At 1/700 thats some real micro surgery. Sort of working backwards, if the major bridge windows were to be opended, IMO the best way to glaze them would be Micro-Klear.

The glass is flush to the frames, or close to, not set back.Making little square pieces of clear acrylic 1/16" square would be beyond the call of duty.

A good way is to paint and flat coat the model, and THEN pick out the glass with glossy black paint. But I just use a micro point paint pen.

That oil canning looks great.

GMorrison

The glass is flush to the frames, or close to, not set back.Making little square pieces of clear acrylic 1/16" square would be beyond the call of duty.

Laughing... yup. If I'd follow the size of the windows on the kit and put the glass between the frames by filing, I eyeballed it at about 1/64 of an inch. Either way--it's dang small and I am not sure that they make a file small enough to fit that space. If they do-- I need to buy one because I am always trying crazy things like this. 

I think I will follow all of your advice and black them out. 

GMorrison

But I just use a micro point paint pen.

Do you have a pen recommendation? I did a little searching and I am not having much luck.

And I agree with the others on this Mongoose--the oil canning looks great! I will have to try that.

Bakster I did clear blue on this one. I think spraying it would have looked better than using a brush. This is my 1/700 Spruance DD963 just to give you an idea of the outcome if you black them out or decide to add some color for reflection.

Hey thanks for showing me that, Mongoose. I will go with the blackening out method. I think I'll try the pen method if I can find which one GM is talking about. I am long ways from that now but if I had decided to cut them out, now would have been the time to do it. 

Thanks guys.

Wow, I go away for a week and amazing things are happening!

Mongoose, thats some amazing PE work on the Vandergrift! I've never seen so much PE on a kit. She is looking great!

Bakster, those guns look so nice (big and small)! Your attention to detail is outstanding! I agree that cutting out 1/700 windows is fraught with grief. I might suggest painting them black, or blue and then with a very fine brush covering them with micro kyistol klear. That would give a bit of depth along with the illusion of glass.

As for me, I just got back to my bench after 10 days to find that some of the putty used to fill seems/sink marks had shrunk. 

So back to filling and sanding. I had hoped to get the final coat of primer on the Blueback today. Oh well.

Any sugestions on the colors? 

I'm thinking a coat of semi matt black, then masking for a coat of flat red on the bottom. Hopefully the black base will darken up the red.

For a "faded" black, or a slightly "sea worn" look, some use Tamiya NATO Black (XF-69).  That is what I'm going with on my Gato.

I like the clear blue idea.  Over a silver or alum. with a coat of micro crystal clear would stand out nicely.  Have to remember that for when I get to floaty things with windows.

Mach,

Ouch, but far better to find out now than later. As far as painting, that's what I'd do, but I black base everything anyway.

Mongoose,

Dang nice Spruance right there.

modelcrazy

Yes, as long as it is/was commissioned to, or in the case of commercial ships, registered with the United States at some point during it's career, it qualifies.

 

(Salutes) Thank you, sir. Considering your rather generous time frame, I will go with two ships.

The first will be RoG’s 1/144 Fletcher class destroyer. OOB it’s under German colors but I’m gonna hoist the Taiwanese flag on her. 

Second one is a blast from my childhood; the classic Revell Yacht America. Can’t get more American than that. 

Straycat1911

Considering your rather generous time frame, I will go with two ships.

Heck I put myself down for 4

Straycat1911

Revell Yacht America. Can’t get more American than that. 

That's a fact. I get you entries down later this evening.

Knowing the work you both turn out, you are going to get a run for your money on the Fletcher torpedo run, me thinks, Admiral.   Those will be a builds to watch.

modelcrazy

Mach,

Ouch, but far better to find out now than later. As far as painting, that's what I'd do, but I black base everything anyway.

Mongoose,

Dang nice Spruance right there.

 

Thanks, but its not a big deal.

I am a bit confused though, I used Vallejo plastic putty. I've used it many times before with no shrikage.

Only thing I can think of it might have been a little thicker than you normally apply it.

I think you are on to something, but just the opposite. The last putty aplication I diluted it with water so it would flow better. That has to be the reason.

Straycat1911

Second one is a blast from my childhood; the classic Revell Yacht America. Can’t get more American than that. 

 

mach71

I think you are on to something, but just the opposite. The last putty aplication I diluted it with water so it would flow better. That has to be the reason.

 

I think you hit it right...shrunk due to extra water evaporation.

Good info for us when we use the acrylic fillers.

Big effort to get the bridge done tonight. Lost my first pieces in the process. The nice thing about this Pontos kit is there seem to be extra pieces throughout. Some of it is truly extra like the bollards (maybe the right term for the posts used to tie up alongside the dock?) and some due to different options to choose from creating some extras. Can't believe it took this long. With luck I'll finish the main mast tomorrow and have 2 days to assemble, decal and finish paint. Our club meeting is on Sunday. Starting to feel the pressure!

Tonight I added some references for size.

Had good luck using the advice on railings from that post Bakster had back on page 14.

Mongoose, you are barreling along on this. Nice work on the railings!

GMorrison

 

 

Straycat1911

Second one is a blast from my childhood; the classic Revell Yacht America. Can’t get more American than that. 

 

 

 

 

That's a good one. There are plenty of them on eBay. 

 

 

News to me, G. Been scouring evilbay off and on for awhile without much luck.

I found this one in the back of Dean Sills trailer at a show. Grabbed it before anyone else saw it. :)

Straycat: Welcome!!! Sounds like really cool choices there. 

Mongoose: Oh wow nice work there! Love the PE platform and detail for that teeny-tiny radome! 

Mach71: Ouch that blows. But as said good thing you bumped into it now instead of after painting. 

Straycat, I got you down. I'm really looking forward to that Fletcher.

Well, this is turning into one of "those" builds.

As I was preping for primer this morning, a section of the hull seem opened up.

I ran some glue into it, sanded again.

After I re-painted it fell on the floor and got a bunch of lint/dirt on it.

Oh well, moving on.

Not a big deal, just an annoyance.

Mach, I'm assuming you're looking like your avatar right now. 

Mach71 you should switch to a destroyer ...  dang you just can’t get a break. I know how you feel though, I can’t hold onto anything lately. Here’s hoping a light wet sand will take that paint back to smooth.

modelcrazy

Mach, I'm assuming you're looking like your avatar right now. 

 

Hahaha! 

But yup.

I cleaned her up, and noticed that the limber vent ran father forward on the starbord side so I fixed that. Then made the diesel exhaust and air intake.

Another coat of primer tomorrow. 

Seems like groundhog day....

TheMongoose

Mach71 you should switch to a destroyer ...  dang you just can’t get a break. I know how you feel though, I can’t hold onto anything lately. Here’s hoping a light wet sand will take that paint back to smooth.

 

Destroyers are way too complicated! Subs should be easy, should be...

Moving right along. The radar mast i was dreading due to the concave and compound curve on the radar...turns out it was “too easy master chief, too easy”! Rolled it on a piece of foam 2 times across and stopped Before i over did it.

Dang, The Mongoose, that looks good!

Your progress is making me look forward to getting into the PE that I bought for my destroyer. Never used it before- you're making it look easy.  

You all are setting the bar really high.  Great thread! 

Learning so much too! 

Thanks guys

T e d

Mach71: OUCH!!! Glad to see you still working on this. I think I'd just stick her back in the box and start something else...

Mongoose: WOW!!!

Mongoose I'm in awe of your PE work! That ship will really look great!

Gamera I'm in it until the end! 

The latest setback, I can only find one of the vertical tails I made.

I searched everywhere and I cant find it. So I made another.

I did get another coat of primer on tonight.

Maybe I can get all the parts on her tomorrow. 

I'll have to start thinking about decals soon.

Mach that’s nice and smooth now. Tails look perfect!