1/700 scale IJN Ships make over

[rtfoe]

It's been a while since my last update...well I've been adding the rails to the wharf and also a ladder...



I've also added a level crossing across the tracks. It'll get some paint later...



Got PE folded for one of the anti-aircraft towers then made the scaffolding for the stairs leading to the tower on the hill.



That's all for now...it was only a very short bench time that I had.

Cheers,
Richard

[Allen Dewire]

Richard, I am so sorry I totally missed this. I can only say that you have gone mad to be working on such tiny and I mean tiny things! The detail you have achieved in this scale is incredible to say the least!!!

You have to give me the name of your Optometrist so I can make an appointment with him………..

Bleib Gesund
Allen

[rtfoe]

No worries Allen, this dio has been around for many years. It pops up now and then when I tinker with 1/700 stuff. I just found two boxes of Tom's Modelworks PE for quite a few of my ships. That actually triggered the sudden build here. Actually the lesser the scale the lesser the detail scrutiny. The fun part is trying to create details you would find in 1/35 for this scale. I haven't visited my Optometrist for the last 5 years and it's about time I should as everything is getting wonky. :smiling2:

Here are some updates to the anti-aircraft towers...



The stairs and scaffolding platform is a combination of plastic strip and rod with PE...nothing specific, just extra PE from ships.





The gun tub in the tower is a Pit-Road accessory with tread flooring molded on. The hill side will need bushes and tall grass.




This is the other tower with 20mm guns. I will probably surround the base with sandbags and crates.




Again very little bench time today. Thanks for watching.

Cheers,
Richard

[rtfoe]

Come on Come on... do the locomotion with me... have set them onto sponge double sided tape. Some of the carriages recieved stowage from plastic strip and gravel from Magic sculpt.



15 mins later they're covered with Nato black...



Another half hour spent highlighting the wharf planking with Khaki mixed with white and using the airbrush creating streaks along the sides to break the flat tone of the sides.



Putting the airbrush away, I will apply a dirty wash and pick out details of rust and green with a sharp pointed brush.

Ok sleepy time.

Cheers,
Richard

[Jim R]

Hi Richard
Wonderful stuff. It is quite an eye opener to see the wharf on the paint bottle - it is so TINY!!
Jim

[Steve Jones]

I'm running out of superlatives Richard. This is such an epic build. Certainly one of my favourites this year. Keep it coming my friend

[rtfoe]

Thanks Guys, there was a bit of a hiccup...forgot to renew so was locked out.

Jim, actually with reading glasses at 2.5 magnification they look like 1/35th scale. The only difference is you handle the parts with tweezers instead of fingers.
Steve, I'm ok with a simple nice, glad it's one of your favorites. This build has been a bit long in the tooth and needs finishing and what better time than in a lockdown.

Anyway her's some updates I did on Sunday...not everything is on the dio, this time I've done a little on the Hatsuyuki...



Ron will have a field day about the masking for airbrushing but the funny thing is I rather enjoyed it this time...wierd. :smiling2:



After all the spraying, the tape is off. The upper structures are temporary fitted.



Too clean...must bring out the hairy brush for weathering...



Top shot showing the linoleum and metal decking...



Close up show my masking to be not prefect but these will be covered with washes and dry brush highlights.



That's all for now.

Cheers,
Richard

[scottie3158]

Richard,
Sorry I haven't caught up for a while this looks excellent in particular the roofs.

[rtfoe]

No worries Scottie, you've got a heck of a build going on there. Thanks, ya the roof were eye numbing for a while. :smiling6:

Cheers,
Richard

[rtfoe]

Hi,
I got onto the Hatsuyuki 'cos I was in two minds to remove the huge cantilever crane. While looking for reference I found that there weren't that many of these and were built specifically for servicing British capital ships with 18inch and below guns. They were known as Hammerhead cranes. These were usually supported on railroad wheels and moved along straight rail lines. Tamiya didn't provide wheels so I assumed it was fixed permanently to a spot so my harbour doesn't give provision for this as you can see. Logically it would be better with rails for movement, also when the reference article said for British and CommonWealth ports that got me thinking, did the Japanese copy such a crane with the help of the British, their Allies at the time to build the Kongo class sisters? Good thing I found a reference picture of the Hei with being built with a Hammerhead crane in the background in Yokosuka. Another recent reference picture shows a cantilever Hammerhead crane in a Mitsubishi dockyard in Nagasaki permanently fixed so the crane may stay.

These two pictures show the Hammerhead crane on Sydney's Garden Island Naval Depo. Sadly it was demolished in 2013, I had passed and photographed that spot in 2016 and didn't know I had missed something of history and close to a subject I had built. Here's a link about its fate and how it inspired many Meccano fans around the world.
[ATTACH alt="Hammerhead Crane 2.jpg"]382894[/ATTACH] [ATTACH alt="Hammhead Crane 3.jpg"]382895[/ATTACH] (For reference only)

Here's the Yokosuka dockyard Hammerhead crane and Hei under construction.
[ATTACH alt="Hammerhead Crane Yokosuka 7.jpg"]382896[/ATTACH] [ATTACH alt="Hammerhead Crane Yokosuka 8.jpg"]382897[/ATTACH] (For reference only)

This is the cantilever crane at the Mitsubishi dockyard in Nagasaki which looks like a permenant base.
[ATTACH alt="Hammerhead Crane 5.jpg"]382898[/ATTACH] [ATTACH alt="Hammerhead Crane 6.jpg"]382899[/ATTACH] [ATTACH alt="Hammerhead Crane 9.jpg"]382900[/ATTACH] (For reference only)

The other solution is to save the crane for another dio with a British ship in drydock having its guns overhauled.

Let me know what you guys think?

Cheers,
Richard

[Steve Jones]

No idea Richard I'm afraid, but I am certainly learning a lot :smiling2: :thumb2:

[rtfoe]

Hi Steve, I'm learning as well. In the early years I took things for granted and just built for fun without the slightest inkling on how it works and placed. Now with the net reference is easier and interesting which makes a difference on decisions and dio compositions.

Cheers,
Richard

[rtfoe]

Hi, I tinkered with the Hatsuyuki today and drilled out a number of air vents and the smoke stack guards. Sorry if the pictures are blurred...



This looks a bit clearer...I thinned out the large air vents peculiar to the Fubuki class destroyers.



Then I also drilled out these apertures. The smoke stack funnels aren't stuck on yet. I will have to mask the white stripes and black top first.



That's about it .

Cheers,
Richard

[rtfoe]

Hi,
I will need to do another coat of lighter grey closer to the Kure Japanese grey applied at their dockyards. It has that slight greenish tint.

Cheers,
Richard

[rtfoe]

Hi, just before the new coat of grey I sprayed white onto the rear funnel for the stripe markings for the flotilla that the destroyers were attached to. These were then masked and the grey sprayed over the masked again for the black...



The funnel is still dry fitted that's why there is still a gap at the base. I think I over did the black and it needs thinning so a remask it will be...good thing I didn't stick the funnels down.



Some other parts from the sprue were sprayed with the paint left over from the cup.



That's my bit at the bench today. Doors locked to keep the cats at bay...I don't fancy scratching these parts.

Cheers,
Richard