Replacing doors and hatches..

I get uncomfortable when I read terms like "necessary," "must," "supposed," and "have to" in contexts like this. After-market photo-etched part sets offer a terrific potential for detailing a model. But nobody - least of all me - has the authority to tell an individual modeler how to build a model.

That Tamiya kit has excellent detail. The doors and hatch covers on the sheets from Gold Medal Models and Tom's Modelworks are outstanding. The details in question are tiny; most people don't notice such things, but some people do. Attaching photo-etched parts to the model is a little tricky; some people find it more enjoyable and less difficult than others do. My only opinion on the subject is that the decision should rest with the individual modeler - based on personal judgment as to what's worth the trouble and the time. If we start letting others tell us what level of detail is "acceptable" and how much time we "have" to put in on our models, we're on our way toward wrecking the hobby.

Just my two cents' worth. Good luck.

What he said......

PE and aftermarket is supposed to make it more fun for the modeler. If you feel that you don't want to, or in my case, at times, can't afford it with time and money, then don't feel obligated that you cannot produce a quality model without it. I only replace doors ,hatches, portholes and deck details with more detailed assessories in those areas that will get the most attention from the observer.

Unless its and old sailing ship, then I'm one of those nuts who goes all out superdetailing a gundeck that only the occasional spider will see.

Scott

Here's a little friendly advise. Build your ship with the amount of detail that you would be satisfied with. Don't worry about what others think. This is just a hobby after all for fun and pleasure.

I can relate to what jtilley and Scott said. I have the Arizona sitting on a shelf that is an incomplete hulk right now. I was getting so "into" making it look like the real thing by looking at what others have done, so much so I burned myself out on it! I cut off the bulk heads around the broadside guns on the main deck and completely stripped the under deck. Now it all has to be replaced. I have the PE parts from GMM and Tom's Modelworks. I have taken it down I don't know how many times to start working on it again. But every time I look at it or start tinkering, I quit. I am even considering another ship to try and fix what I screwed up.

I guess I have done so much destruction to it that I now suffer from, as my brother put it, "AMS"(Acute Modeler's Syndrone)!

So sit back and enjoy and build to your pleasure and liking!

Bob

Agreed. Some of us like to take our stuff to the extreme (especially me with Fletchers), but it as to remain fun while you're doing it.

In the end, you can put you OOB (out of box) Fletcher next to one that's got every little bit you can possibly add, and from two feet away you can't tell them apart.

If you're concerned about accuracy, then replace them. Otherwise, with the exception of some varying locations for hatches on Fletchers as they progressed through the build series, the Tamiya kit is spot on for a 1942 era ship of that class. The hatches are in the proper locations, and the styling is correct (6 dog watertight hatches).

Hope that helps.

Jeff

Think about it.....The better you do the better you get......if there's no headache you can be enjoying your hobby as personel art..........not as doing a cake!
Jimmyhal

We build because we like the subject and enjoy the experience.Stop it when it stops being fun.Don't detail because you have to,do it because you want to!

Good advice,all! I used to suffer from AMS. Usually placed in contests,then one day.I realized I was not having fun any more,so I started building to suit myself and got back to enjoying the hobby. So do it your way,-no matter how good it is ,there'll always be a self annointed"expert"show up to appraise your work an tell you "how it should be done". If you're happy with it, that's all that counts!

I think everyone has already said this, but it is worth repeating. Model making is (for most of us) a hobby. I very rarely use PE or aftermarket add-ons. Most of the time...it's straight out of the box. I select my models based on subjects I like. In fact, my girlfriend is always commenting on how much plain grey, sand, olive and black all my models are. Sorry...that's real life. Every so often something is camouflaged nicely, but mostly...everything in military markings is kind of subdued. I know there are exceptions. Anyway...adding PE and other things are nice, but certainly not necessary. In fact, I've got a beautiful 1:350 USS Ticonderoga on my shelf that I loved making. It has no add-ons, but it is still one of my favorite pieces because of the personal effort from me it took to make it.