Mighty Mo, BB-63 Finished

[Greg Kimsey]

Reading his thread now. I told ya you can do that oil canning with paint.

Yep, that is one of the future changes!

The first change is to the flight deck fencing. I removed all of the initial fencing...

...and re-using those frames I added fine mesh by KA Models...

It is, of course, not as perfect as I would like, but cutting the mesh by hand with scissors was the only way I could see to make the screens. They are CA'd to the frames then CA'd to the ship...

I lost two in the process but had some photo etch thingy's that were adapted to be deck fencing. The sizes were very close.
Also, you may notice that I changed the deck color from what the instructions showed. Looking at aerial photos of the ship shows the regular deck gray color goes farther back over where I had painted the flight deck blue. I think it is more correct now.

 

[Greg Kimsey]

I could NOT find this picture last night. It is the aerial photo I mentioned that shows the deck colors.

 

[Rhino]

Consider the lighting conditions of the photo. Lighting affects color. This looks like a pretty cloudy day. You aren't painting in overcast conditions, Cap.

 

[Greg Kimsey]

Consider the lighting conditions of the photo. Lighting affects color. This looks like a pretty cloudy day. You aren't painting in overcast conditions, Cap.

No, but you can clearly see a color difference between the flight deck area and the area around the gun. I had the entire aft area blue, not just the flight deck area. I used the same gray I have used on the rest of the horizontal areas of the ship. I am not trying to match the colors in the photo. Does that sound valid?

 

[Rhino]

No, but you can clearly see a color difference between the flight deck area and the area around the gun. I had the entire aft area blue, not just the flight deck area. I used the same gray I have used on the rest of the horizontal areas of the ship. I am not trying to match the colors in the photo. Does that sound valid?

It do!

 

[moon puppy]

But the deck at the fantail where those twin mounts are is the lighter deck tan color. Notice it?

 

[Paulw]

That's because the tan area is teak.

 

[Greg Kimsey]

So I am nit-picking at this stage, doing a lot of little things. I added doors to the cabinets

...which I would have done way earlier if I knew I was going to do it LOL. The messed up paint splotcg in the first photo is what super glue remover does to paint. Live and learn, or remember.
I punched a out nearly 100 one and two milimeter circles to cap all of the sticky uppy things (bollards?)

The circular screen cover over the port rear ex-gun turret is made from an unused satelite dish screen. I remade (again again) the flight deck fencing using unused stretchers and oars, and made the actuators with 6mm lengths of wire with one end cut at an angle and the other set into small drilled holes.
The flag pole is brass tube fitted with a brass rod inside which sticjets out a little and a small metal 2mm disc with a 1mm hole drilled in it placed on top. I glued a small PE shackle to the top and used stretched sprue through the hole, pulled tight on one side and other side (which will hold the flag) is looped a little. I used a spare PE gun turret cap box behind the pole to add some detail and a place to lash the rope.
I have to figure out the fencing which I had in place and has fallen off somewhere between my room and the group meeting
Like I said, nit-picking.

 

[Heavens Eagle]

Keep at it Greg, you are getting there!

 

[moon puppy]

Looks convincing to me.

 

[Rhino]

Are some of the lockers top-openers? There is a chance those might be flag bags there under the main mast for signal flag hoists. They aren't canvas bags anymore, but the name stuck.

The bitt caps look convincing. You might sand them flat on top. Will you add the little foot pedal that opens the bitt cap for disposal of refuse?

 

[Greg Kimsey]

View attachment 170628
Are some of the lockers top-openers? There is a chance those might be flag bags there under the main mast for signal flag hoists. They aren't canvas bags anymore, but the name stuck.

The bitt caps look convincing. You might sand them flat on top. Will you add the little foot pedal that opens the bitt cap for disposal of refuse?

The flag boxes are there and I left them open. I will run rigging from the yardarm into the boxes. I am not sure what the bitt caps are though; everything has a flat top of punched metal so I am not sure what you want me to sand!
For what it's worth, the loading boom was a severe PITA! But, it is something I wanted to do after I learned what it actually was. It did not turn out as well as I had hoped, but doesn't look terrible (I think). I cut the old plastic boom off and made one from brass tubing, soldering a short piece at 90 degrees at the base to fit into a drilled hole. It pivots up and down but not side to side. The pulleys are various pieces of unused PE, punched plastic, and brass. Some turned out better than others. I know the boom lifting cable system is not accurate (at all), but I think the hoist system is close. I tried to make it with string so it would hang naturally but was defeated finally and ended up gluing all in place with stretched sprue. It all looks better in the photo than IRL, but I am glad I did it. It is one of those things I would have done way earlier and easier if I had known I was going to do it. I put a little skid of supplies to be lifted by the ghost crew.

 

[moon puppy]

Looks like a loading boom to me.

 

[Greg Kimsey]

Looks like a loading boom to me.

Cool! It is, so I did it right

 

[errains]

You have done an excellent job with Moe and all the added details are just icing on that cake!

 

[Rhino]

Mine own eyes have never beheld the BB hoist you did, so I say Well Done!! One of the bitt caps looked less than horizontal, but since it's metal, leave it be, my Friend! I am enjoying the passion with which you attack this build!

You make me proud!

 

[Greg Kimsey]

:: Mine own eyes have never beheld the BB hoist you did, so I say Well Done!! One of the bitt caps looked less than horizontal, but since it's metal, leave it be, my Friend! I am enjoying the passion with which you attack this build!

You make me proud!

I see the one you mean. An easy fix

 

[Paulw]

I did notice that your pyro lockers, the shields on the top and sides are white while the rest of the locker is supposed to be haze gray. I hope that you don't have to put MSDS marker of them. This is an awesome build.

 

[Greg Kimsey]

I did notice that your pyro lockers, the shields on the top and sides are white while the rest of the locker is supposed to be haze gray. I hope that you don't have to put MSDS marker of them. This is an awesome build.

Thank you Paul! I will fix the lockers. How do I know which are pyro lockers vs a regular locker?

 

[Paulw]

Thank you Paul! I will fix the lockers. How do I know which are pyro lockers vs a regular locker?

look for anything that seems to have a shield. The shields are raised by a 1/2 in spacer and painted white to help keep the contents cool from direct sunlight. This includes topside ammo lockers and lockers that are used for storage of any type of ready munition. Lockers next to the CHAFF launchers, next to the flying bridge or along the main deck.