F4F-4 is painted and undergoing some final touch up. It should be ready for gloss coat and decals soon (hopefully this weekend).

Modeling squirrel that I am, I've also been distracted by other builds, including the horrendous 1/350 GAGA models Charles de Gaulle aircraft carrier, and a Vargas 1/35 3D printed M2A1 US Medium tank. But...I've also found time to work on some standard battleships.

As built, the area on the main deck just aft of the "superstructure deck" (where the casement guns are) was rounded with nothing much there. Sometime in the mid-30's, a "Secondary Battery Signal Station" was added to all of the Big 5. Neither the old BWN California or the newer (but still old) YMW West Virginia have this structure. The lack of this structure was glaring, and it is what put the brakes on these builds for awhile, while I figured out how to build them. After consulting with some modeling colleagues, I went to the hobby store one day (yes, those still exist) and bought some Evergreen strip that seem to be the right size, and took the plunge. I decided to do both ships at the same time. I printed out a snippet of the BoGP, resized them, and used those as a template. Next, I cut the Evergreen strip to size, glued them in place with super glue, then let them dry overnight. I then added the longer bulkheads, again super gluing them into place and letting them dry. I purposely let them a little longer than needed, then trimmed them to size with a sharp Xacto blade. When all that was dry, I used plastic card to make the overheads. Given that the two ships are slight different sizes, I used thicker card on the WeeVee than on California. Everything was then puttied and sanded. I then added some PE W/T doors, per the BoGP. Next up - removing 3D printed chocks for both models from their print rafts, cleaning them up and getting them ready for paint. More than half the chocks on CA were broken, so I shave them all off (that's why you see bare resin on the sides of her deck), and the WeeVee had no chocks or bollards at all. For WeeVee, I'll be using the same turned brass bollards I used for Okie. Finally, I took the ModelMonkey 3D printed WeeVee superstructure out of storage and removed all the parts from the print rafts. Oy, what a chore that was! I managed to break off the rangefinder arms on 3 of the 4 turrets, and could only find 2 of the wayward parts. The other was eaten by the tile monster (cousin of the more familiar "carpet" monster). I'll paint the 3D printed chocks soon, then probably pause, as I have a deadline to finish the F**king Charles de Gaulle and need to prioritize that POS first. Whenever I get back to these, I'll focus on California first.

Incremental progress made, in between other projects. First, I primed the WeeVee's hull black. I also started adding 3D printed chocks from BlackCat model to both California and West Virginia. If I had been thinking clearly, I would have added the chocks (and bollards) to WeeVee before priming, but, alas, I did not act logically. California has all her chock added, but she needs a bit of touch up work. I got one side of WeeVee done, then ran out of steam. I need to finish the other side, then start drilling holes to add the turned metal bollards (same one's I used on Oklahoma).

Nice work, M.

If I had been thinking clearly, I would have added the chocks (and bollards) to WeeVee before priming, but, alas, I did not act logically.

Welcome to the club. Again.

Wildcat #2 is done. Came out like sh*t - the dull coat ended up leaving a pronounced orange peel, which ruined the model in the end. It will look ok on my bookshelf, I guess. In parellel to this, I've been working on the horrendous, horrible, no good F**king CdG: Meanwhile, I finished adding all the bollards to WeeVee I made a template of the casement deck and attached that to the deck in advance of painting, so that area under the deck stays black. I also managed to sand all the little nubs off the bottom of the superstructure parts and of the replacement turrets that Model Monkey so graciously provided me. These turrets are printed on a newer printer with different resin, and are quite sharp. I managed not to break them when removing them from the print raft this time. There are a few areas that need a little sanding and cleaning up, but all of these parts are almost ready for priming.

MartinJQuinn wrote: Sometime in the mid-30's, a "Secondary Battery Signal Station" was added to all of the Big 5. Neither the old BWN California or the newer (but still old) YMW West Virginia have this structure. The lack of this structure was glaring, and it is what put the brakes on these builds for awhile, while I figured out how to build them.

image001(1).png

After consulting with some modeling colleagues, I went to the hobby store one day (yes, those still exist) and bought some Evergreen strip that seem to be the right size, and took the plunge. I decided to do both ships at the same time.

IMG_3907.jpg

IMG_3908.jpg

I printed out a snippet of the BoGP, resized them, and used those as a template. Next, I cut the Evergreen strip to size, glued them in place with super glue, then let them dry overnight. I then added the longer bulkheads, again super gluing them into place and letting them dry. I purposely let them a little longer than needed, then trimmed them to size with a sharp Xacto blade.

IMG_3909.jpg

IMG_3911.jpg

When all that was dry, I used plastic card to make the overheads. Given that the two ships are slight different sizes, I used thicker card on the WeeVee than on California. Everything was then puttied and sanded.

IMG_3913.jpg

I then added some PE W/T doors, per the BoGP.

IMG_4033.jpg

Nice job on the "Secondary Battery Signal Station" Martin! Another thing in this area that has always bugged me on all these Big Five kits is the bolted on deck plates on either side of the cage mast. I have never been able to find any pictures of any of the Big Five showing this area having bolted deck plates. Just like the Arizona kits that wrongly have bolted on deck plates, I fear this feature is wrong on the Big Five kits as well.
The plan of West Virginia's main deck that you posted above doesn't even show any plates there. I believe that every time a new manufacturer produces one of these kits, they are simply copying this feature from a previous version from a different Manufacturer. Makes me wonder where it first started. Did Jim Shirley produce the first Big Five kit? Classic Warships? Tom's Modelworks?

it is possible that the Big 5 did not have those plates as I just went thru looking at their BOGPs & even tho not all are complete, none show those plates from deck 2 & below wereas Idaho does show those plates.

This photo of California shows only teak decking behind the deck winch.


And this view of West Virginia shows nothing but teak around her winch and the skylight. The crew has a tarp laying on the deck with the accommodation ladders laying on that tarp but there is absolutely no evidence of steel deck plates here either.

Thanks Jeff! Appreciate the comment. I think Classic Warships was the first to do these in 1/700? Or was it Naval Works?

Great photos. Nice shot of the accommodation ladder stowage.

Martin,
Do you have a photo or plans of any of the other Big 5 other than West Virginia showing that Secondary Battery Signal Station? I can find NOTHING on any of them other than West Virginia.
Thanks,
Jeff

Jeff,

There are hints of something there that match the WeeVee plans in a few photos. Colorado had something different, but the plans I have for her (given to me with the understanding that I can't share), are 1944, so the area may have been reconfigured when she lost her mainmast and got her tower.

Tennessee - on the right of the photo, you can see the inclined ladders coming off the boat deck, matching the configuration of the WV plans California - I think you posted this photo once upon a time. It look like you can see the partial outline of the structure in this overhead shot. California - again platforms and inclined ladders in the lower portion of the photo, which descend down off the boat deck, seemingly conforming to the plans. I will dig through my photos, as I think I have something else, but can't find it at the moment.

HTH,

Finding a good shot of this area on any of the Big Five is definitely a CHALLENGE to say the least!
Here are a couple of shots of that area on USS California. Not the greatest looks but I'm not seeing a Secondary Battery Signal Station in either pic.




But this one "suggests" that there was one there.

Finally got all my airbrush woes from earlier in the year sorted out, with the purchase of a new compressor from Micro Mark, and a new Iwata airbrush.

So far, so good (knock on wood).

I have been doing more incremental work on California and WeeVee in the background of other builds, several of which I've finished: These models are also close to being finished: The M2A1 was built mostly out of the box. The G-37 was OOB, and the little airborne tank will be as well. The Royal Navy destroyers all were upgraded with 3D printed parts from 3D Modelparts and MicroMaster.

The horrible, no-good, awful, atrocious, cursed 1/350 GAGA Charles de Gaulle continues to frustrate me every step of the way, and has been shelved for now.

Meanwhile, I had to do what I had wanted to avoid, and end up masking the entire deck of California, after building the secondary signal station, replacing all the chocks and doing some other repairs. She is now ready for paint. In parallel to that, after the secondary signal station, brass bollards and replacement chocks were added to WeeVee, I've painted her deck in preparation to her being masking and moving on to the next color. A close up look at her last night showed I need to fix a spot on the deck just forward of number 3 turret and probably repaint that area, but she's close to getting masked and then 5D paint as well.

BB progress!

Added anchors to the California. The side anchors are from Model Monkey. The flukes on those wouldn't fit over the bow, so I used a Black Cat anchor there. Not 100% accurate, as it doesn't exactly fit either, but it captures the look. Once those were in place, I placed the hull on a block, to ease handling during painting. Then I re-sprayed the hull with Colorcoats 5D. It will probably will need another light coat.