IJN Mikasa by CDW - Wave Models - 1:200 scale - PLASTIC

[CDW]

I am so glad Pontos saw fit to include some extra photo etch parts in reference to the parts necessary to build the guns. There are some very small and delicate pieces that require folding...and there's only a small chance the modeler won't either break or lose a couple of them in the process of building 16 guns. Without those extra parts, one would be "screwed" as they say here in Ybor City.

I don't know if it's strictly an American thing or not, but as kids we had this little game we played called Tiddly Winks. The game had a bunch of small plastic disks and a cup. The object was to scatter the disks on the floor, then using one little disk in your hand, squeeze the edge of the disk against one of the disks on the floor and cause the disk on the floor to "plink" - fly off and into the cup. 

Well putting these parts together reminds me of playing tiddly winks. You'll sometimes hear that dreadful sound of "plink", and you know you've lost another part. They are WAY too small to find once they go "plink" unless it's just your lucky day.

[CDW]

12 minutes ago, src said:

Its almost a shame to put paint on those they look so good.

As far as the glue strings, "Breach Ropes!"

Sam

I know, Sam. I was thinking the very same thing about painting them. A lot of this photo etch is that way. It would almost look as good unpainted rather than painted. Maybe even "blued" or "blackened" would look better than paint as well. 

[CDW]

On 8/20/2018 at 11:17 PM, CDW said:

One of the four 47mm guns that are mounted to the front bridge lower deck.

I just realized the gun in this picture is in the wrong place. This is a 47mm gun, and a 3" gun like I'm building now should be in it's place. I'll need to switch them out when time allows.

[popeye the sailor]

those are fantastic pieces...........

[CDW]

Just for grins and giggles...

Here are the photo etch and turned brass parts for assembling 2 ea, 3" guns. This is before filing, folding, gluing, and mutilating. And then some paint.

[cog]

those are hughe AA-guns!

[CDW]

5 hours ago, cog said:

those are hughe AA-guns!

In 1905, they were firing at UFO's...but nobody told about it in fear they would be thought of as lunatics. 🤐

[CDW]

It's WAY off topic but I just have to mention this because of my last post. 

When I was a kid, my dad was a politician. He and I were traveling to our weekend home in the country one Saturday evening right at dusk. My dad's car overheated (a chronic problem) and we pulled off the road to let the engine cool down before dad added some water to the radiator.

While we were waiting, we saw a UFO. My dad told me not to tell anyone about it because he didn't want the media to get a hold of the story at print it because it would make him (dad) look nutty. Well, the story got out there anyway and it got printed in the local newspaper. My dad was so pissed off. As years go by, that incident makes me laugh every time I think about it.

[CDW]

Once the 3" guns are glued in place, a deck will cover the guns so the only way one will see them is by looking inside the gun ports. No top view, and a very limited view from inside the ship looking out. 

Would you paint the guns or leave them natural brass? 

[Old Collingwood]

2 minutes ago, CDW said:

Once the 3" guns are glued in place, a deck will cover the guns so the only way one will see them is by looking inside the gun ports. No top view, and a very limited view from inside the ship looking out. 

Would you paint the guns or leave them natural brass? 

If it was me I would paint them just for my own satisfaction that they were painted,   otherwise it would bother me that they were not painted.

 

OC.

[mtaylor]

From the pictures, it looks to me like a of details are going to be hidden when the upper deck goes on.  Pity that but then we see it in the period models too.

 

I'd vote for paint the guns.

[src]

I am with the others, paint. Its a shame all that work is going to be hidden.

Sam

[cog]

As Mark wrote, what's left to be seen ... you might as well paint them. Besides, why did you paint the former PE parts ... as you airbrush them, the detail won't be lost, but spray them first darkish than add lighter layers from above to get more depth

For Musashi 1/350 I've got the guns in black, after that I'll go to washes of lighter grey, and airbrush from above so the lower/underside of the parts seem to be in the shade

Edited August 25, 2018 by cog

[RGL]

Or insert some LED’s inside......

 

[CDW]

Painted

[lmagna]

I know that the brass is pretty but, they still look better somehow painted when they are in their proper place. Kind of like brass cannons just don't look as good as blackened cannons on period ships.

Edited August 26, 2018 by lmagna

[CDW]

I know this will be hard to believe, but I lost one of these 3" guns in my shop area. Completely lost the whole thing. Not a piece of it, or a few pieces, but the whole thing is gone.

Was trying to cut a locating pin off the bottom of the pedestal using my dremel with a cut-off wheel while holding it with a set of tweezers. That thing flew out of the tweezers and I could hear it hit (something) but couldn't find that thing anywhere. Then I realized I have enough parts left over to build another complete gun and called off the search. It will cost me less time building another than it will hunting for the one that flew away. And that's under the presumption I would find it intact, which it probably won't be intact IF I found it.

Thank goodness Pontos gave extras in this set. That doesn't usually happen (extras).

 

[CDW]

Painted and mounted. Next, we will cover them up with a deck.

[lmagna]

Great looking work CDW.

 

In case you want to add some fine detail to the coal shuttles before you cover them up here is a real one:

I was installed for my house in 1898 so it should be contemporary to your build. 

[CDW]

Thanks for that photo, Lou. Your coal shuttle looks very similar to the photo etch pieces on my gun deck. Not much point in detailing the ones on the gun deck, because you'll never see them. The following photos illustrate that once the upper deck is placed over the gun deck, it obliterates all the detail underneath except for what can be seen looking from the outside (gun ports) in. Can't really see anything looking from the inside out.

[popeye the sailor]

see....aren't you glad you painted them       they really look great!

[Old Collingwood]

I agree  with denis - way worth it they show very well the painting you did.

 

OC.

[Piet]

Phew, finally had the chance to get caught up with all the builds I am following. Very nice work Craig. Love to watch your method of working the model.

 

Cheers,

[CDW]

8 minutes ago, Piet said:

Phew, finally had the chance to get caught up with all the builds I am following. Very nice work Craig. Love to watch your method of working the model.

 

Cheers,

Thank you, Piet. It means a lot to me to have you here and for your kind words.

[lmagna]

Wow, I am beginning to wonder a little. Even though I am still pretty sure that the covers are coal shuttles I could not help but see that you have more of them further aft from where you are working now. In addition they all seem to be located quite close to each of the secondary gun mounts and have a skylight type structure just inboard. Are there additional gun mounts close to the shuttles further aft that are visible in picture #1?

 

It almost looks like these last four shuttles are located over the engine rooms rather than the boiler rooms as evidenced by the vents and central skylight just behind the funnels. It would not seem practical to have the bunkers extend that far aft. It would be a long haul to get the coal forward to the boiler fireboxes.

 

The thought passed my feeble mind making me wonder if they are instead ammo chutes used to pass ammo up the the smaller guns from below decks? When I built the USS Oahu, (China River gunboat sister to the Panay) she had similar openings next to her small guns located on the sides that were not only used to pass ammo but were big enough for a man to use to get rapidly to the gun from below decks.   

[CDW]

The 8 ea., 3" secondary guns are now mounted in place. The decks above the 3" guns are mounted in place, and other fiddly bits have been added here and there. 

Next, will tackle the rear bridge, then the structural framework to which the ship's boats are mounted. There are more 47mm guns to build, but am finished with the 3" guns.  

[Old Collingwood]

On 8/9/2018 at 3:19 AM, CDW said:

Thanks for the kind comments. I should have mentioned, I also have the 1:200 USS Hornet to add to the mix. 

Here is a photo of Hornet full of bombers waiting to do the Doolittle Raid.

 

Courtosy of I Love WW2 Planes  on Twitter.

 

OC.

[CDW]

All the mounting structures for the ship's boats are made from folded photo etch. Makes for a fairly tedious task to fold it all, glue it up, then paint it all. It's a done deal now.

Rear bridge tomorrow.

[popeye the sailor]

I hope they are strong enough,  when it comes to placing the boats on them.   likely quite flimsy and won't take much pressure.   that would be my fear!   nicely done.......looks super!   

[CDW]

28 minutes ago, popeye the sailor said:

I hope they are strong enough,  when it comes to placing the boats on them.   likely quite flimsy and won't take much pressure.   that would be my fear!   nicely done.......looks super!   

What you cannot see, because it's on the bottom of each piece, is a longitudinal piece that's glued which gives it it's vertical strength. It's like a "T" shape. Plenty strong for the little plastic boats.

The picture is a little visual tutorial on how the pieces are made. One thing you'll find with Pontos sets, the parts are well thought out and engineered. Just so darned small and fiddly to work with, but hey, that's the price we pay to work the details. If it was big and easy, everybody would be doing it.

Edited August 30, 2018 by CDW