USS Alaska by Tigerdvr - FINISHED - HobbyBoss - 1/350 - PLASTIC

[Tigerdvr]

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.

 

[RGL]

Welcome to the dark side 

[popeye the sailor]

looks like an interesting project  

[Tigerdvr]

A  Waterline Configuration--

I used my Dremel to cut away the bottom of the hull. Care had to be taken to minimize melting the plastic. The picture looks really gross but it looks worse than it was. A number of cross braces were installed to minimize the hull flexing while sanding it. The hull was dressed and leveled.

The hull was used as a template for the making the boot line. A piece of 2mm black polystyrene by Evergreen, was rough cut using the template. This was glued to the bottom of the hull and shaped to provide permanent boot line.

Cell phone pictures

 

Edited May 21, 2019 by tigerdvr
Photo not intended to be inserted

[yvesvidal]

You are going strong and radical. No coming back. It reminds me of the butchering of my U-552.

 

Yves

Edited May 22, 2019 by yvesvidal

[pontiachedmark]

Gidday tigerdvr and a warm welcome from the Land Downunder.

You have fulfilled the main criteria in selecting a subject to model, " it caught my interest".

I admire the customization and wish you all the best in your build.

Mark.

Edited May 22, 2019 by pontiachedmark
Spelling mistake.

[Tigerdvr]

Wood deck:

The wood deck went on with no problems. There are a few places where Gator Grip Thin Blend was used to assist the deck adhesive. The deck kit included the “steel” deck from the capstans forward and the area of the aft 40mm mounts. Brass capstans, hatch covers, and other PE deck fitting are included in the deck kit. In most cases the PE hatches fit over the hatches already on the deck so little sanding was necessary. The PE deck fittings were all easily assembled per normal PE procedures.  The pictures of making the PE flotation net bins went to computer heaven unfortunately. I'm going to hate painting the deck blue.

[CDW]

That beautiful wood deck gets painted blue? or just the photo etch deck parts?

[Tigerdvr]

All horizontal surfaces per USN Ms22😂😂

[pontiachedmark]

Gidday tigerdvr.

What a pity.

Mark.

[ccoyle]

Looks great so far! Alaska and Guam were built for a purpose that had ceased to exist by the time they were commissioned, a fact reflected in their very short service careers. However, there's no denying that they were sleek and deadly looking -- definitely worthy additions to a steel navy model collection.

[Tigerdvr]

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!!

Edited May 26, 2019 by tigerdvr
Post fell apart, all out of order

[Tigerdvr]

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- - -

Edited June 5, 2019 by tigerdvr
Unable to produce a creditable log!

[mtaylor]

Looks good from here.  Both the build and the picture placements

 

As for the positing issue, are you uploading all your pictures first?  Then move the cursor where you want the photo and move the mouse down to the photo that needs inserting there.  Once there, move the mouse to the lower left of the thumbnail and click on the "+".

[pontiachedmark]

Gidday tigerdvr.

She sure is looking good.

All the best ,

Mark.

 

[popeye the sailor]

looks good to me too.........got some good techniques too   

[Tigerdvr]

 

This is synopsis of steps bringing the Alaska project to a finish.

Small parts, both plastic and PE abound

Black fine E Z Line was attached to a small plastic rod and inserted into the flag bags then run to the

yardarms to simulate the halyards

PE work from the kit, Infini,  & White Ensign was time consuming but worth the effort.

Storage rack for the  cranes

Alaska was heavily armed with a main battery of nine 12" guns, secondary battery of 12 5" DP guns and an extensive array

of 20mm Orlikon single mounts and 40mm Bofors quads. Her main mission was AA cover for the carrier groups. The main

and secondary batteries have brass barrels by B&D. The blast bags were formed with Tamiya putty. The 5" mounts did not have

blast shields as shown in the instructions. The sliding hatches on the main battery turrets were relieved as shown closed.

My aviation background wouldn't let me finish the Curtiss Seahawks with such gross shaped wings & tail

surfaces so they were reshaped and various colors tried to get an acceptable shade of blue.

Radio masts are tiny

More test fitting, priming, and painting to get ready for final assembly

Assembly, main deck rails, and touch up for the completion of USS Alaska CB-1

 

Next time, Harley

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[CDW]

She's a beautiful ship. Those 12" guns would have been devastating against enemy cruisers. 

[Tector]

I loved living in that state, and the cruiser herself has always had a special place in my heart too. Her and her sister were just so elegant.

[Tigerdvr]

Case has arrived, been assembled and will provide a home FINISHED U.S.S. Alaska CB-1The case is by Acrylicjob. Well packaged, easy assembly, reasonable price, looks good.

The finished Alaska

 

 

 

Sunlight causes color change-

Cased in the living room, will find some LEDs to get more light on her.

                                                                                                                 

 

U.S.S. Alaska start date: 10/20/18, completed 6/15/19    A great kit by Hobby Boss

 

 

[popeye the sailor]

superb job on the model!.......very well done !

[Tigerdvr]

Tks popeye, the model is better than the photography/log

 

Cheers, Harley

Edited July 10, 2019 by tigerdvr
Strructure

[pontiachedmark]

Gidday Harley.

A job well done.

I am looking forward to future builds.

Wishing you all the best in your endeavours.

Mark.

[RGL]

Well done mate, what’s next?