JPett

Ahoy Mates
 
Just a follow up on my progress
 
I have decided that this idea requires way too much effort to execute. With the amount of time spent to confirm the gunport position is correct I could have cut this port out of a fully planked hull with a wet noodle. Measurements came from two different plates, which had to be compared and adjusted for the hull in its current state. I allowed myself 2mm on each side for error.
 
I would not rate this as a failure only because I did learn how to correctly measure for the gunports which for this project will be a necessity. This bulkhead will become the point from which the remaining gunports positions will be derived.

Ahoy Demonborger
 
Thanks for responding
 
The Corel kit uses metal gunport frames with a length of wood installed between the bulkheads to mount the dummy cannon. The bulkheads are pretty substantial on the Corel kits too. The instruction "if I am deciphering them correctly" suggest you to apply the planking and then cut out the gunports. It's going to be a hell of a party  

Ahoy Mates
 
Ben: Welcome Aboard, I will go with "hopefully"
 
Mark: Ditto on my response to Ben
 
Eric (Sport): You really are asking for it on all fronts. I think we share a common trait  
 
Erik N: Thank you very much for taking the time to post those most helpful images.
 
Augie: Really now, I would not would bet a nickel on that first comment  but I will second the second. I would be lost without the help I have received here on MSW.
 
Patrick: Did Augie coach you or just pay you "lol"
 
 
Back to the build: Time .5hr (Keel and Bulkheads.). Total 5hrs
 
Just to be safe I scanned the plans, cutting out part# 16 and first tested it against part number #15 (keel) on the plans and found the gap between the tab and the slot is in the plans. Perhaps something goes there, maybe it is an expansion joint,  I do not know but have removed it from the list of current problems. I should point out that I tested my scan against the original on the plans before I did anything. Next I tested my cutout on the actual part and confirmed my original findings that a small amount could be removed. Not enough to correct the problem but some. Then I aligned the part (with the cut out) to the keel (#15) on the plans and found that the keel is also short. The overage on part #16 and the shortage on part number 15 causing the problem.
 
Simply put I can glue the parts and sand off the excess just as Erik suggested and according to Augie I should have no problems for the next 6 months, although gluing a strip along the bottom of 15 would also work just as Patrick suggested but because this did not come with a guarantee of no problems for 6 months I will have to go with plan A.
 
I think I am good here, problem solved 
 
 
 

Ahoy Mates
 
Sjors: I agree "I think" lol
 
Back to the build: Time .5hr (Keel and Bulkheads.). Total 4.5hrs
 
While waiting for the parts to dry elsewhere I decided to do a quick overlay to see if I could spot a quick fix. As it turned out I found a small clue. Sadly I do not see this as a completely correcting the problem but it does seem to be a place to start. The problem, the amount that the image shows that could be removed from the bottom of part #16 does not match the amount needed for proper alignment.
 
Next step will be to scan this section of the plans for complete accuracy and then do a print and paste on part #16

Ahoy Tex
 
On my Model Expo kit, a few of the bulkheads were wrong. Some were asymmetrical, others the cutout for the keel was wrong. If you have not already, I would suggest checking this against the plans.

Ahoy Nick  
 
Beautiful work 
 
I really like your approach to this kit 
 
I have the Corel Vic as a back burner project and am currently trying to formulate a plan to plank this beast. The instruction have you completing both layers of planking and then go back and cut out the ports. I don't think my skills are up to that.
 
I saw you used a plank on the first layer as the line for the sills.  Was this in the instructions or just your genius. Also on your second layer are you tinting that wood or is that just the natural color. 
 
Many thanks for posting.

Ahoy Brenticus
 
I thought I would post a pic to help you out  
 
if you use quality transfers, follow the instructions, you will find that they are very easy to use , provide a scale "raised" appearance and look great. You can also clear coat them too as they are pretty resilient and "yes" they come in gold. 
 
These letters are only 5/64" high and 11 letters looks to be 34/32" across 
 
This took me about a half an hour and was my first take. I might just be done
 
Well after I hit them with a few coats of some WOP and shave off a 16" on the right. 

Ahoy Brenticus
 
I thought I would post a pic to help you out  
 
if you use quality transfers, follow the instructions, you will find that they are very easy to use , provide a scale "raised" appearance and look great. You can also clear coat them too as they are pretty resilient and "yes" they come in gold. 
 
These letters are only 5/64" high and 11 letters looks to be 34/32" across 
 
This took me about a half an hour and was my first take. I might just be done
 
Well after I hit them with a few coats of some WOP and shave off a 16" on the right. 

Ahoy Kevin
 
I use 5 minute epoxy for most of my PE. Your parts will never pop off.  It can be thinned with Alcohol and applied similar to Thin cements using capillary action. Or it can be left on a part for a minute or two to "get tacky" before applying it to the model. Cleaning up any excess is also easy with alcohol.
 
Whatever you use be sure to scuff the PE

Ahoy Kevin
 
That is a sweet package
 
http://www.model-dockyard.com/acatalog/info_MD20003.html
 
I have not had the pleasure of using any of MK1 PE. I have used their decks before and found them excellent even in the 700 scale

And She's Complete - 89 days, 210 hours
 

Actually she's been complete except for the base since Dec. 5. Since my last post I added a lot of railings, a little rigging, and the rub-on transfers.
 

You can see some of the railings here.
 

The rigging is done with extremely fine metallic thread. There's no place to attach it, so it's just glued to the top of the yards and painted over with Haze Gray.
 

I expected decals but the kit came with rub-on transfers. You position them on the model and rub HARD with a blunt dowel. In fact I had to rub so hard that the solid hull was dented under the waterline numbers. The kit had multiple copies of the numbers which was lucky because several of them were ruined by the rubbing.
 

I used some nice quarter-sawn white oak for the base, and tapered the edges to resemble the angled sides of the ship. I ordered a bottomless plexiglass case just an inch bigger than the model on all sides. When I get the case I'll cut the bottom to fit and glue it up. So there's one more picture to follow.
 
 
 
 

Mast


I thought the mast was done a long time ago, but it turns out that each little platform has several railings to keep the sailors alive. I sure wish I had known about the railings when the mast was sitting safely in a fixture in my vise and not atop a bunch of other delicate parts.
 
Refueling Hoses

These refueling hoses were surprisingly hard to build. There are four of them. The valves and hoses are cast metal, but the hoses come straight. I couldn't even tell what they were until I'd used up everything else and was left with them for the hoses. They had to be drilled in the end to accept the valves, drilled in the nozzle to accept a .02 " mounting wire, and bent to fit the particular location on the model. Not easy.
 
Boats

The ship's two boats are made of poorly-cast resin. I even got a set of replacements from Blue Jacket, and they were no better. I filled, sanded, and filed, but there are still a lot of rough spots on the boats.
 
CIWS (Close-In Weapons System) Gun
 

Speaking of Close-In, I really hate these close-in photos. It's like when someone takes a close-in photo of your face and you can see every pore and nose-hair. Anyway, here's want the front of the ship looks like close-in.
 
The ship's bell is cast metal. The paint set came with a full bottle of gold paint for the bell and the propellers (that I ended up buying elsewhere.) I'll say it again, At this price I think that Blue Jacket should include brass propellers AND A BRASS BELL with the kit.
 
Stairs
 

Way back on 10 October I complained that several little platforms kept breaking off, and that I had finally reinforced them all with a 1/32" brace underneath. I sure wish that I had realized then that the platform between the stacks should be at mid deck and not at the top. After I got it relocated I built these awesome stairs out of photo-etched brass pieces. It took about 7 hours, but wouldn't you like to climb that staircase?
 
Missile Control Radar
 

Every edge of this model is surrounded by photo-etched brass railings. I swear that they are so delicate that they bend when I walk into the room. Most railings are made up of lots of little pieces, like these railings around the missile control radar. They are mounted with tiny square tabs below each upright.
 
The railings never seem to fit in the required space. It seems like the railings are sized exactly for each location, but that the square tabs are not accounted for. I end up cutting off parts of each mounting tab. It would be MUCH easier if the railings were made as a single piece that was bent to the contour of the base, rather than many individual pieces.
 
 

Anchors Aweigh

Way back on 10 September I complained about having to make my own hawse pipe out of epoxy putty. I sure wish that I had realized then that the piece had to be thin enough to fit inside the narrow anchor flukes! Thank goodness for my Proxxon pen sander. I was able to remove about 1.5 mm from each side while it was still attached to the bow.
 
The anchor chains seemed to be made of copper. The instructions said to paint them black, but I think that the links in the chain are smaller than paint molecules, so I used a black patina made for stained glass. That worked well.
 
The chains disappear into cast-metal chain pipe covers. I sure wish I had realized that they should have holes in them for the chain before I installed them! Instead I butt-glued the chain to the ends.

Haze Gray but not Underway Yet - 76 days, 194 hours
 


Since my last post I've almost completed the Arleigh Burke except for hundreds of little railings. Here's what she looks like now.
 
Decal Envy


The kit came with a paper flag and a set of decals for the ship's numbering, but surprisingly it did not include an ARLEIGH BURKE decal for the stern. Instead it had a laser-cut self-adhesive mask for painting the lettering, and several sets of photo-etched brass letters. I tried the mask first, but it was impossible to remove the body of the "A" while leaving the little triangle in the center. I tried the brass letters second, but it was impossible to glue them in line without getting glue on the letters or scratching the paint off of them. Finally I printed my own decals on Papilio Inkjet Clear Waterslide decal paper. Yeah, you can see the border but that's the least of my imperfections.

Final Assembly
 

This paragraph
 

says to find these parts
 

and all of these parts, file them all down, paint them, figure out where they go, and glue them in place. Yikes.
 
 

Superstructure Attached
 
 
Well I got to page 50, "Final Assembly," and I still hadn't seen anything about attaching the superstructure. Eventually I found that I should have attached the forward superstructure on page 18, but I don't think the instructions say anything at all about attaching the aft superstructure or stacks. So I went ahead and attached everything. Here's proof.
 

More Small Parts
 

5" gun mount & boat crane
 

2 double life raft canisters, 3 reels, 2 SATCOM antennas, 11 single life raft canisters

Miscellaneous Small Parts
 

3 missile directors
2 MK 32 torpedo tubes
2 SBROC launchers

2 R2-D2 droids

PROPS!
 

Did I tell you that I ordered propellers? The kit has you building your own using Britannia metal hubs, photo-etched brass blades, and gold paint. I didn't bother. Instead I ordered a pair of 1-inch diameter Raboesch brass power props from  The Model Dockyard. They cost about 38 USD including shipping, but worth every D. I honestly think Bluejacket should include these props with the kit, even if they have to increase the price. At least make them available as an option.

Painting     38 days, 120 hours
 
My previous post about pin striping tape turned out to be a moot question. I was ready to paint and my tape still had not arrived. I painted the top of the hull with Testors Haze gray, masked that off, painted the bottom with Rustoleum Colonial red, masked that off, and painted the waterline with Testors flat black. I kept a couple of samples going to make sure that everything was compatible. The results were perfect. No touch up necessary.
 
Then I masked the hull off and painted the deck with Testors Euro gray.
 

The kit comes with self-adhesive stencils for the Helicopter landing markings. They are a little tricky to apply because when you remove the backing everything flops loose. Nevertheless, they went down OK. I airbrushed maybe 6 light coats of flat white, using a hair dryer between coats.
 

Removing the stencils was pure terror. If I screwed up there was no recourse. But the results looked pretty good.
 

Here's everything stacked up so far. It's starting to look like a real ship!

Harpoon Missile Racks
 

These Harpoon missile racks couldn't have been much harder to build. I spent about 9 hours on the two of them. Each rack has 28 pieces:
6 photo-etched brass frames laminated into 3 double pieces. 4 cast metal tubes that don't fit in the frames without sanding. 2 pieces of brass wire along the bottom. 3 tiny photo-etched brass struts on the bottom. 8 brass pieces for the legs. I glued these together with CA. 1 styrene blast sheild. 4 cast metal feet. Does that add up to 28? I've lost count.
 

They do look pretty good when they're done.
 
 

Masking tape model
 

I've seen ship models made of card, bone, and toothpicks, so I thought it would be fun to make one out of masking tape.
 
Ha ha, only joking. I REALLY did not want to mask off the entire forward superstructure to paint the decks, so I half-masked (half-assed) it and tried to paint it with a brush. I watched every boring video on Youtube about brush painting, and the results still weren't up to my generally low standards. So I bit the bullet and masked the hole thing off.
 

Here's the result after a little retouching. There is very little difference between the Haze gray walls and the Euro gray decks.

Getting Ready to Paint

No need for a fancy jig to mark the waterline. So far I've sprayed the top of the hull Haze gray, masked that off, and sprayed a coat of red on bottom. Photos coming soon.

Superstructure

I've added a lot of detail parts to the superstructure - extensions around the top of the stacks, ladders, antennas, etc. I painted everything Haze gray using the Testors paints that I bought with the kit, and a cheap Badger airbrush. The horizontal deck surfaces on the aft superstructure are painted Euro gray using a brush and a lot of masking tape.
 
Speaking of antennas, the two antennas on the front of the aft superstructure are cast metal pieces that are butt-glued to a photo-etched platform. Well I've broken the platform and antennas off more times than I can remember, so the other day I deconstructed everything, drilled two holes in the platform, glued it back with a 1/32" brace underneath, and epoxied the antennas in the holes. They aren't going anywhere now.
 
Then today when I went to take this photo I broke the single antenna off the front stack. Looks like more deconstruction ahead.

Mast Construction,    32 days, 90 hours

The mast is made from 1/4" square basswood set on the diagonal and swept back 15 degrees. The yards are photo-etched brass reinforced with 1/16" square brass tubes glued with CA.
 

The yard braces are made from 1/32" square brass stock. The instructions said to glue these pieces together, but when it was time to sand them flush they just broke off.  Instead I soldered the main joint with long pieces, cut the braces slightly long with wire cutters, then sanded everything flush on a Proxxon disk sander. My other hobby is stained glass so I've done a lot of soldering.
 

It was hard to hold the mast in my vise because it is set on the diagonal, so I chopped a square hole in a piece of poplar to make a holder.
 
To make the platform braces I spun the brass stock against the sander to make a point that I shoved into the mast. I clipped the other end slightly long, sanded the end to match the platform, and glued both ends with CA. They are super strong.
 
The mast has a zillion tiny photo-etched pieces. I put on my magnifying headset and started snipping, filing, and gluing. The 8 little antennas on the top mast extension are about the size of a grain of rice and were especially hard. It's good that the kit includes lots of spares because several pieces went flying, never to be seen again. The two radar antennas are cast pieces.
 
The mast took about 20 hours to build. It was challenging but actually a lot of fun, and it looks beautiful.