Atlantis 1/320 "USS Forest Sherman"

[Greg Kimsey]

I didn't like the whirligigs I made so after looking at some photos I thought I would try again. I cut a paper thin .5 x 1mm piece of brass sheet and twisted it for the propellar and another small brass piece for the tail. The body is a .5x.5 x 2mm styrene. All held with superglue, which was challenging getting the tweezers to let go. However, Rhino asked " Wouldn't they be pointing in the direction the ship is going?", and since that is an excellent question and since I don't know the answer, they are now pointing forward. Ignore the photo of them pointing somewhat starboard. The #11 Xacto blade is for scale reference.

 

[Greg Kimsey]

Rear mast is redone. The image is somewhat grainy but I think it may be close enough to show what was there. It's not like someone can go to the ship and compare since it doesn't exist anymore.

Time to let all that dry and work on the ship body.

 

[Rhino]

Avast! At last, a mast! I'm aghast!

 

[Greg Kimsey]

@Rhino you crack me up!

So, I scratchbuilt some ladders. Not as easy as it looks! The sides are .015"x.125" styrene cut in a 1mm wide "7ish" shape. The treads are .010"x.060 styrene cut in 1mm length. I think one side has 15 treads and the other has 16. That is probably a huge hit, but these are the 4th pair I have made to finally be happyish with them. Testors liquid cement glued the stairs together and superglue glued them to the ship.

Here are some leftover pieces that didn't make the cut so you get a sense of the size. The strips are what I used to make the ladders. The wide strips made the sides and the narrow made the treads:

Here are the ones that did:

 

[Greg Kimsey]

The kit propellar guards were horrible. I made new ones with .5mm brass rod and .5mm styrene rod. 1st, the reference:

Then, the kit part vs what I made:

Maybe better, maybe not, but it's done. Also, I have taped off using 1mm Tamiya tape where the black line will be. It should be .8mm to be in scale, but 1mm is going to do. Can my ship pro's tell me if I have it near the waterline? The instructions don't specify and the images I have look similar to where I put it.

Thanks fellers!

 

[moon puppy]

Nice! I keep hearing it's just shapes.

 

[Greg Kimsey]

Nice! I keep hearing it's just shapes.

So I heard! Cripes

 

[Skinny_Mike]

that is some tiny stuff to be scratch building! You are a brave brave man!

 

[Greg Kimsey]

Well dagnabbit!!

I KNOW it was sanded enough so that shouldn't have happened. I used Alclad II BLack microfiller and Tamiya tape. Damn.

 

[moon puppy]

this is why I'm not a fan of their primers.

 

[Greg Kimsey]

this is why I'm not a fan of their primers.

Crap! I’ve been using it for ten years!! Normally I use the gray though. What brand RU using?

 

[Skinny_Mike]

this works great! Thin with Mr. Leveling Thinner.

 

[moon puppy]

Crap! I’ve been using it for ten years!! Normally I use the gray though. What brand RU using?

Tamiya or Mr Hobby.

 

[Rhino]

Floquil Reefer Gray is my preferred primer. 3 drops at a time!

How much lipstick will you put on this pig? I will confess I have put lots of Lipstick on Pigs, because I just cain't help myself.

Your 1/500 p/e aerometers are in the mail as we speak. Regular snail-mail with no tracking number.
Of late I have been the recipient of lots of model generosity. For that reason, you cain't pay me for these.

 

[Tim A.]

Your more of a masochist than me Greg

 

[Greg Kimsey]

Masochism is my jam! I have learned several things from building my first ship.
#1: Paint the deck before gluing ANYTHING ON IT!!!
#2:I LOVE building ships!
#3: Have a plan before starting.
Knowing nothing, I couldn’t really have a plan, because I knew nothing. I need to build another ship right away. I am ordering Tamiya’s 1/350 USS Missouri. This one still isn’t finished, but should be by the time the Mo gets here.
Here are some progress shots. Under magnification I see MANY areas I need to improve my skills. It looks messy. Anyway…the shiny areas are where I put gloss for a decal.

The masts are on and look OK. Now I need to drill a few hundred holes for the railing!

 

[Rhino]

Chopping off the horrible kit railings was the ballsiest thing I ever saw a model ship beginner do! Tamiya 1/350 BB-63 is an excellent choice.

Stop the drilling!
It is time for a more experienced Man to make a suggestion and offer some advice.

WEM 1/350 Extra Fine USN Rails (PE 35062) | White Ensign Models

WEM 1/350 Extra Fine USN Rails (PE 35062) Extra fine rails designed to accurately represent USN rail and stanchion spacing etc. Contains: 2,3,4 & 5 Bar rails, upswept bow rails, vertical & inclined ladders. LARGE PICTURE INDEPENDENT REVIEW

www.whiteensignmodels.com

1/350 Extra fine railings are just that, beautiful, but flimsy and can be tricky to install. You need one of these to make precise cuts:

Xuron Corp

Xuron manufactures over 100 different tools including our Micro-Shear® Flush Cutters, Pliers, Forming Tools, Wire Strippers, Micro-Pneumatic™ Cutters, Scissors and Wickgun™ Desoldering Braid Dispensers. Markets for Xuron® tools include industrial electronics, wire processing, plastics de-gating...

xuron.com

I have been using a 10X magnifying opti-visor to clearly see my p/e parts. Cut them, sand/cut off the attachment knobs/tabs. Install them precisely.
Yes, friends, I evolved beyond my naked eye P/E technique. I am no longer a Legend.

Paint the railings first, set them with tiny bits of superglue or 3M craft glue. I use an old needle stuck in a pencil erased to apply my C/A glue.
Touch up you paint and spray a clear flat to eliminate the shiny spots of C/A glue. Mark, Richard and Carl use this technique. I consider these men expert ship modelers.

Carl's YouTube. 1/350 USS Oyster Bay PT boat tender.

Zvezda 1/350 scale "Arktika" Russian icebreaker plastic model kit review | FineScale Modeler Magazine

A full-build review of the Zvezda 1/350 scale Russian icebreaker Arktika plastic model kit. It contains 602 parts, an 11-page instruction book, and color marking diagrams for its excellent decals.

finescale.com

Mark's Russian Icebreaker

Robert's your Uncle, Fanny's your Aunt, You're a Ship Guy! These techniques allow you to appear much more experienced than you may actually be!
Most importantly, if you learn some tricks and tips, you have more fun with your builds!

 

[Rhino]

I have a head-mounted, lightweight magnifier for sale if you want to try one out.

MagEyes Hands-free Dual Lens Magnifier #2 and #4 lenses1996 New!

eMagEyes 1996 issue of their American-made, hands-free dual lens hobby magnifier. Both #2 and #4 lenses are included. I've had this on hand for a long time. I never used because I was SO proud I did most of the teensie photo-etched parts on my ship models and mold Masters without a visual...

tlarmodels.com

 

[Greg Kimsey]

Thanks Chris! I have the PE Xuron's and 10X mags, so all good there. Without the mag headset there would be no model building for me. Believe me, I looked seriously at the PE set before deciding to us the EZ line. I haven't drilled many holes yet due to a nice long nap, so I will look again at PE. It is probable that my supplier has them and Gail won't be the wiser!

 

[Greg Kimsey]

Alas, yes, the rails are avaiable with 2 in the cart. I will continue to weather and prepare for them.