1/72 scale USS Ward at time of Pearl Harbor

My neuropathy is causing me to lose feeling in my fingers. It is very hard to work tiny line at 1/72 scale (as it is to type but magnitudes more difficult) when you can't feel what you are doing. Temperature fluctuations just make it worse. None the less. Except for rigging, and some IS done the ship is complete, a tank she isn't. Sorry you don't approve

I have to inject here ;

 My landlady is a Cancer survivor . I am recovering from Open Heart and other stuff from over the years .We both have that D*&^&^ Neuropathy . Different types , But pretty basic . My hands are loosing their ability to stay warm . Hers is already there ! . That  said , as long as my work area is about 75 I can work all day .

 The hand cramps I get , stops a lot of work . I can do this ( computer ) because I can keep my fingers fairly straight .That coupled with Arthritis that is slowly twisting my fingers out of true I shall keep going . I know you will too . My M.D. says the model building has staved off the worst of what could happen .    Tanker - Builder

I know its been a while but a bout of stage 3 cancer interferred, however I have finished the 1/72 scale USS Ward with the exception of rigging. I currently have severe neuropathy in among other things my finger tips which make it very difficult to do this work. But the rest of the ship is  finished as is a 1/72 scale japanese mini-sub from Pearl Harbor to go with it. Alas, I lack the space for a good diorama and they both currently reside proudly on my bookcases. 

Steve. 

I am very interested in any help you can send my way. My email is igoodboy@cox.net. I have the depth charges more or less. A few questions on those, I have two sets of wall mounted main gun ammo for the forward gun but no others. I have a huge collection of 1/72 WWII aircraft, almost 2,000. That's why the scale. Keep it in the family

Golly! $$$!

Thanks, Steve. 

You may find these websites of interest:

http://www.fineartmodels.com/Flush_Deck_Ward.html#7

http://www.tehnoart.eu/uss-ward-kit.html

Fine Art Models offers a 1/96 built model ofthe Ward.  Tehnoart is a Latvian company that produces Fine Art's ship models and also released a limited edition kit version in 2014.  There are some photos on both sites of the completed model and photos of the kit in progress at Tehnoart. 

I have one of the kits, it is very detailed and, from what research I have been able to do, it is very accurate.  One detail most kits and drawings of the Ward on 12/7/41 get wrong is the placement of the yardarm on the foremast.  It should be at the very top of the mast like the letter "T",  which is confirmed by a photo of the Ward at Lahaina taken in October, 1941. 

I don't know to what degree of detail you are planning to build, but 1/72 is very large scale for a ship model.  If you are interested PM me and I can provide some accurate plans and details of the boat skids, davits, 4" ammunition racks and depth charge racks.  These are pretty complex items that are not typically represented accurately or completely on smaller scale models or drawings.

There is also a 1/72 plastic kit of the "Type A Target" (midget submarine) that would go well with your Ward when completed:

http://www.internetmodeler.com/scalemodels/ships/Fine-Mold-s-1-72-Type-A-Japanese-WWII-Mini-Submarine.php

this is a quick way of casting, about an hour .

Blue Stuff/Oyumaru - How to cheaply cast miniatures or plastic models - new version

plasmo's u-tube is the one

Jonesjp

I have "Ward Fires First Shot"  yes the Ward was sunk by her old Capt on interestingly Dec 7, 1944 3 years to the day after she fired the shot at Pearl. I'm assuming she had black anti fouling paint below the water line

 

I'll try and post some shots of the Ward next week. Hopefully by then I'll have the ships boats on and the hull painted, at least the first coat. I'm old school hand painting no airbrush. Yes it IS big. Well over 4' long with two very tall masts

I have "Ward Fires First Shot"  yes the Ward was sunk by her old Capt on interestingly Dec 7, 1944 3 years to the day after she fired the shot at Pearl. I'm assuming she had black anti fouling paint below the water line

Your model is 52" long, correct?

That's quite something. I would love to see any photos.

Bill

Jonesjp

the hull is vacuform as are the funnels   Everything else is pretty much scratch.  A few questions. I need to cast some resin parts. What's best?  Second. Conflicting references on rear main gun position on main deck or on upper deck. Anyone know for sure?

 

I like Smooth-On  

https://www.smooth-on.com/

Check the site for videos & descriptions on their various products.   They also have how-to instructions for molding & casting.  

I use their OOMOO-30 RTV and Smooth-Cast plastic.    The nice thing about these products is that they are a 1:1 mix (+/- 10%).   You don't need the precision of a 10:1 mix needed for some other products.  Smooth-Cast gives a smooth finish with few bubbles.    I have found that Alumilite produces a coarser finish.   It is useable but takes a bit more practice.

See to the Distributor list.  If there is one nearby you can purchase over the counter.   I have found that the counter help are technically savvy and can give you good recommendations on materials & methods.

A couple of references:

Al Adcock "US Flush Deck Destroyers Inaction" Squadron. has a lot of photos & line drawings of 4-pipers, all versions.   Cover art is the Ward engaging the Japanese sub at Pearl Harbor.  

Glen Arnold "Warship Perspectives: Flush Deck Destroyers in World War Two" WR Press.  has more photos & drawings, all versions.   There are a lot more detail photos.   There is a good fold-out set of plans for HMS Montgomery.   They will get you deckhouse configurations.

Lott & Sumrall "USS Ward Fires First Shot WWII"  Impressions, Inc.  For the Ward at Pearl Harbor,  this book is mostly drawings with several photos which are seen elsewhere (Navsource).   There are photos of the guncrew and the first-shot gun.   There is more info on the Ward as an APD.    (Interesting factoid:  LT Outerbridge (later Admiral) CO of the Ward at Pearl Harbor was,  in 1944, the CO of the O'Brien and ordered the sinking of the APD Ward after she was mortally damaged during the Leyte campaign.)

Delgado et.al.  "The Lost Submarines of Pearl Harbor".  TAMU Press.  One chapter on the Ward's action at Pearl Harbor.   No additional unique photos or drawings.   The cover art is the Freeman painting of the attack which is mentioned as being seen on Navsource.  

Resin casting in RTV molds works very well, if you give some thought to mold design.  When you pour the resin into the mold, it needs to displace the air, else you get bubbles in the casting.  Two important points.  There needs to be vent tubes coming out of each local high point in the mold to allow the air to escape.  Second, it is best to design in a J-shaped pour sprue. If your sprue entry is at the top of the mold, resin entering the cavity competes with the air coming out.  The J-sprue lets resin enter the bottom of the cavity, allowing the incoming resin to easily push the air out the vent tubes at the top.

I notice Hobby Lobby now carries Aluminalite resin and stuff.  I ordinarily use RTV and resin from Micro Mark, but it is nice to have a local source for those last minute emergencies.

Thanks!  I was hoping that was the case. I will check out that painting

Thanks, I have acquired the guns already, though not from Shapeways. I was looking at their stuff. Still need portholes, doors, .30 cal MG and stands so I may yet pay them a visit

You might have seen that Shapeways sells a very nice 4" 50 submarine gun. I don't know the difference from a DD deck gun.

FWIW there's a painting of her with the No. 3 firing at the sub. The view is from the stern and the No. 4 is on the deckhouse roof.

See Navsource.

Can't yet find a date---I will keep looking---but virtually all the four  stackers in service had the number 4 gun moved from the original very wet position on the stern to the aft deckhouse roof as soon after WW1 as possible. For hulls like the Ward that went into the reserve fleet, this was still being done in the mid-to-late '30s as 'war clouds gathered.' It certainly would have been done before she went back into service.

99% sure I've got a photo somewhere, will post it when I find it.

Cheers