75th Anniversary of 1941 Group Build (World at War)

Very nice Steve! The bow area in those colors look sharp!

Love the colors!  Yep, very nice work.

Thanks Stick and Check.

It took longer than usual to get the AB to work properly. I ordered a replacement 105 extream during Badger's sale in Jan, still nothing. I'll have to order a new needle set for it my old 105 anyway.

Enough complaining. I put in about 4 hours last night. I masked and sprayed the grey and did some fading since this area will be impossible to get to later. I'll add some weathering tonight for the same reason and then continue to add the hanger overhang at the bow. I also worked on the girder system some. something to get my wound up before bed.

This is one of the most fun kits I've done.

Can you say intricate?

stikpusher

Can you say intricate?

I'm afraid I'd be saying more than that --but "intricate" is a good description.  Nicely done, Steve.

Thanks Stick and Check, more to follow.

modelcrazy

Thanks Stick and Check, more to follow.

 

checkmateking02

We're waiting for it, Steve!

Well then how about this Check.

I didn't get anything done last night due to other engagements but I did find and order one of these, making each a kit in itself.

That is shocking!!

Holy smokes Steve! I am really excited for you to complete those little boogers.....

I never knew they make 1/350 aircraft to that level of accuracy.

Ben

I should be getting that super datail set in today or tomorrow. I'll break out a couple palnes and start work on them to see just what I got myself into.

Much done this weekend. PE girders and dry fitting to the hull to make sure all is streight. I apperently didn't take a picture of bow work. Too bad because that took most of Sunday to do.

Stern girders just about done

A little addition to the fore deck.

All that work covered. used filler to smoothe out the join

The stern girders, not attached. I need to smooth the filler. Also there is a smaller section just aft of this section. I'll work on that then install the pillers. After test fitting, all of this will need to be painted. Again, it's to bad I didn't take a pic of the bow work

my hats off to you photo etch guys...

That is truly astonishing, awesome and admirable, Steve.  I'm not sure I've ever seen anything like it.  Congratulations!

Thanks Nick and Check.

I received a few things last night. I was so busy playing with them that I didn't get a whole lot done. I did get an hour on some more of the stern girder framework. I'm planning on finishing it up with, hopefully, the pillars, or at least get them made. I'm not sure I want to attach them until I fit the deck on just yet. We'll see, I may dry fit the deck, attach the pillars to the framework, then paint it all. I think it would be more difficult masking and painting with everything together.

The pic of the bow girders

The laser cut paper set from South Korea. 12 page instructions and 6 "trees".

Some other items that arrived including the aircraft PE set.

You are going to be very busy, Steve.  What a lot of PE!

Why yes, yes I am.

Almost complete with the stern girders. Just some pillars and what look to be walkways(?) then on to the mid section. The deck is just dry fitted to the hull. Hase supplied some huge aligling pins to set everything correctly.

It looks spectacular already, Steve!  Gonna be even more when you start painting.

Thanks Check and everyone.

OK this weekends data dump. I worked on and off. I have 79 hours into it now. The Zero took 9 of those hours, but now that I did one, I get faster as I go. Not that I have any complaints with the detail kit but I do wish they added drop tanks for the Zeks.

The canopy was more difficult that I thought it woule be. Cutting out for the interior and the canopy/antenna were to toughist and too the longest. Now time to paint but I'll do that when I have the AB out for other things. The wheels are turned brass.

Moving on the she ship. I completed the pillars and added the crane tracks. I dry fit the deck to check the fit. Looks good. Now I need to add the cable stays but am also continuing on to the kits instructions and the additional paper detail set. Theres still some girders needed to add to the fore/aft sides and the mid deck.

Also, I didn't like some pillars hard molded on the kit so I am replacing those.

That's all I got done this weekend.

Outstanding work Steve, truly inspiring and astonishing.

Thanks BB

This is truly awe-inspiring, Steve.  Your detail work is beyond words!  Simply great!

Thanks Check.

I put aside most of the PE work until more work is done on the hull, so back on the hull I go. I beleive I mentioned before that the molded in girder framework. behind the 1.2mm dual AA guns, were bothering me so I decided to replace them with scratch built pieces. They are snuggled far back under the mid deck so most won't even see them since there's just so much detail on the exterior, but I know they are there and feel better about it now. They're not perfect but will look just fine snuggled back under the deck

Nice duplicates, Steve.  They look very acceptable for the purpose.

Thanks Check,

Some more progress, slow, but progress. I worked on the AM paper braces and finally got the process down. Now I'm starting to get some things done again. A 25mm AA gun platform is shown here. The other platforms shown also have the paper braces. Once I touch them with thin CA, they become as hard as plastic. I need to attach the bracing posts and makes up some AA guns from PE. There are also 2 ladders that will be attached from the small hull opening to the platform.

Paper braces are something I haven't heard of.  Sounds like you got them to work very well.  Everything is looking great!

Thanks Check

I worked on the PE 25mm gun and here it is finished and next to a kit gun. It took me around 3 hours but now I know the sequence. They should take about and hour each and have 13 more to do....unless I loose parts.

Vast improvement, Steve.  They look beautiful!  Great work!

Hey Check,

I have been working dillegently every night on the Akagi. I have been replacing the bracing parts with the laser cut paper parts. Each one takes me about an evening each and still have several parts left to do. After this do I work on the AA guns or planes or do I go back to finishing the hull? 

Impressive, Steve.  What are the black lines on the parts?