USS Gendreau

[LotusArenco]

In the past couple of weeks I've started on a Harrier GR.3, a Sea Harrier, a L-39 Albatros, a Tucano and a Skyhawk. All of which were started and then put back in the box. This completely broke one of my 'Modelling Rules', You start it - You finish it!

Time to change subject methinks!

Well, here I am again, all at sea.

This is the Trumpeter 1/350 USS England, which will be finished to represent the USS Gendreau. The main reason being that the England has (in my opinion) a boring colour scheme, whereas the Gendreau comes in a funky 'Measure 32, 11D' camouflage.

http://www.navsource.org/archives/06/639.htm

Biggest problem I've has so far has been finding acrylic colours to match the wartime paints. I ended up choosing the following;

20-B Aeromaster 1044 Sea Blue Flat ANA 607

5-L Xtracrylix XA1135 Dark Compass Grey FS16320

5-O Xtracrylix XA1125 Intermediate Blue FS15164

BLACK Not decided, but probably XA1800 Panzer Grey

Possibly (most definitely) not 100% accurate, and the members of the various Ship Modelling forums would probably have seizures, and start foaming at the mouth. These will do me 'till I find something better (and NO, I don't want to use WEM Colourcoats, not unless they start making acrylics ).

Construction has gone very well so far. No major problems. I'll keep the kit in sub assemblies until I have finished the main camouflage.

Filled some holes in the deck to make way for etched cable reel replacements.

Added missing doors to the superstructure.

Sprayed deck camouflage, mask, and sprayed initial coating of 5-L.

Just about to start on the 'Undercarriage'. For some dumb reason I've decided to replace the plastic prop shafts with brass wire/tube.

I don't think I'll be finishing this at anything less than a glacial pace, so I think I might dig out something weird and Sci-Fi to build at the same time.

Mart

[Phil Reeder]

Well done Mart for coming over to the wetside.Your progess so far looks to be impressive,keep up with the great work.

As regards acrylic naval paints,I mostly use Citadel paints to my own mixes,using WEM colourcoats as a guide(sorry John@WEM),I found the citadel paints to be ideal for hairy-sticks or airbrush(thinned with IPA) .The colours you have chosen seem OK to me ,blow what they say on US naval websites,after all our hobby is about enjoyment.

Good luck with the build Bye Phil

Edited June 15, 2008 by Phil Reeder

[LotusArenco]

Oh, don't worry Phil.

I've had my feet wet in the past.

1/400 Mirage ORP Wicher. Made last year.

Care to share your Citadel mixes? Or do you just do it by eye?

Mart

[Phil Reeder]

What a lovely neat job on the ORP Wicher,Mart,it looks good.

Regarding Citadel paints,I generally mix from eye,they have tendency to dry much darker than when first applied,but I really like them.The nearest paint to them ,in quality was the Aeromaster range,now,sadly no longer available.

Keep us posted on your progess,I`m following this with interest Cheers Phil

[model_madness]

Looking good Mart, keep posting WIP!

[LotusArenco]

Well the brass tubes are on and look a bit better than the plastic propeller shafts.

Just dry fitted the superstructure in readiness for masking off the camouflage.

For some unknown reason I've forgotten to prime the hull, so I'd better get that done next.

If I'm going to get serious about ship modelling, I'll have to pick up some more WEM paints and make my own charts to match the acrylics I prefer to use. I've already got some Kriegsmarine WEM colours and have started to make an 'acrylic cross-reference' chart.

Progress would probably go a lot quicker if I hadn't picked up the Sharpe DVD boxset!

Mart

[Phil Reeder]

I`ll be interested in your X-referance chart,I seem to lack a scentific approach to paint mixing.The DE is coming along nicely,keep up the good work young fella,Bye Phil

[LotusArenco]

Phil, this what I've got so far:

An entirely unscientific approach using WEM enamels painted onto a piece of white paper!

WEM KM01 HELLGRAU 50

Xtracrylix 1122 Neutral grey, 1015 Lt. Aircraft Grey and 1017 RAF Barley Grey are all close matches (with the Barley Grey looking the best match to me).

Vallejo ModelAir 50 a very close match, but a little darker.

WEM KM02 DUNKELGRAU 51

Xtracrylix 1126 Dark Blue/Grey, not a bad match but needs a spot of white adding.

Vallejo ModelAir 51, again not a bad match but looks a bit lighter.

WEM KM15 BALTIC DUNKELGRAU

Xtracrylix 1015 Lt. Aircraft Grey and 1003 RAF Med Sea Grey are close but not exact. Med Sea Grey looks the best to me.

WEM KM14 BALTIC MITTLEGRAU

Xtracrylix no exact match but 1003 with a bit of white should do???

Vallejo ModelAir 49, very close

WEMKM13 BALTIC HELLGRAU

Xtracrylix 1140 Light Grey is close but a bit lighter and lacks a slight green tinge

WEM RN03 507C LT. ADMIRALTY GREY

Xtracrylix 1140 Light Grey, very close match, but a wee bit lighter.

Since making these charts, I've picked up a shed load more colours. I'll have to carry on when I get a bit of time!

Also be aware that batches of paint can vary (Hell, I work in a paint factory, supposedly the best, and even our batches can vary a little!).

The above is the best I can do with the paint 'I' have.

This also assumes that the WEM paints are good matches in the first place, but from what I've seen and heard, they are the best. Just a pity they don't do acrylics.

It would be interesting to see if anyone has done something similar using Snyder&Short colour charts.

Anybody??

Oh, and very little progress on the build other than priming the hull.

Mart

[LotusArenco]

Bottom of hull sprayed with Revell AquaColor 36137 'Reddish Brown'.

Started attaching bits of tiny 'itsy etch to the guns. Not for the feint hearted.

Top tip for the day - Boots 'Nail Polish Remover' is great for removing stubborn dried on acrylic paint, that you forgot to clean out last time you used your airbrush!

Mart

[turnerdad]

Looking good. Have a few ships, and just got the Tamiya King George V with a lovely WEM PE set from Julien. I really must get round to building one, but without experience here-a little nervous about all that incredibly thin photo-etch! Will be watching this.

Cheers

[LotusArenco]

but without experience here-a little nervous about all that incredibly thin photo-etch!

Yep, it's a hell of a lot finer than the usual aircraft/AFV etch.

I don't bother with all those fancy tools you can buy to help with bending and whatnot. I find that a few good basic tools are all I need. Flat nose smooth jaw pliers, good tweezers, a Stanley blade, a six inch steel ruler, a nice smooth surface, (I use a white tile) and most importantly good light.

I'm certainly no expert, but if you take your time you soon get used to tiny parts.

Gluing the parts can get frustrating. I use a variety of different glue, superglue, PVA, and Future/Klear are all god to use. Biggest problem is the size of the attachment points.

As to the Glendreau, I looked at the hull this morning and decided that the hull wasn't 'red' enough!

I will re-mask it and shoot a couple of coats of a different red/brown, probably a mix of Xtracrylix.

Mart

[Phil Reeder]

It`s coming along well,I particularly like the 1.1" mounting.

Re the anti-fouling red,I`ve started to use Halfords Red Primer,which I`m quite happy with it.I used it on the S`horst`s hull bottom, what do you think? Bye for now Phil

[LotusArenco]

I`ve started to use Halfords Red Primer

Wish I'd thought of that! Pants.

Got a tin of it knocking around somewhere as well.......

Never mind.

I mixed up a hotchpotch of Xtracrylix, Revell and Humbrol into a nice reddy colour. Looked fine in the colour cup, dried to a colour not much different than I started with!

I can't remember what colour I used on the Wicher? Got a feeling it may have been one of the Citadel reds?? Poo.

Mart

[LotusArenco]

As I mentioned earlier, I seem to go into 'slow mode' when ship modelling.

Carrying on with the masking of the camouflage.

I've enlarged and printed out the side view plan of the camouflage the same size as the model. Lay a piece of clear plastic over the plan, and stick a piece of Tamiya tape over the plastic. The good thing about Tamiya tape is that it is quite translucent, and you can see the lines of the camouflage through the tape.

Trace the camouflage pattern onto the tape, remove from the clear plastic and carefully cut out.

I've put little reference marks on the waterline of the model so I can accurately(?) lay the cut out tape masks onto the hull.

Remember that the ship hull curves whereas the plans don't (obviously), so there is a small margin of error. As well as the reference marks, I'm also dry fitting the superstructure and making sure the tape matches the plans as best I can.

I'm using the old adage of 'light to dark' when it comes to spraying the camouflage, so the initial overall coat of 5-L is the first to be masked off. I'll have to go easy on the spraying, as I don't want to end up with too much paint build up along the tape edges.

As a side note, I picked up a 1/350 U-Boat VIIc yesterday. A fitting companion to a Destroyer Escort! Interesting to note the size of the sub in comparison.

Mart

Edited June 22, 2008 by LotusArenco

[LotusArenco]

Ended up using Xtracrylix XA1121 Gloss Sea Blue for the black parts of the camouflage, which is a very dark black/blue.

Still got the boot topping to mask and spray.

Mart

[Phil Reeder]

Very neat paint-job Mart,that Ms 32 camo pattern is enough to give you headache if you look at it too long! Bye Phil

Edited June 22, 2008 by Phil Reeder

[LotusArenco]

that Ms 32 camo pattern is enough to give you headache if you look at it too long!

You're not kidding!

Minor cock-up on the deck camouflage.

I didn't realise that the hull and the deck camouflage was supposed to be matched up in places.

So much for being careful with the masking, and following the plans!

Oh well, a bit of masking and a respray, and Shhh no-one will ever know.

Mart

[LotusArenco]

Getting there.....Slowly.

Main camouflage is finished.

Must have used half a roll of Tamiya tape to do all that!

Started finishing off the little fiddly bits, lockers, guns and all the deck gubbins.

All I have to do now is enter a trance like relaxing meditation, in preparation for adding the photo-etch (or at least lay off the coffee for a bit!).

I think the next ship I build will be in a nice easy colour scheme. This one is way too much like hard work....

Mart

[Phil Reeder]

It`s coming together Martand looking good, keep up with the good work Cheers Phil

[model_madness]

Love that WW2 splinter camo , she's coming on splendidly.

Now for the interesting bits!

[turnerdad]

Really interesting watching this evolve. I'm an avid aeroplane modeller, but love marine subjects just as much (where I started out as a profession). I have a few kits to build but certain aspects make me hesitant-rigging/aerial wires, PE though I use it all the time). Interesting to see the sequencing, which I will use as a guide. I'm taking notes.

[LotusArenco]

Interesting to see the sequencing, which I will use as a guide. I'm taking notes.

I wouldn't bother if I were you, I'm using the 'bottom and elbow' method!

If I were to do it again I would have paid more attention to where the PE was going to go. I have a nasty feeling I'm going to be left with a few unpleasant surprises, matching the camouflage on the railings being one of them.

I would definitely have sprayed the boot topping first before the hull colour and camouflage. That was a nasty awkward bit of masking to do, and wasted a whole load of tape.

Still, live and learn. Hey....It's only the third ship I've made!

Not sure what to do next, a 1/350 Fletcher Class, a 1/400 USS Noa or a 1/400 ORP Blyskawica or Grom?? probably the Noa, a nice easy colour scheme!

Mart

[Mike]

I like it when I miss a thread initially, then find it & can see the project evolve in fast-forward. It's looking very good Mart Now hurry up!

[LotusArenco]

Now hurry up!

Yea, right!

Unfortunately a lot of ‘real world’ stuff and other nonsense have seriously cut into my modelling time. Main one being me finally getting a new funky computer.

Hey... I can finally play games again! (I wouldn’t recommend it though, it don’t arf cut into the ‘ol modelling time.)

Picking up where we left off.

Added a lot of the deck furniture, lockers, cable reels and whatnot, and started on the etch.

(Blimey, look at the dust!)

Still plenty to do, but getting there.................eventually!

Mart

[LotusArenco]

Really trying to get this finished now.

I cocked up on the rear racks and was unable to use the GMM ones.

I forgot to fill the holes in the deck where the plastic racks go, and ended up having to use the kit racks and etch.

Here’s a comparison between the Gold Medal Models and the kit supplied etch, for the depth charge racks.

The Trumpeter ones aren’t that bad, but don’t really compare in terms of detail to the GMM set.

A word of warning for those who want to use the GMM. The racks don’t want to fit over the plastic depth charges, so you will have to sand a little plastic off the bottom/front/back to get a good fit.

Another word of warning if you are slightly on the cack handed side. When fitting etch to your ships, don’t be tempted to jump around adding it willy nilly. Work on a section of the kit at a time.

I seem to be constantly having to re-attach parts that I’m knocking off by not paying attention!

Another handy tip. If you intend adding your ship to a base, it’s in your best interest to drill the holes in the flipping hull before you start adding delicate tiny bits of etch that are easily knocked off.

Ask me how I know!

Once all the etch is on, I’ll give it a quick once over with some matt varnish to get rid of any ‘glossy bits’ created by using superglue. Then a bit of weathering to grubby it up a little.

If I crack on, hopefully I’ll get this finished within a week…hopefully……

Mart