Landlubber Mike

Two other tools that might be handy are the Tamiya PE bending pliers. There is a small one and a larger one: https://www.amazon.com/Tamiya-Tools-Bending-Pliers-Photo/dp/B001HBJ2YG/ref=sr_1_1?keywords=tamiya+pe+pliers&qid=1636555835&sr=8-1 https://www.amazon.com/TAMIYA-America-Bending-Pliers-Photo-TAM74067/dp/B01LX200XY/ref=sr_1_2?keywords=tamiya+pe+pliers&qid=1636555835&sr=8-2 You can use these to bend PE and they do a good job. I used them a lot on my 1/700 build since the PE was so small and thin I didn't think it was as critical to get 90 degree bends. On my 1/350 build, I almost exclusive use the Bug to get the bends going, and sometimes, like with box-type shapes, will use the small Tamiya pliers to finalize the bends since they have more surface area than tweezers. Where these pliers really help, especially the long one, is where a piece of PE gets twisted or is otherwise no longer flat and needs to be. This could happen on fret removal, mistake in construction, the PE fell on the ground and in looking for it you accidentally stepped on it (yes, has happened to me a couple of times), etc. Put the piece in the pliers and you can get the piece flattened out.

I have their large PE cut off set and really like it. The black acetate really helps to set off the color of the brass PE, making it easier to locate cut-off tabs and find pieces that might have moved. Those plastic hold downs can be helpful as well. I stopped using them on my 1/700 scale model because the PE was too thin and I found it did more harm than good. I ended up just using the tip of my finger to hold the PE in place. You definitely want to hold the parts down as they can ping off the fret when the last cut-off tab is cut - has happened to me more times than I care to admit! I similarly mostly use my fingers on my 1/350 PE, but have on occasion used the hold downs. I think I mentioned earlier that I have one of the larger PE benders as well. I have a few larger kits (1/72 Snowberry and the 1/200 Bismarck) and some of the PE looked like it was on the larger side so to be safe, I picked it up. Thus far for me, the Bug has worked for all my PE needs. You probably could just get one of the larger sets and call it a day as it looks like it has some of the smaller bending fingers like the Bug, but I think it's nice to have both the Bug and a larger one as the Bug doesn't take up much room on the bench. All in all, I really like the Small Shop products. I have their rolling set (very helpful when you need to roll PE into cylinders) and their Wrangler, which I think I've only used once. Do you "need" these products? I would say that with most things in modeling, there are multiple ways of accomplishing the same result. These products though are very well designed and make it much easier. Hope that helps!

Agree with Jack - it's what I have been using and I really like it. Well made, and very versatile. I have one of their larger hold and folds but haven't had the need to break it out yet.

Clare, I've seen your models individually on various threads here, but seeing them all together on display is really impressive. You do fantastic work on these really neat subjects!

Nicely done Eric - getting the pre-formed gunwales on is always a stressful part of the build, and you've done a great job with it. I have to say though, in the end, the pre-formed gunwales are much easier to do than planking the hull and cutting out gunports! I had to do that on my La Renommee build and it took forever.

That's really nice detail on there, wow! You're doing a fantastic job on it. Putting aside the PE, the hull detail with the plating is really crisp and impressive. I know what you mean about taking breaks. Need to relax the eyes and hands, and sorta reset the mind. I also find I need to stretch my back and legs if I'm sitting too long hunched over with the optivisor and tweezers

Great job OC! I love it! Can I ask what you are using for the diorama base? Looks pretty cool.

Really nicely done Gary! I second the build log idea

This is one of the coolest dioramas I've ever seen, and incredibly impressive considering the scale. Absolutely fantastic work!

Chris, it's really amazing what you can do with card. Really impressive!

Thanks Jack and Derek. Sorry to keep asking questions on the honing guides, but what do you get with the Kell guide that you don't get with the Veritas guide? I'm still not exactly sure of the difference, but likely because I haven't used honing guides very much. For what it's worth, I'm only looking for something for smaller/miniature chisels as I don't expect to get into using larger ones (famous last words). I do want to get back to my wooden ship builds now that I have these cool toys.

Jack, since you have both honing guides, would you say it’s worth getting the Kell guide if you have the Veritas one?

Really nice job Scott! Love all the details!

Looking great Glen! Moment of truth coming soon! Good luck!

Thanks for the review. I think I pretty much ordered the same items minus the block plane which I already had. I'm still waiting on a few things. I'm glad they came out with the miniature honing guide for the mini chisels. I have had them for a few years but couldn't find a solution that worked. Enjoy the tools!

Great stuff there Edward! Nice job! 👍

Catching up here too - wow! Great diorama! I used to paint fantasy miniatures as a teen and can attest to how hard it is to make them look lifelike - you make it look really easy though, fantastic job!

Well done! Looks great amongst the other treasures on the shelf of glory!

Great job Popeye! The painting was really well done, first rate for sure. To echo an earlier comment, what an eye catcher for the display shelf!

Just caught up with your log OC. Very nicely done! The figure really brings the model to life!

Thanks Alan, that's great to know! Thank you!

Just caught up on your log Eric, really nice job so far! And thank you for sharing your adventures with woodworking tools. Very interesting! The Perry looks like a really nice subject to model, and the BJ kit looks pretty nice, especially with that helpful CD. Personally, I don't know if I would ever do a solid hull (mostly because I would want to use power tools to speed things along but would be too nervous that I would remove too much material), but you are doing a fantastic job!

Thanks Lou, really appreciate the kind words. On size, you're totally right. For another comparison, I was looking at the expected lengths of various models in my stash the other day, and saw that the Shimakaze was about 425 ft long. The USS Gambier Bay, an escort carrier, was 512 feet long. Not too much smaller.

Slowly making more progress. I thought once I painted the details that it would be a day or two more of work and then I could get to clear coating and weathering. Has been a little bit more involved. I think I'm just about at the point where a few more final details and paint touchups and I can start finalizing the build. It's amazing how many details there are on destroyers. I ended up buying a hot wire foam cutter (Proxxon) to be able to cleanly cut foam to make the diorama base. I need to look into what type of foam board to buy. I think some use standard styrofoam, while you can also use stuff like expanded foam, builder foam (might be the same as expanded foam), etc. Not exactly sure what all those are, so need to educate myself. The great thing about the hot wire cutter is that you end up with clean cuts and don't have bits and pieces of foam all over the place with that nasty electrostatic cling if you use a saw or knife to cut it. Well worth the money in my opinion, as I hate trying to clean up foam particles that stick to everything but inside the garbage bin.

Looks great to me Glen. Good luck getting it into the bottle - fingers and toes crossed here for you