RGL

OK, moving on, the AA guns.

Firstly the high angle turrets, you can see the base Tamiya offering (photo 3), Pontos provides the barrels and sandbags plus railings which I don't like. The ventilator covers and stanchions are replaced, but I cannot replicate the handholds, so be it.

Um, yes, it was a photo I found of alge on a ships hull. It was supposed to support what decoyman said about growth on a ships hull. 

I dont intend tend to take it that far on mine. 

After a weeks work I have almost completed all the ships guns, and will post on that later. 12 x 12.7cm guns, 24 triple turrets, and the list goes on. 

You're probably right, but at least I got something right!!!! 

The hull will will sit very low on the base when completed as I have not done much work at all on the bottom of the ship. 

I suppose there here is no limit to how much I can gunk it up, but I think this will have to do.

As she was in port a lot I imagine there was a fair bit of gunk on her, 

I think they have pretty much answered most of the questions left out in the first edition. The stern is different but too late for me now. 

Amazon UK has it 2 months earlier than US

Seriously amazing detail even compared to the first edition. I think if you are going to have a proper go at this beast you can't do it without this. 335 pages long! 

im currently doing up the 24 MG turrets at the moment and struggling with the PE, and have decided to strip them down and start again. Sloppy is lazy. 

And direct from the UK

And direct from the UK

So I liked PE at school, does that explain it? 

Just wait till you start the guns! Soo many guns. 

Cog, mine's in the mail, but it's got a bit further to go. 

The new new kit has separate bower anchors but North star models has some if you want to fix them

greg

Just fantastic Dave

I'm really not going to get much done over the next few weeks due to work and kids sport, but!!!! Amazon UK has now released and posted the new AOTS Yamato book to me here in Oz, so, the drum roll begins as to what is now wrong with the kit. 

I have also also ordered some more aftermarket PE, being Davits for the side of the hull as I just don't like the kit ones. 

I am putting off doing belaying points points for rigging on the superstructure as I want to see if there is something more difinative. 

Now the rear aircraft deck with machine gun controllers, anchors, and the lino strips used for the aircraft and the gun pits. Once weathered, I will sand back the brass strips that hold back the lino. Also the boat hangar door with some added strips.

The front of the ship, with the aftermarket capstans and the kit included leadsman's platforms. This has not yet been properly weathered.

So many little pieces to paint for the rear flight deck! I have value added to the boat hangar doors as well as adding some voice pipes and seats to the crane controller which had no detail at all.

I dulled down the green a tad, the the shiny brass props which would look a bit silly glowing under the grunge, so I used some blacken it and a light grey overspray.

Green grunge next, using Tamiya clear green oversprayed. I will given it a diluted black wash to dull it down and add some texture. The final step will be putting the 4 propellers into some blackening agent to dull them down as well.  When I finally put the model on its' base I will cut the brass rods right down so it will sit about an inch off the base so the underside will not be so obvious.

Yes Mr Rabbit the kit is huge. Painting these large areas is challenging to say the least, as you never know how much to put in the airbrush. It also makes it hard to photograph. 

I'm somewhat satisfied with my first attempt at weathering to date.

Grunge coat, I have added a light coat off buff the bottom of the hull, next will be some clear green to represent even more hull grunge. I have tried to remove a lot of the salt, but I suspect when I give the hull a clear coat even more will go. 

Not good mate, I'm sure you'll be back with us soon (maybe in 1/200!?)

OK, I'll reduce the salt by about 50%, comes off very easily with white spirit.

Thanks Pat.

The second last step on the hull base is salt. I have done a salt line on the waterline, as well as from the scuppers and beneath the hawsers and along the centre armour belt. The Starboard side is not done, next is the Port side which I won't get to till next week. Thoughts for improvements?

Once that is done back to the airbrush.

Thanks chris, does it accumulate on the hull near the breakwaters? Anywhere else? Being a landlubber I can only go off very old photos.

Pat,

how much salt sticked to warships and what would the main place be on the upper works would it streak?

Weathering time! I've never tried this before, and as there is so much detail on the hull, I want to get the hull weathering done first so I can airbrush a grunge coat on the bottom then leave it on the stand to work on.

I have used (so far) rust/green slime, with salt then a grunge coat underneath. Half the hull done after a full day. You can see the bits where the paint came off as I removed the tape an I have used a light and a dark rust product.