I appoligize if I'm slow to respond. The notifications don't work, again, and my phone doesn't seem to be able to log on

I finally decided to buy replacement IJN Type 96 single and triple guns for my 1/350 Yamato build. During the purchase I also got some additional ammunition boxes as many of them are missing on the older Tamiya kit. The triples have 10 per box and the single barrel contains 16 of them. The ammo boxes come with 30 per box.

Sooner or later I will have photos of my progress, I promise.

DRUMS01

Those will look far better than the kits guns.

Ikar: Ohhhhhhh, those sound cool!

Ben: Wow, yeah they look much better than the kit parts. And a massive migrane too!!!

Nothing that a little sake won't fix.

I finally got somewhere on the carrier and almost done.  The only thing I have to do are the aircraft.

Next will be the Kagero and the I-17.

WOW icar, that looks really nice!

Sorry for the slow updates, tis the season I guess. 

I jumped in with both feet first on the single barrel IJN Model 96 25mm machine guns. Here are the assembly instructions.



After a closer look at the VeryFire (VF) resin and brass/PE parts and comparing them to the kit parts it is my opinion that the kits gun base and receivers look better than the VF versions. With that said, the kit gun barrels looked terrible and it was missing a gun sight or armor plate, etc. So I decided to use the square gun platform from Lions Roar (pay no mind to the ugly flat PE guns).



In addition to the gun platform I used the model kits gun base and receiver, remove the barrel, drill a hole to accept the brass replacement, and use the gun sight and other PE from the VF set. Last was to add an armor plate made from sheet plastic to the front of the receiver for personal protection. After my Frankenstein assembly of components, this is how it came out.



The two guns atop the last photo are my replacements for those on the side of the superstructure. They were made with VF components and sheet plastic for the shields. The three shown on the lower right were the folded PE, the kit, the VF in the dark gray resin, and my modified configuration.

Next update will be the triple 25mm gun sets.

Ben

Yesterday I spent several hours destroying several of the IJN Type 96 triple AA guns. In fact, I now have found seven different methods on how NOT to assemble them. Here is part of the problem; After buying the VeryFire (VF) guns I found that I do not like the detail or accuracy of the gun chassis. The guns receivers / breach are way to small, but the brass barrels are wonderful. The gunners seats and controls are a joke and appear closer to 1/700 scale (I'm talking extremely small). In comparison, the PE gun chassis with the Lions Roar set are actually nice looking, but the gun component (receiver and barrels) are terrible and barely even 2D. The problems I'm having with the PE are bending and keeping the seats and controls in place. Then there is the problem of not having a good gun component to fit into the PE chassis. The kits triple type 96 AA guns are a joke and nothing more than a square block with a couple lumps for definition and the barrels are terrible. Then came the experiments of trying to use the PE gun chassis with the kits gun receivers that were drilled out to accept the VF brass barrels. Problems occurred when trying to cut down the kits part to fit into the PE chassis.Later came several other mixes of parts without the success, hence the seven different methods of how to destroy seven 1/350 IJN Type 95 25mm triple AA guns. 

VF kit components

VF gun sets without the PE for the sights, seats, controls, or breach

three different variations 



So currently I am stepping away from those guns till I can figure out a method how I can have something I am satisfied with to add to the Yamato that can be consistently replicated. I looked at the Veterans Models after market replacements that while a little more money than the VF, the look better engineered. Likewise I looked at the one piece 3D resin printed versions. They also look fairly nice with the only item in question would be the barrels which I already have 30 sets from the VF purchase. Part of me feels like I am cheating the modeling experience (read challenge) if I buy the fully assembled 3D gun sets. It would also mean that I gave up on trying to create them myself and I would be a looser / lame modeler. 

Heck, who am I kidding, the after market suppliers are there for a reason. If there already is a great product available to enhance the Yamato build, shouldn't I just pursue it? Humm,....decisions, decisions.

That looks great Ikar!!

Ben, I know the trouble. Although I just had 14 twin 25's I've been through the grind and can tell you that the 3D look great advertized, they are VERY delicate nad difficult to remove without breaking them. I've never tried Very Fire and after seeing your trouble, I think I'll pass. I do like the Infini sets very much. They are pricy and fidily but look fantastic when completed. One caution, they will make you pull your hair. Other than that I think what you have looks great in your pics. Also, look into Alliance Model Works. I don't remember the problem I had with them so I can't say if I liked them or not. I know we aren't made of money and you can chase the rabbit right down the hole if you're not careful so I'd probly reassess what you have. They look good from here.

Here are my twin Infini guns vs the Haseagawa kit's.

Those look great.  But with my current eye status and loss of feeling n my hands I could never make those weapons.  Next best thing for me might be just getting the printed ones and some sepreate brass barrels.

Anybody know of a detail set for the I-17 sub?  So far I haven't found any.  Even just the basics would do.

ikar... Take a look on eBay, search:1/350 submarine I-19

On 1st page, an Aoshima PE set I-19/I-27.

9.99 + 2.95 shipping. In your neck of the woods.

Don't know how much is applicable to your kit, but they were all the same class boats.

Ben & Steve: WOW!!! That stuff gives me eye-strain just to look at it. Good luck guys. As Ikar said a little sake helps, though God only knows what kinda mess I'd end up with if I started drunk modeling...

Ikar: Beautiful work there- good luck with the aircraft!

After reaching a new level of frustration with the IJN type 96 triple AA guns I actually decided to throw the entire model kit of the Yamato in the trash...........

Then I woke up from the bad dream. Since I was still not satisfied with the three options I currently have, and not knowing if another assembly version would make me happy either, I decided to purchase the 3D molded guns. While at one time they were available on eBay, they are no longer there. Searching for them I finally found them at Black Cat Models which is a company based out of France.

This is what they will look like in the raw:





I will wait to see them in person to determine if additional modifications will be needed for the barrels, gun sites, or any armor plate. Till then I have been making final preparations for painting the hull to include some pre-shading to bring out more details. 

Perhaps I will have some pictures posted prior to the New Year.

Ben

Don't know the pricing difference, but search shapeways for them.  I've gotten a couple of 5" and 20mm from there, and extremely pleased.

Here's the end of my carrier:

My next ship will be started after the new year  or maybe a little sooner.

Ikar: The planes look great! Sharp work! And cool looking weapons, I actually saw some Japanese reenactors a few years ago. They had the guns and katanas and the whole deal.

Ben: Good luck too! Hope those 3D printed guns work out. They look like a lot less work to be sure.

Ikar, you might want to pull the pics and description of the weapons.  Against site policy.

Nice job on the carrier and a/c.

Taken care of, sorry about that.

So now I have to decide which ship to build next, sub or destroyer.

No problem, I got a one week of having mods approve posts a year ago.  Don't want someone else to get suspended or banned.

I did put up a fret on PE that was on eBay for your sub.  Even though it said was for I-19, the 17 was same class.  $13 shipped. Ends in 2 days

I better check my account and then go check it out.  Thanks

Ben, yeah, I like Black Cat. I bought some Bofors for the North Carolina and Pom Poms for the Prince of Wales. They look good but I haven't opened them yet. They'll have to wait till long after you alreadt installed yours. I like Black Cat. It's like a candy store for 1/350 ships.

Ikar, I love the planes. Looking forward to whatever you decde to build next.

GH: Thanks, I didn't know it was against site policy either.

Steve: Wow! And I thought all Black Cat made was fireworks!

Merry Christmas to all my friends here. And cheers to a great 2022. Going to try to really dig into getting the Shimakaze built.

Well, here we go, the next build:

I'm not sure why they included the long round part because the instructions say it's supposed to go into the hull even though it and its detail will not be seen.  Guess I don't understand this sub kit.

Usually put in so you can't see the other side through the limber holes.  Also represents the pressure hull.

GH is correct, otherwise you would need to put in a tube or something if you wanted to be accurate like you do with the Revell kits.

It even came with what appear to be six torpedoes.  At this time I'm not sure if they are the manned type or not that would be carried behind the conning tower.  That might be my guess because this sub also carries a seaplane up front.

Japanese subs were multipurpose 

Ohhhhhhhhh, that looks cool Ikar! Looking forward to you building her.

If you're talking about the six on the left side above the pressure hull in the first pic, those are the regular fish fired out of the tubes.

The two man mini is in the second pic to the left of the nameplate.

Steve: You stated cross-builds were kosher so I'd like to enter the Shimakaze in my own Japanese GB XI if it's fine by you? It might give me that extra 'omph' to get moving on her.