Piet

Ah yes, going fishing with explosives. My cousin told me they did that in Viet Nam, back in the day. May be wasteful, but it's quick!

Yea, but the side benefit is you suddenly have a lot of fish to scoop into the boat. 

Now that's dangerous. But, I like things that go boom!

A jerry can filled with water and a large can of lye - quickly sealed and dumped overboard - made even better depth charges.

You made me remember Alan. I think I dimly remember using a slingshot with pebbles once.
 
I wonder if all this model destruction had anything to do with the average quality of the models? To do the same thing to some of the models posted here would be sacrilege to say the least! 

I feel like an underachiever.  I didn't even think about firearms or explosives.  I just used rocks...😕
 
I will say that I immolated one of my old smurf houses when I realized that I was a little too old for them.  That was extremely satisfying at least.....
 
Alan

Cherry Bombs!!
What were you simulating? The Bikini Island tests?
 
As I didn't own a gun that would really shoot I was partial to lighter fluid and a match. The huge clouds of black smoke were very realistic I thought. 

We resorted to cherry bombs, since they held up a little in water. Made good depth charges. 🤯

AMS is an acronym coined by modelers who are afflicted with "advanced modeler's syndrome". Modelers afflicted with AMS cannot build a model out of the box, stock, among other symptoms. 🙂
We grew up on a street with no stormwater drainage improvements. When it rained, a river of water flowed down the street in front of our house, then it turned and flowed down the side street along side of our house. We would race upstream with our sacrificial model boats during a rainstorm, release them in the water, then run back to the house and go out on the side porch where we waited with our BB guns. When the boats floated down the street and rounded the corner to come down the side street, we opened fire at each other's boats. A winning shot was a water line hull shot that sunk the boat. But it was fun to shoot the superstructures off the boats as well.

AMS is advanced Modelers Syndrome, adding all manner of superdetailing to the basic kit. The airplane and armor folks do it a lot.

I was always partial to hi explosives. Aka black cat fire crackers 😇
sam

hi all...thanks for the kind comments.......I impressed that this kit has struck up some fond memories for some of you.   when you can remember some of the steps you took to build it,  then you know you had fun building it.   didn't have to be all gussied up and painted....but you built it,  and you were proud of it      the molds that produced this kit Yves are old......the flash and mold lines give it away {and the date stamp}.   the new stamping under the deck,  is how they mark them today........round 2 models does the same sort of stamping.  I enjoy old kits........the nostalgia they bring to the project, makes them special.  thanks for the kind comment  
 
I've never tried resin Sam...and PE is still new to me.   I think I got the skinny of it now though.......and I have a lot of neat stuff to add,  from the Hood PE       you never did that with sprue......that is,  unless you were trying to build the Sputnik  
 
thanks John........I had all that stuff gathered already.......it was about time I put it in a log     I have two projects that I need to finish........then we'll see if I can make that silk purse.
 
not sure what AMS is CDW.......but you remember the good 'ole days....   my brother and I would give them some ballast and send them out into the marsh in our back yard..........then shoot 'em with BB guns 😈
 
the plastic is strong within you Lou.........lash out!.........and finish your training!  
 
I may not get close to the real McCoy,  but I think what I'll add to the model will look super!   

I am going to use the Trumpeter 1/350 Indianapolis as a base. I sent you a PM Ken  

Which Houston kit, Lou? The ships of ABDAFLOAT all have such a tragic history. I've read a few histories, especially the books cited by Piet during his build of Java.

I have two lined up. The Minicraft Titanic, that will be lit, for the Admiral, and the Heavy cruiser Houston as a special for me. A ship that I have read about and loved since my teen years.
But I need to get further along on the Providence first.
And I thought I was the only one who did that! A light fishing line and pole and hours would go by of imaginary voyages! 

Just found your Arizona build log. Will follow and enjoy it with you.
I think projects like this one are some of the most fun you can have in modeling. No AMS is required nor needed, just build it and detail it as you see fit...the only rule is to have fun doing it. Besides, it helps many of us re-live a great childhood past of long summer days of building our models, then floating them in puddles, streams, and ponds. I know I did a lot of that.

She's coming along at your usual speed, Popeye.  I'm certain that you'll turn this sow's ear into a silk purse!
 
John

You mean the sprues were not part of the kit? Maybe that’s why mine never looked like the box. 
 
Ill ll never forget the day I discovered resin add on kits. And a PE afterburner kit for an F18. Never was able to pull the PE kit together. 
Lookimg forward to following along in this one. 
Sam

Such a kit reveals the incredible progress that have been done in the last few years, for plastic kits.
 
And I have to say that the Japanese (long time ago) and Chinese have been raising the bar very high. The quality of what is offered today allows the modelers to complete Museum Quality models, whereas before, most of these kits were designed for kids and young enthusiasts.
 
You are every brave to try to put such a kit together. I know you will turn it into a little marvel and you obviously enjoy some challenges.
 
Yves

I'd save the sprues to make roll cages.  I thought nothing in taking a car that I've gotten sick of,  and bring 'er into the chop shop!   

You should do a plastic build lou,  would love to follow if you did.
 
OC.

thanks all for the kind comments and the likes.  been look'in in my stuff to find the chisel tips I used to use in my x-actors.  ...had for quite some time,  not sure what I did with them.....I'll find them  
 
thanks Lou and Elijah........if you noticed,  they even put a logo and copyright under that section of deck I used as a paint test.   funny........I saw that Chinese name there,  and I had to go look to see if they were on Chuck's list.   too many good legit kit to build,  than to build their garbage    but yea........Revell's had a history of doing that to some of their kits........on their 1:96 scale kits,  they had the copyright and mold date on the topside of the deck {near the main mast I believe} 
 
been there,  done that Sam.........I made the decks for the U.S.S. United states...........then I had to make 'em again 'cuz I waited to long and they warped.  I did enough 2 mm planking,  I think.   I think lots of folks built this one at one time or another.   Revell was very popular back in the 50's,  60's  and 70's.
     I browse through oldmodelkits.com every once in a while,  and it's like a nostalgia trip..........especially the cars and planes     it would be 1 mm perhaps........and then it really would be a task and a half.
 
I started the same way Chris............paint was lacking in the beginning.   modelers were closed in........no internet to widen the scope.   your best friend was the guy behind the counter at the local hobby shop........I had one.   you considered yourself blessed if there was a modeler's club in your area.   noe that the sky's the limit,  we wonder how we got along  

I think my skill set was more like gluing the sprues level back then. May still be that level come to think of it! 

Yep, I built this kit as a kid, too, back around 1971-72. That was back when my skill set consisted of separating parts from sprues and gluing them together. Parts, that is -- not the sprues.

Looks like a good challenge Denis! I really wonder what the designers were thinking when they put that branding there...