1/72 Takom Type 94 460mm Yamato turret

I swung by the local HL today and picked up some bead wire, thinking that may work for the railing.

I'm thinking that may work, at least better than monofilament or thread.

After looking over the entire build repairing any bent or detatched items, I cleaned it up and painted my customary black base. I'll lightly sand down the deck to remove the top coat before painting it.

Thats some nice work there, it is a beast.

Bish

Thats some nice work there, it is a beast.

That is an understatement mate. It may take more than one bottle to paint it.

Although it ain't a full ship, looks like it'll still take up some shelf space! Looking good so far.

Thanks John,

I have been painting both the base and turret. The turret is done and the oils are drying before I string the wire. I still need to paint the blast bags once I mix up a color that looks right. The deck color was hard to match since the Japanese decks were more yellow than ours or the Germans but I think I have the base coat done. Now I need to add some oils.

I did not heavily weather the turret because the most action the Yamato saw was in port. She was commonly know as the Hotel Yamato.

She traveled around from base to base but the only major action that I'm aware of was Midway, where she never was in battle, the Battle of the Philippine sea where she fired at Japanese planes by mistake, The battle of Layte Gulf while during the Battle of the Sibuyan Sea, she lost her sister ship Musashi to naval air attack, the battle off Samar where she hit the DD USS Johnston and the CVE USS Gambier Bay with her main guns, both ships were lost to enemy fire. Operation Ten-Go was her last sortie when she left port on a suiside mission to defend Okinawa. The Allies intercepted and decoaded raidio transmissions which allowed the Americans to spot, track and eventually sink the Yamato where she lies 290 Km southwest of Kyushu and under 340 meters of water, her turrets falling out of their barbets long before she settled on the bottom.

First coat on the deck

Turret complete except for a dull coat and the railings.

Anyone who is planning to build this kit, or the Bruno I would assume, could really skip step 2 I believe. I found that the barrel receivers installed in this step are a redundant step and since you will be glueing the balst bags to the turret glacis, are unnecessary. I had a hard time seeting the barrels into the recivers all the way so I removed them.

The turret is almost done. I finished the deck and ran the railings on the turret. I need to tone down the rust on the top of the turret before spraying a flat coat. A couple of passes with some Turpenoid should do the trick.

I thought I had a picture of the finished deck 

Oddly eneough, I believe the Bruno is arriving today.

Looking nice Steve. Are the blast bags plastic, they look very realistic.

I take it you have ordered the Bruno from Japan.

Bish

Looking nice Steve. Are the blast bags plastic, they look very realistic.

I take it you have ordered the Bruno from Japan.

 

Yes, and yes. In fact, I should be receiving the Bruno today or tomorrow.

Look forward to seeing that. I think i will get mine from Hannants when i order from them later in the year, if its in by then. I tend to get stung with import duties with anything from japan.

Excellent work Steve. Looking great so far. Making me want to get one and build it! Keep up the great work.

Thanks BB!

Yep, I thought so.

Wow, What a diffrence in size.

WOW! Really puts in perspective the difference of 15 inch guns compared to 18 inch!

Yes, 15" vs 18" twin barrels vs tripple barrles. Bismarck launched Feb 39, Yamato launched 16 months later, Aug 40. Similar technology. One was trying to look somewhat legal, that other couldn't care less.

Here it is finished. I very easy kit doring assembly but the difficulty was try to get the paing, weathering and general use ballanced for a ship that was maintained but rarely used.

 Like I said earler, leaving the receivers out helped with construction and I plan to do that with Bruno. Bruno does seem to be a more involved kit so I'm glad I got this experience under my belt befor starting it.

I figured the Bruno would be quite a bit smaller. I guess thats why they picked Bruno and not Anton. The extra detail under the turret makes up for the smaller size.

That looks stunning Steve, very nicely done and a nice base. Does that and the nameplate all come with the kit.

Bish, I figured that as well. The Bruno kit does seem more detailed as well.

Yes the plate comes with the kit but I didn't see one for the Bismarck.

There is no deck, just the barbette.

The color chart shows the color in the Yard at B&V, Phase one, two and three of operation Rheinubung and the controversial yellow top as told by Burkard Baron Von Mullenheim-Rechberg in his book "The Battleship Bismarck, a survivors story". He was the commander of the Bruno turret and stated that the turrets wore yellow for a few days.

I'm assuming the Bruno kit is similar to the Yamato kit. The barrel receivers (step 10) are redundent. I'm just going to glue the blast bags to the glacis (step 13).

Thanks Tojo!

Thanks for a look at those. That first scheme is the one i had not accounte for when we dicussed it previously. I plan on doing the second scheme, as thats what i am doing my 350 kit in.

Be nice to get it mounted with a small section of deck around the front and sides.