IJN Isuzu 1945 by RGL - FINISHED - Aoshima - 1/350 - PLASTIC - Light Cruiser

[RGL]

Testing out some new stuff on an old hull, chipping and wearing. I'm thinking if I can do a decent sets of ribs on the hull in black and dark rust, a coat of varnish then some of these fluids, I can beat the hull up pretty well. 

 

I just have to figure if i complete the hull painting completely then wear it back. 

 

This is is a bit severe but I like the effect 

 

I also want to try and add barnacles over the top. Let's see. 

[Tallshiptragic]

These effects look awesome, there's probably other brands but I know Vallejo have weathering textures like mud etc and you can probably find a good solution to a barnacle colour texture paint.

[RGL]

Pre shading V1. My plan is to do up the lower hull firs, using a black red between the ribs at the bow and amidships then overspray a Matt varnish, then paint it over those sections with the chipping and wearing products, then paint it properly like I did on my Yamato, then run away in sections to reveal the damaged sections. Hope it works! 

 

The decks will will have the brown Lino sections that will be modulated before the brass bracing is added. 

 

Looks a mess now now but hopefully there is method to my madness. 

[RGL]

The black red added, note to self, I will never use Vajello in my airbrush again, completely gunked up. 

 

Matt varnish next. 

[CDW]

Are you using the acrylic polyurethane for the black red? That poly paint is notorious for clogging the tip. In any event, if I encounter problems with tip clogging, a couple of drops of flow improver in my color cup usually takes care of the problem after the tip is cleaned. 

[RGL]

Seriously there was crap all through the airbrush, but I've got some of the flow improver, don't have this problem with any other brand

[RGL]

Because I need a solid 12 hour stint to paint then use the weathering products, and paying the mortgage precludes that at the moment it's back to piecework. The linoleum decks are meant to be a flat brown, so with some preshading and highlights where the brass strips are required, i e done that but, they still need a coat of flat varnish 

[RGL]

Now, asaw a 1/00 model of this class of ship and the mysterious blobs spread around the deck are skylights, which are, of course available in incredibly complex and tiny PE, so it's far tidier to place the grilles and hatch covers on 3x2mm strip. I need to have all these features sorted before I lay the 1mm brass bracing stips. 

 

All the kit supplied hatches, vents and equipment will be replaced with PE either from the Flyhawk set or other bits and resin pieces. 

[RGL]

I spent the day fiddling with the rear mast, which ends up being 3 sticks of plastic where everything else is replaced. I also put some canvas dodgers over the top of the railings.

 

the radar provided by Flyhawk is pretty crappy so I will try the kit provided PE, and should that fail there is a spare from Yamato 

 

i just have to fit these PE pieces onto the spaghetti soft plastic

[Captain Slog]

Yet more stunning photo etch!  This is torture fighting the urge to drop everything and dive in to a build where I can use it because of your fantastic examples.

 

Cheers

Slog

[RGL]

Now, that was convoluted but finally complete, I just have to add a 60cm spotlight, a pair of binoculars and the basked radar (you can see it lying beside the deck with the two replacement funnels). I replaced the topmost with brass for stability and replaced the join on the crane boom arm and added ladders. This is tiny and one hell of a lot of work for a single mast. 

[BANYAN]

Hi Greg, you don't muck around do you?  A guy goes on a short holiday and you finish one and well into another   Another interesting build you have selected and it appears you have set this one up for an extended amount of time at sea - will follow with interest.

 

cheers

 

Pat 

[RGL]

Hope you had a great time Pat. My ADD may play a part in it.

[popeye the sailor]

it may have been tedious to do........but it looks pretty sweet when assembled     nice job Greg!

[cog]

It seems I'm catching up constantly on your builds, Greg! You are adding some nice details for a plastic kit mediocre on details. I like that mast, and the full PE structures. I know from Fly Hawk they didn't replace the antenna "legs" on the Musashi either. Fortunately I had the Pontos. Your weathering will be a lot more compared to Yamato. What kind of paint are you using now - since you won't use Vallejo in your airbrush anymore.

[RGL]

Welcome back Cog! The paints are Mr Hobby and Tamiya as they work well in the airbrush. I'm pretty much going to do up all the deck structures first before painting again as the hull painting will take a fair bit of time.  The bridge is somewhat complex, and there is so little reference material apart from builds that seem to make a lot of stuff up. My plan is to make it as detailed and weathered as possible. 

[RGL]

Welcome back Cog! The paints are Mr Hobby and Tamiya as they work well in the airbrush. I'm pretty much going to do up all the deck structures first before painting again as the hull painting will take a fair bit of time.  The bridge is somewhat complex, and there is so little reference material apart from builds that seem to make a lot of stuff up. 

[RGL]

The bare bones of the bridge, all the detail will basically be sanded back, and start from scratch adding everything from Flyhawk and a fair bit more. 

 

There are are some huge gaps even with a dry fit, but still a lot of room for improvement as Flyhawk leaves a lot of small structural details out that will need to be added or scratch built.  Quite enjoying this as most other PE sets are just follow the numbers. 

 

Even better, as there are NO decent references I can't be proven wrong! 

[cog]

You made me feel double welcome!

 

"Even better, as there are NO decent references I can't be proven wrong!" Well, that's another refreshing way of looking at things ... With your experience, you will come out with something scrumptious!

 

Cheers

[popeye the sailor]

sounds like a disclaimer to me.......      certainly not a bad thing.   if that's the PE sheet we're looking at,  we're in for a very interesting turn of events.    look'in good !

[RGL]

A tiny update. After studying the plans from Profile Morskie, the instructions from Aoshima and the instructions from Flyhawk I was so confused as they all conflict I went to the 1 (yes 1), photo available of this ship which basically says some of the instructions are correct. 

 

Next, how to detail? How to paint a multiple layered cake? As much as I love this scale, the few warships I have been on have multiple pipes  and panels everywhere. 

 

The bottom 2 rear sides of the rear of the bridge which will not really be visible after I add railings covered in canvas and maybe some Sisac rolls.

 

the white plastic card is to cover up the enormous holes that platforms are plugged into by replaced by PE. 

 

When you zoom in on the 1 original photo there are all these fuzzy details which I have to deduct mean something nautical  which I'm not qualified to guess, but need to fabricate. 

 

Still fun tho!

[cog]

Talking about details ... the reel ...1.5 or 1.75 mm ?

[RGL]

About 1.5 Cog. After a good 6 hours, I'm about a third of the way through the the bridge. I scraped off the handrails, ringols and pipes and replaced them, added the spotters nests, Arial and search light platform (with added dodgers over the top), a couple of cable reels (but wait, there will be more!), some water pipes, voice boxes and water pressure controls. Also some after market resin paravanes and Nav lights with proper lanterns. Later I will put voice pipes everywhere probably in brass rod. 

 

Finally, a dry fit of the forward twin triple 25mm platform ( whilst the instructions don't say sso, there will have to be some chain lockers below that and a door or two (otherwise how the hell would they get the ammo to it!!!). 

 

Fiddly. 

[BANYAN]

Looking very good Greg; some very nice detail you are adding.

 

cheers

 

Pat

[Captain Slog]

Nice extras you are adding.  I get a surprise every time there is a body part in the photo at how small everything is!

 

Cheers

Slog

[RGL]

No, no dead bodies or body parts, the secret is to take them into the mountains where the pigs eat the bones too.....

[cog]

Or dump 'em in a chalk pit  ...

 

When I see that paravane, and the one from Yamato ... a pitty Fly Hawk didn't have an upgrade for that item.

[RGL]

I had 2 left over, but it's waaaay too big. It's still far better then the kit one, it will get lost in the noise. 

[cog]

I'll have to wear my shades then ...

[RGL]

Only 2 decks to go on the bridge! If you zoom in on the original photo, you can see 2 doors at the platform with the 2 triple 25mm's. No one seems to have noticed this small detail. The two small range finders on the 1st deck have support struts (added),and there is a cable from at the rear on the edge of the first deck. 

 

Everything is now done for deck 1, 2 and 3,  Just needs painting. As the deck will be brown and everything else grey, it will have to be piecework. 

 

The railings and dodgers (you can see some offcuts that are glued onto the rails in the foreground on the black cutting mat, whiched will be painted off white), will be added last to ease handling once I figure out how to get the tripod mast done. 

 

2 to go.