Mighty Mo, BB-63 Finished

[Greg Kimsey]

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.
View attachment 170661 View attachment 170661

None of them have a shield, no matter what size or where they are, so I am adding a piece of white styrene to the tops of what I think are the pyro lockers. Thanks for the advice!


So, backing up yet again, in the immortal words of Mick Jagger, I cain't get no satisfaction, no matter how I tried to paint the windows. I decided to use clear plastic instead, which meant removing the superstructure. Here is my reference:

Notice the walkway around under the windows. This PE set I bought has been handy for modifying parts to make other things. Some grating did the trick I think:

I used tiny square styrene rod pieces and added the little boxes under the windows. I plan on wiring them if I am able. The pane separations are strips of PE superglued in place. I used enamel paint to fill in any gaps.

Another change is making the ship to ship replinishment crane into a refueling station. I tried many things to hang the black pipes from the pulleys but in the end I just used thin silver wire. It doesn't look good but finally held them in place. Spare PE parts came in handy again for the nozzle stowage. The pulleys are made from plastic rod turned on the Dremel and surrounded by thin brass sheet with a pin through each. I made the eyelets on top with thin wirethrough a hole then "T'd" underneath and glued. They have held far better than expected!

 

[moon puppy]

Most only gloss that over Greg. Nice job.

 

[Greg Kimsey]

I gave made a little progress finally, but still have not successfully printed the Phalanx. I am afraid I will need to simplify the design for it to work.

I added the straps to the life rafts. I cut 60 pieces of 3/8" long .1" lead wire and smooshed it flat, then superglued it around the raft.

I think it added something to the overall look.


For my fire hose stations I cut a short length of 1mm(? I think) red wire and bent it into a "U" shape then glued a short length of straight wire to one side. I filed the bottoms flat then glued them in place to represent the water pipe. The firehose and life rings are from the PE set, painted and glued nearby. Where I could find difinitive images for placent I used them, the rest are "guessed" in location.

The rigging was challenging, and of course I broke the crap out of the yard arms while installing it so I have to scratchbuild new ones.

The rope colored string is fine EZ Line and it goes to the signal boxes. I drilled several holes in the boxes and inserted tiny bits if styrene rod painted different colors to represent stowed signal flags. I also used the "rope colored" line for the US flag line. I drybrushed white over the rope color. You can also see that some of the ladders were changed from gray to red per new found reference.

The mast to mast rigging if fine black EZ Line.

I have repaired and replaced most of the railing, buggering the replacements about as bad as what I was replacing, but about 10% of it is better than it was so that is something positive.

That is about it. Oh, I changed the way the helicopter is displayed at my best friend's, (Ray) request. I will show it tomorrow.

 

[Heavens Eagle]

Your beating it into shape Greg! Great job!

 

[moon puppy]

 

[Paulw]

great going, Greg

 

[Greg Kimsey]

Ok, so, my buddy, Ray; Retired Army, tank commander M1A1, special forces squad leader, Desert Storm veteran, etc. Was finally shot enough times that the army got tired of patching him up and retired him. After retirement he installed and maintained Phalanx systems for the Navy and recently told me he worked on the emergency back-up analog communications system in the caverns below Atlanta airport. I want him on my team when the shit goes down.
When I show him a model part I am proud of he inevitably says "Oh man, you know what you should have done?!" and procedes to tell me. Every time. (From the things he describes he thinks I am some kind of magician). This time, he asked me please LOL. So, I changed the helo to be off-loading cargo. Cooler than the other or not, this was for him. The wires holding up the helicopter are .38mm music wire drilled into the "crate" and into the underside of the helo.

 

[moon puppy]

That's a great idea! Looks great.

 

[Brokeneagle]

That's a great idea! Looks great.

Agreed. Very inventive!

 

[Greg Kimsey]

Thanks guys! I was afraid y'all would think I had caved to pressure LOL. It WAS a cool idea, and he did say please

 

[Rhino]

That is a cool idea! I liked the "Hustle off to sink a Red Boat" version too.

 

[Paulw]

I would have never thought of using a VERTREP load as a support. Neat idea.

 

[centaur567]

Great idea and love the results. Gary S.

 

[Greg Kimsey]

O...M...G! I FINALLY got the Phalanx to print successfully. Trial after trial, test after test, redesign after redesign, it finally is OK enough that I will use them.

The trash bin has several of my tests, and I kept a few that were close in case I could never get a successful print. This is about 1/3 of my trual and errors...

Now I can get back to work on Mo!

 

[moon puppy]

Hard work paid off, shoot some of your rejects look fine to me.

 

[Greg Kimsey]

Phalanx are painted and in place. I put the railing around the front one. I have not gotten any better at that yet. I can see now where building and finishing each level and completely finishing the superstructure BEFORE installing it is the way to go. That knowledge alone makes me want to try another before I forget. Ships have multiple engines, right? I am thinking of the multi engine group build.

Phalanx...

Other than adding the matte finish I "think" it is done. I am unsure about putting signal flags. I have no idea what to "say" LOL.

This has been an educational build for me. Embarrassing to say that before I built this I did not know or don't remember this was the ship where the Japanese surrendered in WWII. I also didn't know it was brought out of retirement for desert storm. I am certain I have heard of the USS Missouri in my 60 years on the planet, but it has a lot to do with not being able to retain knowlwdge. I probably even knew at some point that it was the ship where Japan surrendered. But honestly, I don't recall, at all, every hearing of it. That is part of the fun of building models; learning things again while researching.

Ship names I am certain I knew of before this build: Yorktown, Enterprise, Eisenhower, Saratoga, Nimitz, Arizona, Hiryu, Soryu, and Akagi, plus the ship I was on, the USS Canopus. Oh, and the other ship I built, the Forrest...something...civil war reference...oh yeah, Sherman, Forrest Sherman. Past that I am VERY fuzzy. I sincerely appreciate everyone's knowledge and willingness to share it!

 

[moon puppy]

I have no idea what to "say" LOL

"Welcome to the Model Bunker"?

Looks great Greg. Thanks for taking us along on this.

 

[Rhino]

It's been a joy to watch you build and learn! You get gold stars for taking on such a complex vessel as your second model ship ever!!
Bravo, Sir!

 

[centaur567]

Any museum would be proud to display your model. Super job!! I just ordered Revell's 1/720 scale U.S.S. Enterprise as a Christmas present for myself and plan to build it OOB. Haven't built an aircraft carrier since I was 11 or 12. Gary S.

 

[Greg Kimsey]

I finally got some photos of the finished model. Here they are. I hope they turned out OK!