Model Monkey

Brilliant! Terrific subjects well-modeled.

Fantastic. Just wonderful.

Brilliant!

Brilliant! And so is the Star Destroyer.

Thanks, fellas! It's been a really fun build.

Hopefully you'll be able to return to her soon. She's really a beauty. I've got a few models "in ordinary" myself. It happens.

If you would like to try a conversion, a "round bridge" to build sistership USS New Jersey as she appeared in 1944 is available. Here's a link: http://www.shapeways.com/product/K3AGU5F2C/1-350-new-jersey-44-round-bridge?optionId=58524343 Best wishes on your model! It's one of my all-time favorite kits.

Great discussion here and very good kit to work with. As Alan P pointed out, the Tamiya kit's 5"/38 single mounts are underscale. As you consider aftermarket items, an additional feature of the ship's mounts may be worth noting: Of the five 5"/38 single mounts fit to wartime Fletchers, the ships carried two distinct designs of 5" mounts with slightly different gunhouse shapes: 1. three lighter-weight "single knuckle" mounts on top the deckhouses (Mounts 52, 53 and 54) 2. two heavier-weight "double knuckle" mounts located on the main deck in the fore-most and aft-most positions (Mounts 51 and 55). The heavyweights had additional roof reinforcement to resist the blast of the superfiring lightweight mounts near them. This reinforcement made for an additional bend (bump) in the gunhouse roof that is noticeable in photos and plans. The reinforcement bend is located at the rear of the slot for the gun on the roof. Compare the gunhouse roof shapes of the two forward mounts, heavyweight "Mount 51" and superfiring lightweight "Mount 52", in the photo of USS Saufley above and USS LaValette below. Mount 51's roof has two bends, or "knuckles". Mount 52 has just one knuckle.

Hi Rick, just found your post! This is one of my favorite kits and has been so since I was a kid. It is one of the first commercially available plastic model kits, dating back to 1953, and is still in production after all these years. The kit's strange hull bottom was designed back in the day when the real hull shape was still "classified". If interested, accurate 3D printed parts are available specifically for this kit. Here's a link: http://www.shapeways.com/shops/Model_Monkey?section=1%2F535+Revell&s=0

Brilliant! I've loved this kit since I was a kid. You're breathing new life into it! If interested, accurate 3D-printed turrets and Mk.56 directors are available specifically for this kit. Here's the link: http://www.shapeways.com/shops/Model_Monkey?section=1%2F300+Ships&s=0

Brilliant! Very impressive. If interested, there are 3D-printed products designed specifically for Revell's Fletcher. Here's the link: http://www.shapeways.com/shops/Model_Monkey?section=1%2F144+Ships&s=0

Brilliant!

Thanks so much, friends! The model has taken about a year to get to this point, working on it mostly on weekends. It has been "in ordinary" since last September while I build up a 3D-printing business for ship and armor modelers. I hope to get back to it this fall and finish it for Christmas. I did it for the sheer challenge of it. Expecting the hull to be the toughest part of the build, the hull was actually not that bad. Surprisingly, the flight deck turned out to be the most challenging part to build because of the floatplane tracks. It took two tries to get a flight deck looking well enough. Flight Deck Version 1.0 is seen above in the closeups. Version 2.0 looks much cleaner. Having had so much fun with this build, please be encouraged to try a conversion. Since building this model, in order to help others convert any 1/700 or 1/350 Sara or Lex kit without having to do all the scratchbuilding, I designed accurate 3D-printed islands, funnels and turrets for Sara and Lex at various points in their service lives, including an island and funnel for Sara as she appeared 1944-1945. They have been popular products in several scales. If interested, they can be found in my Shapeways store - please see link below and click on the scale in which you are interested on the left-hand column of the webpage. http://www.shapeways.com/shops/Model_Monkey Thanks again for the kind comments!

One of my all-time favorite kits being done well. Terrific!

Brilliant!

Love it, Jamie!

Terrific!

Brilliant!

Great model! This kit has been a favorite of mine since I was a kid. If interested, accurate 3D-printed turrets are available specifically for this kit. Depending on which ship of the class you want to model, you can choose from either a twin 5" mount or single 5" mounts. Here's a link to the two designs for this kit. http://www.shapeways.com/shops/Model_Monkey?section=1%2F285+Revell&s=0 Best wishes on your build!

Hang in there! It is really a well-done model.

Awesome!

Thanks, Keith and Nick!

Scratchbuilding USS Saratoga CV-3, 1944 in 1/350 scale. This model depicts Saratoga late war with asymmetrical hull, cut-down funnel, and heavy AA fit. It is NOT being converted from the Trumpeter kit. As of this writing, the model is about 75% complete. Actual ship length overall: 910' - 1-3/4" Model Length: 31.205 inches (79.26 cm). Material: Evergreen polystyrene sheet, strips, tubing, rods, H-sections, etc. Hull construction method: double plank on frame Plans and References: 1. US Navy Booklet of General Plans dated 1942 (implemented following Kamikaze damage sustained on February 21, 1945), available from Floating Drydock 2. US Navy Booklet of General Plans dated April 23, 1936 (implemented during a refit in December, 1943, plans updated Aug., 1944 to include cross sections - vitally important for this build). 3. US Navy Booklet of General Plans for USS Lexington CV-2, dated 1936, for comparison 4. detail photos and comments posted by Tracy White (invaluable) 5. photos from USS Saratoga Squadron at Sea by David Doyle (Tracy contributed much to that effort). 6. hull sections for USS Lexington CV-2, drawn by Thomas Walkowiak, available from Floating Drydock. Your advice, constructive criticism and comments are most welcome and appreciated. Below are some photos taken very early during construction and roughing out the major structures. A comparison of other 1/350 scale islands, all under construction - Saratoga, Yorktown and Enterprise. The very beginning:

Model Monkey is very happy to announce 3D-printed products for ship models in many popular scales and for many navies. These parts are not 3D-printed copies of plastic model ship parts but are original designs based on the best available references, often scans of original builder's blueprints. Included among these products are parts such as enlarged signal decks, extended searchlight platforms, emergency control stations and the correct HACS directors to convert your late-war HMS King George V kit to sisterships HMS Anson, HMS Duke of York or HMS Howe. These parts are available in 1/700, 1/600, 1/400 and 1/350. Have some old, classic ship models in your stash? Many products are available specifically scaled for classic Revell, Renwal, Aurora and Lindberg box-scale models from the 1960s and 1970s. Other scales are possible. You'll find HACS Mk.IV, Mk.V and Mk.VI directors, 271 & 273 radar lanterns, turrets, fighting tops (for HMS Roberts & Abercrombie, too!), whole superstructures, anchors, and more, all beautifully rendered by Shapeways' state-of-the-art 3D printers produced in layers just 29 or 16 microns thick (your choice!) for the best detail possible. Here are some examples: HMS Duke of York extended searchlight platform. Fletcher class "square bridge" pilot house, Bath Ironworks-type - bridge deck and turrets also available HMS Howe emergency control station HMS Duke of York enlarged signal deck Mk.14 & 15 Quintuple Torpedo Mount USS New York & USS Texas superfiring turrets 2 & 4 - turrets 1, 3 & 5 also available HACS Mk.VI directors USS Arizona BB-39 superstructure, December 7, 1941 - designs for Arizona in earlier years also available USS Pennsylvania BB-38 superstructure, December 7, 1941 - a 1936 design is also avalable USS Essex CV-9 island, Korean War appearance - many other Korean War-era Essex class islands are also available USS Intrepid CV-11 island, Vietnam War appearance - many other Vietnam War-era Essex class islands are also available HMS Abercrombie and HMS Roberts spotting top HACS Mk.IV directors, asymmetrically shaped for HMS King George V and HMS Prince of Wales Anchors, US Navy-type - battleship and destroyer sizes available USS New Jersey BB-62 "round bridge" 1944 USS Saratoga CV-3 funnel, 1941 - different Sara funnel designs for other years also available Twin 5"/38 caliber Mk.28 mounts for battleships - Mk.32 mounts for cruisers and aircraft carriers also available Iowa class 16"/50 caliber turret USS Saratoga CV-3 island, 1931 - different island and funnel designs for other years through 1945, as well as designs for USS Lexington CV-2 are also available USS Enterprise CV-6 island, 1942 - unique island designs for USS Yorktown CV-5 and USS Hornet CV-8 as they appeared in 1942 are also available USS Arizona Memorial - with accurate interior, available in scales as small as 1/1250 USS California and USS Tennessee fighting tops USS Arizona and USS Pennsylvania 14"/45 caliber turret - also suitable for USS Nevada and USS Oklahoma Mk.37 director with Mk.25 radar, open dish - other Mk.37 designs available For those not familiar with 3D-printed products, some part cleanup will be necessary. During the 3D printing process, a waxy substance is used to support certain part features. Although the parts are cleaned by Shapeways afterwards, some waxy residue may remain. It can be safely removed with water and a mild aqueous detergent like "Dawn" dishwashing soap, baby shampoo (no conditioner) or "Simple Green" using an old, soft toothbrush, Q-tips or pipe cleaners. Customers report that "Bestine" and "Goo Gone" also work well. During the printing process, liquid resin is cured by ultraviolet light. Microscopic bits of resin may remain uncured. Let your parts sit in direct sunlight or under a fluorescent lamp for a few hours to fully cure the resin. Once your parts are fully cured, careful use of an inexpensive "air eraser" emitting common household baking soda can help smooth surfaces prior to painting. Air erasers, similar to an airbrush but much, much cheaper, can be found on Amazon.com. Water-based acrylic paints meant for plastics is strongly recommended. Other paints, especially enamels, may not cure on Frosted Detail 3D-printed plastics. Please visit the Model Monkey Shapeways shop - see link below.