RGL

How many do I need!

Banyan, yes, yes they were, the radius of the stanchions on top of this piece is even smaller, so I will add the wire to the stanchions first then curl them into shape, the tricky part with this one was there is a 20 degree Angle between the first and second hole. A .3mm drill bit (they come in packs of 10 as they break very easily) allows you to dip the stanchion in glue then and drop it in, then if required, use a tiny piece of offcut railing to add a tiny drop of glue to strengthen. When I did my other builds I used the same stanchions but used the elastic rigging but for this build I will use copper as I want them painted.

I am going to ask the wife for an airbrush for Christmas and I'll go with your recommendation of the H&S.

The rails are 0.3mm copper wire

Before I do a breakdown on my next piece, I have spent several days working on the Main tower bridge rangefinder. Without going into the kit instructions, the reference has it looking like this;

The Pontos instructions give you this the front hatches are added but not in the instructions and the metal walkways are included in the kit, as is a handrail which looks no where as natural as the rails I added.

So, building it up and adding some extras, such as individual stanchions and a few extra hatches it comes up quite nicely.

The main gun control tower goes on top of this and I will do a little tutorial if you wish?

OK, when I do the next assembly I will break it down in a photo essay if you would like. It generally takes about 6 hours a piece so a video is out of the question, plus I don't want to go public.

Banyan knows why!

Depends on the piece; I use Thin sometimes but it dries incredibly quickly so if the angle is off you have to scrape the piece off. I find the thin does not adhere as well as the medium.

Vossy is right that medium gives you some seconds grace and bonds better.

I use off cuts from frets cut to a point, or pins which have to be burnt repeatedly to stop build up. The advantage of using off cuts is you can snip it back again and again for a fresh nib or the width you want.

I generally pour a drop onto a piece of plastic and dip it in then on.

Does that answer or would a pictorial help?

It's all piece work, don't cut it off until you're ready to use it, get a PE bender and the best tweezers you can buy and a set of flat beading pliers. Finish one piece completely, store it, until you have all the assemblies ready, then paint them, then throw it together. That way adding the bits you miss is easier, and easier to repair off kit than on kit, making ire you know where your rigging points are beforehand so you can add belaying points. Much like a tall ship it is very hard to reach in to add something once it's all together.

Have they got a website? Just askin? No promises!

Damn you Cog! I have never seen this stuff now I want it. Damn you!!!!!!

Thanks folks, the level of detail is pretty good, but there is still a lot missing much to my frustration. If it was wood I could scratch build it. One piece went somewhere, no idea, my 11year old eventually asked me (after a solid hour on the computer near my workstation) if I found it? No! A 2 minute scratch build solved it (you'd struggle to see it on this piece but it's there). There will come a day when then metal ships come completely in metal, the Flyhawk brand has a AUD $250 upgrade which I would love to have as well but only one fret of 9 that I would require. You would think for the price it would just have everything. Rant over, the 6 square metres of mulch on my front lawn will not move itself. Thanks for the likes!

It's just a massive task keeping track of it all. I have taken to buying Tupperware containers to separate the built components. It's been 4 days work on this tiny piece alone, adding to the add ons such as hand rails, and this is just the structure without all the turrets yet alone detailing those was well.

Continuing on, I have added some handrails along the superstructure mentioned in the reference stuff. Then the air defence bridge has been added, adding some voice pipes and dials. Finally to put it in perspective, it is parked on the ship whilst I do the radars.

Getting there mate. Are you going to weather her?

Tamiya omit several doors at the rear of the structure and add an extra ladder which is not in the other reference material. I quite like replacing the doors as when painted it is easier to wash them and then drybrush them to bring out the fact there are doors (hatches) not lumps. Finally the front adding the first of the Tamiya individual stanchions and a ladder from spares. 

There are a multitude of range finders etc to be added yet but they will be painted off kit.

I've been pottering away on it but a lot of work not worth a post, lots of dry fitting, coaching my sons rowing year, plus work.

Slowly moving on, the main tower pagoda. The support struts below the bridge are replaced with etch and a template is provided. This is taking a fair while, not because it's overly hard, just that the instructions require a lot of interpretation. There is a major flaw in the rear of this that will have to be rectified.

I have drilled out all the portholes but left the ringols as they are sufficient. I will also replace all the doors.

Good to see you back mate I was getting worried.

Now the secondary turrets. Thinking these are 15.5cm, they are tiny compared to the big guns. The array on top will be rigged up much later in the build but they stay stationary when the turret rotates. but their tripod configuration is different and much more tricky on the forward turret.

Again the barrels and blast bags are replaced, I have left off the ladders and stanchions again but placed the handrails.

Excellent work old boy! Next one now!

Ok, the new book arrived, an Tamiya was correct after all (to a point). Different handrail configurations and you can see the old book on the right which mirrors the AOTS.;

The aft secondary gun mount was fairly simple, add some step ladders, hand rails and extra rivet strips, and of course another ventilator intake which for some unknown reason was completely omitted. A simple bit of PE layering plus a plastic strip cowl edge. When painted it won't looks so bad and when on it the kit it will hardly be seen.

OC no problems at all, that's how we learn, it should be a free flow of knowledge. The instructions from Tamiya have the Paravanes sitting on the rear ramp of the secondary gun turret superstructure but I just don't see how you'd get them down as I imagine they're fairly heavy. The reference material is fairly guesswork but the Japanese have just st re released their Model Art line drawings based on "new research" from the submersible on the wreck. I have ordered it and yet to see what difference there is. I understand the Japanese destroyed all records of this class of ship so the real sailors on this forum have a lot of common sense to offer.

I imagine lessons learnt and increasing air power

I expect they are bedrolls used as splinter shields.

It said a magazine, are they heavy things? I just don't know how they would get them from the storage spots on the base of the secondary turrets to the side of the ship.

Next are the paravanes. The kit ones are basic, then the resin ones that got thrown in with the deck equipment are nice, but the Pontos ones are amazing. They come with a complete set of extras for the carpet monster, of which I lost none.