snapper_city Posted March 12, 2015 Share Posted March 12, 2015 Only just noticed this. Loving the work. I have the Missouri with Pontos super detail set which is scaring the hell out of me. Would love to do the NJ in her 68 set up. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alan P Posted March 12, 2015 Author Share Posted March 12, 2015 I'm using the 1968 version as a basis for mine, they were practically the same configuration except for armament and sensor changes. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alan P Posted March 13, 2015 Author Share Posted March 13, 2015 Steady progress with the build: Third and hopefully final rearrangement of those infernal buttstraps! Attacked the blast bags with a Dremel to make them more varied and realistic-looking. Was a risk but I think it worked. http://www.ussnewjersey.com/images/wrk10-06.jpg Turret no.1 had the rangefinder removed after the 1950 reactivation. My first use of Perfect Putty, and it's very good for this kind of gap-filling work. I found it less effective for steps and larger gaps due to its slightly powdery finish. More PE work - this is the base of the forward funnel. I need to shim the gap left by the difference in styrene and Flyhawk PE! The sidewall PE parts are excellent. Perfect fit and thin enough to be almost exactly conformal. Hopefully the wood deck will still fit - I haven't checked yet! One last remedial task - changing the profile of the bow cap, which was a lot finer on the postwar ships. Loads left in this build to keep me very busy! Al 8 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
warreni Posted March 13, 2015 Share Posted March 13, 2015 I remember doing 56 20mm mounts for my North Carolina... Looking good so far Sir. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
J.P. Posted March 19, 2015 Share Posted March 19, 2015 oooh Dis gunnna git good. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alan P Posted March 19, 2015 Author Share Posted March 19, 2015 (edited) It's amazing how long a simple job can take! The turret tops are so thin it was like working with gold leaf. They remained stubbornly curled until I glued them on the tops. When she was decommissioned in 1957, New Jersey still had quad Bofors on 2 & 3 Turrets and had the director pulpits, but I couldn't see if they still had the Mk 51 directors in them from any pictures so far. Any help welcome. The gun tubs had these ammo clip holders fitted in each. Mind bogglingly thin parts from the Flyhawk set. Amidships, the top set of quad Bofors and splinter shields were removed, and the whole level plated over and bulkheads fitted down to the 02 Level: The new platform was for the fitting of two Mk 56 AA directors, pending the replacing of the 40mm Bofors mounts with the twin 3"/50 rapid-firing gun. None of the Iowas ever received this refit, but Iowa and New Jersey did receive the full complement of six Mk 56 directors. I've already done the forward mounts, the two rear mounts were fitted to a large platform either side of the aft main battery director tower. More scratchbuilding! Just some last items to fit before I start painting the hull and Level 01 superstructure: Foredeck anchor chain flat - another tinfoil-thin part Not sure what went on in this little deckhouse! Very nice details in the Flyhawk fascias for the blank Tamiya sidewalls: This is one of only two areas on the kit that are actually detailed - I decided to keep the kit detail on, although it's not entirely accurate, but the added Flyhawk parts make it a bit more busy. Here's the superstructure with all the fascias and watertight doors fitted (each door is a tri-fold laminated part to facilitate posing them open or closed - I went cross-eyed making all those delicate folds on the tiny, foil-thin parts!!) And finally a shot of the whole huge beast ready for its first coat of primer: It is a bit too big for the space I have made available, but as a bonus, you now can see the barely-contained chaos where the "magic" happens! I am REALLY enjoying this build. The kit is good, the Flyhawk parts are very good, and the conversion process is really interesting and challenging. I'm enjoying the research as much as building the model! Al Edited March 19, 2015 by Brokenedge 12 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ravens Posted March 19, 2015 Share Posted March 19, 2015 It's really starting to take shape; those wall parts make a huge difference to the overall look of the model. Ross. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Spookytooth Posted March 19, 2015 Share Posted March 19, 2015 A fine build in progress here. Simon. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jockster Posted March 23, 2015 Share Posted March 23, 2015 Total brassfest Al! What a difference you've made. Those turrets look brilliant! 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ComfortablyNumb Posted March 23, 2015 Share Posted March 23, 2015 Wow...all that photoetch REALLY adds to the ship! Well done! Tim 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
warreni Posted March 23, 2015 Share Posted March 23, 2015 Looking great Al! Flyhawk etch is nice to work with. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alan P Posted March 23, 2015 Author Share Posted March 23, 2015 Thanks guys - very kind words! Apart from the shameful state of my workspace, here's the state of play so far - WEM Haze Gray overall, Deck Gray metalwork, black boot-topping in Tamiya acrylic Nato Black, and got started on the wood deck. Not been that impressed with the Scaledecks deck to be honest. The quality of the material is brilliant, and looks a lot less like "treebark" than some comparable products. But sadly, it's not a very good fit at all. Couldn't get any of the components to line up. Had to make lots of little offcuts and adjustments to get the sections to align properly. This part around the turret was typical. I also had to remove all the previously fitted detailed sidewall parts to get the deck to fit. Even then I needed to do lots of adjusting. Had to cut quite a bit off the area round the rear of the superstructure to clear the raised detail: Need to make that good afterwards. I used the recommended glue (Gator Grip white glue) but it wasn't entirely reliable: Several areas I found were unstuck when I returned the next morning. I sealed these with GS Hypo Cement which seems to do the trick. Finally after two days the fight appears to be over, and I have won! Some missing parts made good using offcuts from the wood deck sheet: Glad to get that job out of the way - I was expecting it to be one of the easiest parts of the build but it's been quite a headache! I can't really endorse the Scaledecks product for that reason - it's probably the best quality wood deck I've used, but the fitting issues really spoiled the overall effect. On the plus side, I absolutely love the colour - it's an almost exact match for the light yellow, almost silvery-grey colour of the decks of the New Jersey. But with that done, I can really crack on with the build. I haven't decided whether to cut the hull or just mount it on a deep piece of foam or polystyrene for the waterline. It suits me to keep it intact for now as it gives me something to hold it by. Thanks so far, Al 6 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Spookytooth Posted March 23, 2015 Share Posted March 23, 2015 Great battle with the timber Al, and you won too. Simon. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ravens Posted March 23, 2015 Share Posted March 23, 2015 Glad you got a handle on that troublesome deck. I agree about the colour too - it's a nice shade and looks fantastic. Ross. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
davetwin Posted March 23, 2015 Share Posted March 23, 2015 Awesome work so far, just a shame the deck was such a nightmare. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
foxy Posted March 23, 2015 Share Posted March 23, 2015 Great stuff mon a me. Well some things get in the way, but you seem to have got to grips with it. Fantastic work and love the pictures. Bon chance. foxy 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Madhatter Posted March 24, 2015 Share Posted March 24, 2015 this is awesome! Loving it. As you say, probably like most people here, I also have the New Jersey as well, but with the Pontos set instead. It's just as intimidating as your set!! Very scary stuff for an amateur like me. However, you seem to be doing very well so I'll happily sit back and watch you build yours instead The PE is very nice - shame about the ill-fitting wooden deck, but unless you look for it, I don't think you'd know the problems were there. Great job in fixing them MH 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
longshanks Posted March 24, 2015 Share Posted March 24, 2015 Shame the deck was such a b**ger but your making a good recovery, keep up the good work Kev Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ComfortablyNumb Posted March 25, 2015 Share Posted March 25, 2015 Isn't that a shame about the poor fit of the Scaledeck wood deck..but what a recovery by a skilled modeler!! Thx for the tip about Scaledecks, I will steer clear of them as the 3 other wood decks from 3 different companies I have used all fit brilliantly, so there's really no excuse for them to have such a poor fitting product. Again...great recovery! 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alan P Posted March 25, 2015 Author Share Posted March 25, 2015 (edited) To be fair, the instructions did say that the deck needed to be fitted before adding high-detail sidewall parts (I didn't read that in time!), so that is not the fault of the manufacturer but of the so-called "skilled modeller" The problem was the angles didn't seem to match - if you pushed the deck snug into all the corners, there would be lumps and bows in the surface. Perhaps a 2D/3D design problem? It's a shame as the deck parts quality beats the likes of Artwox and Pontos without any qualification. Now it's on and stuck down, I'm happy! Al Edited March 25, 2015 by Brokenedge Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alan P Posted March 26, 2015 Author Share Posted March 26, 2015 Progress with the build - it's time consuming! I used the paper deck pieces as useful masks for painting the steel deck parts on the upper levels. Worked very well, worth keeping all the pieces as masks for the future of the build. These parts were sprayed freehand, I'll touch up the haze gray parts later: Couldn't preserve the fine mesh detail of these parts: I should have filled the ejector pin marks (this kit is unfortunately riddled with them, in hard to reach places). But I did manage to open up the square access holes for the ladders. The PE fascia for the bridge works beautifully though. Looks excellent. Even has little windscreen wipers. Getting near completion for the turrets as well: Brass barrels fitted well, even though the mounting pins were 1.5mm wide. Mr Dremel helped! Great features like this really lift the kit. I'm very impressed with the Flyhawk set so far. Thats it for now! Al 9 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted March 26, 2015 Share Posted March 26, 2015 Superb work. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
foxy Posted March 26, 2015 Share Posted March 26, 2015 That's looking the bee's knee's and great to see another battleship of that class in the making. foxy 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
longshanks Posted March 26, 2015 Share Posted March 26, 2015 Coming along nicely Kev Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alan P Posted March 31, 2015 Author Share Posted March 31, 2015 Cheers blokes, keeps the enthusiasm from drying up! This is very gradually coming together: Some of the 40mm gun tubs installed, with their 3-4 rings of ammo storage attached Turrets painted: Just the cranes and floater net baskets to add. Midships superstructure: Just a bit of touching up required here. Looks a lot better with the ammo clip storage, bulkhead details and ladders fitted. Same for the aft superstructure: All the superstructure parts I've done so far are now attached (except the bridge) and the last fascias fitted. As usually happens, when I painted and detailed all the gun tubs, I missed one pair. (hidden on a different sprue) All the gun tubs had three ejector pin marks, which I filled and sanded. But I draw the line at FIVE! I used a compass cutter to make a new floor: Once it's filled and tidied up no-one will ever know! One more modification to make to transform the kit from the wartime Missouri to the postwar New Jersey: The air defense level was somewhat different on the Philadelphia-built Iowas. First removed the ribs and kit detail in prep for the PE, and then added the distinctive "wings" Shields made from cut aluminium litho plate, it's rigid but very flexible and ideal for this kind of thing. Again, should look just the ticket when cleaned up, etched up and painted. The endless detailing does make it a bit of a slog, but I keep thinking it'll be worth it for how it comes out in the end! Al 9 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Create an account or sign in to comment
You need to be a member in order to leave a comment
Create an account
Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!
Register a new accountSign in
Already have an account? Sign in here.
Sign In Now