1/350 uss texas

http://www.freetimehobbies.com/CMS4118.aspx

I have the kit in my to be built pile and can say a few things about it from an in the box perspective.  The kit is one of the better molds from ISW with sharply defined parts and the hull casting is just beautiful.  However, my example, (an older version to be sure) is plagued by bubbles in the the small pieces of deck equipment.  This certainly is not insurmountable but is does detract from the  otherwise nicely cast hull.  I'm not a full hull builder so I had the bottom cut off of mine so I can't say what the lower hull even looked like!  I would much rather build my models as waterline examples.  I do believe that you should not hesitate to buy this kit as a beautiful model of Texas can be made from it.   WS

Dreadnought52

I have the kit in my to be built pile and can say a few things about it from an in the box perspective.  The kit is one of the better molds from ISW with sharply defined parts and the hull casting is just beautiful.  However, my example, (an older version to be sure) is plagued by bubbles in the the small pieces of deck equipment.  This certainly is not insurmountable but is does detract from the  otherwise nicely cast hull.  I'm not a full hull builder so I had the bottom cut off of mine so I can't say what the lower hull even looked like!  I would much rather build my models as waterline examples.  I do believe that you should not hesitate to buy this kit as a beautiful model of Texas can be made from it.   WS

if you desire a waterline version of almost any model from Iron Shipwright, contact Jon Warneke of ISW.   He can special-pour one which isn't a full hull.

http://ironshipwrights.com/ships_350.html

On many ISW kits there are corner extensions or whiskers on corners of surface details such as ready service lockers and the like.   These help get resin into the notoriously hard to fill areas.    Snip them off.   If you have a corner which has a bubble in a corner, the easiest means of handling it is to cut the bubble back to good resin making a square-edge.  Then superglue in some Evergreen strip stock (slightly oversize).   Cut and sand the plastic back to shape.   (Hey the effort involved is much less than this Roden/Encore Fokker F1 POS I'm working on!)

Something else to remember about ISW kits is their satisfaction guarantee.   Even if you don't buy direct from ISW.   When you receive the kit, inventory the parts and check if something is broken, short cast, or unworkable.   If something is missing contact Jon @ ISW and tell him what is missing/wrong.  He'll replace the parts - usually with extras,    If while you're building the kit something breaks or you screw up - contact Jon and he'll replace the part.  (Once when building a LCS(L)-3 I drilled a mounting hole through the deck.   Contacted Jon & he sent a whole new kit.  I actually got  two, one from Jon and one from his partner.  When asked about returning the second kit I was told to keep it.)   I have even heard that ISW has replaced broken parts on a kit which was knocked off the shelf by a cat two years after the kit was bought.

thank you both for the info..this will be my first major ship build, with pe detailed paint and such.

I agree with Ed. I have the kit and I am having no problem with bubbles of any kind.  I recommend it highly!

Bill Morrison

Does the kit include PE parts (like railings, ladders, etc)?

The kit includes PE.

This is an example of the brass included with the ISW Arkansas.   ISW doesn't have an image of the brass with the Texas kit on their website.  But yes as noted above,  PE is included.

You may end up short on railing, but they are an easy aftermarket item to procure.