RGL

I have seen models where people have done rivets along the hull but they are so out of scale they would have caused enormous drag. Given how thick the armour belts are I would be surprised if they were visible but I like the effect and it will be very subtle. There really are no publically available shots of the ship in detail given the secrecy of the project, I have some leeway. I will use Dr Google and try and find some photos of IJN ships.

Ok,back to the kit. Using the Tamiya rattle can I have done the primer coat on the hull. All the gaps will be done with the airbrush as I have saved a lot of time.

After working on the old tool hull I forgot how detailed the new kit is to date. Before I go any further though, I have to attached the rear flight deck, which, for some reason has warped in the heat. One that is done I will have to add the support struts under the rear wings and a few ladders before I can start painting again. After a month of work, I'm back tomorrow and the kids are back at school so that will slow things down again.

You can see the old kit in the background, I've been playing around with weathering on it, but given the vast amount of detail on the new kit, I thought it time to take the plunge if I ever want to finish this monster.

I really do feel your pain, bit like stropping all the rigging blocks required for the HMS Victory, it never seems to stop.

My plan is to try and emulate his work when it comes to painting and weathering. I love the idea of the ribs being visible

OK, I'm starting to get the hang of it. Soft hands. Essentially once I started to use a different brand of paint it all came together. If I diluted the Vajello it splattered even at low pressure and then it clogs.

So, the practice hull, using some red I filled in the squares and oversprayed. The thing is with red, it does not cover very well, which actually makes this easier. Then some lighter red vertically along he ribs, which works really well giving a representation of a real thing. Now, credit where it is due, I am following Tamiya 1/350 Yamato (new tool) The definite mad edition:  on the ship model Forum, this guy is good and I have learnt a lot. I've only gone a bit further with PE he he does but he is simply marvelous with the airbrush.

So, the camera is not so sharp but the ribs really stick out, and as the old kit does not have the side band armor the horizontal lines are all over the place, but it is practice!

The upper hull, I have used the same technique, playing with the colour contrast to get the hang of it and applying diluted filters over the top.

Next is to practice the washes and the weathering. I know this is not the actual Yamato I am building, but given the investment, this is worth the time to get right. I have repeatedly over sprayed this hull and when I stuff up really really bad, no harm no foul.

I've never heard of them, but will follow along and learn!

I just don't seem to be able to drive Vajello paints with my airbrush, I'm in the middle of coaching a rowing camp at the moment so still practicing with the new airbrush and slowly getting the hang of it, spray, clean, repeat. Still fun learning a new skill.

If you look on Amazon UK John Roberts is releasing a blueprints book including the Warspite. I'm not planning a British ship anytime soon but I reckon you'd be keen.

That is just lovely

Probably something to do with our American friends trying to sink them. I can't imagine the courage of those young men who flew into its teeth. Glad it worked for you. May I suggest you tackle something else to rest your temper? I'm still trying to get consistent paint flow for my panel lines.

Just use some off it from the build

Stretched Sprue! Place a line of it on the break line, let it set, sand flush, reattach broken bit. Don't forget most of this stuff is not visible to the naked eye.

Don't discount plastic card to replace or use stretched sore as a weld

go looking among all the other crap lying around and hope for the best.

Put a coarse towel across your lap, you'd be amazed how much brass it will catch

I'm learning to drive the .15 and will probably use a .4 for overspray

Thanks, if need be I can mask anyways, it's not cheating! The last photo of the old hull will be oversprayed multiple times until I'm happy.

One thing about having a spare, is the ability to practice. Given the size of the hull I just cannot freehand a line perfectly strait for 60cm.

My plan is to do black lines to represent the armour plates and the lateral lines for the frames, which work at at 17mm x 10mm.

After three days I've figured out correct pressures to use the Vajello paints, now it a lesson in filling in the blanks and layering/modulating. The plan is to have visible plates on the hull, and unlike the new kit which has scribed armour plating the old kit does not so I can just respray and start from scratch until I get it right.

I don't think I will subscribe though Jorgen, I have been playing around with primers today, and I think for the large areas I will probably just use the old Tamiya rattle can to prime the really large areas and then the airbrush for the smaller ones. I have done a 50/50 on the trial hull of the Yamato with Tamiya/Vajello. I will then try panel lines tomorrow

All good cog, my compressor arrived today, I got a package including an airbrush cleaner and a Sparmax airbrush for the same price as the same compressor from other stores here in Oz from Hobby Tools Australia, arrived in Canberra from Victoria in three days (over a weekend), about the distance of you Country Cog.

Took me an hour but I've got the compressor figured out in respect of PSI.

I do like the Tamiya rattle can primer for big areas but will try the AK for the small bits.

Just great work mate.

Cog, I've done all the pure etch stuff now at least. Where I live it is probably too cold to airbrush for at least 3 months of the year, but every day is in the high 30's at the moment so that's OK. It only gets to the minus 4's here in winter at night but never humid.

Robin, I will probably use Grunze or Vajello but Banyan has given me some good ideas, and there is so much out there on the net.

It's been a big investment so lucky I worked nearly every public holiday over Xmas.

Thanks Mr Bunny, I intend on keeping Banyan as my go to man for trouble shooting. He is a wealth of knowledge on paints as well. It's been 30 years since I've used one, and a chap has done an amazing job on this kit on the model ship forum which I will try to replicate as much as I can. As such, I won't have much to post for a while till I get this right(ish). Finishing off those 25mm's did my head in.

Yes mate, Banyan has been giving me a heap of advice on this, I realise I have a lot to learn. It should be fun.

So, the kit goes away for a while. Back in the 1980's I had one of these, worked fine.

Now to re learn the skill.

I intend to start painting up bits of the old tool to learn modulation and filtering, before any paint goes on the new kit.

This should be fun. It's amazing how much there is on Utube for tanks and planes, nothing on ships.