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Post by wbill76 on Nov 11, 2015 11:38:01 GMT -5
Thanks Dierk ! I think this build is going to set a record for me in terms of the number of photos and posts...its already up over 100 pics and climbing so don't feel bad!  Marc, you're the undisputed master of tiny stuff for sure! I think your Seiran would have the edge. |
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Post by wbill76 on Nov 12, 2015 19:55:30 GMT -5
Today's effort was on a two-front basis. I needed to get 12 of the 20mm guns together since they go into the two 14-inch turret tubs and they are a delicate operation that requires a combination of multiple painting and assembly steps since the guns themselves are one piece, but their splinter shields are separate PE parts. There's no margin for error either, 44 guns in total are needed throughout the ship and 44 shields are what are on the frets (even though the instructions say only 42 in Step 4's diagram...you need all 44) and I had a moment of panic and frantic searching when one mysteriously vanished as I was working on this batch. Fortunately, it was retrieved successfully from the jaws of a disappointed carpet monster.  Before these get installed, I need to add the floater net baskets to the sides of the tubs first, but at least the guns themselves are now ready to go.  At the same time that I was working on the guns, I also made progress on the Kingfisher. The floats were added along with the propeller (after it was hand painted first) and I added a scratch-built radio aerial mast to the cowling. Careful work with the Optivisor and a 10/0 pointed brush picked out the frames in the canopy. I also hand painted the red prop warning stripe on the main float. Future was airbrushed, decals added, and a 2nd dose of Future sealed them in. Blue tack masking went back on the canopy and Testor's Lusterless Flat sprayed on to remove the Future gloss and tie everything back together. I used a short length of EZ Line Fine Black elastic thread and small amounts of CA and accelerator to add the aerial itself.   More to do on the turrets before I can call them done but I'm getting there! |
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Post by wouter on Nov 13, 2015 0:33:25 GMT -5
OMG, this is getting even better...the canopy of that plane...that's just impressive Bill! And glad you could defeat the carpet monster Cheers |
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Post by dierk on Nov 13, 2015 7:55:47 GMT -5
Well done on getting one over on the carpet monster Bill! Although I'm sorely disappointed that you didn't open up the canopy and add a scratched interior  |
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Post by wbill76 on Nov 13, 2015 11:06:00 GMT -5
Thanks Wouter and Dierk! The CM was sorely disappointed, but I made sure to drop some random sprue nubs to make up for it. As for an interior on the cockpit, if I could have found some decent PE and seat belts it would have been worth it! Yeah right... |
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Post by Leon on Nov 13, 2015 16:38:35 GMT -5
Fantastic work on the mini plane and start on the guns Bill! |
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Post by Tojo72 on Nov 13, 2015 16:42:14 GMT -5
What can I say that hasn't been said,I can't believe the detail of that plane.
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Post by wbill76 on Nov 13, 2015 17:01:44 GMT -5
Thanks Leon! Mini plane is right...the whole thing is roughly 1 inch long. Anthony, despite the hassle of the clear plastic, Trumpeter did a good job with the detail on the plane thankfully...but there's no way I could've done it without the Optivisor that's for sure! |
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Post by wing_nut on Nov 13, 2015 18:05:42 GMT -5
That Kingfisher is...  |
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Post by wbill76 on Nov 13, 2015 18:23:50 GMT -5
That Kingfisher is... And I didn't even have to resort to the giant finger/penny trick! |
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Post by wbill76 on Nov 13, 2015 18:36:22 GMT -5
More progress to report in the tiny detail department today, but first I have to point out that the fine folks at Trumpeter are mathematically challenged. Back in Step 4 the instructions call for 20 PE floater net baskets to be bent up and used in later steps. There are 22 baskets provided (11 each on the 2 'D' frets) in the kit, so this would seem like no big deal. The problem is that the instructions call for a total of 24 baskets to be installed at various points...an impossibility! The solution...the 2 baskets that shouldn't be installed on the 02 deck along with that railing section that interferes with the catapult on turret #3. Good thing I held onto them after popping off the railing section earlier, I'm going to need them! Speaking of which, I spent a good while bending up the 14 remaining baskets since I was on a roll and had figured out a fairly good method to bend them into shape. They don't have bend lines of course for the curved basket mesh, only for the sides of the bin, so that means you have to be a little creative. I don't recommend annealing them as the mesh is fairly fine and prone to distortion once softened. I used a bending tool and multiple partial bends to get them into shape, but it's really hard to get them to all look 100% identical but after getting a couple under my belt I could get them reasonably close to each other if careful.  I picked out a set of 8 to go in pairs on the sides of the #2 and #4 turret 20mm AA gun tubs and painted them up by hand using some locking tweezers and multiple passes to get them all done without gumming up the mesh in the process. Some Gator's Grip Thin Blend glue helped get them in place on the turrets. Once they had set, I added the 6 20mm AA guns I worked on yesterday per turret to round things out.   Turrets are now all done so I can move ahead with getting a Future coat on them and applying a pin wash for their details. |
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Post by TRM on Nov 13, 2015 18:47:53 GMT -5
Tremendous job on the little wingy Bill!! Just awesome! Same for those baskets!! She's certainly a looker!!!
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Post by wbill76 on Nov 13, 2015 19:35:03 GMT -5
Tremendous job on the little wingy Bill!! Just awesome! Same for those baskets!! She's certainly a looker!!! Thanks Todd! Between the baskets and the 20mm splinter shields they are the most repetitive thing on the ship. |
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Post by Leon on Nov 13, 2015 19:48:22 GMT -5
Fine job on the repetitive basket bending Bill! |
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Post by deafpanzer on Nov 13, 2015 19:54:01 GMT -5
Those little guns are freaking cool!
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Post by wbill76 on Nov 13, 2015 20:10:24 GMT -5
Fine job on the repetitive basket bending Bill! Better than weaving Leon! Andy, Texas was armed to the teeth! There's another 28 of them still to be added.  |
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Post by deafpanzer on Nov 13, 2015 20:14:42 GMT -5
No wonder you fell in love with that ship...
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Post by wouter on Nov 14, 2015 3:40:30 GMT -5
Nice job on the baskets...bending them must have been sheer horror...but you managed indeed Didn't expect less though ^^ Cheers |
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Post by wbill76 on Nov 14, 2015 10:56:43 GMT -5
Nice job on the baskets...bending them must have been sheer horror...but you managed indeed Didn't expect less though ^^ Cheers Thanks Wouts! The trick is to remember that, in the absence of any etched bend lines, the brass will bend with a slight radius or curve to it. By compensating for it in the placement of the bending tool clamp and using the D-shaped sides as a guide, it's possible to get it to behave. It took 4 partial bends with the bending tool plus a final 5th bend with pliers to get them into shape. Rinse and repeat 14x and voila! |
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Post by wbill76 on Nov 14, 2015 20:40:02 GMT -5
Today was another productive day in the details department. I assembled another 8 of the 20mm AA guns and installed 4 of them along with the blinker lights into the tripod mast tub as called for in Step 34.  The other 4 guns went into the small elevated tubs that sit beside the tripod legs on the main deck. They also got a pair each of the floater net baskets as called out in Step 24. After I get the tripod mast finished and installed, these will get permanently added then. For now they are set off to the side to wait their turn.  Rounding out the day, I airbrushed some Future to all 5 of the turrets plus the #4 turret barbette and will let them sit overnight to fully cure before tackling their pin wash. For good measure, I'll be dealing with the small clipping room/radar shack that goes at the top of the mainmast tripod structure along with the two little side room structures that install adjacent to the 02 deck structure up near the whaleboats.  Next up will be dosing those turrets with a pin wash before moving up the chain to the remaining tripod structure antennas and other bits. |
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Post by TRM on Nov 14, 2015 21:21:01 GMT -5
LOL...repetitiveness is one thing to call it! Still looking amazing Bill! Just loving all the clean lines!! Good luck on the next round with antenna work!! |
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Post by wbill76 on Nov 14, 2015 21:25:12 GMT -5
LOL...repetitiveness is one thing to call it! Still looking amazing Bill! Just loving all the clean lines!! Good luck on the next round with antenna work!! Thanks Todd. Only 20 more of the 20mm Guns to go! plus the remaining 3inch and 40 mm too...plenty to tackle still! |
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Post by Leon on Nov 14, 2015 21:40:42 GMT -5
Nice work Bill! Hope your not seeing guns in your sleep. |
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Post by wbill76 on Nov 14, 2015 22:14:26 GMT -5
Nice work Bill! Hope your not seeing guns in your sleep. Could be worse...they could be guide horns! |
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Post by Leon on Nov 14, 2015 23:24:53 GMT -5
Touché Bill! We'll see what happens when I hit the sack tonight. |
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Post by wouter on Nov 15, 2015 13:43:12 GMT -5
And another progress, sweet! Question btw, the tape on which you add the turrets and thingies, is it double sided one or not?
Cheers
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Post by wbill76 on Nov 15, 2015 15:01:25 GMT -5
And another progress, sweet! Question btw, the tape on which you add the turrets and thingies, is it double sided one or not? Cheers Nothing special to the tape Wouts, just good old 3M Blue Painter's Tape designed for Delicate Surfaces and Safe Release...meaning it's not as tacky as 'regular' tape and is perfect for work on model surfaces. Comes in very handy to provide a stable platform to hold stuff temporarily as well as for masking. |
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Post by wbill76 on Nov 15, 2015 21:02:21 GMT -5
Managed to sneak in some unusual bench time for a Sunday and made the most of it. I applied a pin wash treatment of thinned MM enamel Burnt Umber to all the stuff that was Futured yesterday and then sealed it with a dose of MM Lusterless Flat after making the usual adjustments to the pin wash where needed.  I also applied the pin wash treatment and sealing process to the bow area of the 02 deck that hadn't been dealt with before as well as the #2 turret barbette. The #1 and #2 turrets are still only dry fit for now but here's how it all looks at this stage.  I added the little boxy structures that sit in between the 02 deck and the outboard whale boats on the main deck first, then added the inboard pair of whaleboats that sit on top of the 02 deck. The #3 turret is also dry fit still for the time being.  I permanently installed the #4 turret barbette and added the two elevated 20mm gun tubs. The tripod mast received the final level to its structure along with the clipping room/radar shack that sits at the top. The antenna mast was painted and test fit but hasn't yet been secured, that will happen after I add the PE mesh deck for it along with the PE antenna itself. The tripod structure as a whole is still removable to provide maximum flexibility for adding those final details.  Next up will be getting the rest of that tripod mast done and then starting work on the remaining AA guns for the rest of the aft part of the main deck. |
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Post by deafpanzer on Nov 15, 2015 21:36:55 GMT -5
Gosh, it is really starting to look marvelous! So close to the finish line...
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Post by wbill76 on Nov 15, 2015 21:50:25 GMT -5
Gosh, it is really starting to look marvelous! So close to the finish line... Thanks Andy! Getting closer to the end. It's probably at the 85% Mark now. Still a lot of guns left. |
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Before these get installed, I need to add the floater net baskets to the sides of the tubs first, but at least the guns themselves are now ready to go. 
