New Trumpeter 1/200 Arizona Released! w/Crew!

YOU got the three decked AKAGI too? Gees what a pain.I now know why I don,t like1/700 scale.   TANKER-builder

I'm not into 20th century ships but this looks like an interesting, large model. The only thing I found in a minute's worth of searching is: http://modelshipworld.com/phpBB2/viewtopic.php?t=15176&postdays=0&postorder=asc&&start=0

You've probably already seen it but I thought I'd reference the link anyway.

1943Mike

Any WIP on this subject?

DrWind

Anyone ordered WEM paints yet for their build of the Arizona in this scale?  I noticed several US sources out of key colors... and then got to wondering how many tinlets would be needed to coat this 1:200 monster, and then realized Trumpeter's model by single-handidly be responsible for the shortage.

Several of the colors have been in short supply for some time prior to the release of the big Arizona. 

The reasons may be related to the same reasons that the WWII-era purple/blues paint colors were withdrawn by the US Navy toward the end of the war -- difficulty in obtaining pigments.   John @ WEM has written elsewhere that his paint manufacturer has had problems obtaining some of the rare earth pigments at a satisfactory price.    

Anyone ordered WEM paints yet for their build of the Arizona in this scale?  I noticed several US sources out of key colors... and then got to wondering how many tinlets would be needed to coat this 1:200 monster, and then realized Trumpeter's model by single-handidly be responsible for the shortage.

What are folk's paint supply estimates for this model?

Thanks Bondoman, at the time I didn't know if I would be able to obtain the wood, but when I did, it was difficult to find someone willing to risk their cutting blades on this tough wood.  All I did after that was coat it with a satin varnish.  Note that the bolt hole was plugged as well. 

Gil, that is a beautiful presentation.

Hi all,

I saw a previous post regarding the teak decks on the USS Massachusetts.  I happen to live and work in the city in which she is presently berthed and our model club has one meeting a year aboard.  The teak decks are quite interesting and very light in color.  Some in recent  years have been replaced and the remaining pieces are stored below decks and are cut up and sold as souvenirs such as key chains etc to help support her upkeep.  In fact I obtained a 6' border piece in order to mount my finished Big Maime YMW resin kit on her.  The teak looked worn and beaten but when planed, cut, and finished, it was absolutely beautiful underneath.  I even commented to the person who obtained the wood for me that if he could get a bunch more, I would love to finish my deck with it....lol.  In regards to the wood's layout.  the main deck planks are approximately 5"- 6" wide with border pieces being about 8-10" wide and quite thick, (2" at its outer edge).  These were all bolted down, in fact the piece I obtained still had the remainder of same.  Here is a link to the finished ship model mounted on the decking :   

http://public.fotki.com/GilCosta/1350_ship_models/1350-uss-massachuse/

If anyone has any questions just contact me.

Thanks,

Gil

Don't I feel like a dumb ass......

I don't know why, but I didn't get my September issue so that is the only excuse I have for not knowing this....

I have tried but cannot find the link to it on the site..... :-(

More research is in order......

I have never done a big ship soooooooo, maybe...........

I am thiniking the 200 scale for a display and them maybe the 350 scale for the memorial model?

Liberty Bell

I know that this is NOT the model to do it with because of its size, but I will ask,

Has anyone done a model of the Arizona as she is today?

Far beyond my level of skills but, I think it would be a great project and fitting tribute to build her as she exists today with the memorial over her.......

Not to be ghoulish or anything... I could see it as a teaching tool to allow folks that will never be able to Travel to the actual memorial due to age, health, finances, whatever to experience it........

Like I said, my skills are not at a level where I would feel up to the challenge of this level a project at this time but I think it could be done tastefully......

Liberty Bell,

In the September issue of FSM, frequent contributor Dan Jayne did just that. In fact, he built the ship as it is today and as it appeared on or around December 7, 1941. He also built the Bismarck the same way.

Cheers, Aaron

I know that this is NOT the model to do it with because of its size, but I will ask,

Has anyone done a model of the Arizona as she is today?

Far beyond my level of skills but, I think it would be a great project and fitting tribute to build her as she exists today with the memorial over her.......

Not to be ghoulish or anything... I could see it as a teaching tool to allow folks that will never be able to Travel to the actual memorial due to age, health, finances, whatever to experience it........

Like I said, my skills are not at a level where I would feel up to the challenge of this level a project at this time but I think it could be done tastefully......

Nice catch steves!  It does look a bit too small for a battleship!  Only two anchors?  Arizona has four hawsepipes!

EdGrune

Dry, holystoned teak shown on the bow of the USS Idaho in September 1940.

I realize that Life labels this photo as the Idaho, but it is actually the bow of a heavy cruiser.

It cant be any worse than the Army's "area beautification"...

LOL   Don't give the Navy any new ideas on how to keep a sailor busy!  LOL

Maybe that was what was ordered, but they did the masking perpendicular to the intended result.

Maybe they should be on their knees masking off every 2nd and third individual board to make the finish on the planking look more realistic.

Those crewmen do look kinda bored here... USS Idaho 1941, courtesy of Life magazine

(LOL) That's it!

Anti-slip paint additives were well known, but insulation was imperative and had that side benefit of providing good footing (and something for the Swabbies to scrub).

If you've ever walked the steel deck of a dead silent ship, you can appreciate the sound aspect, too. Imagine full battle roar transmitted through that big steel drum.

I found this on the USS Massachusetts website:

HIT THE DECK: Quite often the battleship's visitors will ask, "Why are the decks made of wood?" The decks are not made of wood, but are covered with an expensive, dense, oily hardwood called teak. More than 40,000 square feet of two-inch-thick teak cover Big Mamie, including substantial portions of the main deck and most of the 01 - 03 superstructure levels.

Teak was used on battleships and cruisers to provide sound and temperature insulation and to provide safe walking surfaces for crewmembers. Teak was chosen for its durability, rot resistance, and the fact that its oil helps preserve the underlying steel deck from corrosion

The wood was irrelevant to the armor of the deck. I  recall seeing specs that called out a 0.5 thickness function of the main armament, though it could have been the armor belt thickness. As you can imagine, if a projectile penetrated that deck thickness, a wood patch wouldn't really address the likely casualty resulting. But there's more than simple tradition behind the wood deck...I just can't remember.

Footing is certainly a valid a supposition.

How about for footing purposes? unless a non skid paint is applied, painted metal is pretty slick when wet. And did battleships not have deck armor beneath the planking?

Here is a build I used to help complete my own 350 Arizona. He has a labor intensive way of doing the deck but it looks good in the end.

http://www.rollmodels.net/nworkbench/onlinebuild/arizona/arizona3.php

The decks on a Battleship would have been 4" to 8" (or better) thick armor. There's another reason for the wood, but I'll be d@^*$% if I can recall it.

Bocks Suv

This may be a really dumb question, but why did the Navy use exposed wooden decks on ships and carriers? Seems like we'd use just metal, metal over wood or tar over wood.  Did the Germans and *** use wood?  What do we use now?

Probably for repair purposes. Lay down some new planking over battle damage and youre back in business as a flight decck. Look here at USS Yorktown at Midway. She was repaired and operational again after taking three hits at midday from Japanese dive bombers. And by the time of Pearl Harbor, USN carrier flight decks were stained blue, not bare wood. Although pre war they were stained Mahogony.

I think Ed has the right approach.  Painting the deck with different shades is the way to go, at least for me.  I'm thinking about filling all the but ends of the planks so that they look like continuous the length of the deck.  Then painting something similar to what Ed has described.  I'm not sure about using a wash to darken the engraved lines between the planks though.  I think that might be too harsh.  Although it's a big ship it's still 1:200 and that's pretty small.

I would love to see some examples of painted decks that people have done.  Worthy of another post I think.

Dave 

This may be a really dumb question, but why did the Navy use exposed wooden decks on ships and carriers? Seems like we'd use just metal, metal over wood or tar over wood.  Did the Germans and *** use wood?  What do we use now?

You're saying something to the effect of painting individual planks in varying shades of brown/tan?  The wash would, indeed, be good and fairly easy, considering the deck planks are scribed and not raised like on the 1/350 kit.

tucchase

Sorry, I am not familiar with the differences between those three colors.  Maybe someone else here can chime in as to which might be a better match for dry, holystoned teak wood.  Off-hand I would say go with what you are familiar with.

Dry, holystoned teak shown on the bow of the USS Idaho in September 1940.

You do not want a monochrome deck painted from a single jar of paint.   Rather you want to apply a base wood color,  mask and apply a second similar color but with a slight color shift, them mask and apply a third.   Since you're working in a large scale you probably would want to seal the whole deck with a coat of Future then apply a dark wash  to replicate the joints and caulking between the boards.