USS Des Moines 1/350

These are all the extras you get in a Very Fire Deluxe Kit courtesy of Pontos. This will be a long Build.....Cheers Mark

You will do a fantastic job like you always do. 

This!

 I will follow with fascination. Why? Well, the particular class was one of the Most Beautiful designs the Navy came up with!

This is a great kit and I'm sure you'll enjoy it. I'm partly finished with mine and couldn't be happier. It will take some planning because the instructions for the plastic kit make no mention of any of the PE and resin parts but it isn't difficult. My only issue was too many of the PE parts are so small as to be useless.

Have fun and enjoy.

This has always been among my favorite ships! I will follow along. Thanks!

Bill Morrison

I'm working on the Salem now.  It's in the same class and is a good looking, heavily armed ship.

My kit is from very fire too but only came with one sheet of photoetch.  This one had been a bit of a challenge and problem from the start.  I had to fix the warpage in th stern section to start with.  Then I found the part numbers were small and not always readable and had to use more light and a magnifying glass for identification.  I even found a part that was shown in the illustrations but had no plastic part for it.  

lurch

You will do a fantastic job like you always do. 

 

Thanks for the Vote of Confidence my Friend.....Cheers mark

Tanker-Builder

This!

 I will follow with fascination. Why? Well, the particular class was one of the Most Beautiful designs the Navy came up with!

 

I first saw this Class on TV when the Salem played the Graf Spee in the Battle of the River Plate Movie and liked the class from then on....Cheers Mark

jeffpez

This is a great kit and I'm sure you'll enjoy it. I'm partly finished with mine and couldn't be happier. It will take some planning because the instructions for the plastic kit make no mention of any of the PE and resin parts but it isn't difficult. My only issue was too many of the PE parts are so small as to be useless.

Have fun and enjoy.

 

Thanks Jeff will do. I am used to working in 700 scale P/E so should be some fun. One thing that surprise me was the thick Sprue Gates on the Hull and some Flash. no problems just not expected....Cheers Mark

warshipguy

This has always been among my favorite ships! I will follow along. Thanks!

Bill Morrison

 

Glad you are along for the ride Bill.....Cheers Mark

ikar01

I'm working on the Salem now.  It's in the same class and is a good looking, heavily armed ship.

My kit is from very fire too but only came with one sheet of photoetch.  This one had been a bit of a challenge and problem from the start.  I had to fix the warpage in th stern section to start with.  Then I found the part numbers were small and not always readable and had to use more light and a magnifying glass for identification.  I even found a part that was shown in the illustrations but had no plastic part for it.  

 

I had no warpge on mine but totally aree with you on the Parts Numbers on the Sprues. Way too small.....Cheers Mark

The Hull is now glued and the Decks test fitted. The Internal Hull Bracings are a bit of a sloopy fit and surprisingly the Kit does not come with a Display Stand. I am going to mount her anyway but a Stand would have been a nice addition. More soon.....Cheers mark 

jeffpez

My only issue was too many of the PE parts are so small as to be useless.

That appears to be a "thing" with Pointos.  (I swear they hired people from Dragon, just so they'd have parts for the sake of having parts.)

And, apparently Pontos thinks all modelers have microscopes . . .

CapnMac82

 

 

jeffpez

My only issue was too many of the PE parts are so small as to be useless.

 

 

That appears to be a "thing" with Pointos.  (I swear they hired people from Dragon, just so they'd have parts for the sake of having parts.)

And, apparently Pontos thinks all modelers have microscopes . . .

 

And a stiff Drink is needed sometimes also.

If I drank I would have had a couple with the Salem.  I found a few or more places that were confusing and sometimes hard to read as I was building.  On top of that the painting guide has started to fade away.

ikar01

If I drank I would have had a couple with the Salem.  I found a few or more places that were confusing and sometimes hard to read as I was building.  On top of that the painting guide has started to fade away.

 

No problerms so far. Here is hoping it stays that way.....Cheers Mark

CapnMac82, i do as have a 1000x usb microscope, don't you?

Hey!

        I thought all of us had to have one as part of our build bench, Hmmm? I bought mine at an auction for the school district when they were building a new High school where we lived at the time. They auctioned off all the science department's gear. Mine is an old Zeiss that came with a whole case of parts and lenses.

         They bought all new stuff and a company involved with "Dear Old Uncle" (F.D.A.) Donated all new Optical equipment for the lab! Boy, were the school administrators happy! In that day and age we're talking about $100,000,00 worth of gear Now! Probably about $20,000.00 back then!

Gee, guys, I feel like a poor boy here.  I only have a 200X optical scope- cheap mass market one, and a 100X USB one.

I will need all the help I can get. I started on the single Superstructure Part which I have finished adding close 80 P/E Parts to it. This is going to be a long slog.....Cheers Mark

Great work. Be sure to look at all the PE illustrations because the same part sometimes shows up in different photos showing parts not previously ID'd. You don't want to find out too late that you missed something.

Man, is this a "tough room" or what?

Not the microscope soe much as needing the micro-surgery manipulators . . .

Color guide for Des Moines not too complicated.  Decks are Dark Gray; verticals are light gray; and the fiddly bits are fiddly.

Remember the movie "Fantastic Voyage"?

AFA colors, I looked up Salem for ikar.

In the 50's she had natural wood decks except for bridge decks, the anchor tackle area, and around the crane at the stern.

Tops of the turrets and 5" gun houses were dark gray.

Fiddly bits were fiddly colored.

Bill

jeffpez

Great work. Be sure to look at all the PE illustrations because the same part sometimes shows up in different photos showing parts not previously ID'd. You don't want to find out too late that you missed something.

 

Thanks Jeff. Have already noticed what you mentioned about the Parts.....Cheers mark

CapnMac82

Man, is this a "tough room" or what?

Not the microscope soe much as needing the micro-surgery manipulators . . .

Color guide for Des Moines not too complicated.  Decks are Dark Gray; verticals are light gray; and the fiddly bits are fiddly.

 

 

You are not wrong but it will be fun.....Cheers mark

GMorrison

Remember the movie "Fantastic Voyage"?

AFA colors, I looked up Salem for ikar.

 

In the 50's she had natural wood decks except for bridge decks, the anchor tackle area, and around the crane at the stern.

Tops of the turrets and 5" gun houses were dark gray.

Fiddly bits were fiddly colored.

 

Bill

 

Thats the way I am going to portray her Bill....Cheers mark

nice work mark , gee , PE can be so much fun . 

steve5

nice work mark , gee , PE can be so much fun . 

 

Thanks Steve. Tell me about it...SHEESH.....Cheers Mark

The next step for me was her Funnel. After a few choice selections of words and some Hours it is now done. More to come soon.....Cheers Mark