USS Arizona - For Some Fun!

[M1Carbine]

Todd- looks awesome so far buddy.

Bob

[TRM]

Thanks Bob!! Appreciate it! Lost a night to watching my daughter and her basketball team play in the second districts game tonight. They lost but it was close and it was against the #1 team who was 20-0 on the season....great game and worth the loss of bench time!!

[JimD]

Sorry to hear the team lost, but hope everyone had fun at least. But now that means you have less interruptions to bench time. We'll be looking for completion pics of this one by the weekend.

[mrversatile]

Todd, whilst reading your thread I couldn't help but wonder if using that deck would be worth the trouble. I too was amazed that it fit that perfectly....too perfectly. It makes me wonder what the Dragon and Hobbyboss decks look like side by side. Collaboration? Looks good so far though.

[TRM]

Thanks Jimmy!! The had a blast at the game...first trip to the Districts in 13 years...they held the #1 team at bay for 75% of the game and one of our juniors sunk her 1000th point. All worth it!!

Thanks Gil! I was off a little with the deck, it is for the DML kit...Premium Edition, which as you would figure would fit the older version as there was no difference in tooling. The PE set is what was designed for the Hobby Boss kit, but doubt there is much difference there as long as the kit designers took the measurements off the General Plans correctly. (((LOL))) Should be good! Heading down the PE road in the next couple days but a quick look here and there, things will be just fine!

[mrversatile]

AhA!!! It was as I suspected! I guess it is my deductive police thinking....nah, probably just that I have faced enough of fit problems trying to apply one set made for another of the same subject.

[TRM]

The only way to do it!! LOL!! On this 1/700 version it will work just fine I think! As for the 1/350th version at some point, everything matches!

[mrversatile]

T, you are really pushing me to begin another long term, second marriage, micro-modeling ship project. Of course, unlike most others, I cannot model multitask, and have to finish one project before moving on to the next, (Man, I don't know how you guys do that). Then, and only then can I begin anew....lol. Nevertheless, the anticipation is killing me. Hmmm, I do have the new tool Tamiya Yamato with the Pontos upgrade set....

[TRM]

Gil, you have an excellent policy my friend! One and done is the way to go! Doesn't help with the stash-load too much as one grows over the other exponentially...but a hell of a lot more organized for sure!! Mmmmm...the Yamato! She is a Big Girl and a Pretty one!! Can't wait to see you have a go!!

[TRM]

Nothing huge in the way of an update, but it's something, right? I managed to dive into the PE a bit. After cutting off all of the features on the various decks of the bridge I sanded them down a bit thinner than what DML had them at. Not only was this done for the thickness of the but the Eduard parts do come in a bit shy on measurement for use with the DML version...not impossible though.

I chose to solder the bridge cabins instead of the CA route. This gives them much more strength and the sanding process smooths thing out nicely I think.





I still have watertight doors and what-have-you but CA will probably be a lot easier than the solder route!





You can see at the back end of the flag deck above, that the PE that needed to be installed there needed a little bit of extra love. I had to attach a small cleat using styrene to the inside on both sides to act as not only a support but a filler for the tail end. I also added a small strip on the underside of the searchlight platforms that stick out as they are suppose to have a little frame on the bottom.  I am not too concerned that these were also perforated deck.

I am betting that a couple of you might notice the two triangular pieces of white stock on the front. The Conning tower, while actually being the wrong size, should sit flush with the front edge and the windshield/splinter shield that goes in from is actually stepped up form the deck. Rather than trying to fashion a .5 mm strip to wrap around the front of the conning tower I chose to just pad it up a little in this section. Once the decks are painted and being this is 1/700 scale, I doubt much will be seen.

A quick mock up is in order. Please bear with the semi-unevenness as these are not glued in place and there is some sanding still needed to the bottom of the PE.





Looking down on the searchlight perches off the flag deck, there is a nipple-shaped protrusion. The railing actually conformed to this shape on the original ship and the Eduard PE is not long enough to go this route.



Fortunately, I have two sets of the DML PE Railing in this kit and one of the railing sets where close enough for the task.




So, there is a ways to go on this and I am sure there will be more pitfalls along the way yet to come! Thanks for tagging along!!!

[JimD]

I was going to make some joke about something not being right, but then I realized I don't even know enough about ships to even pretend to count your rivets. Guess you'll have to get that elsewhere. Lol


Lovely stuff btw. PE is the devil. You seem to have a way with it though. more please.

[TRM]

LOL>..thank Jimmy!! Count the rivets my friend!! If I get lucky, I can spray the hull section and maybe get the decks laid soon!! This is one of those paint as I go builds!!

[deafpanzer]

Wow! Brilliant work on PE! Soldering is probably the best route so it can handle the weight later on. And how in the world did you manage to bend the rail perfectly?!?!?

[Tojo72]

That's some nice tin - knocking going on there.

[eastrock]

Having Fun with PE, bud!!! details popping up!!!

[TRM]

Thanks fellas! I guess this is one of those self indulgent builds. Just having some fun as a sort of precursor to another one I have planned down the road a ways.

Andy, not perfect but certainly close enough for this scale! I used a scribe I have for scoring plastic as the point seemed to bee the right size for that protrusion.

I hope to sneak into the cave today and lay some color on some things as I go

[wbill76]

Always neat to see you work your magic with the PE Todd. Looking mighty fine.

[bbrowniii]

Well lookie here... that Arizona is pretty darn sweet T. Cannot wait to see this progress.

[kaytermarram]

Wow, this is crazy! I remember me sitting in my Grannies kitchen while she was baking and I was glueing the Revell ARIZONA in its ultra uncool scale and non existing details and had much more fun than building todays ultra detailed kits. But hell, this was childhood, Modelbuilding and sculpting is more than only a hobby for me now! So watching with deep interest your build of the Arizona with these top notch PE parts, will look really crazy when finished! Do not break your fingers, Bro!

Frank

[Leon]

Fantastic work on the PE Todd ! Looking really good.

[TRM]

Thanks Fellas! Appreciate you checking in on me! I am plugging away here and there on this as time permits. Should have some progress pics a bit later.

Frank - The Revell is the mainstay of Arizona kits for sure. Think anyone that has attempted building an Arizona hit that kit up at some point!! Like the sign says "for some fun"! Blindness should set in before this one is over!!

[eastrock]

Looking forward to the progress pics!!! this one will be another great build with all that's stuff in one kit

Speaking of Revell the owner of the Big Mo that I'm building also has one (unfinished) and I actually saw one last year toycon still sealed in a box but cost to much.

Cheers!!

[deafpanzer]

Done yet? Sorry... I... had... to... ask... LOL

[TRM]

Thanks ER!! I am looking forward to seeing some progress pictures on this soon too!! Do you have any? Yeah, seems some folks seem to think because a kit is old and unopened that it is worth more than most newer high end kit...if not doubling that figure. Crazy! The kit can be done up into a fine display piece, as you Mighty Mo is turning out to be, but I don't think a 50 year old kit should be going for as much or more than the larger offering sold today!

Nice Andy! Couldn't help yourself, I know! "Listen Carefully"....No!

[eastrock]

as of this time, Revell Arizona is still out of my list... the owner of the Zuikaku is already bugging me, just maybe after this I'll consider the Arizona lol. Dunno I'm having the luck of old kits ending in my table lol.


Cheers!!!

[TRM]

The Revell Kit is a Mainstay kit ER. She builds up into a very nice display! If you add the GMM PE to it you can take her right over the top!

[406 Silverado]

Nice PE work there brother. Makes me want to tackle either the Varyag or the Naiad.

[kaytermarram]

I have rechecked your pics so far and think, the superstructure of the bridge parts looks a bit like one could build a cool spaceship from (I have bought me a Missouri for exactly that plan...). But this here is no SF, so, maybe any progress?

Frank

[TRM]

I seemed to have missed you there Rob!! Been crazy around here for a while...LOL!! Looking forward to seeing you hit one of those Flyhawk kits soon! The ave some great details!! I actually have a HMS Naiad 1940 on the way myself....dare I say Duel someday in the future?

I like your thinking Frank! Love conversions of present day ships to space junk! I have something in mind myself...just looking for the courage...and the kit!! LOL!! Nope, no progress on this. Seems it took a back seat to a couple of other items on the bench and schedule. But it will be showing up again!!