IJA Akitsu Maru by Landlubber Mike - Five Star - 1/700 - RESIN

[Landlubber Mike]

Thanks Andrew!  I still am learning but have slowly gotten better model by model.  
 

Did you start the HMS Vindictive yet?  I bought it and a couple of other AJM Models 1:700 kits when Squadron had a big sale earlier this month.  I’m not sure what to think.  The hull is beautiful and the instructions didn’t seem too bad.  The resin detail parts need some work though, and a lot of the parts all look the same at this scale.  My Albatross kit from Niko was much the same, so hopefully it will similarly turn out well in the end.  
 

The Polish mixed media kits (AJM, Niko) are very detailed kits with crisp hulls but the resin detail pieces are some of the weaker parts of the kits in my opinion.  The Five Star mixed media kits like the Akitsu Maru and Seishu Maru are opposite - very crisp parts (especially the smaller amount of resin details) but less comprehensive (they seem to take shortcuts and I feel like I’m supplementing the kits quite a bit) and instructions are mostly just pictures of the assembled model.

Edited yesterday at 02:09 AM by Landlubber Mike

[DocRob]

Wow Mike, your little jewel somehow skipped my intention until now. I´m fascinated what is possible in that scale, and how you let it look like an easy build.

Cheers Rob

[AJohnson]

2 hours ago, Landlubber Mike said:

Thanks Andrew!  I still am learning but have slowly gotten better model by model.  
 

Did you start the HMS Vindictive yet?  

 Hi Mike, no I have not started it yet, not brave enough!  I have looked over it a few times and like you seen the “traps” (resin) and the good parts (P.E.). The resin seems awful delicate, as well as not very “clear” and i’m still puzzling how to get some parts out of the blocks still looking identifiable.  Some are so small even if you did get them out successfully they would look like “blobs” if more than a few molecules of glue used! 
I will however try to build it as an experiment, as I fortunately got mine from an eBay charity shop for £20!  So not much to lose by using it as a learning experience. 
Also the WW1 “dazzle” camo! 😳

[Landlubber Mike]

4 hours ago, DocRob said:

Wow Mike, your little jewel somehow skipped my intention until now. I´m fascinated what is possible in that scale, and how you let it look like an easy build.

Cheers Rob

Thanks Rob!  I tend to like the 1/700 scale due to the very wide range of subjects available and just having something smaller on the bench.  Personally, I really enjoy the challenge of the PE work.  The only tricky thing in this scale is that you have to have very steady hands to do the PE work, and you probably need decent eyesight.  On the hands I'm very lucky, but the eyesight is certainly worse than it was five years ago but I've found that using a good light source and magnifiers that I can do a decent job.  You're ten times the modeler that I am, so I'd say go for it if you are so inclined!

[Landlubber Mike]

4 hours ago, AJohnson said:

 Hi Mike, no I have not started it yet, not brave enough!  I have looked over it a few times and like you seen the “traps” (resin) and the good parts (P.E.). The resin seems awful delicate, as well as not very “clear” and i’m still puzzling how to get some parts out of the blocks still looking identifiable.  Some are so small even if you did get them out successfully they would look like “blobs” if more than a few molecules of glue used! 
I will however try to build it as an experiment, as I fortunately got mine from an eBay charity shop for £20!  So not much to lose by using it as a learning experience. 
Also the WW1 “dazzle” camo! 😳

Wow, £20??  That's a very good deal!  If it's too intimidating, you can always start out with a less complicated model from AJM or Niko.  With your skills, you'll be fine 👍

 

For resin attached to the blocks, I use a couple of different methods.  Side cutters tend to work if the attachment is thin.  For larger attachments, I'll use a fine razor saw to saw them off the block and then sand off the remainder.  Be very careful if using side cutters as if you don't hold the small part while cutting, it can shoot off into God knows where (don't ask me how I know that).

 

When I saw the dazzle camo from your picture, I had to pick one up.  I didn't realize that the British warships had such cool dazzle schemes.  AJM has kits of quite a few of them.  I missed out on the Ark Royal, but along with the Vindictive, I bought the Jervis Bay and the Argus.  Check out the dazzle scheme on the Argus!  Will be a lot of fun building the interwar biplanes in 1/700!

The good thing is that these 1/700 scale ships don't take as long to build as larger scales, even when you get a detailed PE set.  Because I haven't been able to get to my airbrush setup the last week, I've been working on an IJN light cruiser and in a week, have it halfway built already.

 

Edited yesterday at 02:10 AM by Landlubber Mike