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IJN Matsu +++FINISHED+++


Ray S

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Hello all, my final build for this GB is the Fujimi IJN Matsu. This was very kindly sent to me by @PeterB last week. He has told me that the model is a bit of a hybrid, as it does not have a rounded transom, but a squared-off one which was on the later Tachibana class, and has the bridge and foremast of the early Matsu class. I will build it as it comes in the box, so it will be a Matsu-ish.

 

Anyway, the box and contents:

 

DSCN5957

 

DSCN5958

 

Note that there are not too many parts!

 

The instructions look to be well drawn, and with English text:

 

DSCN5959

 

I have had a look at my upgrade sets which I have left over from a couple of my other projects, and I may be able to improve some aspects of the look. Now, although the instructions are in English, the paint guide on the back of the box is decidedly not:

 

DSCN5960

 

It suggests an overall grey finish, but as I cannot read the text, I am not sure. However, in the instructions there is an English section which shows this:

 

DSCN5961

 

This states that the decks were linoleum colour (light brown). Now, this gives me to wonder if I should follow the written guide, and have something a little more colourful. Peter has also suggested that some references say that some Destroyers did have lino decks in some parts, painted over in others. There are tie-down strips all over the main deck on this model, so I may well do an all-over linoleum, and try to get the brass effect for the tie-downs.

 

I have given the hull a good spraying with Tamiya Grey Primer, and this time I am also going to try to add the scuttles. After completing the Hibiki earlier, I think a ship looks wrong without them. This model too has none moulded along the hull sides.

 

That is it for now, more soon with luck!

 

All the best, and thanks Peter for the model, you are a 'Top Chap'!

 

Ray

Edited by Ray S
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1 hour ago, PeterB said:

Hi Ray,

 

Just e-mailed a pic.

 

Pete

Hello Pete, many thanks for that image, it will really clear things up for the linoleum sections.

 

Cheers, Ray

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I have been able to make a start on the IJN Matsu(ish). The first thing I had to think about was should I try and drill out scuttles on what would otherwise be plain hull sides. Looking back at my IJN Hibiki model, I decided to give it a go. I sprayed the hull with Tamiya Fine Primer (again) and got some masking tape tacked down where the scuttles would be, then drew lines on the tape  with a 4H pencil to show the positions for when I drilled. Then had to draw them again with a 2B pencil because the 4H would not draw on masking tape! I selected a drill bit that was the right size, and managed to get them fairly straight and this time they did not look like a drunkard's walk:

 

DSCN5962

 

Then I took a closer look, and thought that I should have used a smaller drill! Never mind, the effect is there, and it is better in my eyes rather than a plain hull. Oh well, another life-lesson hopefully learnt, use a small drill and you can drill bigger later...

 

I have started to build up some of the sub-assemblies, the parts have needed some cleaning up and location holes opening up a bit, but otherwise all went well>

 

DSCN5965

 

I have reverted to the Humbrol 126 acrylic US Medium Grey again for this ship. @PeterB very kindly e-mailed me a  profile image of Matsu which showed me where the linoleum decks were, so I painted those with a Leather Brown paint. I had wondered with another of my projects (IJN Kinu) how to represent the tie-down strips on the linoleum. They were brass-coloured. This model has the strips on the vast majority of the deck, so I left them in situ (I felt it was too awkward to try and remove a lot of them due to the deck furniture moulded in place). The strips on the brown area I have tried to highlight. I had some watercolour pencils in stock, so I used the 'Naples Yellow' one, sharpened it and ran it across the strips. The matt brown paint was just rough enough to pick up the colour, and I ended up with some interesting lines across the lino:

 

DSCN5966

 

The pencil has picked up the colour, but it is not 'in your eye startling bright', but there is a hint. I am quite happy with the result, I will just need to retouch some of the Leather Brown where the pencil slipped slightly. I am (probably wrongly), assuming the rest of the Linoleum was painted grey (it happened apparently), and that the tie-down strips were also over-painted, so that is why they are still there on the grey decks...

 

My inner child took centre stage again, and I dry-fitted the bits  to see what Matsu partially looks like:

 

DSCN5971

 

The midships gun platform has only been painted underneath so far, so it is not a new form of camo, and the bridge and two guns have only had one coat so far.

 

That is it for now, more soon hopefully. Thanks for looking,

 

Ray

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When I sat down at the model bench this morning, I did not expect to get so far with this ship today! I added quite a few structural parts and got them painted. Most of the parts needed some cleaning up, but with the benefit of macro photography, I now notice I had not cleaned up well enough on most parts. I then used some of the upgrade parts from the Tamiya kits I have completed recently. They are the light grey parts in this image:

 

DSCN5972

 

I used 4x triple MG units, and, on the platform straight aft of the rear funnel, I used a twin MG unit (it should be a single but I did not have an upgrade one of those!), and, finally, I used one of the upgrade searchlights. Sadly, I only had twin- or triple torpedo tubes, so could not upgrade the quad unit.

 

DSCN5975

 

I have also painted the ship's boats. I will be using these, again they are quite different to the upgrade boats. They will be hung from the davits this time, but they do not stick out overboard quite as much as a previous build of mine. And they will not fit on the deck (on cradles) with the davit positions.

 

DSCN5976

 

This is how she looks at the moment. Earlier on, I was able to retouch the Leather Brown deck and get rid of the excess 'brass' marks left over from the watercolour pencils, and I am really happy with the tie-down strips and the way they look. I was also pleased with the moulded-in depth charges. They actually looked like they were in a rack, rather than just blobs:

 

DSCN5977

 

That is it for now, thanks for looking!

 

Ray

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8 hours ago, rob85 said:

I’m sure you could squeeze in another build at this rate!

Two weeks to go, at least another three builds! 😁

 

Gidday Ray, you're certainly surging ahead with this. I've got one of these, mine being a Tamiya kit. I think your scuttles look good, they don't look over-sized to me. And I agree, those DCs look very good.

Regards, Jeff.

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18 hours ago, rob85 said:

Flipping eck you’ve pretty much built the thing!! Nice work.... I’m sure you could squeeze in another build at this rate!

 

Rob

 

10 hours ago, ArnoldAmbrose said:

Two weeks to go, at least another three builds! 😁

 

Gidday Ray, you're certainly surging ahead with this. I've got one of these, mine being a Tamiya kit. I think your scuttles look good, they don't look over-sized to me. And I agree, those DCs look very good.

Regards, Jeff.

Thanks both!

 

This is now finished. The ship's boats were fitted with PVA dropped into the location holes for the davits, and the masts were no problem once I had opened up the fitting holes. I then just had to do a few bits of paint repairs. Here she is:

 

DSCN5979

 

I will pop a few more pictures into the Gallery shortly.

 

Thanks for looking and the comments, and a huge THANK YOU to @PeterB who sent me the kit in the first place.

 

All the best, Ray

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Thanks Ray,

 

Having already got 2 of these I was never going to build it - it came as an add on to the Jintsu and the chap selling it on e-bay insisted he would not split them. Looks good - better than mine because I did not know about the lino decking back in the 1970's!

 

Cheers

 

Pete

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