USS California (BB 44) build

Kerry COX
S l o w l y h e w a l k e d , s t e p b y l o n l y s t e p. : - )

And I am sure you will be taking a lot of time and care with BB-44 mate.🙂

I am intrigued by the planking for the deck you are using. Is it all individual and cut in around bollards and stanchions ?

Kerry COX
Also, did the wood on the decks of these ships have tar/pitch in between each plank. ? I ask that because when I went on board the USS Arizona in Sydney many years ago, I remember seeing the tar between the planks on the bridge where Red Western Cedar had been laid, but had sun bleached white over the years, with some help from all the scrubbing with the rope "Dolly".

John Young
Hi Kerry, Yes, this kit is a slow build. The deck is a die cut wood decal. Much easier than the doll house I built for my daughter some years ago. That was exactly like the hardwood floor we put in the family room. One plank at a time.

I'm not sure if the planks had pitch in between. Here's a photo of the aft deck that arguably shows some pitch [img1]. I'm painting her in measure 32 1944 camouflage so the deck will be deck blue and dull black.

Here is a great series of photos of the California navsource.org/archives/01/44c.htm and her sister ship the Tennessee BB-43 navsource.org/archives/01/43c.htm.

I have the privilege of building this for my grandfather. He was an enlisted sailor in Division 3 abooard the California from 1943 - 1945. I'm planning an underway diorama based on the January 1944 photo in the referenced archives. If all goes as planned it willl come together as a gift for his 90th birthday.

Dave Flitton
Nice start!

Kerry COX
John, 🙂 How bloody awesome you are my friend. !!🙂 and thank you for the link to the Navy Yards and all those images :-O

I am totally sure your grand dad will have cramps in his face for a long time from smiling so much when you present him with his gift. 🙂

John Young
Dave & Kerry, thanks mates!

John Young
@Kerry, after thinking about your comment I'm unclear. I thought the USS Arizona rests on the bottom of Pearl Harbor?

Kerry COX
My Blunder, USS Missouri (BB-63) 1986, going aboard as part of a guest group of the RAN Association, as it could not birth anywhere, so it remained at anchor in the middle of the harbour.

John Young
: )

Christian Bruer
A very nice and clean work on this fine kit so far. Looking forward to your progress.
Cheers

John Young
Thanks Christian!

Steve -
Looks like a great start on a great Ship. Your detail pe work is super. The midship crane looks fantastic. One question though. during cruise conditions would the "arm" be up so high? Regardless a pleasure to watch you progress. 👍

John Young
Steve -- that's a great question. I'm not familiar with underway operations. My primary source for the crane is a great set of technical drawings from profilemorskie.home.pl/. Your point's well taken!

Christian Bruer
@Steve, certainly it will. Take a look to this great photos:
[img1]
[img2]

@John, found this, very inspiring photo:
[img1]

John Young
@Steve and Christian, you guys are great and helped take this to the next level. Steve, you asked an insightful question. Christian, these are great photos! I haven't seen the starboard shot with that resolution nor have I seen the third colorized shot. I tore out the first crane, which turns out to have been for the captain's boat.

Looking more closely at the profile morskie drawings with the photos Christian provided, it struck me that the boom must have been collapsible. So I rebuilt using some brass tube and wire to sim it in the stored position. See photo 18. There's still some cleanup to do but I feel like I'm on the right track. Thanks guys! jy

Christian Bruer
Yep, beside the boom should be lowerd it looks much better now!

Steve -
Been out of my mind-er-TOWN; So just got caught up to your WIP. Looks like you have been productive. The color is looks like it belongs there.
Personally, I do like your revised crane, nice job of construction.

John Young
Hi Steve - Glad you're back at home station : ) I had a misstep. Masking the Measure 32 camo, I pulled off several of the fiddly bits (hatches and rails) removing the Maskol. I set the kit aside for a few days to regroup. One of the casualties was the crane. So I'll get a third crack at it. Trying to stay focused on the silver lining!

Christian Bruer
Hi John, sad news, I had paint peeling off too on my Belfast. You're using Maskol?! Have you ever try to use Tamiya tape? Instead of only a few mishaps it normally work well and you can reduce the adhesion by putting it on a cutting mat and pull of the tape several times.

John Young
Hi Christian. I'll take your advice and try some Tamiya tape. Also giving Parafilm a shot. Goal is to deliver a presentable model on 22 August. Better the missteps are early enough to regroup : )

Christian Bruer
By the way, what do you want to mask? The whole ship to paint the decks? Or do you plan to add a camo scheme? Just curious.

John Young
Hi Christian, I'm working on the 1944 Measure 32 camo. Picture 22 shows the WIP. Thoughts?

Christian Bruer
Thx John, but may I should read before I ask unneeded questions. You mentioned in a post before you'll paint her in Ms 32🙂

Steve -
John sorry to hear about your "new opportunity" to re-re-do the crane and the rails etc.
Tamiya tape is usually very low tack so give it a test on a few bits before committing to "Official" use. There are other low tack painters tapes sold in big box stores that may be of use, but the Tamiya tape is designed for models and has been effective in many cases. The tip about reducing the adhesion by pre sticking it on something is a good one; but keep in mind to not go over board ( aint I nautical? ) or it will not be an effective paint barrier. Looking forward to you success

John Young
Hi Steve and Christian -- Thank you for the constructive comments. Iron sharpens iron!

John Young
@Christian -- don't give your question another thought. You're very active on the board and no one can expect you to track all of the details : )

Christian Bruer
Indeed John🙂
Well I see you use Vallejo as well?! I like them very much, but sadly they do not have exact color matches. I bought some mixing bottles now and will try to mix and keep the color. Until know I only use a master card for any specific color and mix the color prior to a airbrush session. It works, but you did not get exactly the same tone. The tone B6 for example is a mix of four different colors.

Cheers, Christian

John Young
@Christian, I'm using Kenny Loup's Vallejo equivalents table at gatorsmask.com/files..ColorEquivalents.pdf

Christian Bruer
Hi John, I know his equivalent table but did not agree to any of his proposals. For example, USN 5-N Navy Blue – Model Color No. 816, the same color no. 816 should be the equivalent for RN 507A Dark Grey!

But it is a good guideline to understand the basic color, based on this I mix my colors for my own and start making color chips for every color I need. Actually I bought some 17ml plastic bottles to keep the mixed color. I just have 507A, 507C and B6 for my HMS Belfast.

Nice progress John and the color looks nice🙂

Cheers, Christian

John Young
Sounds like you've given this a lot of careful thought and effort : ) BB 44 is my first ship; I think I'll concentrate primarily on aircraft and am planning to use the Cybermodeler standards for those.

I may however build one more ship. My great uncle was aboard the DE 413 Samuel Roberts. DE 413 sunk after intense action with IJN battleships. Roughly 100 sailors, my great uncle among them, were adrift for over two days before being rescued. I may have a line on a Rudderow class DE model, which except for the power plant was identical in layout to the Roberts. If it comes through I'll build it for my great aunt.

Can you suggest a more accurate reference for the USN colors?

Jeffrey Riedesel
Good looking build!

Christian Bruer
Well John you choose a nice kit and topic for your first ship and did a very good job on it so far!

Yes once I moved form enamels (WEM Colorcoats) to acrylic colors (Vallejo) I spent some time together with a modeling friend to interpret the color matches of the colors we need and use for our current builds. This will go on and maybe one day I have chips and equivalents for all the colors of my interest.

About your great uncle, he served in one of the most dramatic sea battles in WWII! I guess he made some experiences I wish not to make, but this is a story of courage and self-sacrifice. I'm not sure if all board members know something about the history of Taffy 3. A hand full of fleet and escort destroyers saved an escort carrier squadron against the mass of the Japanese battleship fleet, amongst them the most powerful battleship Yamato.

bosamar.com/

en.wikipedia.org/wik..l_B._Roberts_(DE-413)

Well John, if you plan to build a model kit of the destroyer escort that fought like a battleship you should use Pitroads John C. Butler:

scalemates.com/kits/170302-pit-road-w-16-de-339-john-c-butler

Cheers, Christian

Kim Branders
👍

John Young
Kim, thanks for the thumbs up!

Christian, I hadn't learned of the Pit Road kit until you mentioned it. You did a terrific job as I saw your gallery photos posted. I couldn't fingd the kit with a quick search. A retired sailor with whom I spoke on another forum bought the Rudderow and hasn't built it. Out of the blue, he offered it to me gratis. We live close by so all it will cost me is lunch and listening to Cary and my grandfather exchange sea stories : )

Just goes to show what a great community we modelers have!

Christian Bruer
Steve, by the way, I build DE-339 John C. Butler for nearly 10 years ago. I use the Pit Road kit and some PE for railing, ladders, radar, DC racks etc.

The port camouflage is not correct but I was young and did not know it better that time🙂

modelshipgallery.com../700-cb/cb-main.html

Good news you'll get one. It is it worth to have a lunch and a good chat with alt salts.

Thx for your kind comments and I'm looking forward to your build(s)

Cheer, Christian

Steve -
John that camo makes her look fantastic 👍👍 and your future destroyer will be fun for you as well. Remember if there's no pictures it didn't happen LOL LOL

John Young
Hi all, I've posted two photos. The first is BB 44 in place on the dio base. I used Vallejo Pacific Blue and oil paints for the water. The last picture is the presentation to my grandfather. He enjoyed the model.

Dave Flitton
Excellent work, glad you were able to get it done on time!!!

Christian Bruer
Hi John, wow that comes out really nice! I much like the personal note and family history when you hand out the model to your grandfather. Guess you where much proud and he too!

John Young
Thanks all, I feel you were very much a part of this project. Your constructive comments helped me make the model more realistic than I could have carried off on my own. I'm indebted to each of you.

Christian Bruer
That's what Scalemates stand for, help each other, share tips and tricks and give a broad hint😉
Glad I could help with my comments, but at the end it was your work - be proud of it!

Steve -
John just caught up on your build. Outstanding! The presentation must have been a grand thing for all. Well Done. 👍👍