madtatt

Thanks for the info, Jeff. You're absolutely right, these fantastic prints from Micro Master add so much more depth to the model. So it doesn't matter if they're not entirely historically accurate. 😉

I also really like the early look of the Yamato. That's why I've been looking for the additional turrets. You can get them from this company, for example... Yamato 155mm Turret

Thank you both for your wonderful and inspiring words. Wow, Jeff, when I see your Mikasa, my heart melts. She's turned out so beautiful. What I don't understand, Jeff, is that you're talking about three pinnaces. Where exactly would the third pinnace have been stand on Deck? Javelin, thanks again for your compliment. It makes me very proud. So, for my research on this ship, I'm almost exclusively using what I can find online. I do have a few books about the Mikasa and the IJN, but they're often about their historical background. Strangely, the pictures and technical information about this famous ship are very sparse. Which, as you say, is a real shame for such a large scale, as there's so much detail that could be included. I found the following page on the Internet, which helped me figure out how I wanted to display my pinnaces. Steam Pinnacles, Pickets and Tenders Among other things, you can see the following two photos which contributed to my decision not to change the cabin. Here you can see the pinnace with its cabin fully fitted and without a tarpaulin. It's also not as elaborately painted as in the following photo, which reinforced my intention to paint it a warlike gray. It shows the H.M.S. Royal Sovereign. And so I decided not to make any changes to the Micro Master boats. I simply didn't feel comfortable removing the splash guard from the rudder and damaging the railing. The manufacturer of the 3D print is located on the other side of the planet, and another Micro Master order for me has been stuck in customs for over three weeks anyway. I didn't want to take any chances. First, the basics again. There's a narrow edge that I had to negotiate with the cradles. So I lined the front part of the cradles with styrene. Fits quite well. Then the base colors were applied. As already mentioned, this one also uses the gray of the war paint. Then a mandatory aging process. This is the first step. Man, those boats look great. And put it on the deck to test it.

Ahoy, Jeff. Oh yes, I've also noticed that space is at a premium on the ship. I don't see any end in sight. But the fun is also the challenge, right?! Thanks again for the helpful tips. I've also been thinking about the final appearance of the pinnaces. I examined the following two photos, although I don't know if they are the Mikasa's boats. The fact is that there was no helmet screen, just like there was no cabin. There was apparently only one tarpaulin. I'm a little torn about how to proceed. I'm really afraid of destroying the pinnaces when removing the two parts. As you know, they weren't exactly cheap and come from the other side of the world. I really have to think carefully about whether to take that risk or just install the boats as they are. There's virtually no historical evidence of this ship, including the appearance of the pinnaces. 🤫

Thanks, Mike. I absolutely agree with you. Especially when it comes to all the little things. With cannons, small boats, and the crew for example. It's fantastic how much more depth these details can add to the model. The pinnace wouldn't get as much out of it, even with the set of pontos from the original kit model. But when I think of fully printed sections like the bridge you mentioned, I'm just as torn as you are. Where does model building end, and when do we enter the realm of simply assembling Lego bricks? But everyone has to decide that for themselves. I think, as is often the case, the happy medium is the right way.

And immediately, I have the next nerve-wracking construction phase ahead of me. But I was particularly looking forward to this part. I’m starting to incorporate a miniature marvel of 3D printing technology into my model. The 50-foot steam pinnace. https://forums.kitmaker.net/images/emoji/google/star_struck.png?v=14 But first, I have to get it into the cradles and onto the struts. I made a jig for that. One each for the starboard and port sides. The stripes aren’t exactly evenly spaced on the two sides, and I have to take that into account. I now glue the cradles onto the gauge and can then align and change them easily without damaging the now quite delicate Mikasa. For example, the distance to the access to the higher deck is important, as the pinnace’s rudder extends quite far out. And toward the bow, I have to pay attention to the funnel rigging. I have the same problem with the cradles as I did with the cutter amidships. They don’t fit where they were originally printed. And besides, only three were planned. But the pinnace rests on four struts, so I need one more cradle. It’s nice that four boats will be hanging from the davits at the stern later, so I can repurpose the cradles. Then I took out the profiles and adjusted them. It’s better. And so the first pinnace could be placed in its cradles and placed on the deck for testing. You can see a faulty print in the hull. This has already been claimed, and I’m getting a new one. In front of the boat, you can see a thin round rod. This is supposed to simulate the funnel rigging. You really have to think of everything. At least you should try to, so you don’t end up on your backside in the next step. https://forums.kitmaker.net/images/emoji/google/worried.png?v=14

Let’s continue unspectacularly. We’re still missing skylights, handwheels, and a winch on the main deck at the stern. First, another small collection in my printed organizer. Nothing complicated, so straight to the result. The deck continues to fill, both front and back. The small stuff on deck is now roughly completed. I would like to show you this wonderfully detailed skylight a la Pontos again in a close-up. That’s what sets these kits apart. Molded plastic can’t replicate that.

Yes, Jeff, you need this Yamato from "Glow2B." It's fantastic. Compared to that, the "Nichimo" model is complete rubbish. The two of us will then build two glorious, giant monster ship models from it. 😁

I completely agree with you, Jeff. This model is turning out to be a mysterious adventure. But with a high level of entertainment value. Yes, the anchor chains really look great. If you need them, I'd be happy to send you the link to where I got them. I also installed them on my Bismarck. And I hope you'll be finished with your work shed soon and we can marvel at your latest construction again. 💪

Today we’ll continue without much ado. I had time over the long weekend to finish the anchor section. That was fiddly.😵‍💫 In this area, the Pontos set was used exclusively. KA failed to score points here. Of course, double-link chains had to be purchased again. It’s disappointing that two very expensive aftermarket kits like KA and Pontos don’t consider it necessary to include proper chains. 👎

Very good job.👍

Just another small update that I had to do before moving further toward the bow. I was still missing the bollards and other small items that would go directly in front of the bridge houses. These are now also attached to the deck. This had to be done so that I could install the companionways that lead to the main deck. This means the inner area is almost complete. And so the bridgehouse was glued in front of the steam pinnaces towards the stern. Otherwise, it would have been difficult to install the companionways behind the pinnaces. Now I can start with the anchor area at the bow and have cut everything I need out of the boards.

After a short break, I’m continuing. The lower bridge houses are finished weathering and can be put on the deck for a test run. Now I have to think about the most logical way to proceed. I think the rear bridge house is not glued to the deck yet. Because directly behind it the steam pinasses come onto their cradles. It’s probably better to have a little more room for my fat fingers. For the armored control center, I lined the entrance with a profile. It was clearly too thin. And there isn’t much space in front of the bridge houses up to the tower. So I’ve already fitted the lower parts of the tower into their barbettes and made them move freely. They were practically impossible to move. And I’ve also prepared the lower ladders that belong on the mast.

Hello Jeff. Yes, the information about this ship is truly sparse and often contradictory. So, thank you very much for the wealth of information you've given me. 👍 I'll proceed as follows. I won't be doing the cable reel and drainpipes, as I can't see them in the photos that show them painted gray. So I'm going to finish the bridge houses now, just like you saw them in my picture above. I'm excited to see how it goes.

Another little mini-update to round off the weekend. The only thing missing were the support poles for the awning, and then the base coat could be applied. The protruding details such as profiles, davits and the like are accentuated again with a light grey. In combination with the preshading, this creates a fine first contrast Now I can start aging next week.