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1/700 Tamiya Harusame


Guest PetrolGator

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Guest PetrolGator

I'm sure everyone has one or two kits that they've used to test various techniques, paints, solvents, etc. I picked up this little old kit in a huge lot I bought at a hobby shop that was going out of business. I -think- I may have paid two bucks for it.

 

The good:

- Hull shape was good

- Major structures were OK

- It was cheap

- Molding was crisp

 

The bad:

- LOL @ the bridge windows being stickers

- Turrents and other weapons (minus AA)

- Masts were overscale and she at least had a dimple where the anchors should go

 

The ugly:

- Oh god. The AA. Oh god.

- No one seems to have informed Tamiya that his DD had linoleum deck planking.

- Depth charge racks? Nope. Those things looked more like sticks.

 

I built this little DD out of box for a change of pace. It looked, er, simple. I ended up using the hulk to play with various weathering techniques I learned on modelwarships and shelved the little thing. After a long and frustrating (read: hexed) build of the Queen Elizabeth, I decided to try to make this poor little kit something worth looking at.

 

I used:

- Flyhawk 1/700 IJN hand rails and port holes

- Tom's PE for IJN DDs and some parts off of their heavy cruier etch

- Various bits of styrene

- Copper wire & tubing

- Pit Road 1/700 IJN bits and pieces

 

This build really showed me how much of a joy an old kit can be. I began by completely rebuilding the bridge with 1/700 PE ladder (windows), styrene (to simulate later war plating I've seen may have been on the bridge,) and bits of Pitroad IJN equipment. Her masts were both replaced with copper to help strengthen them for rigging. All weaponry was replaced by PitRoad's excellent collection of IJN turrets, torpedoes, and AA. I have some photo etched AA, but didn't want to waste it on what essentially started as learning build.

 

I fully intend on trying to fit her to a water base this weekend using clear resin. I'm debating if I'll have her in motion or static, as I've never really attempted a good water base.

 

Comments, suggestions, or anything related is always appreciated.

 

post-1852-0-38819300-1355846938_thumb.jpg

 

post-1852-0-33077400-1355846930_thumb.jpg

In-progress pictures.

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Guest PetrolGator

Additional in build:

 

haru3.jpg

This was the least fun part of the build. However, being that the decks were secured with copper plating, this should be pretty accurate.

 

 

haru4.jpg

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Well done, that man.

A man after my own heart. I love "doing up" these old kits. You really test your modeling skills and get a feeling of satisfaction when they're done.

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Guest PetrolGator

Well, I decided to dive into a water base. I'm mainly using the Kostas method, with a few modifications to help model rougher water.

 

I used some artist forming tools to seriously disturb the resin once the resin began to gel. I then used a hair dryer to help smooth the effects and blended. Still, I hit it a little TOO hard when the resin had cured enough to take on an amorphous structure.

 

Once it cures overnight, I'll use clear filler glue to position the ship. Then, I'll use clear silicone, wetted toiled paper, and bits of cotton to form the bow wave and wake. Finally, I'll hit it with some white to give the waves some head.

 

Hopefully, it all works out like it is in my head. :smiley29:

 

harusameh2o.jpg

Edited by PetrolGator
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Guest PetrolGator

Update:

 

Clay removed. I'm never doing that again. I used a Dremel and brush to remove the clay. It made a huge mess. I picked up some wood bits that I'll use in the future to made a cofferdam around the resin when I pour it. I've used some watered down Tamiya paints to build some ocean spray into her wake and the waves surrounding the ship. I still have to set the Harusame in her base and build her bow wave.

 

Also, the Haursame took a bit of a plunge. I've got some rigging and PE to fix before I bring her to Lake Charles on the 26th.

 

haursame_Bow.jpg

Edited by PetrolGator
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  • 2 weeks later...

I saw on another Forum where the modeler encased the hull in cling wrap and then pressed it into the "sea". When it had all set up, he pulled it out and removed the cling wrap. He didn't speak of any problems, so I can only assume that the cling wrap didn't stick to the "sea". I'm gonna try that trick sometime.

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Guest PetrolGator

YES! I think I read that over at modelwarships. I wish I had thought of that before being forced to fill giant gaps between the sea scape and the ship.

 

At any rate, I turned a small sacrificial old model into something decently attractive. I'll have to use those lessons next time I do this.

 

Coming up: 1/700 Nagato. I posted a few pictures on the Facebook group. I'll make a thread later tonight.

 

Thanks for the comments!

 

Nice work, Gator. I did notice that Tamiya missed that this late-war upgrade should have included the addition of Type 22 radar. This was added the same time as the additional AA.

post-209-0-58626400-1357750411_thumb.jpg

 

Heh. Tamiya forgot a LOT of things.... wish I had seen this before I built the ship.

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  • 3 weeks later...
Guest PetrolGator

I'm happy to say this little thing won its category at CALMEX. That's not bad for a ship that started life as nothing more than a guinea pig for new building and painting techniques.

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