MyAlbum
I already started on the big ship hull pieces but I want to get that finished before relaxing. Had some issue with the ship hull pieces cracking open, because the seam lines doesn't have good contact points all along the ship's hull. Best to glue on the lower hangar deck before finishing cleaning up the hull seams on the outside, or risk cracking the seams open inadvertantly.
I had a mishap with the two hull parts early on, doing excessive putty work and sanding because of that.
I'll be working on this on and off together with a few other projects. Little by little, it should reach completion some time in the future.
I have high hopes for this model. A really nice subject insofar as you like ships, and it has plenty of interesting details, and with a nicely airbrushed model, I think this kit/model will look very nice at the end of the build.
I'll be working on this on and off together with a few other projects. Little by little, it should reach completion some time in the future.
I have high hopes for this model. A really nice subject insofar as you like ships, and it has plenty of interesting details, and with a nicely airbrushed model, I think this kit/model will look very nice at the end of the build.
In order to add the rear part (missing in photo) later, one has to remove some plastic, then one can easily add this whole part from the inside (assuming you haven't yet glued on the big carrier deck).
It should be fairly safe for me to start adding photo etch at this point I think. If one accidentally get some cyanoacrylate glue inbetween the railings, one can use a sharp blade to "siphon" the glue onto the blade and remove the glue from drying inbetween the railing this way.
It should be fairly safe for me to start adding photo etch at this point I think. If one accidentally get some cyanoacrylate glue inbetween the railings, one can use a sharp blade to "siphon" the glue onto the blade and remove the glue from drying inbetween the railing this way.
This FSTAR photo etch is really, really nice and fun to work with. Much better than Eduard photo etch imo. Although this Trumpeter kit has flaws, at least the big carrier deck is one big piece and is also nicely molded on the top side where one want a nice and clean surface finish.
Does this look like fun or what? 🙂 One of the parts here, had to be flipped over, into a three-layered piece of photo etch, and it worked out ok. It is important for layered pieces of PE here, to be glued togehter all around and pressed flat with a tweezer.
I corrected a mistake, should be ok now I think. One can just drill/cut/sand the opening and glue on a bottom surface using sheet styrene. Something to think about, the bottom side of the deck will be visible though the bottom level, so the underside must be airbrushed with primer paint at the very least. One could try add ribs, but this seems like such fiddling if risking colliding into the lower deck walls, so I won't do anything other than airbrushing the bottom side I think.
Ugh, the hard part is done I would think. To get the centering right I started with a 0.5 mm drill bit, then 0.8 mm, then finally 1 mm drill bit. Important to create holes at both ends, before trying to drill all the way from one end to the other. A sharp blade can be used to try adjust the center point when using the smallest drill bit.
Lots of fixes here and there. Best to go over the hull carefully and add putty to fill in small holes and gaps around the model.
I will keep the forward most elevator lowered, and the three others raised.
I will keep the forward most elevator lowered, and the three others raised.
Hrm, I think my 400 grit sanding stick is scratching the primer here and there, I must be more careful.
Anyway, I sawed off most of the plastic from the kit's name plate, and just went with this slim variant that fits nicely onto the stand.
The two big fins at the bottom of the hull was already damaged when I opened the box, so I've slowly tried to rebuild the cracks with putty and sanding flush.
Anyway, I sawed off most of the plastic from the kit's name plate, and just went with this slim variant that fits nicely onto the stand.
The two big fins at the bottom of the hull was already damaged when I opened the box, so I've slowly tried to rebuild the cracks with putty and sanding flush.
If one isn't in a hurry, then opening up these holes can be a lot of fun, using just a sharp blade. First drilling a hole, and then gently cutting away the plastic. Using a special thin file for making edges flat, but a sharp blade can also work nicely to create a rectangle looking opening.
This was fun. I learned to better use a glue loop applying cyanoacrylate glue. Trick is to NOT fill the glue loop, as that would be too much glue, applying a whole drop onto the PE which isn't always easy to clean up. Better to just dip the edge of the glue loop, and then dispense that lesser amount of glue onto the edge of some photo etch repeatedly. Quickly wiping away excess glue with finger tip works, if you do this in a split second. Using a fiberglass penn to clean up glue, doesn't work, as it scratches the plastic. Better to use a small thin file.
Fairly happy with this stand. The choice of stand is bullshit for the Trumpeter 1:350 ships though, seems like maybe they use re-use the same damn thing for various ships that are of different width, but at least here in 1:700 with the Nimitz it looks nice.
I think if one isn't happy, one should break/snap the PE off and glue it on again on a second try. Not 100% happy here.
I meant to say that I damaged my upper right railings there, and might as well try replace it. I think I ended up somehow bumping the railings up there, three times, into my table or something, bending it.
The anti air missile pod stand has been glued on, so that I can just add them in the end without it looking weird or anything, the stand being glued on properly.
The anti air missile pod stand has been glued on, so that I can just add them in the end without it looking weird or anything, the stand being glued on properly.
Some tedious work with waiting for putty to dry and adding primer and trying to clean things up. Still more work to do, but at least the photo etch have all been added now.
Very happy with how this turned out, even though the stuff around the railings require cleanup. Hard to see the surface clearly until a layer of primer is added. The layer of primer itself has to be sanded gently with 1000 or 1500 grit to make perfectly smooth. Then there's more work to do with putty not being flush with plastic. Airbrushing on primer is difficult, as it requires light shining on the plastic so that I can see the spray, and I never really figured out how close I should go with the airbrush. With psi of 20, paint flow is low, making it all a little tricky and tedious with my Iwata HP-CS Eclipse (0.35).
Looks ok, but cleanup required. One PE ladder has to be added at the end, can't glue it on. I think I'll have to build the propeller axels later on and ofc add the two rudders. Eduard Photo etch is really second rate and the PE itself shows signs of flash, on photo etch.. I did not expect that. This photo etch is ofc better than nothing, but not good enough Eduard.
Not terribly exciting, but progress. I have to figure out how to add some different hue to the many hook points all over the dark gray deck. Basically three colors: pale gray blue, neutral gray, and a mix of 50% neutral gray + 50% Dark Panzer Gray for the carrier deck itself.
The stand was sanded smooth, just to make sure it looked ok. Then primed with Vallejo black matte primer. I then airbrushed on Valeljo gloss coat (poly) in a 50% thinner + 50% gloss coat (poly) mix. I then added first one layer of chrome pen on the lettering, forgetting to shake the pen. Waited 18 hours or so and made another coat where I remembered to shake the pen properly before use. I also made sure to clean the tip with some paper towel every time before using the pen.
The plan is.. to airbrush a solid layer of gloss coat over the chrome. That way I can airbrush on black color.. then sand the thin layer of black color revealing the chrome from underneath.. then I can finally add a gloss coat again. Not sure if I want shiny lettering, or if a satin varnish over the chrome might be acceptable.
Btw, the chrome layer is so thin, I think it doesn't matter if some of the chrome is drawn outside the lettering, so thin I can airbursh color over without noticing any stepping from any chrome layer.
The plan is.. to airbrush a solid layer of gloss coat over the chrome. That way I can airbrush on black color.. then sand the thin layer of black color revealing the chrome from underneath.. then I can finally add a gloss coat again. Not sure if I want shiny lettering, or if a satin varnish over the chrome might be acceptable.
Btw, the chrome layer is so thin, I think it doesn't matter if some of the chrome is drawn outside the lettering, so thin I can airbursh color over without noticing any stepping from any chrome layer.
My attempt at getting to a "haze gray":
Using Vallejo Air:
3-4 drops of flow enhancer
40 drops of USAF Light Gray
10 drops of Pale Blue Gray
I'll "fix" the nameplate. The gloss coat has to dry before I can try finish it, airbrushing over black, then sanding the black away from the gloss coat, hopefully showing the chrome paint underneath.
Before I airbrushed on this final layer of "haze gray" gray, I added masking to some of the neutral gray floor areas, then I used bits of 2000 grit Tamiya sanding sponge, to sand every surface around the hull, to remove the uneven dried paint from the failed paint job with the too-dark-gray. The result was a nice and smooth surface, and then airbrushing on Vallejo Air w. a little flow enhancer (10%) made for a really nice result at around 24 psi or something like that. A mask is required when doing this sanding, or being outdoors, as you don't want to breathe in this paint dust.
Using Vallejo Air:
3-4 drops of flow enhancer
40 drops of USAF Light Gray
10 drops of Pale Blue Gray
I'll "fix" the nameplate. The gloss coat has to dry before I can try finish it, airbrushing over black, then sanding the black away from the gloss coat, hopefully showing the chrome paint underneath.
Before I airbrushed on this final layer of "haze gray" gray, I added masking to some of the neutral gray floor areas, then I used bits of 2000 grit Tamiya sanding sponge, to sand every surface around the hull, to remove the uneven dried paint from the failed paint job with the too-dark-gray. The result was a nice and smooth surface, and then airbrushing on Vallejo Air w. a little flow enhancer (10%) made for a really nice result at around 24 psi or something like that. A mask is required when doing this sanding, or being outdoors, as you don't want to breathe in this paint dust.
Komentáře
30 21 March 2023, 11:21
TreehuggerThe extra set of photo etch is an ok fit, but doesn't perfectly fit the model. I try to compare a length of photo etch to the model, to try evaulate if a piece of photo etch has to be bent in a certain way, or if I should cut a longer PE into smaller pieces, and then if I should shorten the ends of the PE to make it fit better. So far I've been able to add the photo etch without the PE bulging out from the plastic, and instead I've managed to keep the PE flush with the hull. This way, it is much safer to go over with a sanding stick and try clean up some of the excess cyanoacrylate that I wasn't able to wipe off with my finger tip.
23 March 2023, 16:17
Tyson TuNot sure if this is what you're referring to in the pic re:"huge metal grill" but per Quora, the large array below the fantail opening is a stern dock that can be used while not underway
commons.m.wikimedia...83380ad5e98622a.jpeg
23 March 2023, 16:55
TreehuggerThank you.
I like how I am much more comfortable using cyanoacrylate now using a glue loop. The trick is to avoid filling the whole glue loop, to avoid excessive glue. Better to just add a little on the metal edge of the glue loop and move it over to an edge/seam, leading to a much more cleaner result.
I bought a glassfiber pen to remove dried cyanoacrylate glue, but that doesn't work on plastic, the plastic becomes easily scratched. So I won't be using that fiberglass pen again I think.
I also bought some new glue loop'ish tools, but they don't seem to even work, so badly designed I think.
4 April 2023, 14:27
AlexThe "ladder" on picture 15 is actually part of the optical guiding system. If the pilot flies correctly, the "ladder" is aligned with the center line. If not, the line formed by the center line and that "ladder" has an angle.
alamy.com/stock-phot..rrier-173997309.html
11 April 2023, 18:50
TreehuggerA big nope. Would be fun to try out LED lighting some time later. I have a few WIPs around so I should try finish them without overcomplicating things. My focus is trying to come up with a clean build.
11 April 2023, 20:29
Tyson TuYou've definitely met that goal so far - looking forward to see what you do with the air wing 😃
11 April 2023, 20:48
TreehuggerSo I am not sure how to best work with the few air assets included:
2 x Hawkeye
4 x Seaking helicopter
4 x Vigilante
2 x Sky Warrior
4 x Intruder
4 x Phantom II
6 x Corsair II
I guess the Phantom would go on the forward part of the deck.
Three of four elevators will be at the top, and then the forward most elevator will be lowered.
Three of the jet blast deflectors will be raised while the fourth and smallest one will be lowered.
I can saw the wings halfway through and bend them, making the wings look folded. There are some deck equipment also, but I am not that happy with the plastic recovery vehicle, which has a solid structure for the big beam, probably an idea to get that one in photo etch, would look a lot nicer.
I am surprised that the huge "68" decal at the top carrier deck at the front covering the catapult tracks, but at least one photo show this with the ship at dock somewhere. Other photos show a smaller "68" number at the top front side of the carrier deck, not covering the catapult tracks.
12 April 2023, 07:15
AlexI bought a few additional planes from trumpeter, the choice included is a bit strange. Have a look on my progress page.
12 April 2023, 07:32
Roy McKayLooks great, some work you're doing there.
a few useful points; If you are going with Phantoms the big 68 on the deck is correct. The smaller 68 came when the Tomcats were on second cruise (78/79 I think). I would try to get some more Phantoms, Corsairs and Intruders, also a couple of Prowlers.
Don't worry about the "ceiling" of the hangar deck, will be very hard to see anything when the model is finished unless you add lighting.
Watch the old movie "the final countdown", it stars Nimitz as she was in 1979/80, very similar to how she looked in 75/76.
If there is a plane launching off cat1, chances are the elevator 1 will be fully up.
following this with great interest.
12 April 2023, 09:52
Tyson TuI bought a number of additional types (F-18s and H-60s, mainly) to fill in the decks of my Stennis - if you go that way, you may also need to get a replacement decal set to get full air wings. Alternately, hide the aircraft with the generic markings (that come with the Trumpeter add ons) far below decks (which is what I did) 😉
Agree with you on the recovery vehicle - I only had the LHD-type crane in PE so I ended up drilling out the crane structure and adding cables and a hook (see photo 4 in my Stennis album). It helped a lot, but still not quite up to a PE replacement.
If you do get decals, don't forget the deck crew!
12 April 2023, 12:11
Treehugger@Roy McKay, any idea what angle those jet blast deflector would be when fully raised?
It sort of looks like maybe 60 degrees, but the aftermarket photo etch makes the jet deflectors seem even steeper, so I think I must file the arms shorter to get a 60 deg angle.
12 April 2023, 14:32
TreehuggerHrm. I got the color wrong for the ship hull. I thought I had that right. It can't be just Vallejo Air 71. 046 Pale Blue Gray, it is too dark. 🙁
I'll try mixing some lighter gray with the pale blue gray.
50% Vallejo Air 71.046 Pale Blue Gray
50% Vallejo Air 71.276 USAF Light Gray
16 April 2023, 17:21
TreehuggerNope, A 50/50 mix doesn't look right either.
Edit:
A mix of 20% Pale Blue Gray and 80% USAF Light Gray seems more like it.
Or a 1:4 ratio. Uuh, one drop of the darker one and four drops of the lighter one.
17 April 2023, 10:44
Roy McKayFor years on my 1/720 Italeri carriers i went with good old humbrol 64 light grey. Over time I tried alternatives, Colourcoats USN haze grey (too brown tinted and a bit dark); various brands of neutral grey (the actual colour the real ships are supposedly painted) all were way too dark; light ghost grey- way too blue. I went back to Hu 64. It just looks right to my eye, compared to colour photos from the 70s, 80s and 90s at least.
Remember, they are supposed to be painted neutral grey, which as the name suggests is a 50/50 mix of black and white. This looks way too dark on a 1/700 model. Maybe it's the scale effect we hear of certainly looking at photos of the ships the Hull always looks a lighter grey than the aircraft, even those in light ghost grey.
17 April 2023, 15:01
TreehuggerThank you. It IS fun working with projects slowly, when everything one do, is at least something one can build upon.
I lost my mojo over a tiny thing re. the propeller shaft, trivial stuff, but it is a little tedious, yet trivial, I'll certainly do it a little later.
Adding the photo etch is rewarding. Not perfect, but still ok I think.
Project was initially very annoying, as the two large hull pieces did not glue together well, and cracked up after I had airbrushed on the primer and made everything smooth, that happened at least two times.
Might be the last time I try to fiddle with nameplates of this sort, just dumb design, poor molding and super inconvenient to make it look nice. All they had to do, was add a nameplate in photo etch, and with raised lettering. Then I can just sand the metal off and leave a shiny finish on all the letters. This doesn't work with plastic, too soft and prone to error when I tried, the molding too shallow and the plastic letters too soft being plastic.
15 January, 16:26
