IJN Fuso by rumbeard - FINISHED - Piececool - ~1:837

[rumbeard]

Fast forward three years and I bought a kit of my favourite battleship.  I also noticed there were eight or so other ships to build and resolved to get them too.  Also got much better tools.  Mandrels are very important for curved part bending.  I also set up a workspace which will move to the garage this weekend with the purchase of a workbench since my new favourite scale for card models is 1:200 and they are huge.

 

[rumbeard]

As before you start with the bridge, funnels, and other super-structure items.  Antennae and funnels take some practice.  Rigging often breaks when trying to hold it steady and add parts.  I often have to come back later when the masts are affixed to the deck and glue them in place.

[rumbeard]

Turrets, fore, and mid decks with greebles.  For the later Yamato these became extremely repetitive.  The advantage to that, however, is you get really good at banging them out perfectly after 2 to 3.

[rumbeard]

Attached fore and mid

Starting on poop deck/fantail

All of it together minus hull

[rumbeard]

[rumbeard]

[Ian_Grant]

Impressive!  Did you have to fold up that hull somehow, or does it come formed?

[rumbeard]

The hull is composed of a few pieces.  You attach the side walls and I add the curves and bends with my giant wooden mandrel and my hands.  Then you add the bottom plates.  The trickiest bits are determining whether you twist tabs, bend tabs outside, or bend tabs for inside insertion.  (this is often done with tubes but can get tricky on small tubes and result in undesirable deformation.  I often use my judgement in addition to the instruction suggestions because for certain bends I found my choice was a better result.