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1/350 IJN "AKAGI"


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Thank-you for viewing my build log of Hasegawa's 1/350 IJN Akagi, detailed as seen on Dec. 7, 1941 at the Attack on Pearl Harbor. I will start in the traditional way with a couple shots of the materials used... but after that, I may jump around a bit as this kit must be build in modules. The good thing of that is the modules (planes, pe underdeck supports, guns, utility boats, etc.) may be built in any order and they may be presented that way here.
I have been working on this model for over a year now and I estimate another 5 months to complete.
So, here we go:
Kit + some of the pe and one box of four of planes aaaaaaa01_20081027232551_zps80b83f55.jpg
Hasegawa Super Detail-up Package (Underdeck supports, columns and tramways)
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I am also using the Eduard 1/350 Akagi set to supplement
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I have 4 boxes of the Hasegawa airplane sets
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Wood deck and dry transfer set from Hasegawa
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Utility boat detail set
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Plus other and various pe/aftermarket stuff including Master's brass barrel and armament set
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You will probably see many followup posts from me rather quickly over the next week or so as I have many of the modules done, including the underdeck supports... one of which I have included here as a preview:
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Cheers and thanks for joining me for my upcoming Akagi build! -Tim/Canada

Starting with one of the simpler underdeck support pieces:
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Closeup:
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Putting together the bow underdeck support:
A couple of the frame girders
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Turned upside down to facilitate inserting cross members
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Coming together
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And done:
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Closeup of one corner
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Building a tramway
Forming a curved piece....each tab on the curve is bent upwards individually to form bend
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Pulling up supports that help form the tramway girder. (the curved rails from above will be added). I adjusted these on the fret, much easier
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One of straight trams
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Enough of the pe for awhile...this thing does have hull and plastic parts too ;)

Hull halves (painted separately for reasons you see later)
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Drilled out 500+ portholes, and wiring for LED lighting
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Hull together, 2 coats of Future, ready for light weathering
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Bow and stern deck parts
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A couple of the modules that had to be done before hull joined together
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Here, I'm starting on the funnel...first, to remove the molded on details to a shadow and then measuring/bending the pe replacements from a generic foot railing set:

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So I start the part below off by building the frame and assembling a set of double girders into a box. Now this particular box is contoured so that one end is about 1/2" higher than the other. The first one third is flat, then the 2nd third rises up the 1/2", and the last third levels out...making assembly without any twisting a challenge. Here's the instructions for this part:

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If this part is not the most complicated of all photo etch parts in the world in ANY category, I don't know what is :)

So I start this part with a box frame

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adding cross members

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Almost done

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And done (but still have to add 8 support columns, but that won't be until final assembly of flight deck)

I think you can see the elevation change in these last two pics

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Comments and suggestions welcome! Thx for viewing -Tim

Edited by ComfortablyNumb
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Some more pics

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Utility boats almost finished:

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Starting on the airplanes...I plan on making 22 torpedo bombers, 11 Val dive bombers and 11 Zero's for an air wing of 44 planes on deck. Here, I'm starting on the 22 torpedo bombers (+ 2 spares)

The main bits...fuselage halves, wings

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Plastic canopies removed and wings added

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Adding the last of the tail parts

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Undercarriage parts being installed

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Painting bottom of torpedo bombers light grey

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Green paint applied to the tops and Mr. Surfacer added to smooth out where the canopies used to be

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Final coat of paint + Future Floor Polish applied for decaling

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porthole PE being used for hubs of landing gears...first test subject in background, looked ok so the same for the rest

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Aluminum paint added to landing gear hubs

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Adding hubs to landing gear

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Applying decals (44 planes X 10 decals each = 440 decals)

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Absolutely amazing :yikes: Fantastic work on the PE. Brings to mind an amazing Yamato build i followed online a few years ago by Tim Biddiscombe, also from Canada :coolio:

This will be a very interesting build to follow, thanks for the sneak preview. Can hardly wait for the rest :bye:

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Well, how nice! I am glad you remembered me Gremlin! Good memory, indeed and thanks for the kind words!

Here's a couple more pics...I spent quite a bit of time on the weathering, lower hull and upper structure. Not much rust will be showing (except for anchors and wells) as it was the flagship, but I wanted to get the look of being at sea for a few months. Thanks again for viewing and comments are most welcome.

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I put a few "chips" (the small lighter spots on the lower hull), first time I've tried this so I kept it subtle. What do you think? Cheers, Tim

Edited by ComfortablyNumb
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I think the Yamato Museum (Kure maritime museum) would love your "AKAGI" when it's completed.

I can see it's going to be a museum standard model. Thank you for posting the photos.

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Thanks very much for the encouraging words gentlemen! I certainly appreciate them. Sorry about the headache Chris...I had one or two doing those underdeck supports as well. ;)

Anyway here's all the underdeck supports, trams and columns done:

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Now, where does all that pe go anyway? The flight deck is divided into 3 parts, but in looking I saw the underneath of all of them was pocked with large ejector marks and many unwanted ridges. As I wanted a flat base for the grids to attach to, that had to be fixed.

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Mr. Surfacer, to do the fills, and some sanding got me what I needed:

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After painting the underside of the deck parts, I laid out the pe supports on the deck to check the fit

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I was especially worried about this part because of the changes in the elevation of this part of the deck (the deck that this part covers is at first flat, then slopes down about 1/2 inch, and then flattens out again...but it was a perfect fit. Kudo's to the guys who designed this pe!

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Mid-deck parts checked for fit:

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And another overall shot:

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Thanks for viewing my model ship build so far, comments are always welcome of course! -Tim

Edited by ComfortablyNumb
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In an unrelated sidenote, my family name (Biddiscombe) originates, I was told by my father, in Southwest England, Devon county. Biddiscombe is very unusual name in N. America, there are very few of us that I can find...have any of my UK friends here on britmodeller ever heard of the surname "Biddiscombe"? It "may" be a derivative (misspelling on documents upon arrival in N. America) of "Biddlecombe" or similar he was told, but we are not sure.

Thanks again for your input and comments about my model ship. -Tim

Edited by ComfortablyNumb
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Where have you been all this time? I've been missing your PE magic!

And this is no let down, brilliant stuff. One of my dream kit builds, you're doing a grand job Tim.

The Hasegawa PE is the best I've ever used. What do you think?

PS. I know a Biddlecombe, but your derivation (or origination!) sounds unique.

Al

Edited by Brokenedge
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my god man - that is just insanity with PE! I love it!! How are you securing these pieces without the usual white vapor/fume marks from superglue that I sometimes - OK, most of the time - get?

I'd like to get some of that framing in PE for sci-fi stuff. Where did you get yours from?

Am going to follow along with this one due to the magnificent workmanship your displaying.

MH

Edited by Madhatter
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How are you securing these pieces without the usual white vapor/fume marks from superglue

Where did you get yours from?

Hi Madhatter! For gluing the joints I use a small sewing needle with half the eye broken off for application. I use ZAP thin CA for glue. Touch the broken off eye of the needle into a small drop of thin CA, touch the joint with the needle's eye, and the ca with drain into the joint and basically disappear. The trick is to use just enough to get a good join, but not enough that it spills out of the bottom or shows elsewhere. You will hardly ever see any glue on any of my joints and this is all I do. I also always wash the pe sheets in warm water with a little dish soap and air dry. I have never gotten ghosting with this combination. Also, I hardly ever pre-paint photo etch, sometimes even paint can hinder a good joint with some of this stuff I've found.

The under deck supports are from the "Detail Up Super" package from Hasegawa, sold separately from the Hasegawa 4 sheets PE set. (see my first post, there's a pic of it there). 3 BIG sheets but, unfortunately, not cheap. Best photo etch engineering on the planet imo. I don't know if Hasegawa does their photo etch in house or if they outsource it...but its REALLY good.

Thanks for your questions. -Tim

Edited by ComfortablyNumb
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Oooooh boy Tim, so nice to see you back and wow, what a beauty so far. I loved your Yamato and still worship your Nagato regularly and this is equally breath taking!

I am so gonna enjoy this!

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Tim - that is stunning (and puts my paltry PE efforts deeply in the shade!).

Amidst all those insane under deck supports, you mentioned a generic foot rail PE set. I could do with one of those, so do you have any details?

I knew a Biddicombe in the Navy once, but not with the extra S.

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