madtatt

Hi Jeff. So that's what this is about. This is a controversial point. First, these photos. I think there's no sign of these structures on it. But there's also the opinion that they were added later. The opinions are 50/50. So, since you've already tested it, I'd add it. It definitely sets itself apart from the mainstream.

Ahoy, Jeff. Good point, I thought so too. I also ordered more boats than I needed. It would be a really good idea if they made boats and accessories for specific boat types. That would make things a lot easier. And we have the same opinion about the wooden decks. I also wish I had gotten a deck for the Bismarck from Scaledecks. It was out of the question, and eventually I gave up and used the wooden deck from Pontos because I wanted to get further. And it wasn't suitable for the Mikasa either, since they don't even offer one for that boat. I even wrote to the company and asked if they could consider producing one for the Mikasa. I never received a reply. 🫤 Thanks for the flowers, Jeff. I'm taking a little break from model building at the moment. I have a lot of other things on my plate and don't want to lose focus while working on the Mikasa. 😉

Good morning, Jeff. Let's not misunderstand each other, you're talking about the Bismarck's group listening device, right?! (Gruppenhorchgerät) Arrow on the photo.

Very nice, I'll definitely be on board. When I see your Scharnhorst, the Bismarck will definitely be a great model. By the way, if you need materials for building the Bismarck, contact me. I have quite a few photos of this ship. Even pictures that aren't available online.

Oh yes, Javlin. Tell me, when I think about how much money I've put into my Bismarck, unbelievable. But it's just money. And when the result is pleasing, it makes the model builder's heart happy. I'd be happy to hear more from you. 😊

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. 👎