Which is Better ?And can I do it ?

http://cs.finescale.com/fsm/modeling_subjects/f/7/t/63300.aspx

One of the links in there has a virus, if it even still exists. Anyhow, a good read.

What battle prompted the invention of cage masts, and why didn't they last for very long?

the reason the cagemasts didn't last long was that they where not stable, couldn't support the new gun directors & a cagemast collapsed in a storm.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lattice_mast

And the first part of the question- Jutland. Single masts that took hits toppled. Like the Wellington bomber, there was a thought that geodetics could withstand shell hits and stay together.

There's been efforts in 3D printing, I would think at some point that would be the right solution.

We had a presentation on cage masts and PE at our IPMS meeting last week. Our ship model guru (and he is REALLY good) spoke well of the PE lattice cage masts. Had one to display for his presentation on PE enhanced  ship kits. But he spoke even better of the new 3-D printed lattice masts that are now available.

Check out Stilwell's Battleship Arizona for particulars.   The Arizona's cage masts were lost as part of the 1931 refit.   Contemporary photos & film ('Here Comes the Navy') show the tripod masts vice cage masts.    Also part of the refit was the addition of torpedo bulges.   The hull shape changed and the beam was increased to 106'.  Changes too about secondary/tertiary armament.

Research, research, research.

If you don't care about such details,  just replacing the masts are indeed an option

I lost my copy in the last move. It's in a box somewhere.  Pity too because I bought it at the Pacific Museum gift store.

You're of course correct, I'd lost sight of tankerbuilders original question. I had bought the book when I bought the Banner model.

G,

I must disagree with you about Jutland being the root event for the design of cage masts.  I believe US battleships were converted from "military" pole masts to cage masts when they returned from the Great White Fleet cruise.

In Navsource, for the USS South Carolina, there is a copy of a newspaper article, dated 1909, showing "the new dreadnaught with her *** masts."

The Royal Navy went from military masts to tripods to provide a high, stable platform for spotting, and I believe it was even earlier than 1909.

Rick

*edit: apparently in 1909 they could write words on the front page of the paper that have come to be taken wronly nowadays.

You're right, I can't find my source. Maybe Tsushima?