My BB-62 USS New Jersey 1/350 scale by Tamayia Build-log

[nsomnia]

So when I take breaks from my cold war era submarine simulator me and my team are developing (http://www.subsim.com/radioroom/showthread.php?p=2284391) /plug I work on scale models. I used to big into planes but now Naval models are my thing.

I had not built a model in over a year working on my games and programming and building up my online income to work from home, but recently a hobby shop went out of business so I went to go see what he had. Got some great documentation and reference books for the project but he had two Tamiya models way up on the tallest shelf (Tamiya is a company from Japan that builds the most amazingly accurate and detailed models). He had the New Jersey for 99 bucks and the Enterprise for 299. 50% off.

So since the doctor said I need to get away from screens and get back into a pass time if I'm going to keep sane working from home I prompty bought the New Jersey (and im gonna offer him 99 for the Enterprise if its still there on closing day).

Heres my progress so far. I take my time since rushing a model of this quality is a waste of time and money. 20$ revell models I might rush just to have fun. This is an art for me. I do airbrushing, custom brushing, custom styrene addons, kitbashing, use things like jewlers chain for anchor chains, copper filiment for wiring, 1/64 copper pipe with a homemade bender for piping etc.

Heres my progress so far, will update as I get along. This first post is in reverse chronological order sorry.




http://i.imgur.com/qAukgWr.jpg
All the tiny parts needed for finishing step one. Had to use the macro funciton on my camera the turrents are about 3"x2" for comparison. You can just barley make out the amazing detail Tamiya puts into their castings if you look carefully. The ladders and even more carefully, the lines of rivets. Rivets are one of those things that you cant really add yourself to a scale model. It has to be cast in and thats a delicate process when they are only a few thousands of an inch wide and tall.



http://i.imgur.com/q49aFuR.jpg
Nice straight lines for the red part of the hull. I put a little red flake and metalizer (basically a really, really fine mettalic additive to make things look like metal.



http://i.imgur.com/KyTgrfb.jpg
Checking out my masking job from the aft end after glueing the rudders and prop shaft supports into place.



http://i.imgur.com/FuAfWtG.jpg
Peeling off the masking looks pretty straight so far.



http://i.imgur.com/woF11OY.jpg
Getting there. If my camera was better you would see the flake/metalizer



http://i.imgur.com/ByMtkur.jpg

Had to hand fabricate some supports because sitting on the shelf for 2 years; it had developed warping so that the deck wouldnt fit in the groove without glue and pressure. It was sitting perfectly when I sized it but after I glued it (I use solvent cement instead of model glue all the time unless theres some sort of gap that needs the glue for support, aka I weld plastic instead of glue) so when I glued it I didnt compensate for the couple thousands of an inch it would melt so it fits, but its quite tight. Originally the deck wouldnt fit at all though youd get one peice on and then it would snap flying up in the air. I'm considering adding one more beam in the middle upper you can see its still warping there. The beams are 1/8" square stock styrene. You'll see me use it alot in the finishing and modifying stage.



http://i.imgur.com/EMA7exh.jpg
The drill bit I used to drill a hole through the beams so that the cement would flow inside them beams for extra support through capillery action.



http://i.imgur.com/RYvfceS.jpg
First coat of paint, airbrushed. I use an aztek dual action and use gravity feed most of the time. I like aztek because instead of having a huge needle assembly you have to change out you just hand thread in/out nozzles with little needle mechanisms built into them. This way you never have to clean the inside of your airbrush at all, plus you can switch from 1/32" nozzle to 1" in a couple seconds, the downsize nozzles are 15 bucks so if you bend the needle or lose a spring you gotta get a new nozzle in that size. Cleaning the nozzles is easy too just throw them in a glass jar (I use 4oz Tamiya paint jars) filled with laquer thinner and give em a shake and then repeat in another jar filled with mineral spirits. If paint gets dried inside them you take them aprt and clean them with a q-tip which fits into teh nozzle housing perfectly.



http://i.imgur.com/RY3mWt5.jpg
Deciding if I should sand and put another coat down before removing the mask, but unfortunatly I mixed this color by hand so it would be layered.



http://i.imgur.com/WyjWLTj.jpg
The 0.020 inch holes I drilled into the hull to allow glue to flow into the backsize of the prop shaft supports, and if they want to break off in the future, then I can pin them in place with 1/64 or 1/32 stock styrene rod.



http://i.imgur.com/TMCiyZW.jpg
Masked, ready for the firsst coat. The warping isnt so obvious here. You get a sense of the size of this beast though.




http://i.imgur.com/badwNhE.jpg
When I first bought them, goodies. The 1/750 scale I-58 jap fleet sub model ended up being about 1/2 inch tall and 6 inches long.

[Aktungbby]

COOL pics:up:

[Sailor Steve]

Looks like a great start! :yep:

Rivets are one of those things that you cant really add yourself to a scale model. It has to be cast in and thats a delicate process when they are only a few thousands of an inch wide and tall.
I don't know how large the rivets are or how visible they would be in such a small scale, but one of the tricks I picked up many years ago is the pounce wheel (https://www.google.com/search?q=pounce+wheel&lr=&as_qdr=all&tbm=isch&tbo=u&source=univ&sa=X&ei=wh_7VKzQK4jnoASuj4CwAw&ved=0CEQQsAQ&biw=1536&bih=709). They're made for marking sewing patterns into cloth, but they do make very credible rivets. You can find them at any fabric store or online. :sunny:

[em2nought]

I loved Tamiya tanks with electric motors. I had an awesome 1/750th waterline model of Scharnhorst once also.

A 1/350th scale battleship would be amazeballs! :D It's a real word. lol

P.S. Nice Pjs :D

[nsomnia]

I loved Tamiya tanks with electric motors. I had an awesome 1/750th waterline model of Scharnhorst once also.

A 1/350th scale battleship would be amazeballs! :D It's a real word. lol

P.S. Nice Pjs :D

Haha its saturday at 4 am what do you expect!

Looks like a great start! :yep:


I don't know how large the rivets are or how visible they would be in such a small scale, but one of the tricks I picked up many years ago is the pounce wheel (https://www.google.com/search?q=pounce+wheel&lr=&as_qdr=all&tbm=isch&tbo=u&source=univ&sa=X&ei=wh_7VKzQK4jnoASuj4CwAw&ved=0CEQQsAQ&biw=1536&bih=709). They're made for marking sewing patterns into cloth, but they do make very credible rivets. You can find them at any fabric store or online. :sunny:

I mean rivits that are convex though, that are bumps on the surface instead of indents into the surface.

[Sailor Steve]

I mean rivits that are convex though, that are bumps on the surface instead of indents into the surface.
I know, but in that scale?

[nikimcbee]

http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/81sRYYbSY8L._SL1500_.jpg

You need to add this to your book collection. I'll even autograph my picture in it for you. :D

[nsomnia]

I know, but in that scale?

Yeah its impossible to do cleanly. Lots of good uses for those rollers though. When I need real small holes too I'lll take a 5 thou drill bit and outside dial calipers... but I rarley get that exact and it never works out perfect anyway.

Test fit the props. 12 hours and my gold leaf still hasnt cured. Gonna pin the shaft so they spin.

Theres 2 more props, they have holes for shafts so I'm going to build shafts out of 1/8 rod. WHy not?

http://i.imgur.com/R9sSFtz.jpg

[nsomnia]

http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/81sRYYbSY8L._SL1500_.jpg

You need to add this to your book collection. I'll even autograph my picture in it for you. :D


Sure just mail me a copy for more "Research and development"

[em2nought]

http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/81sRYYbSY8L._SL1500_.jpg
:D

Those look like more fun than LCMs. :D

[mapuc]

Have build the same model-Tamiya No RC

The result wasn't good, had some problems

I remember I had to stall the build-Couldn't get the hand on the colour for my hull and deck-After lots of searching I found a model shop in England from where I could order the Tamiya colour.



Markus

[nsomnia]

Your last sentance is broken english and doesnt make sense sorry, you want to see pics of my aircraft models?

There are charts online that list compatible colors ie XF-56 Tamiya enamel flat metallic grey = 10483 Testors Steel or something.

I usually mix my own colors.

Sorry about the lack or order here again,

http://i.imgur.com/Tj1ka9z.png
My hand mixed Tamiya metallic flat grey by using 1 part gloss grey 1/2 part steel and 1/8 part thinner to make it flat



http://i.imgur.com/jP6fHTD.png
Test fit the side props, they spin nicely with a friction fit, dont need pins.



http://i.imgur.com/l8PKLJl.png
Drilling holes for the inboard props so that I can add shafts and allow them to spin




http://i.imgur.com/WGafV1s.png
Tried for a friction fit but didnt have the right size rod or drill bit and didnt want to use old sprue.


http://i.imgur.com/ytsF61C.png
Glued in.

http://i.imgur.com/HX5b9hi.png



Test fit




http://i.imgur.com/P7Rw7cC.png


Mix some putty for castings for the holes



http://i.imgur.com/B1tZVxl.png http://i.imgur.com/7422iIp.png
Get it in there with a dental pick a often forgotten essential tool for model building is a nice collection of basic dental tools and then cut off the excess with a razer for a clean edge.



http://i.imgur.com/iqTvwFd.png http://i.imgur.com/FPjryne.png
Push the shafts in and wait for it to cure


http://i.imgur.com/NQf9Cuw.png
Looks good


http://i.imgur.com/SXapkJq.png
Used the Testors color rubber instead of flat black since im all out of black for the welded part inside part. Looks alright a little on the brown side works for now.

[Sailor Steve]

Sweet! :sunny:

[nsomnia]

Last update for the weekend. More game work during the week.

http://i.imgur.com/sSGOZPD.png
Dry fit parts of the superstructure that are unmistakable (i still mark them on the underside just incase)



http://i.imgur.com/SBTLMKm.png
THe sharpness (quality) of a Tamiya casting (the ack ack gun)



http://i.imgur.com/uVvi85R.png
Versus the one I kitbased from an extra I had from my 1954 Missouri casting from Revell. The guns dont elevate on this model unfortunatly and I couldnt see an easy way to accomplist that (on the 1954 revell missouri they just fit in a slot and elevate with friction. I could've cut out the slots and made some sort of mechanism, but it would've took days for each of the 3 turrets. You can see the stretched sprue I added to the little doodads that stick off the turrets. I dont even know what they are supposed to do in real life but I love small details and practicing sprue stretching is always good cause its an art.

Doesnt that Testors matt steel look awesome? Straight paint no custom additives. Im gonna start mixing it in any metal parts, I used to mix in aluminium for that but it just gave it a flake look versus this sheen. I need to drill out the 5" guns too make it look better,

I might glue the deck together as one whole peice and leave it seperate, this model is designed so you can extend the outboard screws to spin and if you were really inclined... make the rudder turn with a servo. I have lots of tiny servos laying around from mini chinese helis I buy when they are 50% off so I might make it move.

Kitbashed the little dome peice on the #2 turret because I saw lots of them all over the model.

[Aktungbby]

Interesting & accurate! The Iowas were to be outfitted with four screws: the outer pair consisting of two four-bladed propellers roughly 18 feet (5.5 m) in diameter and the inboard screws that have five blades and are roughly 17.5 feet (5.3 m) in diameter. The propeller designs were adopted after earlier testing had determined that propeller cavitation caused a drop in efficiency at speeds over 30 knots (56 km/h).:hmmm:http://i.imgur.com/HX5b9hi.pngRule #1 of naval warfare...Do not let one these 'bad boys' cross your T.. photo is my personal favorite expression of 'worth a thousand words':Da full broadside of nine 16-inch (406 mm) / 50-caliber and six 5-inch (127 mm) / 38-caliber guns during a target exercise! http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/2/2e/Uss_iowa_bb-61_pr.jpg/1024px-Uss_iowa_bb-61_pr.jpg

[nsomnia]

I loved the battle where the americans got the japanese to cross their T.
Boom baby. I think the vets over emphasize when they say the 16 inchers firing broadsize would rock the ship 3 feet. Maybe not.

Unfortunatly the screws are not scaled properly. I assume because everything below the waterline is top secret. The 1954 missouri doesnt even has screws or a rudder cause the AMERICANS didnt know what she had.

That will be great reference material for when I paint the deck painstakingly with a 3 hair sable brush. I do like making small model modifications to give it the detail "wow factor" but I do like accuracy overall.


I forgot to say on the pic of me holding the inboard prop with the stock styrene shaft glued in... you can see my glue glue setup. A bottle of glue with just the tinyest of tips cut or drilled into it then a 1/32" RC fuel hose for a nozzle.

[Jimbuna]

Great stuff, enjoying this immensely :sunny:

[Sailor Steve]

I think the vets over emphasize when they say the 16 inchers firing broadsize would rock the ship 3 feet. Maybe not.
Much debate about that over the years. I can believe that the upperworks rocked/rolled that far laterally, but as for moving through the water? Here's a good study of the physics involved.
http://www.navweaps.com/index_tech/tech-022.htm

[nsomnia]

If you love this you'll love when I get to detailing hand made parts from stock styrene. I cant even take a picture from far enough back for my styrene rack. (I am running low on rods though, thus why I casted the inboard shaft prop holes)

[Aktungbby]

^GOOD STUFF! just read the analysis of the roll from a (15 gun) broadside at zero elevation which in fact uses my photo of the broadside. The straightness of the wake allegedly indicates NO roll or deviation from the broadside The guns have a recoil slide of up to 48 inches and the shock is distributed evenly through the turret foundation and the hull structure. The mass of a 57,000 ton ship is just too great for the recoil of the guns to move it. Well, theoretically, a fraction of a millimeter. but no mention is made of the tremendous water 'scallops' from the powder gasses force; I would think that a small tsunami of water recovering to level would cause a roll...after the broadside.:hmmm: (Photo below)USS Missouri doing likewise but the muzzle blast scallop is less defined due to a higher sea wave activity.http://www.navweaps.com/index_tech/tech-022_Missouri_pic.jpgI actually pored over this last night : indispensable info for a USS New Jersy diehard! :arrgh!:http://www.dtic.mil/dtic/tr/fulltext/u2/a215701.pdf (http://www.dtic.mil/dtic/tr/fulltext/u2/a215701.pdf) enjoy!:D

[mapuc]

Ok make another try

I find it interesting to see how other are building a model, that I also have built.


Markus

[nsomnia]

Ok make another try

I find it interesting to see how other are building a model, that I also have built.


Markus

Ah now I understand. You find it intersting to see how someone else builds the exact model that you have build before.


I got the plank decks taped off to spray but realized I shouold probly paint them with a brush. Now I dont know if I should brush or spray them.

[Jimbuna]

In the past I always preferred to brush paint decking, not just for the looks but also because I was too lazy to fiddle about with tape.

[nsomnia]

Took me about a half hour the one deck done plus a little on the mid deck, I have autobody experiance so I'm a fast taper but fast != quality. I think im going to brush it with a sable brush. Although a stiffer brush would make for more "roughness" thats why I wanted to airbrush it, easier to make it completely matte.

http://i.imgur.com/DNZY7z2.jpg

I'll probably tape around areas I dont want to have to scrape paint off carefully with a razor, instead of taping around all the deck planks.

[mapuc]

Ah now I understand. You find it intersting to see how someone else builds the exact model that you have build before.


I got the plank decks taped off to spray but realized I shouold probly paint them with a brush. Now I dont know if I should brush or spray them.

Yes.

Regarding the decks I did the same as you, used lots of Tamiya tape(forgot the word) and instead of spraying I toke a plastic cup(those you drink water/coffer a.s.o and then through it away)sprayed into this cup, until I had 2-4 ml then I used two of my brushes(nr 1 and nr 3)

The only place where I used the spray was on the hull and on some of the parts.

The rest I used either Tamiya paint or Humbrol.

Markus

[nsomnia]

Well I love airbrushing so I try to airbrush as much as possible to prevent brush marks but yeah will paint the decks this afternoon.


I've never used tamiya tape I just use 3M brand 1/8 1/4 and 1" painters tape from the hardware store.

[mapuc]

I don't know if they have changed it.

When I bought the model some years ago the first thing I did and always do, see if everything is there.

There I noticed a little mistake.

Instead of USS it was US. BB 62 New Jersey

Have always seen this USS on military ships. There are some ship that doesn't have this USS.

Edit If you wonder what I'm talking about, it's this little display with the ships name on.

Markus

[nsomnia]

Its the 1984 casting but 2013 re-package.

[nsomnia]

I had an idea while I was finish off my game work for the night. They included an extra gun turret I assume they used the same mold for a battleship with 4 turrets or just for spare parts. I dremeled (terribly I might add) all the plastic away I could leaving just a few thou thickness and then added a 3/8" tube with a 1/8" rod inside of it for a rotater and then I welded it to the sides of the turret and then I welded a peice of 1/8" [ channel because it flexes alot lengthwise but not at all sideways and I can toughen it up if I need to by "boxing the frame" in with 0.002 or 0.005 sheet styrene.

Then I dremeled the hole for the 16" gun away leaving lots of room for playing around, hence the putty so I can file it accuratly with a round needle file. then I'll cut a small slot back into the turrent for a 1/32" rod or square or something that will "hold back" the gun basically as a pivot point and the rotater will push the bottom of the gun out thus elevating it, and its a tight fit so the flex in the [ channel willl prevent any breaking and take up slack from innacuracy. I added epoxy putty for extra strength cause the walls were getting real thin and I will reinforce the mounting point back with some tubing or some 0.030 sheet since I had to notch it to allow room for the 3/8" tubing.

If one works I'll iterate it through 1-5 hundred elevations to see if it cracks or breaks or anything and if its fine I'll do the real turrents with my lessons learnt from this spring mechanism idea.

I will probably have to build a little "housing" glued onto the back of the gun that slides in an out so it doesnt just poke out but that will be the easy part and will make it look more boxy and bad ass.

Updates once it dries and I see how well it works.

http://i.imgur.com/f5obk0E.jpg

Edit: Most of the putty will be cut away and replaced with welded stock styrene for strength, but the putty is much easier to get a tight perfect fit to the tubing and [ channel and the sides of the turret. Weird angles and shapes so I'lll file it all flat so I can use square tube, square rod and sheet

[nsomnia]

Well it works... but not the way it should. I should have made the top rotate on a tiny rotater and the bottom a huge slider. Instead of the other way around. This will break over time. I'll do it the right way for other ones. If I can think of a way to fit a rotated in the top. I might have to go buy some more tube and rod, I'm out of all the small size tube.

http://i.imgur.com/OBwnmGr.png

Took my airbrush with a .05mm nozzle (large general purpose) and 75psi with 9 parts laquer thinner to 1 part mineral spirits and blew all the paint off. Bad idea... too much laquer thinner it melted the plastic a few microns down. It didnt do any noticible damage but if I had touched it it would have got fingerprints and it might be slightly glossier now until I spray it. Going to spray it from a disatnce to try to get that rough look almost like powdercoating. I've never had to simulate deck planking before. I'd be better off buying some of that flat roller painted train decking for building 1800's train platforms.


I could always cut the deck out and replace it with flat stock styrene.

[nsomnia]

I don't know if they have changed it.

When I bought the model some years ago the first thing I did and always do, see if everything is there.

There I noticed a little mistake.

Instead of USS it was US. BB 62 New Jersey

Have always seen this USS on military ships. There are some ship that doesn't have this USS.

Edit If you wonder what I'm talking about, it's this little display with the ships name on.

Markus


I just noticed it says US BB 62 NEW JERSEY, Lame. Tamiya is usually so great. I love the sharpness and fit of thec asting but these minor errors and the lack of detail is kindve lame for a Tamiya model.

I had a new idea to make the guns elevate. Steal Revells Mighty Mo' system where all 3 guns are in the turret and hinge on a little C casting. Ill extend the back of the guns with square rod, seperate the guns with round rod build the C channel by heat-treating some bent .030 sheet and then cut out the gun mounts so it can elevate. I would prefer each gun to traverse indivdually but after testing the way I built it above it broke after about 50 iterations. Tear it all out and start fresh.

[em2nought]

A few of these in a diorama of firing a broadside could be really cool http://www.thisiscolossal.com/2014/07/the-cloud-light-a-thunderstorm-in-your-house/

[nsomnia]

Well I finally got the time away from Project RedWater to get the first coat of the decking sprayed. Lesson learnt dont brush it. I brushed it then decided to remove the paint by spraying thinner at high pressure. I dont use environmentally safe thinners I go for the good stuff... some of the detail got melted. Its not really noticible, but I'll know and any modeller sees their mistakes stick out.

Hopefully after a few coats itll look decent, wont have the same amunt of detail but you'll know its decking.

Pics when I get another coat on. So busy with the game right now.

[nsomnia]

Had some free time lately. With summer finally melting the last of the snow up here I've been in the garage working on my engines lathe and models.

http://i.imgur.com/0vEJJmN.png
First we have the original deck color. I should have referenced some photos or looked at the box. It was much too light and with the deck detail I washed away by power spray laquer thinner over the earlier hand painted stuff it really was bad. So I sprayed some really thinned out brown to give it a darker matte coffee look.


http://i.imgur.com/xinIVmb.png
Sprues are starting to empty out!



http://i.imgur.com/L9TV8Z4.png
Some of the last "peices" to "build". Radar tower.


http://i.imgur.com/9i8MgxI.png
Here you can see the final hull and deck paint job with the decals ready to be applied after a matte clear coat. Everything to this point has been airbrushed. Theres a lot of hand painted details to finish off before the clear-coat comes but other than the antenna work and rigging shes about done.

(I HATE stretching sprues. I've tried lighters, stoves, heat guns, everything I can think of and people say its an art.... its luck. My best technique so far is to first glue an extra peice of sprue on all 4 sides of one, then heat up a peice of steel to a light red on the workbench and then roll it along it with my finger (Carefully) until its molten and then grab it up quick and let gravity take care of the rest. You get some really nice straight peices in the middle that way, but its like working with glass shards. I've done my fair share of ariels on planes and a couple boats but this boat requires about 4 feet of stretched sprue. :o unfortunatly you just dont get the same look from thread. Andof course when you try to glue the stretched sprue its so thin that just the little bittoo much cement and it melts the end and its too short and garbage for that perfect length you cut)

http://i.imgur.com/MlTtCLW.png
Some peices before painting them a nice mix of 6 parts naval grey with 1 part ocean blue (and a touch of Testors metallizer... I love adding that to anything I put a splash in anything that isnt supposed to be matte it just gives it an extra special look that you dont notice per-say.. but adds to the wow factor. Its like an aluminium (really really really fine particles in clear) but ground much finer and much thinner than regular paint). The best I could get for that navy ship blue color. If you look closey at the above pic you can just see the color difference. It really shines up close cause its a slight slight color change, but really adds detail.

Ive REALLY increased my fine airbrushing skills on this boat. The smoke stacks were airbrushed without any guides, infact the only parts I taped up were the deck and hull to get straight lines. The rest was free hand with my smallest (.010) tip on as low a pressure as I could get for flow (about 8-10 psi). I've been using these new paint cups lately that are 3 parts, a main cup where the paint goes into the airbrush up a channel in the side that goes into the outlet, the inner cup that holdes the paint with a hole in the bottom that feeds into the channel and of course the top. Its been a learning experience cause it takes a couple seconds to get the paint flowing through the channel but I'm in love with them. You can fill them up with paint outside the airbrush since due to the channel it doesnt spill out since its above the paint level even if you fill it above the outlet so you can have as many colors ready as you want, plus a 2oz suction feed glass cup with laquer thinner for a quick clean between colors and really increases workflow. I love them. They come in 1/16 oz sizes too which is nice, just a dollop of paint and a splash of thinner and you have the perfect amount for spraying some small parts. Plus the lids only have a pin-prick sized air hole (since they are designed for low-flow, detailed work) whereas usual gravity feed cups have a huge hole. so it keeps the mess down and lets you keep your paint mixed well by giving it a quick shake with no spillage or having to put your finger over the cups hole. Love them.

http://www.testors.com/product-catalog/testors-brands/aztek/accessories/feed-cup they call them side feed cups.