1/350 Hasegawa Akagi Complete.

ikar01

How much more until you're finished?

The rest of the stringers, AA guns, island, wood deck, repairing and damage cause by handling, side small boats, seascape, planes and crew. I'm sure there is more but that's just off the top of my head.

I sit in front of a Master...because I can't kneel.

ikar01

I sit in front of a Master...because I can't kneel.

 

No master here, just a nut who can't seem to say no to himself.

I finshed the aft bracing wires, and started working on the other areas. These take a very long time but I'm in it now. I'll need to touch-up some paint afterward.

I spent a lot of time on the Akagi this weekend, mostly on the stern area. All of the bracing wire, plaforms, railing and most of the long ladders are attached. I cleaned up ather areas and repaired others. I have the casemate guns to attach then on to the deck I think. After the deck and island there is still much more to do to the hull such as the side boats, folding antennas and asundry other things that stick out as well as ropes and such draped here and there.

I ordered Infani's IJN ladder B set which have those long 20 meter ladders that stretch well over the water and assend to the tubs on the deck. Not me brother!

Steve,

The stern is looking great, lots of detail.  Wonder how many parts you have assembled by now?

Marcus

TOO many.

I started on the top of the deck last night and assembled the PE wind fence, blast fence, or whatever it's called and will paint the areas not covered by the wood laminate before installing said laminate. After the wood deck is installed, I'll start on the island.

just a magnificent build steve , you are almost going to have to display this at eye level , so you can show off all the incredible work you have put into it .

Thanks Steve, the size also makes it difficult to photograph well.

I installed the wood deck and painted the stripes on the stern. I need to touch them up.

I also experimented with some stain and weathering using oils. My goal is this, the only picture I found of the Akagi's deck, and it's colorized.

Lovin the work Steve and I always enjoy the updates. 

Which stain / wash are you leaning to of the ones shown? I am in favor with one of the first three on the left (the darker ones). I know it is hard to get a good baseline when looking at period color pictures. To me the the lighter colors look far to pristine and unblemished. Regardless of your choice, I'm sure it will be surperb.

I'm already looking forward to seeing those superdetailed aircraft and little people on the deck.

Ben

Thanks Ben,

I agree with you, considering the colorized photos are close to corect. At least they're consistant. The first three are either stright up black, or a mix of sand and black. I think the mix for a base with the streight black here and there. Tire skids, oil drips and the such would have made a mess I would think

Steve,

Nice progress.  Any plans on making the flight deck look used? 

Marcus

Yes I do Marcus.

I worked a few night on the island. Now that everything is added I'll paint tonight then add crew on the bridge and lookout platforms.

Steve,

That bridge looks awesome and by the all of the detail a heck of lot of parts installed.  Those mattress rolls looks great and really set the time period.

Marcus

Thanks Marcus,

Here is the work I did on the island Yesterday. I put the bridge crew on the bridge and added some window clear for the bridge windows. You can't see the crew but it doesn't matter, you a see something. I also sprayed a clear gloss coat on the deck to prepare it for stain and touched up the stern deck stripes. Tonight I'll add the deck stripes. I don't think I'll spray them and use the supplied the decals instead. We'll see how they look.

Really enjoying watching this build Steve.  Amazing work.

Thanks guys.

Over the weekend, I sprayed a gloss coat on the wood deck and stained. Here it is half stained.

I then added three coats of the gloss coat and added the decals. That was an ordeal as decals don’t like to adhere to wood, imagine that. 

Once that all “dried” I then sprayed a few more clear coats. The katakana letter ア “A” on the stern came apart, thank you Hase for your wonderful decals. So, I masked and spray the letter. After a few hours messing with that I was able to add the weathering I.E. oil spills, fuel leaks, tire marks and other sundry offences that happen to a wood carrier deck, using pastels and oils where I’m right at the point where I feel I’ve gone far enough. Not too much but not too little. Most of the stern will be covered with 27 or was it 28  aircraft and one hundred plus crew so the deck will be more of a background than the center point.

Oh yeah, the island it glued down now.

Next I need to finish the mast, a few ladders that I bought that were too long for what I had in my ladder stock, mast rigging, AA guns, deck safety netting, catch wires, aircraft catch system, side small boats, lowered antennas, landing light system.... You know, all those small nagging annoying items at add tons of interest to a build.

Well done on the deck.  Effective and not overpowering.

Wow Steve, that looks like a real deck!! 

Thanks guys. I was a little apprenhensive doing that. Once you mess it up, it's done.

I'll want to do that to my Graf Zeppelin too!  I'll need to steel some hints on your technique some day. 

Steve, I totally agree.... just enough but still very convincing. I'm looking forward to watching your thread when building the aircraft anf little people....

BTW, the bow and stern look wonderful!

Ben

Totally awesome work Steve. I’m speechless. 

Thanks guys. 

I planned on building the mast and rigging it but found I had lost the bracing legs at the rear of the mast pole and I looked everywhere for it. Oh well, something else I'll have to scratch build. My plan it to get the mast on, rig it, rig the short antenna from the mast to the pl[oles on the island and down to the deck. Scratch the flag locker at the bottom of the mast. That should use up the night. I still have the ladders to complete after that and attach the side boats.

Just thinking to my self here......add the colapasable mast at the aft half of the flightdeck, rig those..install the casemate guns..complete and install the 25mm AA guns..install the 120mm AA and install the rope splinter shields..add the saftey nets to the deck..add arresting wires and emergency landing barricades on the deck..install the landing light system...touch paint and weather...make the seascape...make the aircraft and paint the crew.... I think that's all I can come up with but I'm sure I missing a whole lot of things.

I'll echo all of the above! Beautiful deck!

Wow Steve... just wow. Those support girders are amazing looking. 

That deck looks awesome Steve! can't wait to see it full of planes.

Thanks guys.

I spent quite a bit of time on it this weekend but It's stuff that really doesn't make a dent in the overall picture, just necessary items that needed to be done. I did install the mast and rig it, weather the hull, and rig the LF long wire antennas off the island and add the collapsible antenna poles. I'm still looking at completing the AA guns, installing the life rafts, hanging the last four small boats and several other items prior to making a seascape for it. I had one cut out months ago but didn't like the waves, so I tossed it.

As much as I've seriously enjoyed reading this entire thread, I can't see any of the pictures.

Hi Steve;

   Now here is where you and I differ. Because of the inside ledge on the bridge by the windows. I would've chosen to use strips of .010 Clear plastic. That way you could shine a flashlight in there and see all that beautimus work. I thought I was a glutton for detail on ships. Well, you passed me by for sure!

Thuntboss, you can't see any of pics at all? I haven't uplaoded any in the past few days.

TB, on hindsite I agree with you. I used canopy glue which dries clear but not smooth. The window frams are PE so theres no way of removing it without destroying the frame. I'll have to make that change when I build the Kaga.....when I can afford it.