Trumpeter 1/350 USS Texas BB-35

[wouter]

Nice work, I noticed that all too often on ship builds the pinwashes and weathering steps are somewhat overlooked by many. Sure makes the detail pop out more. Coming closer to the rigging ey (what seems to me the most delicate and stressful part of the whole venture)

Cheers

[mrversatile]

Just catching up, Bill. Fantastic progress so far! Looks like rigging may be in your near future.

[wbill76]

Thanks Wouts! There's so much nice detail in this that it would be a shame not to show it off to maximum effect. Pin wash does it just right without overpowering it in the scale I think. You're right about rigging on these babies, probably the most intimidating aspect but using something like EZ Line eases that burden substantially!

Nov 16, 2015 10:43:16 GMT -5 mrversatile said:

Just catching up, Bill. Fantastic progress so far! Looks like rigging may be in your near future.

Before I can do the minimal rigging required I have to still do the fighting top on the foremast. Fortunately with all the radar stuff the rigging on Texas was reduced by a large amount but not totally eliminated. Trumpeter didn't include any yardarms for the aft mainmast tripod structure for some reason (probably too delicate to replicate or just an oversight, take your pick!), so it really makes it impossible to do the full rigging it should have technically.

[JimD]

Don't check in for a couple days and this thing is nearly done. I don't need to tell you I love it. I do love it.


I do have a question for you though. I've been following you across a couple forums now, and I don't think I've ever noticed a slump in your bench time. Most of us seem to loose speed and have funks. I had one last summer, and I know a few folks here have their doldrums, but I can't remember a time when you weren't steady pounding away at a build. I just wonder if you ever have the funks? Not that I'm wishing it on you...not at all. Just curious if maybe you've found the secret to fighting burnout.

[wbill76]

Nov 16, 2015 11:54:10 GMT -5 JimD said:

Don't check in for a couple days and this thing is nearly done. I don't need to tell you I love it. I do love it.


I do have a question for you though. I've been following you across a couple forums now, and I don't think I've ever noticed a slump in your bench time. Most of us seem to loose speed and have funks. I had one last summer, and I know a few folks here have their doldrums, but I can't remember a time when you weren't steady pounding away at a build. I just wonder if you ever have the funks? Not that I'm wishing it on you...not at all. Just curious if maybe you've found the secret to fighting burnout.

Thanks Jim!

No secrets to share on burnout other than to say I only work on one project at a time and stay with it to completion. There's only been one build that I didn't finish, an ICM T-28, and that was because of a self inflicted disaster. I also try to choose subjects that have an inherent interest for me, something to serve as a motivation for the tedious parts.

I also build a lot fewer kits in a year now and only build when I am in the right frame of mind and the sessions are usually 2-3 hours at most in a day. I don't try to force time at the bench like I used to just to keep it moving. Earlier this year for example I spent 4 months on a single project ( the DAK 222) and Texas will only be my 4th true project for the year.

I'm not immune to funks or slowdowns. In the last couple of years there have been a few times where I was barely building and I found that doing something different helped change it up. Ships in particular have been fun and I've also done a few sci Fi kits in the mix.

I also conducted a stash purge and only kept the kits that had a spark of inspiration when I looked at them. No spark anymore meant I wouldn't enjoy the build, so they were sold off. Now the stash is a positive influence and not an overwhelming thing when it's time to choose the next victim.

Don't know if that qualifies as a secret recipe for avoiding burnout but it's what has worked for me so far.

[wbill76]

I spent time today on the remaining elements for the aft tripod mast with the focus centering on the large rectangular PE antenna that installs on a little platform atop the small mast support. Little did I know just how fiendishly complex of a task this was going to be when I sat down at the bench. The assembly is covered under Step 34 in the instructions, but the diagrams provided aren't a whole lot of help. Add to this that the contact points are tiny and the mesh of the antenna itself is very fine and it combines to create a very delicate arrangement. While the back frame has bend lines etched into it, it's missing the most important one that involves bending the top part at a slight angle so that it will match up properly along with the rest. Once I figured that out, it was just a matter of carefully bending and adjusting everything until it finally matched up on both sides. Very small amounts of CA applied with the tip of a #11 blade secured the frame to the antenna mesh. Once I was happy with that, the styrene base was added with the help of some Gator's Grip Thin Blend to help ensure the whole thing sat level for when it is installed on the little platform.

Speaking of the platform, it was also cleaned up and received it's separate PE railing. This is another super delicate PE part and I used a tapered paintbrush handle to slowly work it into the desired round shape before it was attached with CA.



Since those parts are going to need airbrush attention, I decided to work on some other things to make it a worthwhile time in the spray booth. I opted to return to Step 29 and work on the boat cranes. The king posts weren't any problem to get together, but the PE portions of the crane arms were another matter entirely. They are heavy and have really small attachment points both at the base of the king post and to each other, so getting them all to line up straight is an exercise in patience. Ultimately I had to glue the top straight arm of the crane to the king post top first, then position the bottom angled part in the little hinge points and maneuver it to line up with the top arm, then glue the two parts together once the alignment was set. It sounds simple enough, but you almost need a third hand to pull it all off. The only thing I didn't add was the curved PE railing that attaches to the half-moon platform midway up the king post, that will come after painting as it isn't in a great spot for handling purposes until after that's taken care of.

As you can see in the pic below, the weight of the crane arms is such that the whole thing wants to lean in when dry fit into the mount holes on the main deck. I'll have to contend with that when it's time to install them in place.



That should give me enough stuff to justify another round with the airbrush at least!

[JimD]

Bill, sounds like your method works for you. I just don't remember noticing any extended periods of no updates from you...unlike myself and some others I've bee in a bit of a funk myself and was just curious. Of course, mixing up genres is a great way to keep the interest. My problem is I'll go on binges and as a binge comes to an end I get burned out. It's happening now with the jets...

And the new work on the PE cranes looks great. That lean is a little unfortunate, but I'm confident you can solve that one, so don't shelf it yet

[Leon]

WOW.... Your patience with the radar and cranes really paid off Bill! They really look good.

[wbill76]

Thanks Leon! Just about went cross-eyed with that bed frame antenna...biggest challenge was getting the frame to sit level on the back so that it would also hang level on the post mount. Would definitely stand out if it was off kilter!

Nov 16, 2015 19:59:26 GMT -5 JimD said:

Bill, sounds like your method works for you. I just don't remember noticing any extended periods of no updates from you...unlike myself and some others I've bee in a bit of a funk myself and was just curious. Of course, mixing up genres is a great way to keep the interest. My problem is I'll go on binges and as a binge comes to an end I get burned out. It's happening now with the jets...

And the new work on the PE cranes looks great. That lean is a little unfortunate, but I'm confident you can solve that one, so don't shelf it yet

Thanks Jimmy! The lean is just a function of there not being any glue on the base of the posts, once that's added and a little pressure applied, they will stand up straight as intended. No worries on that front! I hear you on bingeing and it producing burnout...I used to finish a German WW2 tank subject about once every 6 weeks for a stretch that lasted several years...but that was also when I would sit at the bench for a good solid 6-8 hours at a stretch on weekends and never built during the week because of work commitments and the bench was truly an escape from a lot of stress that was also part of my job at the time. I can't build like that anymore...but I also have a much less stressful job now that is more model-friendly, a true win-win on that score. 2011 was the last year when I had a true 'slump'. I only built 3 kits that year vs. 7 the year before and 5 the year after. Towards the end of 2013 I started to feel the slump coming on again but started doing different subjects that year with only 3 tanks done...so far that recipe has held! Variety always keeps things interesting if nothing else.

[deafpanzer]

WOW! My jaw is hurting... it hit the floor so hard when it dropped. Stunning work on the radar and cranes!

[dierk]

The radar thingy looks excellent - so it goes well with the rest of this stunning build! But...WHEN WILL YOU MAKE AN END? I'm exhausted...

[wbill76]

Thanks Andy! That radar antenna has to be the most demanding piece of PE assembly in the whole kit I think. All those tiny little legs that have to match up just right on both sides. Definitely a 'no caffeine' assembly effort.

Nov 17, 2015 6:05:38 GMT -5 dierk said:

The radar thingy looks excellent - so it goes well with the rest of this stunning build! But...WHEN WILL YOU MAKE AN END? I'm exhausted...

Getting close to the finish line Dierk...it's in the last mile of the marathon, I promise! Of course that last mile still includes the fighting top, rigging, and 28 more AA guns of various types...but it's getting there!

[dierk]

So you're not in the stadium yet (continuing your marathon theme ) but you can see it on the horizon

[wbill76]

Nov 17, 2015 12:21:14 GMT -5 dierk said:

So you're not in the stadium yet (continuing your marathon theme ) but you can see it on the horizon

Either that or I'm starting to hallucinate from too many hours using the Optivisor...

[dierk]

It'll be the fumes from the glue

[wouter]

Ah, my daily ship update (well, technically speaking this update was yesterday and none today ). Many words have been said before, but I'll keep repeating: awesome work there Bill. Both radar and cranes look very cool!

On a sidenote: my Yamato arrived yesterday. And it's worth every Euro...never seen such and extensive kit, with lots of clear instructions and an seperate booklet with info on the ship. Dragon and other could learn from that. Also bought a 'funny' Christmas gift for my wife: 1/700 Trumpeter Bismarck (she once said to me: if I ever would do modelling, I'd build a ship, probably a Bismarck. that'll probably never happen but I can try ey )

Keep it coming Billbo!

Cheers

[wing_nut]

Talk about bristling with goodies! looks great.

[wbill76]

Wouter, thanks as always! Glad the Yamato has arrived in your hands. Having good reference material is a must, so the fact that Tamiya included some helpful stuff in the kit is always nice, especially considering the price it commands. Have to smile at the Bismarck situation...reminds me of the old Flintstones cartoon where Fred would always buy his wife a new bowling ball as a gift. If she doesn't build it, at least you have a 2nd ship on your hands.

Marc, I do have to say that Trumpeter really provided a lot of nicely detailed PE in this kit. Makes life a lot easier in the OOB department even if some of it is a little maddening to get together. That's down to just the general evilness that is PE though and not Trumpeter I have to say in fairness.

[wbill76]

Round 2 of the painting effort continued today from the previous effort. Yesterday I had airbrushed some Deck Blue on the cranes and the antenna platform and let them dry overnight so they could cure and be ready to take the masking needed before the Haze Gray was added today.



After the tape was removed, some small touchups with a detail brush cleaned things up and the cranes now match up to the Measure 22 scheme along with the rest of the ship. I still need to add the little PE railings and deal with a couple other small things, but the large paint work is now done on these.



Attention shifted to the radar antenna platform that was the last part of Step 34's assembly for the rear tripod mast structure. I had previously tested out the fit of all the various things that have to attach to the top PE platform so that there wouldn't be any surprises. Even so, it's a delicate balancing act with limited contact points to get it all together. Here's where leaving the vertical mast, part E38, movable really paid off so I could be sure everything lined up properly. I added the PE platform to E38 first and made sure it sat level. Once the Gator Grip glue had set for that, the rear skinny mast antenna (part E41) was added next and allowed to set. Once I was happy with their orientations, the bedframe radar antenna was added last. This is the heaviest part to go on the platform, so if the platform itself isn't solid, the whole thing will want to tip forward. Not a good thing, hence the order I chose to assemble it all. Looks good once it's all in place, but having some work time with the glue is essential. I only added CA to the posts on the underside of the platform after the Gator Grip had grabbed to avoid any accidental shifting later on.



The tripod is still only dry fit at this stage as I need to do a test first to see if I can work comfortably with the remaining AA guns with it in place. If yes, then it will get permanently attached next.



As you can see, that rear deck area is starting to get pretty crowded now.

[TRM]

Wow, nice work on the cranes and radar Bill! Juuuuust a little bit more!!

[wbill76]

Nov 18, 2015 21:55:22 GMT -5 TRM said:

Wow, nice work on the cranes and radar Bill! Juuuuust a little bit more!!

Getting closer Todd!

[wouter]

Yeah, nice update again, all those steps makes us come closer to the finish line ey. Already thinking about a next project or is that still way too far of?

Cheers

[Leon]

Nice to see the cranes and radar in place Bill!

[wbill76]

Thanks Wouts! The finish line is in sight for sure now but not imminent. The last mile is always the one that requires care to avoid disaster! The next project will be a special one for a friend of mine involving the 1/72 MENG F-102.

Leon, thanks as well! Cranes aren't quite finished yet but I've found it quite handy to store stuff like them temporarily in place on the ship vs leaving them lying on the bench. Less chance of an accident that way. Right now they still lean and would be right at home in Pisa!

[wbill76]

The adventure in PE continued this time with some attention going to the fighting top for the foremast tripod. This is dealt with in Step 17 and is something I had deliberately avoided until now because of how delicate and fragile it all is. First order of business was adding the 6 interlocking pieces of PE that make up the truss supports on the underside of the top structure. The instructions give the impression that you should assemble these off first and then add them, but that's not really practical. The alignment has to be just right for all of them and some handy guidelines are molded into the bottom of the structure to help with this. I started with the inner ribs first and then the outer pair, checking after adding each one that the cross members would fit correctly and not interfere with the mount holes that the tripod legs go into.



Taking the prize for most intricate/delicate assembly though definitely goes to the small 'eggbeater' style cross-loop antenna for the DAK radio direction finder apparatus. This sits on a little small platform that extends out from the back of the fighting top and also gets its own separate little railing around the base of the platform.



While I was in the mood for delicate PE stuff, I also knocked out the D-shaped antenna that sits on top of the structure along with a short mast antenna of another type.



I'll get all this painted up tomorrow and added along with the yardarm to complete the fighting top assembly.

[wouter]

OMG, this is turning into a horror movie!!!! Such delicate and small stuff...but you manage to tackle it each and every time. Was there any strong language involved during assembly?

Cheers

[dierk]

I bet the next time you have to tackle 1/35 German PE tool clasps it'll be a positively relaxing experience

[Leon]

Bill, your patience with all that PE is really paying off!

[Tojo72]

Just fantastic detailing.

[wbill76]

Thanks Leon and Anthony!

Wouts, no words were harmed in the making of those parts but definitely some intense concentration involved. That cross loop antenna is two separate tiny flat loops that slide together and finding a way to hold one while gluing the other was a real challenge. Thank goodness for fine tip locking tweezers!

Dierk, never thought I would say that but you're right! 1/35 tool clamps are a breeze by comparison.