Tigerdvr

Nice work on the boats, enjoying your log, thanks for sharing.
Regarding your comment on lack of labeling on photo etch, I just received a photo etch fittings set for
Fletcher class destroyers from Gold Medal Models. They label what each part is on the fret plus labeling for the round or square bridge Fletcher.
Pretty handy. Their instructions are quite good also.
 
Best, Harley

Hello again,
Tonight I worked on the ship's boats. Lots of them! These are more detailed and precise than the ones on the Mikasa which I just finished. Lots of parts per ship:

They turn out really nice:

They have all sorts of stuff like seats and steering wheels:


I have no doubt that those the design these kits do lots of research for accuracy, and they MUST know what each component is for, and therefore, an idea of what it's called. Pontos VERY rarely mentions the name of an item you are working on, much less the individual parts. It would be nice to know. Just look at these parts that they even went through the trouble of super-detailing. I wish I knew what these things are:

I don't know if it's a language barrier, but that's hard to believe since with the internet, I'm sure they can find someone to translate for them.  I get the feeling they just can't wait to ship the set out to start making money. The hell with the details! Let those crazy enough to even touch these things figure them out!
 

Fellow photo etch addicts, "There is a limit to (this) insanity", as Yves said, should be our official moto.😵

Fellow photo etch addicts, "There is a limit to (this) insanity", as Yves said, should be our official moto.😵

Greetings, Is that beautiful hull going to get the grungy weathering job? Following with great interest.
Thanks for sharing
 
Harley

Fellow photo etch addicts, "There is a limit to (this) insanity", as Yves said, should be our official moto.😵

Fellow photo etch addicts, "There is a limit to (this) insanity", as Yves said, should be our official moto.😵

superb progress Greg!  the deck looks awesome!

Small update, bow deck flag, and the catapult covers (open position) each of which have 27 gussets. 

Now, three yellow bars done. I’m not going to put a flag at the stern, as it does not make sense by 1944 to identify herself so easily. 

Moving on to the gunner's cabin. More small bits - a couple of 2.5mm diameter knurled knobs :

 
The gunsight :





 
Parts fitted to gunner's cabin :



 
The gunner's seat was a bit easier :

Thank you all  .
 
The start of the build is the cabin. The laser-cut parts are perfect, much better than I could cut by hand in 0.5mm and 1.0mm card. Here is the main framing :


 
Two of the instrument panels. These have some very small parts. The gauge panel is laminated in 3 parts - the gauges, a very thin piece of clear acrylic from a cigarette packet, and the fascia which has been punched for the gauges :



 
The axe and fire extinguisher took me half a day to make :

 
The panels fitted to the cabin :



 
Danny

Hi all, 
 
My latest Card model - A Halinski kit of a Russian Mi24D Helicopter. Here are the pics of the cover page, 2 of the 3 pages of the  laser-cut pieces, resin wheels and a preformed canopy :




 
This is going to be my most difficult card model to date. There are over 4,000 pieces (HMS Hood had about 2,500), some of them half the size of the smallest I've done so far. This should be FUN  .
 
Danny

Moving right along...I tied four shrouds on each side of the aft mast. That's it for today

All you beer drinkers will get a kick out this!  When I checked into the burn hospital I told the head doctor that I needed a Kiltlifter beer with my dinner and if it was possible to do that? He said....absolutely! Then promptly   wrote a prescription for one Kiltlifter beer each night. They locked up the beer with all the narcotics and each evening they logged out a beer and I enjoyed it with my meal!

shape some sides, to bring it up, and than cover it. The "V" is to sharp it could jam the chain ... If you make it higher as per Kevin's photograph, you will only need a vary shallow rounding, instead of the sharp "V" you are working with. 
 
I like those images Rcboater!

Some more fittings has been dunn,
pin rails are in place  (not glued yet) I used some scrapp wood for this so it stas at the same hight, 
the davits is in place, catheads are made (not install yet) and am making new belaying pins also,
for this I used some leftovers from chuck's gratings kit (boxvood ) and used dremel to turn them 
4 made ,70-80 to go LOL😲 and it small to.... ( and I used some gum back of the scrapp wood so I got my hand free when drilling etc)
 
Svein.erik 

yust finish the corronsdas rigging (rope coils is not on board yet)
some dry fittings again before i get some more detalj on the deck fittings.
fore me this part of the work on syren is the most fun parts😉
its now everything comes together !!

started the rigging of the 8 first corronadas,  its small.......  thanks for the tweezers..LOL😉
 
svein-erik

Since I was a youngster, as many of the participants in this website, I have been building models that range from stick and tissue airplanes, solid hulled ships and planes, and armor from all fronts of World War Two etc, etc.
I spent four years building the Model Expo Syren which I consider my first serious wooden ship effort. That was a great learning experience for me. The Model Ship World website served as an invaluable source to make my model building experience meaningful and, although frustrating at times, an enjoyable hobby.
 
After I retired I finished the Syren and jumped right into the ME Confederacy. For me, Confederacy was almost too much but I don’t give up easily. She’s coming along quite well but I needed a change.
 
Today’s plastic models are a far cry from my previous plastic builds. Photo etch presents challenges and possibilities not thought possible a few years ago.
 
So Confederacy was put on the shelf temporarily and research on a new project began.
 
I chose the Hobby Boss USS Alaska, CB-1, in 1/350 scale. I really don’t why I chose this ship. It just caught my interest. The kit had good reviews and plenty of photo etch options available. Anything with multiple 40mm Bofors quads gets my attention.
The USS Alaska enjoyed a brief but meaningful wartime history.  She went to the Pacific with the Missouri at the end of 1944. Alaska’s main battery was nine 12in guns with ten 5in as a secondary dual purpose battery. With a speed of 33 knots and an extensive AA compliment, her main task was providing AA support to the carriers. Alaska was longer than any of the battleships at Pearl Harbor. There is much discussion as to whether the Alaska class was a Heavy Cruiser or a Battlecruiser which it had originally been designed to counter.
 
Kit: Hobby Boss 1/350 scale. The instructions are well done. I didn’t strictly follow the suggested sequence. For instance I assembled the 40mm quads early to see if I would want to replace them with PE. The kit PE are good but I did use some aftermarket items. The kit could be easily built as is from the box and produce a very nice model.
 
References: Warship Pictorial #43, Alaska Class Cruisers, a multitude of websites too numerous to mention, and Mike Ashey Publishing #3, Building and Detailing the Hobby Boss USS Alaska.
Note: Although Mike Ashey’s Publication #3 deals specifically with the Alaska, I think the book serves as a good training tool for beginners or, in my case, getting back into plastic and PE.
After market upgrades: PE items were purchased from White Ensign, B&D Barrels, Master Models,       Alliance Modelworks, and mostly Infini.
Note: The kit supplied PE is, IMHO, quite good and in the future I would have a new kit in hand before I started buying upgrades. Of course seeing what other modelers are using can be a good starting reference point.
 
Paint: I didn’t know that so many shades of gray and blue existed and I still ended up mixing my own deck blue.

I decided to use USN Ms.22 paint scheme as this was in use when Alaska went to war in the Pacific. The flashier Ms. 32/7C scheme shown on the box was used during her shakedown cruises to the Caribbean.
She will also be built in a waterline configuration which is where the build log begins.
 

Multiple sub-structures being built:
I have found myself working on a multitude of different structures simultaneously. All this was leading up to a point where I could prime as many sub-assemblies as possible at one time.
A word about PE. I used the Small Shop bending tool for most PE applications. Small strips of plastic were inserted to strengthen some of the joints like the catapults and the cranes. Gator Grip Thin is used for initial PE bonding followed by some spot welding with CA for strength.
As the various structures were assembled, all were checked carefully for fit, seams, and any surfaces in need of attention. Tamiya Putty and Mercury Adhesives Thick were used where patching was called for. I used Mercury Adhesives CA in various strengths throughout this project. The Tamiya Putty is pretty foul smelling to me but works well.
 
Folks, I apologize for this hodge podge of pictures, the preview showed all ok.
Alaska will be better than the log. I think I will just finish the model without having log headaches and, hopefully, be able to display a creditable model. 
 
 
Funnel interior PE                                                              More PE
                
 
There about 70 pieces to the completed funnel                                      Mandrel and soft clay to curve SG & Mk22 radar screens                 
      Early paint stage
       
           More Later- - -

The Plan—
It’s important to plan ahead to avoid conflicts and problems as construction progresses.
Questions to be resolved:
Degree of attainable accuracy, I consulted the kit instructions, Ashey’s book, and the Warship Pictorial #43. A lot of computer research time is being logged.
Materials available, this dealt mostly with a choice of kit vs aftermarket/PE such as main battery barrels, plastic or brass.
My current skill level, I have practiced PE on some 1/200 40mm Bofors quads by Veterans. I also did a practice build on a 1/700 Iowa to get up to speed on plastic adhesives, procedures, etc. The airbrush got some work. The paint job will be pretty clean. Oil canning and weathering hopefully on the next build. The kit supplied 40mm quads (14) and 20mm Orlikons (34) are reasonable so will be used. PE Orlikons are a real challenge to fold.
The superstructure will be constructed as separate mini projects.
The plan calls for working from the centerline out. Two major considerations for that are the paint scheme and fragile PE pieces and railings. Because most of the horizontal surfaces are blue and the vertical surfaces are gray, I feel it would be easier to paint most of the horizontal surfaces first and mask those surfaces when the gray is sprayed. I will prime all with Vallejo white surface primer. Both Vallejo and Model Masters acrylics are in the paint locker.
Thanks to CapnMac82 for his paint color comments on RGL’s Fletcher DD. That will help on Alaska’s paint scheme.
 
Painted deck
glued to hull,
brass capstans are wrong,
the bigger ones should be inboard, fixed.                                Deck masked for first gray paint on gun tubs etc.

 
Forward superstructure building up. Hanger doors are     PE vents, ladders, etc. being added
Evergreen .5mm V-Groove & .3mm half round

Clay used to brace PE support while glue dries                 Forward mast (Infini) building up

More next time, edit because the post fell apart!!

Multiple sub-structures being built:
I have found myself working on a multitude of different structures simultaneously. All this was leading up to a point where I could prime as many sub-assemblies as possible at one time.
A word about PE. I used the Small Shop bending tool for most PE applications. Small strips of plastic were inserted to strengthen some of the joints like the catapults and the cranes. Gator Grip Thin is used for initial PE bonding followed by some spot welding with CA for strength.
As the various structures were assembled, all were checked carefully for fit, seams, and any surfaces in need of attention. Tamiya Putty and Mercury Adhesives Thick were used where patching was called for. I used Mercury Adhesives CA in various strengths throughout this project. The Tamiya Putty is pretty foul smelling to me but works well.
 
Folks, I apologize for this hodge podge of pictures, the preview showed all ok.
Alaska will be better than the log. I think I will just finish the model without having log headaches and, hopefully, be able to display a creditable model. 
 
 
Funnel interior PE                                                              More PE
                
 
There about 70 pieces to the completed funnel                                      Mandrel and soft clay to curve SG & Mk22 radar screens                 
      Early paint stage
       
           More Later- - -

Just found this thread and the link to the photos. The link does not work for me. Are others having a problem connecting to the link?

Greetings, Is that beautiful hull going to get the grungy weathering job? Following with great interest.
Thanks for sharing
 
Harley