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CDW

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Everything posted by CDW

  1. CDW
    Well that is interesting. Cellulose nitrate is also an ingredient found in fuel proof model airplane dope as used for covering and finishing. It shrinks as time goes on which makes it useful as covering because it keeps the fabric tight.
  2. CDW
    The Essex hull with a splash of preshading before any finish paint goes on the model. I ordered photo etch portholes from Northstar and will wait until those arrive and install them before painting the hull. The the meantime, will do some detail work and painting in the hangar deck area as well as begin begin building the photo etch assemblies from Pontos. A ton of those to do.
  3. CDW
    Captain Slog For the card stock models, I'll bet those scalpel blades are going to be great. I don't like using them too much on my wooden models because the blades are thinner as you noted. I still use both the standard No. 11 model blades and I also use the scalpels for lighter work. It just seems to me they will be ideal for a card stock model. By the way, your model is looking fabulous. I have a few card stock models and am trying to soak in the ins and outs before I attempt to build one.
  4. CDW
    Farbror Are you using a brush or an airbrush to paint your model? Looks great.
  5. CDW
    That is interesting. I have never used Uhu Hart glue. Is it a PVA, or something else? A friend and I have built a lot of micro scale R/C aircraft where keeping weight to a bare minimum is critical. My friend swears he has tested it and that CA glue is much heavier than PVA glue. I am not a gram-counter when it comes to building and flying my micro size aircraft, but maybe I should be? I have never checked to verify his assertion about CA being heavier. But the truth is, when building model aircraft, I prefer PVA glue in spite of what it might weigh. Reason being, if I make a mistake, I can un-do it with a drop of water on the glue joint whereas CA is pretty much set once it is used.
  6. CDW
    Thanks Jorgen. I have used that technique in the past to fill seams as well as create them and sometimes the old tried and true techniques are the best. On the net, I found a beautiful build article with photos of an Essex class carrier. The author meticulously taped off each individual panel and used modeling putty to fashion the panels. Talk about a painful, patience testing exercise, that is one for the books. But it came out beautiful, stunning. I do not think my skills are up to that task right now. One thing I have noted in general... I will use masking tape to control the limits of where modeling putty is being applied so as not to create additional sanding work and possibly lose molded in surface detail. If the tape is not quickly removed after the putty is applied, glue residue from the tape will be left stuck to the model to the extent some type of glue remover (like Goo Gone) will have to be used to deal with it. I guess the volatiles in the putty attack and go through the tape.
  7. CDW
    Those faux panel lines didn't work to my satisfaction at all. Just too pronounced, even after sanding them down quite a bit. Ended up sanding them completely off. Next, will use pre shaded panel markings underneath my paint job to simulate the panels instead. I could engrave them, but I am afraid I won't like that either. I got my 1.3 mm diameter LED lights, and a 9 volt battery connection with a micro on-off switch, in the mail today. Really quick turn around from a train-hobby shop here in the USA. Never used them before, just took a chance and they were great. Low prices and very reasonable/fast postage.
  8. CDW
    So, I hope this experiment will turn out satisfactory. I have added an armor belt along the water line then began to fashion what will become raised detail to simulate welds on the hull. Of course, at the moment, nothing is sanded down nor shaped in a way that will give the effect of welds. But you can probably get the idea of what I'm trying to achieve. I used .020 Plastruct styrene rod. Would have preferred to have use .010 instead, but my local hobby shop had none in stock. Hopefully once I get her sanded down, the effect will look subtle and not too gaudy. Nothing a little sandpaper and elbow grease can't cure, but I don't like to waste time. Still quite a bit to do, just took some photos along the way for posterity.
  9. CDW
    She is a beauty.
  10. CDW
    Fantastic work, Greg. Beautiful.
  11. CDW
    I have some very nice 1:700 scale ship models with full detail sets sitting in my closet. Looking them over, each time I think I might build one, I get scared away by the extreme small scale. One of these days I am going to get started on one even if I screw it up.
  12. CDW
    Totally agree about the deck and its color. it looks superb!
  13. CDW
    Excellent website/source (Northstar) for ship details. Thanks!
  14. CDW
    The hull and hangar decks are fairly simple arrangements. The hull consists of lower and upper halves, while the hangar decks are divided into three parts. Where it starts to get a little dicey is after the upper and lower hulls are joined. Here, we are left with a fairly significant step where the halves join. The good news is, my research shows there is an armor belt that extends over most of the entire length of the hull, so I can cover up that step for the most part and be left with a much smaller area to fill and sand. Also note the hull is devoid of detail and has no plating panel lines whatsoever, so I will need to either add some raised weld seams or scribe in some lines to provide a proper visual effect. On the net, I have been able to locate some pretty good photos of the Essex hangar deck and details. Also, found that White Ensign made some hangar deck equipment/air wing photo etch. Will likely order a set of that photo etch.
  15. CDW
    Tonight I ordered some (6ea.) 1.3mm diameter LED lights that will run off a 9 volt battery. That should be enough lighting if strategically placed. Believe it or not, even with all the photo etch I have, none is for the hangar deck. There doesn't seem to be any aftermarket items for the hangar deck that I can find. So, scratch build it will have to be and maybe some equipment from other kits.
  16. CDW
    I was thinking of you, Greg, when I began looking through the Pontos detail set. With the "instructions" being no more than some photo illustrations, I am wondering how modelers such as yourself get all these pieces sorted out. It looks a bit intimidating to say the least. Keeping in mind what you said about eating an elephant, I will just tackle one thing at a time and see where things lead. I guess one of the first things I need to do is to decide whether I want to open up any of the hangar decks and add some detail and maybe some lighting to see it. Will do some research first then decide. Right now, just am not sure whether I should or shouldn't. At 1:350 scale, it may be too small to see much of it once its all done, I don't know.
  17. CDW
    Many years ago, a good friend in Maryland gave me this 1:350 Trumpeter USS Essex along with a ton of photo etch and a reference book. I intended to build the model long before now but life has its way of changing our plans. Well, now seems to be the time, so I will give this baby a start and see what I can do. I have added a Pontos detail set to augment the photo etch I already have and have the Anatomy of a Ship, The Aircraft Carrier Intrepid, on its way from Amazon. Here are some photos of what I'm starting with.
  18. CDW
    Greg The model is looking just sensational. Details are crisp and sharp. What set do the eyelets for tying off your rigging come with? Seems like those would come in handy for so many different models in 1:350 scale.
  19. CDW
    You know that Dragon just came out with a 1941 version of this ship, whereas this one is how she was configured in 1943 just before she was sunk. Last time they produced the 1943 version, they didn't produce any more and let the stocks deplete. I am tempted to buy a 1941 version now as in a year or two, there might not be any more available and who knows when they will release it again. It seems some companies have found value in making their product scarce. Sounds weird I know, but that's what some are doing. Unlike older days when Revell, AMT, Lindberg, Hawk, Airfix, and Monogram would release and rerelease their kits for ages. They are still rereleasing kits I bought when I was a kid more than 50 years ago.
  20. CDW
    The heck of it is, they even copy their own people's work, not just those from foreign countries. They are an equal opportunity offender. What I have seen is many small companies can't afford to fight it. Even some of the larger companies become worn down trying to fight it. Especially hit hard are high tech gadgets of different sorts, like R/C equipment.
  21. CDW
    Your painting looks great. The ship's frame is going together very straight and true. I like the model a lot so far.
  22. CDW
    I saw a tutorial on the net on how to make a photo box with light diffusers. I am going to try making one then take the time to read up on my camera to learn the settings for taking better pictures. After that, will try to get some better photos of this old girl, Scharnhorst.
  23. CDW
    A few pieces of railing here and there, a few small parts here and there, a little touch up paint, and maybe some rigging thread/flags. That's about all that's left to do before I call this one finished.
  24. CDW
    Wow, I wish I could see some pictures of your finished Danmark. Beautiful model indeed. To the OP: I tend to agree, the most effective thing would be to remove the old paint if possible without damaging the model. Painting over old paint often doesn't end well.
  25. CDW
    Using an airbrush system, you are going to learn that a crucial part (maybe the most crucial part) of its use is keeping it clean. Over and over again, you are going to tear down, clean, and reassemble your airbrush. No way around it, no way to avoid it. With this is mind, the Harder and Steenbeck airbrush systems excel IMHO. Easy to tear down, easy to reassemble, easy to keep clean. There are other airbrush systems out there that perform well. But the H&S is probably the most high quality and simple out there.

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