Tigerdvr

Full speed ahead! Congrats on jumping in with both feet. You have selected a great rendition of a great ship. 
I think your selection of Blackcat's 20 mm batteries is a good compromise between the kit and all PE options.
I'm using their AA guns on my current build of USS Kidd. 
Will be watching with interest, keep your patience cup full & most of all, enjoy.
 Cheers, Harley
 

Some project progress photos--

Building replacement main mast--


 With all the references available I'm letting myself constantly find details that are not in the kit and are a great challenge to duplicate. I have not been able to locate a picture or other source that will clarify my current configuration question.
The kit shows two inclined ladders mounted on the main deck (100 I think) terminating on the next level just outside of the flag bags on the navigation bridge. I replaced the kit pieces with PE. Then I found a picture showing an inclined ladder to the starboard side of the main mast that originates at top of the deck house and terminates at the navigation bridge level.
The picture is on page 27 of "USS Kidd, On Deck" (Squadron/Signal). If anyone can clarify how the inclined ladders are configured, I would greatly appreciate it.
Thanks for your time, Harley
 
 
 
 

Greetings, 
I recently posted a question on this website regarding the ladders behind the bridge on the Kidd. The Trumpeter kit shows two ladders going from the main deck to the top of the deck house
and another ladder from the deck house to the navigation bridge.
I have found the answer--
FYI, there are, in fact, three ladders not two as shown on the kit.
Source: NavSource, Naval History. A very nice source of information and photos of what you might be building.

Busy building PE ladders
Cheers, Harley
 

Check Alliance Model Works, www.am-works.com, Part#35054. Warning: They have a lot of goodies that you didn't know you needed/wanted!☺️

Greetings, 
I recently posted a question on this website regarding the ladders behind the bridge on the Kidd. The Trumpeter kit shows two ladders going from the main deck to the top of the deck house
and another ladder from the deck house to the navigation bridge.
I have found the answer--
FYI, there are, in fact, three ladders not two as shown on the kit.
Source: NavSource, Naval History. A very nice source of information and photos of what you might be building.

Busy building PE ladders
Cheers, Harley
 

Greetings, 
I recently posted a question on this website regarding the ladders behind the bridge on the Kidd. The Trumpeter kit shows two ladders going from the main deck to the top of the deck house
and another ladder from the deck house to the navigation bridge.
I have found the answer--
FYI, there are, in fact, three ladders not two as shown on the kit.
Source: NavSource, Naval History. A very nice source of information and photos of what you might be building.

Busy building PE ladders
Cheers, Harley
 

Check Alliance Model Works, www.am-works.com, Part#35054. Warning: They have a lot of goodies that you didn't know you needed/wanted!☺️

Upgrade the anchor gear:
 
Removed the molded anchor related gear. The new chain is 40 links per inch. Hawse pipes are made from wire with grills made from pieces of 1/700 PE and bollards from a resin set.
The end covers are fashioned from PE hatch covers. I only had room for one stopper that I put on the starboard chain just for effect. The windlass brake wheel will come on later.
Ref: Squadron/Signal USS Kidd On Deck. Pages 6 & 7.

Upgrade the anchor gear:
 
Removed the molded anchor related gear. The new chain is 40 links per inch. Hawse pipes are made from wire with grills made from pieces of 1/700 PE and bollards from a resin set.
The end covers are fashioned from PE hatch covers. I only had room for one stopper that I put on the starboard chain just for effect. The windlass brake wheel will come on later.
Ref: Squadron/Signal USS Kidd On Deck. Pages 6 & 7.

Some project progress photos--

Building replacement main mast--


 With all the references available I'm letting myself constantly find details that are not in the kit and are a great challenge to duplicate. I have not been able to locate a picture or other source that will clarify my current configuration question.
The kit shows two inclined ladders mounted on the main deck (100 I think) terminating on the next level just outside of the flag bags on the navigation bridge. I replaced the kit pieces with PE. Then I found a picture showing an inclined ladder to the starboard side of the main mast that originates at top of the deck house and terminates at the navigation bridge level.
The picture is on page 27 of "USS Kidd, On Deck" (Squadron/Signal). If anyone can clarify how the inclined ladders are configured, I would greatly appreciate it.
Thanks for your time, Harley
 
 
 
 

Getting stacks ready for priming. Some of the more fragile PE pieces will be assembled later.
The first ventilator and floater net baskets are now .V2
Removing ventilators-                                                                                       New ventilators -

New Ventilators installed-                                                                                      Floater net baskets shaped by rolling with mandrel on clay-

Antenna brackets for rear stack, scratch PE-                                                              Brackets installed-

Ready for first prime-

More to follow--
 

 
 

The stacks can be a bit of a project if one looks at the various photo references long enough.
Because of the poor fit of the top piece of the stack I trimmed the sides flush and used a ½ round .08mm rod to simulate the joint between the top and body of the stack.
The plastic cross member on the rear stack is replaced with a brass rod structure. The inside of the tops of the stacks was cut out and replaced with a combination of paper and plastic.
A review I read pointed out that the ventilators on the kit stacks were too thick. Checking a number of photos proved that to be correct. The ventilators were removed and replaced with PE grills and framed by Plastruct .010 strips.
The plastic around the searchlight platform has been removed and will be replaced by canvas covered PE rail. Floater net baskets were added as were pipes up the front of the stack.
PE was borrowed to make up the railings around the top of the stacks. The PE ladders seem a bit massive and will be replaced.

Assembly of the deck structures required some patching. I am using a putty which is new to me. Perfect Plastic Putty manufactured by Deluxe Materials works well and has no odor at all.
While forming a construction plan, I decided to not follow the kit instruction sequence. I have to consider painting and detail/PE installation. I’m building subassemblies with the less fragile PE parts installed. All the subassemblies will be brought to the primer stage so I can prime them in groups.

I recently completed the 1/350 USS Alaska. That experience is proving to be a blessing and a curse. Construction experience particularly with PE is a blessing. The research material and the MSW build logs shows what details are possible to recreate, sort of a curse. Now I see details in pictures that I previously didn’t see or wouldn’t think of trying to build. I find myself spending a lot of time checking photos on the various references that I have gathered. Meanwhile trying to make sure that I stay as close to the Kidd configuration as possible.                                                  

The superstructure components were assembled, patched where necessary, had base PE like hatches/doors, ladders, and fire hoses added. .3mm plastic strip is used for rails on the super structure etc. Some of the hatches are shown open using White Ensign doors.


Clay makes a handy part holder. A bulkhead was added to reinforce the structure because of the open doors. The wheelhouse needed the windows enlarged a hair. The open hatch/door needed a port added because it overlaps the port in the bulwark. To open the doorway I drilled progressively larger holes and then finished the shaping with a file-carefully.


Some views, nothing glued to the deck--


More to follow- - - 
 
 

Upgrade the anchor gear:
 
Removed the molded anchor related gear. The new chain is 40 links per inch. Hawse pipes are made from wire with grills made from pieces of 1/700 PE and bollards from a resin set.
The end covers are fashioned from PE hatch covers. I only had room for one stopper that I put on the starboard chain just for effect. The windlass brake wheel will come on later.
Ref: Squadron/Signal USS Kidd On Deck. Pages 6 & 7.

Upgrade the anchor gear:
 
Removed the molded anchor related gear. The new chain is 40 links per inch. Hawse pipes are made from wire with grills made from pieces of 1/700 PE and bollards from a resin set.
The end covers are fashioned from PE hatch covers. I only had room for one stopper that I put on the starboard chain just for effect. The windlass brake wheel will come on later.
Ref: Squadron/Signal USS Kidd On Deck. Pages 6 & 7.

Upgrade the anchor gear:
 
Removed the molded anchor related gear. The new chain is 40 links per inch. Hawse pipes are made from wire with grills made from pieces of 1/700 PE and bollards from a resin set.
The end covers are fashioned from PE hatch covers. I only had room for one stopper that I put on the starboard chain just for effect. The windlass brake wheel will come on later.
Ref: Squadron/Signal USS Kidd On Deck. Pages 6 & 7.

Upgrade the anchor gear:
 
Removed the molded anchor related gear. The new chain is 40 links per inch. Hawse pipes are made from wire with grills made from pieces of 1/700 PE and bollards from a resin set.
The end covers are fashioned from PE hatch covers. I only had room for one stopper that I put on the starboard chain just for effect. The windlass brake wheel will come on later.
Ref: Squadron/Signal USS Kidd On Deck. Pages 6 & 7.

Upgrade the anchor gear:
 
Removed the molded anchor related gear. The new chain is 40 links per inch. Hawse pipes are made from wire with grills made from pieces of 1/700 PE and bollards from a resin set.
The end covers are fashioned from PE hatch covers. I only had room for one stopper that I put on the starboard chain just for effect. The windlass brake wheel will come on later.
Ref: Squadron/Signal USS Kidd On Deck. Pages 6 & 7.

Just to let you know I have only been slacking a little bit.I ran out of mt Humbrol seeing I hate to order paint like hull red I made the gray I had some old railroad colors I had gotten for cheap and created my own color I think it's called Kure95(?).The color is a tad darker then the Humbrol  I was using and I made plenty of it it's Lacquer based.I spent one hour on each piece of deck just painting the grey details X3 then went cutting some of it off for the firehose stations.The firehose stations required me to roll the center(hose) section on different diameter metal rods well you got to anneal the brass or it ain't happening.It happened and I started building the stations and cut off the molded in ones.The Tamyia kit was different in this regard hoses,vents and ammunition boxes are molded in while Hase makes them all separate much more desirable to me at least.You can paint them on the tree with a clean separation on the deck it is what it is.
 
The shots worked no more migraines and pain from T8/9 up to C4 sleeping better .Pics.........Blasted see those specks crap I cleaned my a/c which is literally 2' away and turned it back on and got blasted with fluid and wet dust got some cleaning to do

Some project progress photos--

Building replacement main mast--


 With all the references available I'm letting myself constantly find details that are not in the kit and are a great challenge to duplicate. I have not been able to locate a picture or other source that will clarify my current configuration question.
The kit shows two inclined ladders mounted on the main deck (100 I think) terminating on the next level just outside of the flag bags on the navigation bridge. I replaced the kit pieces with PE. Then I found a picture showing an inclined ladder to the starboard side of the main mast that originates at top of the deck house and terminates at the navigation bridge level.
The picture is on page 27 of "USS Kidd, On Deck" (Squadron/Signal). If anyone can clarify how the inclined ladders are configured, I would greatly appreciate it.
Thanks for your time, Harley
 
 
 
 

Some project progress photos--

Building replacement main mast--


 With all the references available I'm letting myself constantly find details that are not in the kit and are a great challenge to duplicate. I have not been able to locate a picture or other source that will clarify my current configuration question.
The kit shows two inclined ladders mounted on the main deck (100 I think) terminating on the next level just outside of the flag bags on the navigation bridge. I replaced the kit pieces with PE. Then I found a picture showing an inclined ladder to the starboard side of the main mast that originates at top of the deck house and terminates at the navigation bridge level.
The picture is on page 27 of "USS Kidd, On Deck" (Squadron/Signal). If anyone can clarify how the inclined ladders are configured, I would greatly appreciate it.
Thanks for your time, Harley
 
 
 
 

Some project progress photos--

Building replacement main mast--


 With all the references available I'm letting myself constantly find details that are not in the kit and are a great challenge to duplicate. I have not been able to locate a picture or other source that will clarify my current configuration question.
The kit shows two inclined ladders mounted on the main deck (100 I think) terminating on the next level just outside of the flag bags on the navigation bridge. I replaced the kit pieces with PE. Then I found a picture showing an inclined ladder to the starboard side of the main mast that originates at top of the deck house and terminates at the navigation bridge level.
The picture is on page 27 of "USS Kidd, On Deck" (Squadron/Signal). If anyone can clarify how the inclined ladders are configured, I would greatly appreciate it.
Thanks for your time, Harley
 
 
 
 

Some project progress photos--

Building replacement main mast--


 With all the references available I'm letting myself constantly find details that are not in the kit and are a great challenge to duplicate. I have not been able to locate a picture or other source that will clarify my current configuration question.
The kit shows two inclined ladders mounted on the main deck (100 I think) terminating on the next level just outside of the flag bags on the navigation bridge. I replaced the kit pieces with PE. Then I found a picture showing an inclined ladder to the starboard side of the main mast that originates at top of the deck house and terminates at the navigation bridge level.
The picture is on page 27 of "USS Kidd, On Deck" (Squadron/Signal). If anyone can clarify how the inclined ladders are configured, I would greatly appreciate it.
Thanks for your time, Harley
 
 
 
 

Just outstanding plus all the other nice things folks have said. Truly inspirational. 
Congratulations on a job well done.
Cheers, Harley 

Welcome. I know it's just me but I tend to let a build log interfere with my actual building project. Considering this is your first major project you might consider focusing on the build itself. You
seem have a good systematic approach which will be a great asset. As they say (whoever "they" are) there's no such thing as a dumb question just unanswered questions. So don't hesitate to share your questions with others on this site. That will help you and others of us that may have the same question.
Most important, enjoy yourself. When things get frustrating, take a break.
Cheers, Harley