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CDW

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Everything posted by CDW

  1. CDW
    1/16" sounds like such a small strip of leather for the straps. But once those finished straps are attached to the boat davits, it's just right. Beautiful work.
  2. CDW
    To an old Marine, "adapt and overcome", comes to mind as well.
  3. CDW
    I might have solved my problems of breaking micro drill bits so often while using my pin vise. It's my belief that half the problem comes from unwanted lateral movement caused by hand drilling and that ends up breaking the bits. The other half (at least half) is caused by using cheap, hobby grade bits. While I haven't yet locally sourced industrial grade bits, I have found a solution for keeping a steady, straight drill bit while drilling. I am now using a little hand held cordless screw driver that accepts 1/4" quick change bits. Then, I found a micro drill chuck with a 1/4" quick change shank. Found mine at Amazon. Now, I am breaking bits far less often, drilling small holes with much less effort, and far faster.
  4. CDW
    There are quite a few hand hold locations to drill out on the Mikasa hull.The Pontos set includes some nifty little templates for getting all the holes lined up properly for drilling. I'm glad this feature is included as I find it a real pain to get all the holes marked out evenly using just a pencil and ruler.
  5. CDW
    Yes, much easier on the eyes at 1:200 scale. And with this ship, the larger scale does not create a model too large to fit on display being approximately 27" in length.
  6. CDW
    Thanks - simple
  7. CDW
    I had no idea I could do a Google translate search or that there is such a thing. Will look into it and explore. Google translate is an app I need to install?
  8. CDW
    Finding reference material for the Mikasa has proven to be difficult. Most of what's out there are shots of the ship's current state on museum exhibit in Japan. The hull is encased in concrete there.
  9. CDW
    How much help are the lights equipped on the visor? I have a visor with LED lights and never use them because they offer no real benefit. They don't cast enough distance to help. Granted, mine is a cheap visor and probably the LED's are not representative of the ones equipped on a good visor.
  10. CDW
    Most likely, yes, I will use the torpedo net features. RLG used the nets on one of his model build threads here and thought they looked fantastic.
  11. CDW
    Thanks Yves. You got an excellent deal on your Mikasa from Squadron. I found my Pontos set at Freetime Hobbies online for around $220. But the Pontos sets have proven to be hard to acquire as I suppose they sell out as soon as the shops get them in stock. The Mikasa comes with a surprising amount of photo etch without buying anything extra, and I have no doubt you can build a beautiful model with the items you have acquired. I hope to see you start a build thread when you start yours. Regards Craig
  12. CDW
    Quite a few portholes to dress up with photo etch.
  13. CDW
    Not a lot to show here, but here is the hull with portholes drilled out, red marking the raised detail that must be removed and replaced with photo etch. In addition, you'll see the 6" casement guns that simply require removal of the stock plastic gun barrels, drilling out the breach, then replacing the plastic barrel with brass.
  14. CDW
    Greg, it was a real pain in the rear, but I managed to drill holes in the photo etch by chucking my drill bit in my rotary tool and using the tool on it's very lowest speed setting. It requires very slight pressure to keep from snapping the bit and keeping it from any lateral movement that will snap it, but it worked for drilling some holes in PE. Can't get a lot of holes drilled without breaking a bit here and there, but it can be done that way and more successfully than with my pin vise as while trying to drill with it, end up snapping my bit with unintended lateral movement.
  15. CDW
    I'm not going to keep kicking a dead horse, I promise. HOWEVER...if anyone else (Capt. Slog?) decides to build this Mikasa-Pontos combination, do yourself a huge favor and take your time reviewing and re-reviewing the Pontos photo instructions and photo etch sheets before starting construction. There are a LOT of details that are not numbered on the instruction sheet, but you have the parts on the photo etch sheets to replace raised, molded details on the ship. In some cases, the instruction photos will show you what to remove. In some cases, they won't show you what to remove. In other cases, there are no photo etch part numbers given at all on the instruction photos for the corresponding photo etch parts. You just need to review the photo etch sheets and make mental or written notes (maybe both) of what you see in the way of parts on the photo etch sheets, then try to figure out where they should go. Some parts are obvious, like the rings and eyebrows that go around/over the portholes. Oddly, the instruction photos don't picture or mention these at all, but all those parts are on the photo etch sheets. Same goes for hand holds and grab bars located on the hull. I don't yet know the full extent of what is and is not shown on the plans, I've only begun to scratch the surface while prepping the hull for primer and building the 6" guns that go inside the casemates. I'll try to get some pictures posted shortly.
  16. CDW
    Hey, that looks very good. Are you saying there will be a gap after the deck drops inside the strips you installed? I can't really understand where and what will require putty unless it's that.
  17. CDW
    That looks like a good choice. From some of the ones who recommended that visor, I don't think you'll go wrong. Be sure to give us an update. I may want to order one, too.
  18. CDW
    Just don't go "cheap" for cheap's sake. Try to buy a good quality lens and something that fits you properly without hanging down atop the bridge of your nose or something like that. Ask me how I know....been there and done that. It was a mistake to buy a bargain brand, a waste of money. I have 2 different pair of visors that are useless to me.
  19. CDW
    It's interesting the British built the Mikasa for Japan at a cost of some 880,000 pounds.
  20. CDW
    My 20 year old daughter won't touch a digital book. It must be a paper, printed book, and she is an avid reader. Being from another older generation, I too am stuck on paper, printed books and magazines. For some reason, I find them easier to read. What to trust when you read or listen has always been an issue. Truth is not often easily discerned. There are many sources of information that are either flat out false, or are trying to further an unhealthy agenda.
  21. CDW
    The hull halves in my kit were just a bit warped, so that when they were joined, there was a gap in the middle. it took some serious persuasion to get the halves to match and join in the middle. I first made sure each fore and aft ends were securely taped and glued, then pulled the middle together and applied glue, then tape, just a few inches at a time working from each end toward the middle. As each area glued had dried, moved more toward the center in similar fashion and repeated until it was all joined together. As it is, there are only two small areas that will require some very light filler to conceal a fine crack. For reinforcement and to add glue surface area, glued some styrene inside the hull at the joint. Next, there are a lot of Pontos guns to build.
  22. CDW
    I arrived at the very last task of detailing and installing searchlights before I realized my kit does not have enough searchlights to complete the model. So, went to Northstar and ordered some that will be suitable for a model of this size. The recommended donor kit for the Duke of York detail set I used was the Tamiya Prince of Wales. i used the King George V kit instead as my donor thinking it really wouldn't make any difference. For the most part this was true, except in the case of searchlights, a few odd and end differences in deck and superstructure details, and the lack of a Walrus spotter aircraft. As soon as my searchlights arrive, will get them finished and installed, then some final photographs for posterity.
  23. CDW
    Thanks fellas...the length of the hull is roughly 27", but she has a wide beam. It will be large enough to see it well, but not so large so that it's hard to display. I was reading a bit on the Battle of Japan Sea, or the Battle of Tsushima, whichever you prefer to call it. It's interesting enough that it makes me want to research it a bit more. A few days after the Russian's surrendered, the Mikasa sank when her magazine accidentally exploded. She was then salvaged and put back into service. Since, she has been restored and now is on display in Yokosuka.
  24. CDW
    Here's my beginning for the 1:200 Wave Models IJN Battleship, Mikasa, construction project. Along with the basic model kit, I have the Pontos Detail Set and an Artwox wooden deck. The Artwox deck and kit were purchased at the same time, but the Pontos set only became available for me later. The Pontos set also contains a wooden deck, so in the course of construction, will determine which deck looks best and use that deck. In case you are wondering, it appears that Wave Models and Merit Models are the same kit in a different box. It's also worth noting that the Wave Models kit I have here appears to be produced with the Asian market in mind as both the instructions and the color guide are all written in Chinese only. As always, the Pontos detail set is beautiful. Lots of machined brass parts, some resin bits, and 10 large sheets of photo etch. The brass props included with the set are jewels. Over the next few days, will begin construction of this kit and posting of progress photos.
  25. CDW
    Add some more rigging, flags, spotlights, a few odds and ends, and this one is done. I'm kicking around what to do next. Maybe a cruiser, I have the 1:350 Belfast and detail items. Or could do the 1:350 IJN Akagi, or the 1:350 IJN Nagato, or the 1:200 Mikasa...decisions, decisions...

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