CDW

All the parts are brass. Either photo etch or machined. I've been cutting off the locator pins and filing it down flat rather than try to drill and install another pin into the machined brass gun base. These pictures give a good reference for how small we're working with here. I doubt I could drill holes in the tops of these gun bases, even on my best day. This is the stuff fly specks are made of.

Piet Thanks for the kind words. When I was a young lad, would have been hard pressed to buy a detail set, that's for sure. But there was no such thing back then, only magazines/periodicals where we could learn from the masters how to scratch build and add detail. Some were very very good. OC I have bought some pre-built and painted limited production model cars whose detail and finish is just incredible. Price was very reasonable for what I got, in the $300-$400 range. So I do think pre assembled photo etch and resin parts could be done, I just don't know if there would be enough of a market for it to make it worthwhile to a business investor. Tonight I have been working on the 30 or so little single 20mm Oerlikon gun mounts. I find these to be the most trying of all the gun mounts I've built so far. Part of the problem is an undersized hole in one of the very delicate photo etch parts and it needs to be enlarged to fit properly on a pin that projects from the gun base mount. Have not found an effective way to drill and enlarge the hole without destroying the part, so it makes that step of things exhaustive for each and every one of the guns. I probably should buy some other similar oerlikon guns from another manufacturer to see if theirs are not more user friendly.

Your work continues to be superior, Slog. Simply beautiful. There are several (or more) 1:200 card models I have my eye on and may buy them. However, unless there are some 1:200 photo etch and/or other brass details available, I may pass as I just can't see myself rolling up paper/card gun barrels and stuff like that. So my question is, where are some of your favorite places to source details for your card models? I assume a lot of these are eastern european or Russia as that's where a lot of the card models seem to come from.

Me and you both, Greg. Have been eyeballing this model in plastic for a while now.

I almost always look to see if detail sets are available for models before I buy them, and when I don't, usually end up regretting it.

They are a big step up from the plastic blobs provided in the kit, but on the other hand, the Pontos detail set sells for more than twice the price of the plastic kit itself. I think that once a modeler has experienced the added level of detail and clarity that's almost impossible with plastic alone, we're hooked on the detail sets and don't want to do a model without them. AMS is the disease (advanced modeler's syndrome). No known cure.

Hi Captain I've been looking at some photos and color art of various British ships and have noted the similarity in design of cruisers all the way up to capital ships like the Duke of York. The cranes, observation aircraft, catapult rails, life boats, and hangars are very familiar between them. Also noted the Hood carried a camouflage combination of dark and light gray very similar to the way I've painted the DoY in the later war years. I'm anxious to see your 1:200 Hood get started. Any idea yet when you might start it?

I know what I would do, but that doesn't mean it's the only correct answer. I would stick with the girl I brung to the dance.

Pontos provides a nicely detailed set of cranes in their update set for this model.

Well Gibbs is a handsome little fellow, that's for sure. We have 2 little Bichons. Both have very unique personalities and our youngest daughter adores them. I have intentionally kept my distance so my daughter can have her time as the dog's best friend. One day when she gets older and gets out on her own, will probably get myself a pup of my own to raise up as my next best buddy.

Beautiful hulls - I love the work boats. That's a cute little dog in the next-to-last picture. Looks like he is standing on guard duty.

These photo etch parts/assembly represent the catapult launch rail system and turn tables for the observation aircraft on board the Duke of York.

Hi OC No, you didn't come across in a negative way at all to me. No apology needed. In all my years of modeling, there has never been a modeling subject that was more left to personal interpretation than color. It doesn't matter whether it's ship modeling, car modeling, armor modeling, or aircraft modeling. There are always various opinions and that's fine with me. Even if a color was matched exactly to the standard number for that country, there is always a difference to the eye when it comes to the scale of the model, lighting conditions, and natural weathering.

All this could be very well true. But it's too late for me to turn back now. Besides, no one who visits my home and sees my model ship will ever know the difference and I have no plans to enter her into any type of competition. At the time I made my decision, I did so based on the limited references I had at the time.

It's a long time between now and October, but I don't know of a reason I can't be there. A local IPMS club used to have a bi-annual model contest in St. Petersburg and I always enjoyed attending that event.

Nice. That's just across the bridge from me, 30-45 minutes away.

Captain Slog My poor lighting makes it look a little darker than it is in reality. However, I would choose a little lighter shade of gray if I had to do it all over again. It's much easier to use washes and other effects to darken a light color than it is to lighten a dark color. If you go back to post number 16, you'll see the color sheet I used to base my decision to use a dark gray, also that another modeler shared with me the color call out given in a reference book he had on hand. My color is Vallejo 71.110 UK exterior dark sea gray.

Believe it or not, a lot of the little protrusions you see on the deck are actually small folded brass PE pieces. Others are cast resin. I think these pieces represent vents and perhaps ammo lockers. All the molded on deck detail got removed before the wood deck was applied. Now, the slow process of adding it all back. I am painting the pieces before I glue them to the deck to keep from making a mess trying to paint it while attached.

Just took a few photos with some of the superstructure parts I've been working on sitting on the deck, no glue yet. There are a lot of small details to cover. This remains a fun build and am looking forward to the remainder of it to finish.

Going to look super! Getting a much better idea of the size of this model sitting next to a chair. She's big.

PS: I took this picture of my cousin just this year, in April. Gets around amazing for a man that's 96 years old. His mind is as sharp as a 20 year old and recalls things from 70 years ago like it was yesterday.

On this weekend before Memorial Day here in the USA, I wanted to post this little story written by my cousin about her Dad. "My father was born on the eve of our country's Independence Day in the year of 1921. He grew up the son of a carpenter/farmer/cattleman. He was next to the youngest of 6 children and he was the youngest son. He had 3 older brothers and one older sister and one younger sister. The oldest son was drafted into the Army when he was 30. His third brother joined the Navy when he was 17. My dad was also drafted into the Army when he was 22. My dad was in the Coastal Balloon Barrage Corps which manned helium filled barrage balloons. These balloons were designed to be flown held by cables over the ships making a protective field which the enemy planes could not penetrate. If the enemy planes tried to get close enough to the ships to bomb them they would get entangled in the cables and thus crash the aircraft. It was what it was at that point in our history. These things didn't always work and my dad was wounded by flying shrapnel from an exploded bomb. He was hit in the back, through one kidney and one lung and his spine was badly injured. The medics that picked him up pulled the sheet over his head saying....."This one won't make it".....My dad pulled the sheet down and said...."Yes, I will....get me help!!!!" So he was a patient in a MASH hospital in North Africa. He healed to a point that he could get up and walk about a little but later came down with jaundice so he remained in the hospital for quite some time. One day at the hospital in North Africa he was watching a bulldozer across the way that was preparing a landing strip. As the bulldozer scraped and moved the earth a water truck followed it to wet down the area to lessen the amount of dust that was disturbed. This was done as a precaution to lessen noticability. But even with this amount of caution the worst happened. An enemy plane saw the dust and made a swoop dropping bombs that blew up the makeshift hangar and the water truck. That was a grewsome sight because the fireball was enormous. Several months later my dad was sent back to the US and medically discharged from the Army. After he had made it home his older brother finally was discharged and came home. Both brothers coming home alive was cause for celebration. A feast was prepared and the neighbors were invited to celebrate two brothers safe at home!!! They were adjusting back to life at home in the early 1940s. One afternoon they were talking about things they had done and things they had seen. As they were talking one or the other brought up the day in North Africa when a water truck was bombed by enemy aircraft and blew up. Sometime during the telling of this my dad interrupted and said...."well I was really close to that incident, I watched it from my hospital room which was just across the field from the airstrip." My uncle said, " Well, imagine that.....I was watching it too. I was pretty close to it too. I was driving the bulldozer!" These brothers were within shouting distance of one another in North Africa and unaware. Two brothers from Oxford, Florida, together in North Africa, watching a water truck being blown up but unaware that they were together in North Africa until they returned to Oxford FL. I would like to thank these two men for their faithful service to our Country. My dad (92) and his brother (if he were alive would be 104). I would also like to thank every other service man and woman who has served in the Armed Forces protecting and fighting for me to have the right to live in a free country. P.S. My dad is now 95 and will turn 96 on July 3. Even though he is now blinded and deaf he still planted a wonderful garden this year and has had the best potato crop that he ever remembers.....Blessings on my "old man"....he is tough as nails and hard headed as a bull. We are truly blessed."

I've used Future, the acrylic floor product on my old decal sheets as well to prevent breakup - with great results. I spray the Future on with my airbrush. By the way, the new trade name for "Future", is Pledge Floor Care Finish. It can be found at WalMart and a bottle of it will last a modeler a lifetime (almost maybe).

I got the 2nd funnel finished along with some more of the superstructure components. Will try to get some more photos up this weekend. I have noticed that replacement decals to include union jack flags are almost non existent. My kit decals have yellowed over the years. Just in case any of you don't know this little trick...if any of your decal sheets have yellowed over the years like the ones I mentioned above, just tape them inside a window facing outward for a day or so. The sun will bleach the yellow right out of the decal and they will look as good as new again. Now, don't go and leave them there for a long period of time because it may bleach out the desired colors all together, I don't know.