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Post by Leon on Oct 13, 2015 18:11:57 GMT -5
Patience with the PE is sure paying off for you Bill! Roundhouse structures look great.  |
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Post by wbill76 on Oct 14, 2015 12:20:08 GMT -5
Thanks Leon! Sometimes I feel like a watch-maker working with the stuff...have to be careful not to breathe too hard on some of it!  |
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Post by wing_nut on Oct 15, 2015 8:15:13 GMT -5
Isn't fun rummaging around the bench looking for the right cylindrical object to shape PE. |
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Post by wbill76 on Oct 15, 2015 10:06:28 GMT -5
No kidding Marc! Paint brushes, knife handles, files, etc, or anything with a round part can be called on for duty!  |
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Post by dierk on Oct 15, 2015 10:53:15 GMT -5
"Isn't fun rummaging around the bench looking for the right cylindrical object to shape PE."
Story of my life: I don't have a dedicated work bench big enough to keep everything to hand, so I basically have to rummage for everything - one of the reasons my builds can be tectonically slow...
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Post by wbill76 on Oct 15, 2015 17:28:52 GMT -5
Today's efforts focused on getting the various 02 deck level stuff that I've been working on here and there finally pulled together and installed. First up, I permanently attached the superstructure and added the box structure/raft combos called for in Step 19.  That was essential as the rest of the stuff interacts with the rear of the superstructure in Step 22. I also added all of the ammo lockers and ventilators called out in Step 20. The ventilators are molded solid, so I carefully drilled out their openings and shaped them with a square needle file tip. The three smaller ones are particularly prominent and it makes a difference from a detail perspective plus it was a little fun to add just because I could. The small PE railing and pair of ladders called out in Step 27 were also added now that everything is able to be connected up with the superstructure.  Last but not least, I worked on the PE radar antenna that sits on top of the secondary tower. It was added to the structure and I did a test fit with the tower and funnel just to be sure everything is playing nice. These are still loose so that I can apply their pin wash treatment separately before final installation as they create some pretty tight/complicated spaces when they are placed on the deck.  Next up will be tackling the railings and ladders that interact between the main deck and this one and then it will be another round of Future and pin wash action before those areas become inaccessible. |
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Post by Leon on Oct 15, 2015 17:37:36 GMT -5
WOW....Really looking ship shape Bill! Have no idea how I came up with that!  |
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Post by wbill76 on Oct 15, 2015 18:29:52 GMT -5
WOW....Really looking ship shape Bill! Have no idea how I came up with that! Make sure you copyright that one Leon! Thanks buddy! |
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Post by dierk on Oct 16, 2015 2:24:33 GMT -5
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Post by wbill76 on Oct 16, 2015 10:35:37 GMT -5
Now you're getting fancy Dierk! |
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Post by wbill76 on Oct 16, 2015 17:23:33 GMT -5
Today's efforts are brought to you by the letters P & E and C & A. I focused on getting the 02 deck railings and ladders in place for the aft portion of the deck as called for in Step 28. Even though the instructions would have you do this after the funnel, secondary tower, and whale boats are installed, that really makes things a lot tighter in terms of space consideration, so I did it in the reverse. I added the side railings first, then the two ladders at the rear, and finally the last section that includes a pair of floater net baskets. That gave me the most flexibility in ensuring that all those components worked together seamlessly.   Now I can apply the Future to the 02 deck, funnel, and tower to get them ready for a pin wash and final install before moving on to the next challenge. |
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Post by Leon on Oct 16, 2015 18:27:32 GMT -5
Todays efforts with P&E and C&A look great Bill! |
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Post by JimD on Oct 16, 2015 18:33:40 GMT -5
It's really starting to look the part. Lots to go I know, but great progress so far. Keep it coming. I'm really enjoying this. |
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Post by wbill76 on Oct 16, 2015 19:51:19 GMT -5
Thanks Leon! Time flies when working on these little details for sure. Jimmy, I'm having fun with it, glad you're enjoying the ride too. I wish I had kept a time log up until now just to see how many man-hours are actually going into it by the time it's all done. The neat thing is that it's all in manageable chunks that allow for a sense of progress/completion vs. a slog or repetitive type of thing. Of course I may change my mind when it comes time to deal with all the AA guns. |
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Post by armorguy on Oct 17, 2015 5:26:13 GMT -5
Very impressive work until now Bill, everything looks flawless !
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Post by TRM on Oct 17, 2015 6:42:43 GMT -5
Clean sharp lines all around Bill! Fantastic work so far! Guessing you might have known that by now! Nice tools for the rounded stuff! Seems to be an affliction in the PE world! Got an old radio collecting dust? Pop the antenna off and add it to the tool box! I picked one up from Radio shack for a couple bucks a while back. The telescoping nature of it allows for several sizes all form one piece! "Tune in Tokyo" |
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Post by JimD on Oct 17, 2015 10:01:17 GMT -5
I'm living vicariously because as much as I would like to build one, I know I would probably never get through it. That's ok though, it's a win to know that about yourself...saves a lot of money and time |
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Post by wbill76 on Oct 17, 2015 12:17:43 GMT -5
Thanks AG! Doing my best not to sink her in the process. Todd, you're right about round stuff and PE...seems like the makers just sit around dreaming up more evil ways to design the stuff. The Mission Models thingy follows that radio antenna model sort of, but you're right about using 'found' materials for shaping stuff. You never know what will do the trick! The good old days of Radio Shack...when it actually was a place you could get what you needed. I'm living vicariously because as much as I would like to build one, I know I would probably never get through it. That's ok though, it's a win to know that about yourself...saves a lot of money and time Now you know how I feel with all the super-detailing you guys do on those aircraft projects. |
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Post by wbill76 on Oct 18, 2015 19:13:01 GMT -5
After applying some Future via airbrush, I set to work with the Burnt Umber pin wash treatment for the 02 deck, the secondary tower, and the funnel. Same process as that used on the superstructure followed by a coat of Lusterless Flat to knock down the gloss and seal it all in.   The installation of the funnel is a little tricky...the location ring is keyed to the round funnel base itself and not the little boxy structure that surrounds it. I slid the box up a bit, used some liquid glue in the mounting ring on the deck, and made sure the funnel itself was positioned properly before sliding the box back down and permanently gluing it in place with liquid glue. The secondary tower was a piece of cake by comparison and both are now permanently attached to the 02 deck.  Next up will be spending some time with the AA guns that populate this particular area of the hull I think. |
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Post by Leon on Oct 18, 2015 19:54:18 GMT -5
Nice work on the pin washes again Bill! Glad things are playing nice so far. |
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Post by wbill76 on Oct 18, 2015 21:51:41 GMT -5
Nice work on the pin washes again Bill! Glad things are playing nice so far. Thanks Leon! It's like working on kits within kits in terms of the steps involved. |
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Post by Leon on Oct 19, 2015 4:27:31 GMT -5
Nice work on the pin washes again Bill! Glad things are playing nice so far. Thanks Leon! It's like working on kits within kits in terms of the steps involved. I know exactly what you mean Bill. |
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Post by wbill76 on Oct 19, 2015 18:47:29 GMT -5
For today's effort, I went back in time all the way back to Step 4 in order to work on some of the 3-inch AA guns that go in the tubs around the 02 deck. On the surface this seems like a simple affair but the reality is a little more complicated. The step directs you to make 12 guns but in reality only 10 are needed, so that gave me a couple of spares to play with if necessary. I decided to go ahead and do a test with the Master turned brass replacement barrels and they look a lot better in all respects than the kit parts. The kit guns are too large scale-wise, are molded solid, and don't taper, so I carefully removed the barrel from the breech portion, drilled out a mounting hole with a #78 finger drill, and glued in the replacement barrel with CA. Rinse and repeat for a total of 6 times to get the needed guns for this area.  Now that I had the breech/barrel combos ready, I needed to assemble the rest of the gun mounts. The pedestal supports have a step on the base around the support pin that would cause them to not sit level, so that had to be carefully sanded down with a sanding twig. The swivel pins at the top of the mount are a nice idea but not strong enough to take the force required to push the breech/barrel part into place. The pins invariably snapped off, but enough of a nub was left on either side to still support the gun enough that it wasn't a total disaster. It does mean that the guns would have to be glued in a permanent elevation due to the brass barrel weight. Once I did that and allowed the guns to set up enough to tolerate some handling, I added the mount side extensions one side at a time to each of the 6 guns. It's important to take some time here as their attachment points aren't large, so I did a kind of merry-go-round process from one gun to the next adding one part at a time to avoid it all coming apart if I tried to do the entire mount assembly per gun in one shot.  Next up will be spending some time on the 6 twin 40mm AA guns that go in the remaining empty tubs. Interestingly it's clear that Trumpeter took a little shortcut here...the two forward tubs have mount holes in them to take a 3-inch gun as was the case on USS New York while the rear tubs have a raised mount peg that's meant for the 40mm gun bases. The middle tub that's part of the conning tower deck has neither! |
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Post by TRM on Oct 19, 2015 18:51:21 GMT -5
NICE! Great seeing the armament start to fall into place! She's beginning to look pretty busy now! The best part!! |
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Post by wbill76 on Oct 19, 2015 19:09:03 GMT -5
NICE! Great seeing the armament start to fall into place! She's beginning to look pretty busy now! The best part!! Just wait until I have to tackle the 42 different 20mm mounts... |
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Post by Leon on Oct 19, 2015 19:37:08 GMT -5
Replacement barrel and guns look great Bill! |
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Post by wbill76 on Oct 19, 2015 19:41:05 GMT -5
Thanks Leon! Can't have a battlewagon without the guns! |
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Post by TRM on Oct 19, 2015 20:28:34 GMT -5
20mm's in PE can be a real paint to construct...but certainly worth the effort once done!! Best of luck on the mass production! |
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Post by deafpanzer on Oct 20, 2015 14:39:38 GMT -5
I see no pictures? Did you forget to pay the Mexican drug cartel the ransom money to have your photo hosting access restored? Anxious to see those little guns...
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Post by wbill76 on Oct 20, 2015 14:45:06 GMT -5
I see no pictures? Did you forget to pay the Mexican drug cartel the ransom money to have your photo hosting access restored? Anxious to see those little guns... Must be something on your end Andy...I can see the pics just fine in the thread? Maybe you've cut too far back in your attempts to save for your BoB tour next year! |
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