RGL

So, 27 more triple 25MM's.

The bases including the seats and windage levers.

Plonk the barrels on.

Finished and I'm just a bit over these things.

My wife just thinks I'm stubborn, I call it focused

I'm just bloody minded. Would not be able to do this otherwise.

After a few days off due to illness, the 25mm triple mass production continues.

For ease of application they are laid out on masking tape and the barrels added.

Then the magazines folded and placed in blue tack facing the right way for application.

Then the sights and rear handles added. Whilst the alignment is not perfect, they are soo tiny it is not really noticeable with the naked eye.

Just gently tap on the bit you have glued down with the tweezer head, if it falls off then it will fall off late and you'll lose the piece. I find about 10% of all assemblies do this as the glue has not been put on correctly. Better to fix it then than when it's on the model.

I think that's one of the hardest things you'll have to do Cog, whilst I could see it, alignment at that size is a nightmare. Then you have to tap every assembly to make sure it's stuck down properly.

Nice! How's then back? Cramping yet?

Try it on a piece off offcut brass fret, burns for about a second then the glue is gone. I'm not poo pooing the acetone idea, as I was not aware of it, just when you are repeatedly dipping into the glue it is a bit quicker

Sanding is probably a bit harsh, but I can rub the soot off and it's as good as new.

I just use a cigarette lighter, takes seconds then sand

The thing is with tweezers I find that if any CA gets on them they have to be polished back as CA builds up in layers making them useless.

Thanks all, slight miscalculation, there are actually 28 triple 25mm guns, so that's 76 barrels to insert, and 76 x 2mm magazines to fold and insert.

Just completed that aspect and somewhat cross eyed. Still, easier than stropping blocks.

Next is the 25mm triple guns.

The Pontos kit provides 29 guns mounts, and the model requires 24.

So I spent the afternoon and this morning working of the first draft so to speak to see how it goes together. Not as hard as the smaller guns, but still fiddly, the final product is very rough and now I know what to do it will improve. The gun shields come off as they are not on the real ship and I expect they are required for the Mushasi, and there are two options for the sights, which the reference material says were simple iron sights in 1944/45. .

As I have spares, there are a few more ideas I want to try for ease of construction, the only thing is to have enough barrels I will probably have to pull the draft apart and burn it to get the glue off.

This is going to take a while.

I am limited with my photography with my phone, my job once sent me on a course but it was all about not being seen by the subject. Needless to say my eyes are going with the scale and I've got great near sighted vision. The triple 25mm's are a lot easier but there are 26 of them, I did up the first draught this afternoon without glue and they're quite easy.

Can someone please recommend the very best brand of tweezers they know of? Tamiya is too big, and there must be something out there that can handle 1mm pieces without sending them into orbit. I have one excellent pair but open to suggestions

Next is the two 13mm machine guns that go on the tower. Thank god there are only two as they are flat out the smallest things ever with a lot of bending and very tiny barrels which are hard to align. You can see the Tamiya offering in the last photo.

That is magnificent Mr Rabbit. Very very clean work.

Cog, the answer is no, I also have the old tool which I bought second hand to practice painting, and the new tool does not need them as the detail is a lot better. The time spent in making the corrections would be saved with the new tool.

Mr Taylor,

Nothing is impossible but at this scale you use such tiny dabs of glue, they are very fragile and break very easily, not to mention that if you bend some etch the wrong way then bend it back they snap off.

The designers have to be engineers to make it all work, and still do it economically. My biggest issue is the instructions seem to make perfect sense once you have finished making an assembly. I dare say it is the language barrier as well and lack of decent photos. I would be happy for Pontos to give me free stuff and I would do their instructions for them. There is a fantastic build on another site which I have been following,and the bloke from Pontos seems to drop in and out of their forum in the way of marketing his wares.

Working rigging blocks on a tall ship are feasible but given the amount of crew they require, not possible for the single modeller to represent. If I hadn't made some wooden ships first I would never have the patience to do this one.

Just drilled a hole to make them sit flush. I have a few ideas for you when you get to these.

Next is the 25mm single(portable) guns. Thanks goodness I only have to do 6 of them. They are tiny, and whilst not perfect, will do and I expect they are a little too big.

As you can see from the Pontos instructions, you need to be a bit of a mind reader, but keep referring back to the reference materiel. About a full day's work.

The brass pedestals have four 1mm support struts each, and a base which the pedestal penetrates through which will go into the deck.

Then lots of folding (some of the bends are <1mm). then throw it together.

Where's your Varyag Canute?

Lovely deck!

I've got large paws Cog, if I can do it anyone can.

Mr Kim really is an artist. I'm making a start on the machine guns tomorrow and they are flat out daunting.

Good to see you here Mike, Jan, OC, thanks for visiting

 

Some more pics. Pontos PE (Keith, got this set from Australia)

pontos.1.jpg pontos.2.jpg pontos.3.jpg pontos.4.jpg pontos.5.jpg pontos.6.jpg pontos.7.jpg

 

Some reference material

t1b4.jpg

 

And the underside of the turret. At first I thought it were etched lines, looking more closely ... it's a mesh!!!

t1underside.jpg

 

Cheers

On my previous builds it hasn't been a problem and that's been with rattle cans. Airbrushes are even finer.