USS Arleigh Burke by rvchima - FINISHED - BlueJacket Shipcrafters - 1/16" scale - guided missile destroyer

[Old Collingwood]

OC

Test the same combination off the model.  The Rustoleum problem was tested with many different paints over it with the same results - the color coats failed to cure/dry - enamels, and acrylics.  Maybe they have changed again - that's the problem, they seem to change quite often with poor results.  They may have solved the problem, but too late for me to ever try them again.  And I can assure you somebody is reading this thread and saying we are nuts that they have never had a problem - and they probably didn't have one - yet.    If it tests OK on similar materials in the same layering sequence then it's OK - but test off the model first.

Kurt

When i get the Clear coat spray I will have to test it on the Rudder that way I will be able to tell if its going to react.

 

Im sorry for taking over this thread, but I think its relavent to us both.

 

OC.

[rvchima]

Everything was fine until I put Krylon black over the Rustoleum. I'm back to that step but will try Testors black instead - on a test piece.

 

The Rustoleum Colonial red satin actually looks great.

[rvchima]

Pin Striping Tape?

 

What do you all think of using pin striping tape for the waterline? I used it on my Amati U-boat and Panart Harbour tug. It looks good now but I worry that it will come off before I die and I'll have to fix it.

[Keith_W]

It will definitely come off before you die. Paint it  

[MrBlueJacket]

I had good results by painting the black first, then masking it off and spraying grey above, red below. Here's a link to my newsletter that describes the process.

 

http://myemail.constantcontact.com/News--tips--and-happenings-from-BlueJacket-Shipcrafters--Inc-.html?soid=1105166336677&aid=KNHFIaXU6C8

 

And as mentioned above - stick with one paint chemistry.

[rvchima]

Masking tape model

 

I've seen ship models made of card, bone, and toothpicks, so I thought it would be fun to make one out of masking tape.

 

Ha ha, only joking. I REALLY did not want to mask off the entire forward superstructure to paint the decks, so I half-masked (half-assed) it and tried to paint it with a brush. I watched every boring video on Youtube about brush painting, and the results still weren't up to my generally low standards. So I bit the bullet and masked the hole thing off.

 

Here's the result after a little retouching. There is very little difference between the Haze gray walls and the Euro gray decks.

[rvchima]

Harpoon Missile Racks

 

These Harpoon missile racks couldn't have been much harder to build. I spent about 9 hours on the two of them. Each rack has 28 pieces:

• 6 photo-etched brass frames laminated into 3 double pieces.
• 4 cast metal tubes that don't fit in the frames without sanding.
• 2 pieces of brass wire along the bottom.
• 3 tiny photo-etched brass struts on the bottom.
• 8 brass pieces for the legs. I glued these together with CA.
• 1 styrene blast sheild.
• 4 cast metal feet.

Does that add up to 28? I've lost count.

 

They do look pretty good when they're done.

 

 

[rvchima]

Painting     38 days, 120 hours

 

My previous post about pin striping tape turned out to be a moot question. I was ready to paint and my tape still had not arrived. I painted the top of the hull with Testors Haze gray, masked that off, painted the bottom with Rustoleum Colonial red, masked that off, and painted the waterline with Testors flat black. I kept a couple of samples going to make sure that everything was compatible. The results were perfect. No touch up necessary.

 

Then I masked the hull off and painted the deck with Testors Euro gray.

 

The kit comes with self-adhesive stencils for the Helicopter landing markings. They are a little tricky to apply because when you remove the backing everything flops loose. Nevertheless, they went down OK. I airbrushed maybe 6 light coats of flat white, using a hair dryer between coats.

 

Removing the stencils was pure terror. If I screwed up there was no recourse. But the results looked pretty good.

 

Here's everything stacked up so far. It's starting to look like a real ship!

Edited October 16, 2016 by rvchima

[Robin Lous]

They do look pretty good when they're done.

 

 

That's an understatement...they look really good!

 

Robin

[rvchima]

It's Not Done Yet

 

Lest you think that I'm almost done with this model, here's a photo of the parts that still need to be attached. Sigh...

Edited October 16, 2016 by rvchima

[Old Collingwood]

Looking really nice sharp bit of building

 

OC.

[Old Collingwood]

What you going to use as a top coat flat to blend it all togther when it done?

 

OC.

[rvchima]

What you going to use as a top coat flat to blend it all togther when it done?

 

OC.

Great  question, I've been wondering the same thing. Metal tools leave marks on the deck gray that I can't remove, so I would like to protect that with a top coat. Can anyone recommend a product that they like?

[rvchima]

Top Coat

 

I put 3 coats of Krylon Matte finish on everything. Nothing melted or dissolved. Most of the marks on the deck disappeared. I am really glad I did this.

[rvchima]

Dapping tool

 

The instructions said to shape the missile director (radar) dishes with a dapping tool. I Googled "dapping tool" and discovered that my wife had the female part of one in the kitchen, and I had the male part in my bolt drawer. (Please don't tell my wife.)

 

[rvchima]

Miscellaneous Small Parts

 

3 missile directors

2 MK 32 torpedo tubes

2 SBROC launchers

2 R2-D2 droids

[rvchima]

PROPS!

 

Did I tell you that I ordered propellers? The kit has you building your own using Britannia metal hubs, photo-etched brass blades, and gold paint. I didn't bother. Instead I ordered a pair of 1-inch diameter Raboesch brass power props from  The Model Dockyard. They cost about 38 USD including shipping, but worth every D. I honestly think Bluejacket should include these props with the kit, even if they have to increase the price. At least make them available as an option.

[dgbot]

Why go through the hassle when you do not have to.  those props look perfect.  job well done.

David B

[WackoWolf]

I agree with David B, they are perfect. But you are the boss and if you are not happy then change them. Either way your doing an excellent job. Thank you for sharing this with us.

[rvchima]

More Small Parts

 

5" gun mount & boat crane

 

2 double life raft canisters, 3 reels, 2 SATCOM antennas, 11 single life raft canisters

[rvchima]

Superstructure Attached

 

 

Well I got to page 50, "Final Assembly," and I still hadn't seen anything about attaching the superstructure. Eventually I found that I should have attached the forward superstructure on page 18, but I don't think the instructions say anything at all about attaching the aft superstructure or stacks. So I went ahead and attached everything. Here's proof.

 

[rvchima]

Final Assembly

 

This paragraph

 

says to find these parts

 

and all of these parts, file them all down, paint them, figure out where they go, and glue them in place. Yikes.

 

 

[rvchima]

But I Digress

I had to put the Arleigh Burke aside for a few days to repair three antique leaded glass windows for a friend. On each window I replaced several shattered panes, re-glazed all the glass, restored the patina, and oiled the wooden frames. Two down, one to go, then back to the Arleigh Burke.

[Canute]

Nice repairs to those beautiful windows, Rod. Your Arleigh Burke is coming along nicely, too. Been lurking on your build here for a while. Modern USN are interesting.

[ASAT]

Rod, nice build going here, it's amazing how plain some things look until you add all the PE details and then they really add so much visual intrigue.... I really like the diversity in your subject matter(s) as well. Definitely a refreshing change from the status quo..... Well done!

 

Lou

[rvchima]

Haze Gray but not Underway Yet - 76 days, 194 hours

 

Since my last post I've almost completed the Arleigh Burke except for hundreds of little railings. Here's what she looks like now.

 

Decal Envy

The kit came with a paper flag and a set of decals for the ship's numbering, but surprisingly it did not include an ARLEIGH BURKE decal for the stern. Instead it had a laser-cut self-adhesive mask for painting the lettering, and several sets of photo-etched brass letters. I tried the mask first, but it was impossible to remove the body of the "A" while leaving the little triangle in the center. I tried the brass letters second, but it was impossible to glue them in line without getting glue on the letters or scratching the paint off of them. Finally I printed my own decals on Papilio Inkjet Clear Waterslide decal paper. Yeah, you can see the border but that's the least of my imperfections.

[rvchima]

Anchors Aweigh

Way back on 10 September I complained about having to make my own hawse pipe out of epoxy putty. I sure wish that I had realized then that the piece had to be thin enough to fit inside the narrow anchor flukes! Thank goodness for my Proxxon pen sander. I was able to remove about 1.5 mm from each side while it was still attached to the bow.

 

The anchor chains seemed to be made of copper. The instructions said to paint them black, but I think that the links in the chain are smaller than paint molecules, so I used a black patina made for stained glass. That worked well.

 

The chains disappear into cast-metal chain pipe covers. I sure wish I had realized that they should have holes in them for the chain before I installed them! Instead I butt-glued the chain to the ends.

[rvchima]

Mast

I thought the mast was done a long time ago, but it turns out that each little platform has several railings to keep the sailors alive. I sure wish I had known about the railings when the mast was sitting safely in a fixture in my vise and not atop a bunch of other delicate parts.

 

Refueling Hoses

These refueling hoses were surprisingly hard to build. There are four of them. The valves and hoses are cast metal, but the hoses come straight. I couldn't even tell what they were until I'd used up everything else and was left with them for the hoses. They had to be drilled in the end to accept the valves, drilled in the nozzle to accept a .02 " mounting wire, and bent to fit the particular location on the model. Not easy.

 

Boats

The ship's two boats are made of poorly-cast resin. I even got a set of replacements from Blue Jacket, and they were no better. I filled, sanded, and filed, but there are still a lot of rough spots on the boats.

 

CIWS (Close-In Weapons System) Gun

 

Speaking of Close-In, I really hate these close-in photos. It's like when someone takes a close-in photo of your face and you can see every pore and nose-hair. Anyway, here's want the front of the ship looks like close-in.

 

The ship's bell is cast metal. The paint set came with a full bottle of gold paint for the bell and the propellers (that I ended up buying elsewhere.) I'll say it again, At this price I think that Blue Jacket should include brass propellers AND A BRASS BELL with the kit.

 

Stairs

 

Way back on 10 October I complained that several little platforms kept breaking off, and that I had finally reinforced them all with a 1/32" brace underneath. I sure wish that I had realized then that the platform between the stacks should be at mid deck and not at the top. After I got it relocated I built these awesome stairs out of photo-etched brass pieces. It took about 7 hours, but wouldn't you like to climb that staircase?

 

Missile Control Radar

 

Every edge of this model is surrounded by photo-etched brass railings. I swear that they are so delicate that they bend when I walk into the room. Most railings are made up of lots of little pieces, like these railings around the missile control radar. They are mounted with tiny square tabs below each upright.

 

The railings never seem to fit in the required space. It seems like the railings are sized exactly for each location, but that the square tabs are not accounted for. I end up cutting off parts of each mounting tab. It would be MUCH easier if the railings were made as a single piece that was bent to the contour of the base, rather than many individual pieces.

 

 

[dgbot]

You are doing a marvelous job Rod.  How would you rate this kit and what would you put the skill level?

 

David B

[schooner]

Looking great Rod!!!