tamiya 1/350 ships

[Guest]

Richard,

The 32.17 pound set contains cranes, railings, radars, aircraft bits etc and the 17.87 pound set contains a lot more intricate stuff such as more radars, ladders and a lot of very fine stuff which I can't make out.

I would only tackle the fine detail set if you have a good bit of experience with PE and a hell of a lot of patience.

[Guest]

ok thanks richard, i think i will just stick to the £32 one....i have no experience with pe so im its going to be trial and error, hopefully nigels tutorial will be up soon and that will give a few tips on how to use it as well as make it!

if not hopefully someone can give me a few starter tips on how to use it to its full potential!

[Guest]

Richard,

I don't know why I didn't think of doing this before but please see the pictures of the two PE sets from White Ensign for the Musashi. They are actually not their own manufacture but at Gold Medal Models productions.

If you have little experience with PE I would stay clear of the very detailed set as it will probably lead to dissapointment and frustration. From what I can see of it I wouldn't have a go as i don't think my eyes are up to it!!

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[Guest]

i take it the one on the left is the more detailed one.

argh, thats the one i want as its got the ladders, and espcially because it has the little convas things that go at the base of the turret on the guns to stop sand/salt/dirt getting in. (middle left)

if you look at this picture you will see how good they can look!

ok...just found out the one i need is called "the ultimate set" which can me used on the yamato or musashi, take a look at these ones (might be the same set and me just confused!

and... anyone know how the heck this guy has done the sea? vacumforming maybe?

http://www.steelnavy.com/Tamiya250YamatoLKS.htm

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[Guest]

From what I can see the ladders are on the set on the right which is the detailed set. I would have a chat with them at White Ensign. They are very helpfull, very efficient and very friendly.

When I purchased the PE set for the Revell U-Boat it arrived the very next day. I was very surprised but I would recommend them to anyone.

Give them a call and ask them what they suggest for you.

[Guest]

Richard

the detail sets are superb but i suggest you get both as the radar and other bits really set the kit off!! they are not hard to do honest and there is a couple of tricks that make them so much easier than you would think! trust me the ship would not look anywhere near as good without both sets! also i know how to do the wood planking that is also easy if you want il tell you how you will be surprised

[Guest]

i would very much like to know how to do the decking. please nigel, share your wisdom!

and so whats this little trick your talking about?

i know there is these 2 kits, but there is also an "ultimate kit" do you think that is just the two kits combined?

[Guest]

With P.E if your gonna try and do some hefty bending anneal the metal first in other words heat it untill its almost red hot then let it cool the brass will bend much more easily and it wont have a tendacy to spring away from you this makes life much easier then attatch parts with super glue but use a needle as an applicator

[Guest]

With the decking first sand away all the raised plank detail then paint the deck with a white base coat now heres the good bit mix up or buy a basic teak deck colour from that add white or dark brown so you have eight different shades now spray the deck with the lightest shade! now using a stel rule and laying some masking tape down on a flat suface (glass is best) get a craft knife and cut some thin strips of tape (the same thickness as the planking ) cut the tape to roughly 3" strips and lay some down on the deck to replicate the planking! make sure you burnish the tape down !! now spray the next lightest colour ! then more tape then the next colour in line untill you have completed the deck ! when dry remove the tape and give it a spray of mat varnish voila perfect decking !!!!!

[Guest]

lol, you lost me at the part where you say "then more tape" any chance you could do a video tutorial on a bit of scrap plastic? or maybe try and simplify the instructions down into nice bullit points (so simply explained a monkey could do it!)

lol, im feeling a bit slow today!

what do you paint the p/e stuff with? normal acrylics/enamels?

[Guest]

for heating up the brass for p/e, i have a dewalt industrial heat gun (very hot blow dryer ) would this do the job or will i have to by a flame gun?

[Guest]

Richard whatever you do do not take on anything that is too difficult for you or is going to take too long. The last thing you want is to become disheartened in the middle of a project so practise on scrap plasticard and go for whatever you feel is achievable.

You are far better off with something that is successfull but doesn't look quite as realistic than if you make a mess of trying to do something you are not comforatble with and you spoil the model completely.

Bear in mind the time you have to spend, your own skill levels and what you want to realistically achieve.

For annealling PE I would get hold of one of the small cheap Lighter gas powered burners that ignite with a Piezo sparker. Very handy and safe and sit in a nice firm base.

You could do the job just as well with a match or a lighter but will probably singe your fingers in the process!!

[Guest]

i hear what you are saying, but if i dont give it a go i will never know how and will never do it. i want to put alot into this project, but maybe i could get a cheap model and some cheap p/e details to practice with before i put the practice onto the main prject?

[Guest]

Excellent idea.

I was reading an article on today in Model Boat International. They were making a pair of Airfix kits, the Manxman and HMS Suffolk and enhancing them with Eduards generic handrail PE sets.

Try something like that first or if you want a similar scale to play with find a destroyer or something and fit generic PE to it. You should practise on something first.

I have just been working on the Revel 1/72nd U-Boat and even that can have very tricky bits that take a lot of patience to get right.

Although it can be very satisfying and very effective I would never say PE is easy.

[Guest]

well i could get either an airfix Moskva or tamiya USS Indianapolis (as in you can get p.e detail sets for them at about £11) and the kits are about £10-15) but these kits are 1:600/1:700 so surly it will be harder as the details are smaller?

maybe i should just give it ago on the final thing but practice with a cheatp pe set on some wood or something?