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Jeff59
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Hello again, hope everyone is well and enjoying their modelling. I have had some ups and downs with mine, starting with lower aft bridge superstructure, all set up ready to spray, started at side then moved to front and while trying to paint etched gusset plates didn’t notice the paint was painting what I wasn’t looking at, Yip runs, not what you want after all the work to get there. Once it was all dry, surveyed the damage, decided to try and scrape the paint down on the runs and respray. Well that was a monumental failure, oh dear or words to that effect. Solution scrape all the paint off, not an easy or pleasant task, damaged one of awning rails in process so had to remove it and straighten it be fore resetting. Used my curved craft knife for removal of paint, it does peel of quite easily when fresh. That was a laborious task. Lesson learnt, be more careful when painting. Used a get out of jail free card there, wasn’t as nice as it should have been but a blind man running from a fire wouldn’t notice it. Next I lined up the etch bridge wing structure on the main superstructure, had decided I wanted to use metal wire for supports, not the kit plastic. Feel I made the right decision, used 0.7 wire, this fits perfectly through the allocated holes, brass wire would be better if you can get it, nickel silver that I had hard to cut. 11.5mm was my size, just want it a fraction above etch plate when dropped through to deck below which has the location points in it. A small amount of glue applied from above is enough to hold it in place, allowing you to square them all up, a good eye and patience necessary. Shall try some photos now, shall follow up later with more updates. Regards Jeff.
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Mike I paint all the fittings before gluing them in place, just hold them in self gripping tweezers and air brush them, then fine detail with small paint brush. 👍
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Finally, the small superstructure fitted next. Drilled out skylights same way as portholes, filled in some of attachment points with styrene stock, dressed and fitted etch, then paint. Can’t believe there are no doors etc to lower decks? Someone’s missed this. This is were you need a dedicated book for reference. The winch assembly, straightforward, apart from base of frame slightly higher than gearbox casing, so made a little plinth for it to sit on. Painted green. Waiting on steel grey to paint wire drum, then try a black wash to see if I can bring detail out. Well that’s me for a while. Be a good few weeks before I have some progress to show. Take care. Regards Jeff.
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The etch superstructure for underneath the bridge wing is quite an impressive piece of engineering, well done to Pontos on this, can’t believe the tolerances are so fine, nice challenge though, first part, the main structure, folding is crucial, the folds marked for 180 degrees although tiny are very important, that are the fixing points for turned brass bracing further on, yes there is a hole in the end of the bracing to accept this. Suggest fold and glue, then continue folding outer edge, take your time. Also further on in this fabrication, the steelwork supports at each end of wing needs your patience, make sure you understand how it comes together. Advice watch when gluing this to bridge wing, the fit is perfect, but watch out for it being fully home all round, if a corner is not fully located your steelwork won’t be 90 degrees looking from the side. I had this problem, fixed it by using some superglue skin Debonder, then using blade to pressure it fully home. Hopefully that helps someone following behind. Some photos of instructions for you to ponder over.
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Good day to you all, going to do a final post, be last for a while as will need time to progress. 🤛 the cleats on hull edge for securing ship, seamed a bit heavy on moulding, so tried scraping them into shape with my craft knife, with curved blade. Photos show the difference.
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Hello again, hope you had a good day. Shall try and close out on the lower bridge superstructure. The lifting booms on both sides, fairly straight forward, only issue was trying to let it passing between two portholes without obscuring their vision. Just managed it and no more.👍 The small 47mm gun was not fitted here at this time, probably came down from mast position during refit? So guessed the set up in this area. The 3 inch gun looks like it is the same set up as the bow and stern positions, type B on the instructions, as earlier post. Going to need etch to make another eight in total. Have to get on talking terms with Pontos somehow? You can also see were the railing doesn’t quite tie in with steps on port side, don’t know if I done something wrong. The first railing I fitted was the small one, item 19 on Pontos instructions, boy there was a couple of times that just about made it to the bucket, rolled it on finger using mandrel like I usually do, but the pre fold lines helped it go in all directions 😂 can laugh now, but I didn’t at the time, salvaged it though. Then folded up the step ladders each side, take a lot of care here, it’s very tight between the ventilation ducting and hatch, ie touching, even had to break portside trunk and rotate it clockwise and lean it over slightly to port. Got it though, still a touch fit between everything. You can’t actually fit these ladders till you fit decks and glue superstructure in place, future mission. Some photos of were I’m at at present.
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Now you can see were all my hours are going, the racing snail.👀 Shall see if I can get time tomorrow to update. 🤛
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Since there is not an up detail set for Mikasa in her early years from Pontos, hoping this will change 🤞just have to go for my preference. Starting with decking, the lower bridge and boat deck should be wooden decking, if it comes out later I’ll live with my impatience to get on with the model. Have opted for a dark green for metal decks, Model Air 71.012, green seems a common colour for decks anyway, will be a nice contrast with light grey, handrails and such will stand out. Decided the bracing supports for mast stays were over thick so trimmed them down with my craft knife, scraping away the plastic both sides as much as poss whilst maintaining surface details, roughly 0.5 a side. Pain in the bum but worth it I hope. This also meant I had to trim the photo plate down in size on three sides, great fun. Also did not want to use brass etch plate on front bulkhead, felt the tiny brass rails awnings would not bond well just sitting against it, a knock off for sure, opted to drill and glue to plastic. Used a 0.3 drill , sometimes it looks like the holes are out a mile, so finger with etch on it puts things back in perspective. 😂
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Here we go again. Thanks for the kind remarks always encouraging.🤛 Start at lower bridge structure this time. Often, looking at early photos of ship at builders and photos as she is today at Mikasa museum probably the best way to pick out details. Don’t know if there is a book dedicated to modellers of Mikasa yet? Trying to make my best guesses though. So a lot of my building based on my interpretation might not be correct. Trying to get best balance between nice looking and being a warship.
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Hello folks, hope everyone is keeping well. Has been a good few weeks since my last post. Just discovered how much work is involved in the bridge superstructure area, the guys that have built this model I hope will agree. Not an area to rush things. Starting of were l stopped last time, glued down the main deck midships, used the white wood glue again, better result this time, not so much glue 👍 used plenty clamps, no point in them remaining in the toolbox. 😂 Also glued the decking onto bridge wing, when this was dry, fitted the painted photo etch running rails for the searchlights, wood glue seems to work fine here, gives you chance to line it up correctly. My plan is to then mask of the wood then fit handrail, then paint. Photo’s.
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Paints and sundries have arrived, this let’s me start painting process, bit apprehensive, but going for it. Don’t have much experience in this department. Picked my colour for upper hull, light gull grey is my best guess, fingers crossed. The aft barbet to do first, that let’s me glue down wooden deck next. Wasn’t too bad considering jumping in the deep end, can only get better, also painted some deck fittings. The next day was final fit up for deck, trying to make sure it all lines up. Had some PVA floor glue so used that, should work 🤞removed the thin plastic film from back of deck, and started coating with glue, you don’t seem to have much time as the glue starts to dry quite quickly, panic stations, started to fit and line up deck, and press down, must have had slightly to much glue, it’s surprising how much starts to ooze out, more panic used tissues to wipe excess glue from offending areas. That was a hairy twenty minutes, All the pains and pleasures of modelling revisited in half an hour. Cleaned up the deck, and filed excess wood flush to edge of plastic deck. Fit looks good, also fitted some deck fittings. Happy bunny. Now looking at how much I have still to do. 👀 Lol. Anyway take care folks, and happy modelling. Regards Jeff.
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Still waiting on paints, so decided to start the aft bridge superstructure, which is very similar to forward bridge set up. Started by drilling out port holes, the photo shows the difference when countersinking the holes inside, the three holes to left are done the one on right hasn’t. Hope you see the difference. The Pontus instructions asks for certain raised details to be removed for adding their details, done all of this with my craft knife with curved blade. Best way to do this for me is slowly. You can see what has been removed when compared to the untouched forward bridge. Also had to remove plastic bracing on one bulkhead missed by Pontos, that’s not like them to miss something that’s obvious, not a hard fix though, just removed the raised deal and added thin styrene replacements.
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Next thing to do , was to cut the deck free from sheet, then remove all the small parts highlighted. You need a sharp knife and patience, this is not a five minute task. Cutting through that plastic backing can be a pain. Next was staining the deck same as after deck, think it worked out okay, never tried this before.
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Had to polish them up with sanding stick and wet and dry Emery paper, then clean them again with vinegar. Successful this time. Incidentally the metal burr in photo is what I used on the propellers to dress them up. Waiting on Vallejo paints and sundries, so decided to start the main deck, first process being the removal of raised details shown in purple, this was done with electric chisel and my craft knife with curved blade, clamping the deck to work surface for using the chisel. Then used punch and die set, with thin styrene sheet for small circular discs, to fill in the kit coal scuttle points on deck.
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Hello again, hopefully you can see some progress. Started with cleaning the photo etch with vinegar, did not realise the importance of doing this. Went round all the parts all ready fitted to the hull with a fine brush, doing a small area with vinegar for 6 to 7 minutes then brushing down with water to clean of the vinegar, slow process but lesson learnt. Did make a mess of the six inch guns though, don’t think I cleaned them well enough before putting them back in small bag. Next day looked at them and said oh dear, or words to that effect, looked like I had burned them in an oven, they were all black and green.
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