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1/350 USS San Francisco, 1942


Guest PetrolGator

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Guest PetrolGator

The deck stuck pretty well, minus some small spots that required a bit of extra glue. The "sheen" of the deck makes it look less flat, though I assure you it is. I decided to go with a dark stain to better being the deck in line with the rest of the model, with some success. I'll post pictures later.

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Chris,

You mentioned in your first post about "lots of clean-up". I have no idea how old this kit is but it is something I have noticed also. The high priced and newer kits seem to have more flash and cleanup of the parts than the older Italeri and Tamiya kits. I noticed this the other day when I was working on my Bronco Humber Mk.I! A relatively newer kit and flash and poorly fitting parts and I paid double what I would have for say Tamiya's new Jeep release. You are making this look better than my Humber so far!

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Guest PetrolGator

Trumpeter kits of the mid-2000's just suck. They feel rushed to the manufacturer and sloppy.

I've started a base wash on the hull. I'll do decals next, then another wash. Finally, I'll rust it a bit and then start adding superstructure as it's weathered to my liking. I LOVE this stage. Everything is dry fitted.
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Pin indentations on the funnels are more apparent than I thought they'd be. Thankfully, I'll be covering them up with rafts.
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Decks look a lot better after a few washes as well.
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Tomorrow? More main hull work.
Comments welcome.
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Guest PetrolGator

The deck is a wood deck that I stained with some dark grey/blue to help blend it with the 20-B on the steel decks. I used several layers of thin oil washes to get precisely the shade of dark blue I wanted.

 

It was a PITA, but it worked. :)

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Lookin' fine.

 

R.e. the wash: Are you just eyeballing that color/mix, or is there a secret family recipe at work? How long do you let 'er dry between sessions with that?

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Lots of progress. I've been building up the bridge (nearly done) and moving aft. As of now, I've got most of the amidships done, minus paint touch ups (usually wait until next morning and then give it a lookover.)


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Ship as of now. Catapults and turrets are dry fit.


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Aft 1.1" guns. I also used DML's smoke screen generators.


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Man, I didn't realize how bad the lighting was until I took this... Still, you can see the aft side of the bridge. I added and/or replaced some of the bridge supports with PE and strip styrene as per photos. I've also glued on the Veterans guns.


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I'll work on the aircraft handling deck tomorrow. I need to finish some railing, the catapults, and install two of her life boats.


All for now. Mockery welcome. :)


VonL: Totally eyeballed. I let it dry about 30 minutes between coats to give the prior time to set but not so much as to not blend. It seems to work alright.

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  • 3 weeks later...
Guest PetrolGator
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I done got masts. Trumpeter's offerings were uh, sparse.


Foremast: Replaced the plastic mast with brass. I added bracing as per photos and used GMM's yars. I also used some surplus DML recognition lights. I need to add some cables that ran up the foremast, as well as another ladder.


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Mainmast: Again, scrapped the plastic and used the GMM parts. Trumpeter also did not include one set of yards and its support members or the small platform behind it. Those were added with brass and styrene.


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I'll finish the foremast tomorrow and, hopefully, attach searchlights and other equipment. I'll start adding crew, anchors, and various bits of rigging as I can.

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  • 3 weeks later...
Guest PetrolGator

Thanks!

 

I'm very close to finished. I need to figure out what I did with my sheet of AMW USN signal flags, finish the water, and finish "glassing" windows. I'll also hit the ship with a bright light to help correct any areas showing bare PE.
Normally, I'd add barrels, boxes, and deck equipment. I wanted to leave this build relatively clean and uncluttered partially due to the look and partially time. I HAVE to put some more time into the Montana.
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I've finished rigging and used Krystal Klear to make windows for the bridge. The process was a PITA, but it turned out well. Any residual gloss on the bridge itself will be toned down via some dullcoat.
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Flag and stern.
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This view gives a good idea of where I've lightened the water. Cotton will be placed down and then I'll gloss the sumbitch up.
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Finally, here's the midships. I'm still on the fence with the aircraft. I really don't feel like building it, to be honest.
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All for now. Ideally, this'll be done by the weekend and I can focus 100% on Montana.
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Agua almost done. I've added teased out cotton to the base based on pictures of the New Orleans class and their wakes in semi-calm water. I'll add a small bow wave and some "dry" cotton at the stern for foam. It's VERY close.

 

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This is possibly the longest build I've had on my bench. This is partially due to the original kit being, erm, simple and my own lack of modeling time.


I've added a lot to this model. From memory:

- GMM's USS San Francisco set

- AMW Portholes, deck equipment, perforated bars and support structure

- DML 1.1's supplemented with GMM PE

- Veterans Models 5"/25 mounts

- Scratched main and foremast with GMM PE

- Modified bridge to better match plans

- Modified range finder bases

- Scratched depth charges w/PE rails

- Krystal Klear windows

- Sprue rigging

- AMW, old Midship (now BRM) flags

- Fujimi and Five Star figures.

- Stained artwox wood deck


I know there's more from the scrap box, but couldn't tell ya.


San Francisco absorbed a prodigious amount of Mr. Surfacer putty and filler, resulting in a lot of sanding and replacement of detail. Overall, I've enjoyed this build and feel like I did the subject some justice. I used Shipcraft's New Orleans class book and the Warship Pictorial 5: USS San Francisco (insanely good find at a shop for FIVE DOLLARS) for details.


The model is displayed as she was shortly after arriving in the Solomons and after her float planes were sent to Tulagi to avoid having enough flammables on board to repeat the fiasco that sent two of her sisters to the bottom. (*COUGH* IHATEBULDINGPLANES *COUGH*) I weathered mainly to break up the monotone hull.


All: I'm debating painting the horizontal rails gunmetal to better show that these were cables. Thoughts?


Anyway, enough typing. Pictures:


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Hull wetting is intentional.


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This will, hopefully, be the last model I photograph without a decent background. I'm building a small photo studio this weekend.


Is the water glossy enough? I'm debating adding another layer of Future.


Thought/comments/criticisms (especially this one) are appreciated.

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Beautiful piece. Loads of intriguing, neatly executed detail everywhere and a paint job that captures her wartime persona. All it really needs is...an airplane...(kidding)

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Another boat well done.

 

Looks great Chris. I'd leave the rails grey since everything gets painted on a ship at sea, right? Otherwise you'd have to rust them up also.

 

Just a thought.

 

Bill

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Bill: Thanks. Rails were run cable along the side and usually gunmetal. I just don't know if I want to risk damaging the ship...

 

Gil: Hope you get to see her in Pensacola. :)

 

Mark: Thank ya. It's just such a PLAIN kit that needed a lot of putty. You know how that goes. Still, it's the San Fran and I love her.

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Mark, didn't see that:

 

Astoria and Vincennes were both badly damaged at Guadalcanal, but unlike their sister Quincy, were not holed by torpedoes. Both ships had fully fueled aircraft on board and other flammables that should have been removed and/or properly stored as they were in an active combat environment. Sadly, both ships suffered significant structural damage from the resulting conflagrations from their own flammables once they were hit. IF the XO's had ensured their ships were ready for surface combat, it is likely both would have survived.

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The splashed wet areas just above the waterline are the kind of subtle detail that takes this to the next level. Given a nice, grainy pinhole lens and a suitable background, she would be indistinguishable from the real thing - even in color.

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  • 5 months later...

Depends. I'm using both Gator Glue and CA.

How do you work with that Gorilla Glue? After reading the instructions, it's obviously water activated, so it sounded too much of a pain in the rump to use. What is your method for applying the stuff?

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Rusty,

 

Gator Glue should be watered a bit -or- one can buy the superior thin version. I use it when attaching tiny bits of PE that have to be somewhat adjusted to appropriately fit (example, portholes.) Thin Gator Glue needs only to be applied with a brush and can be thinned/cleaned with water. Use it like one would use Elmer's glue.

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