IJN Yamato by RGL - FINISHED - Tamiya - 1/350 - PLASTIC

[cog]

So far very informative, and impressive. Great build to follow. Do you use Tamiya paints and putty allways, or different brands too?

 

Up to superstructure and turrets?

 

When I look at her, she seems larger than the kit I have. Can't wait to start her, but had some central heating problems to fix last weekend.

[RGL]

Nah, I'll use anything, I used Humbrol for the weathering but this is a whole new world for me. The Tamiya Putty sands very nicely but goes off very quickly. This is the New Tool (post 2011), but I have the old tool for practice and they are exactly the same size. The only camera I own is my phone so if I had a good 54mm lense it would look better. My job sent me on a professional photography course last century and it's all about light (this was before digital), and I mainly then took photos of people who didn't know I was there.

[cog]

Digital, is still about light, mate.

 

I know some forum posts (not msw though) with weathering of ships if you are interested. Have to look them up, but that's no bother ...

Edited October 20, 2016 by cog

[RGL]

There is a build I'mfollowing on another forum that's quite good as it points out the bits that the instructions don't tell you about and is nicely weathered. When I get an airbrush there is a wealth of info on it, I know how to but there is so much good stuff out there now on the internet that did not exist back in the day that it's a whole new world. I think the secret is to be subtle. I imagine the hull will be battered and dirty but the Japanese were and are so fastidious the areas that were accessible would be as clean as possible or their seniors would have flogged them.

 

I keep telling myself stop rushing.

[Keith_W]

Yes, everything I learnt about film photography also applies to digital. Well, not the dark room stuff but you know what I mean The principles of taking pictures is still the same, just the post processing is different. 

[cog]

Greg,

 

The internet drives me nuts from time to time. Even when you type in an identical search you might end up with different results altogether. Such a wealth(?) of information, it is hard to make a choice.

 

The only advise I can give you when you startup your airbrush. Take your time. Practice, and practice some more, and when you think you've got it .... you certain foul a piece Get some blu-tack to keep small items from sliding/being blown away by the airflow. Even an 20mm gun with it's mount will move around

[dgbot]

Youtube has several tutorials on airbrushing from what to bet to how to use them.  One of my favorite is by the owner of Badger.  Long but a wealth of information.

Introduction to airbrushing by Ken Schotfeldt https://youtu.be/tsW-vN0_lHw

David B

[popeye the sailor]

here is a fellow that I know........he's tried many different types.   perhaps there is some useful info in there for you.

 

https://sites.google.com/site/donsairbrushtips/home

 

really great progress BTW........the hanger looks super!  

[riverboat]

Great work Greg, look'n real good!!!

 

 

Frank

 

P.S. if you are looking for an airbrush, look at the Iwata's, they are first class!!

[RGL]

Thanks for the feedback gents, the intend to get the hull joined up, fill the gaps, and the use a Tamiya rattle can to prime, as their fine primer is excellent. Once that is bedded down I can start on the guns and superstructures, the numerous (I mean hundreds) of smaller guns, , and have everything ready to go for proper painting and weathering, the ships boats, aircraft etc, so my log will continue in that vein until it's time to buy and learn. Big build and large investment means being careful in what I do.

 

BTW, Mr Taylor, challenge is set for you to try one!!!!

[cog]

Greg,

 

A Yamato for Mr Taylor, please, New Tool, and advanced PE detail up from ... hmmm ...  let's try the Pontos set for a change That should keep him busy for a little while ...

[mtaylor]

Guys...nothing like pressure, eh?  Seriously, I don't think I could do the work you're doing.  I'm in total awe...  As for keeping me busy...  I'm currently buried.  
 

So.. I'll take any abuse like being called "chicken" .

Edited October 22, 2016 by mtaylor

[S.Coleman]

It's almost like a model railway on the stern.! I like this build very very much. Good work. That taymia putty is tricky to use (sets quick) but is worth it's weight in gold.

[RGL]

Finally some days off! The hull is now joined up, but I have no idea what Tamiya were thinking making the upper hull in 5 pieces as the gaps are huge. Given the size of the ship, it needs a LOT of glue, and it requires a fair bit of spot glueing with off cuts of PE to slide into the gaps. The centre deck area (I'm sure the ex mariners will have a name for it), comes in three pieces which join up to the hull nicely with some thin PE.

In a moment of inspiration I found a syringe which I filled with Tamiya putty and ran along the gaps which will hopefully avoid a lot of sanding to avoid loss of molded seams. This is backed up by the prodigious use of masking tape

Quite a few of the dead lights have fallen off due to this handling but can easily be replaced. Once all the seams are fixed up I can add all the drain pipes on the side, drill out the stanchion holes and fix up everything I can before even thinking about adding the forecastle and rear flight deck.

Edited October 26, 2016 by Greg Lester

[Old Collingwood]

She is a Monster greg,  as you point out about the seems (Why Tamiya)  they could have constructed the hull in two halves like we are used to, but guess they wanted to make the part count as high as they could justifying the price?.

Tell ya what - that tamiya putty in the syringe - What an excellent idea

 

Looking good mate

 

OC.

[RGL]

Bugger me, it worked! I expected having to spend days fixing this, but it was just a couple of hours work.

 

I threw the old tool hull together so you can see the comparison. This swill be my practice piece for painting. Given how much I have spend on this thing so far I think it is worth having a mistake zone.

[Old Collingwood]

Bugger me, it worked! I expected having to spend days fixing this, but it was just a couple of hours work.

 

I threw the old tool hull together so you can see the comparison. This swill be my practice piece for painting. Given how much I have spend on this thing so far I think it is worth having a mistake zone.

Good.

[cog]

Expected the new tool would be more precise, it seems it gives you somewhat more building pleasure, and use of creativity. Nice solutions to these inconveniences. Well done, Greg. A pitty Tamiya didn't make a conversion for the Musashi on the new Yamato. There is quite a lot of differences when you look at both models ...

[RGL]

You will share my pain with the hull!

[cog]

Ahhh, Greg but I have the OLD TOOL :D so you had torture, and I get a mere whipping , although, looking at the kit, I might have preferred the torture ...

Edited October 26, 2016 by cog

[RGL]

I saw an excellent tutorial in hull plates on utube

[Canute]

Maybe the multi-part hull was to make it fit into a somewhat smaller box. The 1/350 scale Essex class ships had separate bow pieces, so getting the hull straight was a concern for the builder. 

[RGL]

No doubt it's all about packaging and shipping fees. Just would have been more simplified on a zig zag patter along panel lines, meh, too late, move on. Its a nice kit limited only by my own ability. The putty syringe seems to have solved it and nothing masking and overspray can't fix. Don't blame the tools etc. any faults will be my own.

[cog]

I saw an excellent tutorial in hull plates on utube

I haven't found one I truly understand yet, must be me being just another bl**dy foreigner

[RGL]

Type in "Hull plating small scale ships" into u-tube, there is a tutorial on how to do it, I found it last weekend, very simple.

[cog]

Haven't tried that search yet! Thanks. Found a howto on a Yamato but that one was ugly as hell. Plating looked like thick plasterboard with gollups of plaster

[RGL]

Freedom of expression mate! I'm sure some people look at my work and say that too!

[cog]

Hmmm, not yet mate. I'll let you know

[BANYAN]

Looks good Greg; nice "correction" with that syringe solution.  Should look seamless when painted.

 

cheers

 

Pat

[RGL]

Moving along with the hull, I have placed the degausing cables. You are given two options, one closed and one open. I used the open one as it looks better and I suspect Tamiya got the idea from the photos of the wreck but I suspect the keyboard warriors are correct when they say the covers have rusted off. Still, looks nice..

 

 

So all up there is about a metre of it, which at 1/350 is a lot.